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

Aiioo hO ouppOIteu. but Wnen AFTER
ward he transferred bis subscription to
new Universalist congregation, it was
held to be greatly against the new move
ment. What is sauce Cor the one is not
held to be sauce for the other. hope
the man referred to became thoroughly
Universalist; that no sentiment OPP
posed to our faith remained to color his
beliefs, and then he would as certainly
drop his baleful business as red hot
horseshoe. He was not filed with the
love of human kind. He had not learned
one of the elementary truths of the
faith to the preaching of which he newly
listened, that because God is love he
will visit every transgression with the
rod of his justice, every iniquity with
stripes of chastisement
God cannot be deceived or Knocked or
thwarted. He has ordained mans de-
liverance from sin through the freedom
bestowed upon him. But so long as he
is out of harmony with divine love, he
can have no peace. He may try to con-
vince himself that the Lord delays his
punishment, or that he does not punish;
that the way of sin is more pleasant
and peaceful than that of wisdom; that
worldly pleasures and enjoyment are
wisdom. He may persist in his ways,
in worldliness, in neglect of religion, in
business profitable to himself, though
baleful to the community, in base hab-
its, in violation Of the law of love, but
his day of judgment shall come in dis
appointment and shame and painful
regret. Now we hold upon apostolic
authority-that even this, though Bit
terly grievous, is needful and profitable
and kind, because intended to shake the
love Of the chastened son from his I'M
spiritual life. But no man would, with
his eyes open. challenge such expert
ences at Gods hand. Our faith pro-
poses no ways of escape, save by avoid
ance of sin and entrance into the way
of holiness. 1t does not contemplate
the relief of human souls through the
infiiction of their deserved penalty upon
holy one. The soul that sins shall
die, shall surely die.
And though Universalism prophesies
the recovery Of ali souls from spiritual
death, it does not declare their safety
from i'll consequent upon wrong doing.
1t holds spiritual law to be as pervasive
and efficient as physical law. "Can a
man take fire into his bosom and his
clothes not be burned Can one go
upon hot Goals and his feet not be burn
ed ?" These are the types, taken from
the world of matter, which indicate the
certainty of punishment. Can a man
sin with impunity ? Can one ignore
truth and righteousness and heaven,
and find peacep Not if there is God
who rules the universe. Not if justice
is divine and almighty. Not if mercy
is an attribute of the great king. The
road to progress from sinful conditions
is through suffering. and shall we hes
itate to declare the certainty of suffer-
ing, sooner or laterSas consequence of
sinfuiness? We 10 b declare, We do
so believe, with more or less earnestness
and efficacy. If there is any motive
power in doctrines of punishment, Uni
versalism has it as no other faith can
boast. If warnings of evil deter souls
from SHINING, they are likely to be more
efficacious as set forth from our pulpits
than from any others. No escape is
promised. He that doeth wrong in
thought, or feeling, or word, or deed,
''shall receive for the wrong that he
hath done, and there is no respect of
PERSONS"
But while the warnings which accom-
pany the gospel have their utility, the
great power in the spiritual universe is
the love Of God. In the world of mat
ter, the tempest, the earthquake, the
lightning, the tornado, seem to be the
forces of grandest power; and as we
hear the resounding thunder or view
the devastations of the storm we stand
in awe. But the force which best rep
resents almighty power is not one of
these casual and superficial incidents of
nature. 1t is that which penetrates
remotest worlds and inheres in every
atom of matter, though invisible to
human sight. 1t is that by which God
holds millions of spheres as in the hol-
low of his hand, suspends this beauti-
full world in space and relates it to the
far distant stars. 1t is the still small
voice by which the Creator bids matter
condense into worlds and worlds revolve
the law of attraction.
And in the sphere of souls it is not the
particular incidents of human expert
ence which represent Gods spiritual
force to us; not the earthquake and
tempest and fire of judgment; not the
sufferiDA and calamity and sorrow
which come through his province; but
a power behind all these, which takes
in the interest Of every human spirit;
which penetrates to all worlds where
souls reside, and relates us to all other
intelligence. 1t is love all-pervading