The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-06

to get rid of work, how to shift respon-
sibility. There is more rejoicing among
men over one duty dexterously avoided
than over ninety and nine faithfully
performed. We measure ourselves by
0ur skill in putting away from us the
unpleasant and burdensome. We defy
our Incidence, and cast the crowns Of
our manhood at its feet. In popular
religion, comfortable heaven with
ont money and without price" is the
ideal. A gospel that reduces the atone
ment to a mercantile transaction and
prayer to the holding of beggar's hat,
40 commends itself to the universal
love of ease that the mass accept it as
'sthe faith delivered to the saints" 1t
woj ks out their salvation for them, and
leaves them but to roll lazily into the
result. We do not remember that the
kingdom must be taken by violence.
We. see the golden pinnacle, we forget
the narrow path.
/. Work out your own salvation.
What are We to understand ? What is
salvation This question must first
be settled.
ID Salvation is not heaven, as the
common understanding goes; not harp
and crown nor song of angel; not gate
of pearl and golden house. In no ma
tefial grandeur or external trappings
whatsoever does our salvation consist.
It is commonly spoken of as if it meant
bodily transfer by an omnipotent arm
to New Jerusalem of gold and jasper
like that described by the poet of Pat
mos. 1t is not so. Salvation is char
acter. It is manhood, womanhood.
We have higher business than merely
being saved in the popular sense. The
chief end of man, Notwithstanding
10 Ger and shorter catechisms and con-
LESSONS, is to be man, to become
along the ascending lines what God has
given us the power to become. The
work of life is not to capture an out
ward paradise, but TO cultivate our
souls. "The kingdom OF God is within
you''-'' 1t cometh not with OBSERVE
tior - there are no shouting heralds
or flying banners.
The idea that salvation is an inward
process and not an outward condition,
is constantly set before us in the New
Testament pages; 1.-The kingdom OF
God is not meat and drink, but right
eousness, JOY and peace in the Holy
Ghost To him who abounds in faith,
virtue, knowledge, temperance, pa
thence, godliness, brotherly kindness,
eharity-shall be administered an aound-
ant entrance into the everlasting king
dom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Only he into whom the king
dom enters shall enter the kingdom.
Conversion is being awaked to the
highest and best there is in US, to the
fact that there is nobler life than
that of the animal, that we have some
thing more to strive for than what will
feed and olothe us. Conversion is
Gods touch upon the eyelids of the
soul. Salvation is taking possession OF
the fair land the soul beholds when its
eyes are opened-the possibilities OF
good that are revealed. If it means
less than this, or other than this, we
do not need to be saved. 1t eternal
life be simply an eternal bauble, no
serious mind would care for it; If it be
eternal manhood, we must have it
~ A word as to the relation of hap
piness to salvation. Happiness as an
end or aim, for this world Or the next,
we have nothing to do with. 1t may
come or it may be denied. He who
seeks this first will lose it. We must
seek FIRST the kingdom and righteous
ness of God. Then whatever else is
needed will be added. We must do
right. Our great concern is goodness.
Let us be righteous and happiness will
take care of itself The rapture of
seraph is not to be gained by pursuing
it as an object. Joy, if we ever find it,
y i'll leap like an angel from some hid
den spot beside the strong path OF duty.
IF our brows shall ever be garlanded,
the blossoms must be plucked from I'M
lovely tasks. He who would touch
heaven in his experience must have
his feet firmly planted upon the rock of
dnty. From that eminence alone shall
he be able to catch glimpse of the
upper glories. Right actions are the
groundwork of right feelings. Duty
is the tree upon which grow the bios
SONS of JOY. In one of the monkish
legends it is said that st. John, the
dwarf, an anchored of Scete, was ordered
by his superior to plant a dry staff in
the ground and water it daily till it
should bring forth fruit. The river
was distant, the way lay across burn
ing sands, but the dwarf obeyed the
order implicitly without mumur, or
speaking one word for three years,
wien the stick put forth leaves and
blossomed and bore fruit. The hermit
who gave the order gathered the fruit,