The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-28
INvINCIBLE GRACE.

alize the divine purpose in the creator
ship of man. Hence the prayer of Jesus,
when, after supplicating the Father for
the sancti6cation or conservation of his
immediate disciples, he added: IN either
for these only do pray, but for them
also who believe on me through their
word; that they may all be one; even
as thou, Father, art in me, and in thee,
that they also ma y be or in u.s." John
xvii, %, 23) The words may be para
phrased as follows II pray for all who
may yield themselves to Me, that as
thou, Father, art in Me and l in Thee,
they in like manner may be one in us !;
in them, as thou art in Me, in order
that they may be made complete in
One" With this harmonizes the words
of the epistle of John j, 1, 8: "That
which we have seen and heard declare
we unto you also, that We also may have
fellowship with us; yea, and our fell
lowship is with the Father and his
Son Jesus Christ"
With this declaration of the purpose
of the gospel falls into harmony all
those Scriptural passages which pre-
sent Jesus as reconciling mankind unto
himself, and all those passages which
represent the apostles as his instru-
ments, engaged in the same work. In
this view the atonement is the work of
reconciliation. The apostles as ambas-
sailors for Christ proclaim this message
of reconciliation, entreating men to
accept it, and urging the various con.
siderations which are necessary to move
hearts and consciences to this end
that the fellowship of the gospel may
be made personal experience, and
men brought into union with God
through his Son. that the spiritual
oneness of all souls may be made COM
plete, and all antagonism and alienation
banished that men may become at
one with God, as he is at one with
them.
1t is hence that the gospel is mes
sage of grace for the world. s'He dwells
among us,' says the Apostle, "full of
grace and truth, "-or, as some prefer to
read it, ''full of grace invincible." The
revelation of God in Christ was made
| for the end of the reconciliation of man,
to bring man into state of spiritual
obedience to the Father. "This was,"
says Prebendary Griffith, 1.-THE full eff
florescence of the great idea which un-
derlies the true conception of religion,
that it consists in at-one-ment with God,
an at-one-ment which was possessed in
its completeness by Jesus himself, and
the bringing of his brethren to share
with him in this at-one-ment is the one
work which he was commissioned to
accomplish"
We survey mankind and we find that
they are in need of this reconciliation,
of being brought into the spiritual har-
mony and blessedness which the reve-
lation of grace demands. Grace signi-
fies the attitude of the Divine being
who is Love to his earthly children. 1t
proposes the highest good of all in the
reconciling purpose of its ministry. 1t
would seem that the first breathings of
this grace would be welcomed in every
life, and it's commands obeyed for the
very love of the quality itself, so benig
nant and so tender and watchful in all
its ministrations, so full of sweet posi-
bilities for all souls. But, on the con-
trary, we find that the actual condition
of mankind is the reverse of this. Men
are out of harmony with God, alienated
from him by wicked works; having no
peace, because they are away from the
source of peace; wanting in the knowl-
edge of God, and apart from his service
and love. 1t is here that the gospel
meets us with its call fer returning
obedience with it's demand that per-
sonal, spiritual relations be established
on our part with Him who is seeking to
save us; who has given us the ministry
Of grace for the purpose of calling us to
Himself, and making us one in Christ
with God.
The appeal of the gospel is to those
who are afar off, that they may become
children at home with the Father.
And are not all willing to confess that
there is something radically wrong
when we find this appeal resisted,
spurned, perhaps, by those who most
need its kindly influence ? We well
come the great light and heat of the
sun that is the center of the material
universe, and adapt ourselves to its
coming and going; its ministrations of
benefcence are welcome to US, and we
seek to avail ourselves of the advan-
tages which follow in its course. We
recognize it as the source of life, and
live amid the distributive glories of its
royal nature, with our life in harmony
with its beams, and the entire universe
glowing with responsive delight under
its reign. Who refuses the benignant
offices of the sun or sets at naught its
career of blessing for the world ? On