The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-05

mOuOInelSLn, Ln6 worship OF one SUI
preme God, wise, merciful, just, kind
Providence, the Friend Of Abraham
and of his family. But there are coun-
ter-currents in the -idolatries
learned from the Canaanites, cruelties
and barbarities inherited from heathen-
ism. Still the main current pours on,
carrying pure waters of faith and Of
generous conduct. 1t receives through
Moses the river Of the law, teaching
justice between man and man. Other
affiuents swell its waters, adding psalms
of love, trust, praise, aspiration. The
river broadens into the great prophetic
teachings concerning the majestic, spir-
itual, and infinite character Of God and
the worthlessness of mere ritual and
ceremony. 1t foams and flows between
the steep rocks and over the sounding
cataracts, where 1t is dashed and tor
mented by conquest, captivity, oppres-
sion. 1t comes out again between wide
prairies of happy human life, long in
tervals of peace and joy, till at last it
becomes the great river of Christian
faith, and hope, and love. The main
stream of the Bible, from first to last,
is one of beneficence and bounty. 1t
has blessed mankind with pure and
generous teachings Of truth and right.
1t has enabled those on whom the world
lays heavy burdens to bear them in the
spirit of courage and hope. 1t has been
the only friend of the lonely widow,
spelling out its lessons of trust in her
cottage after long day Of toll. 1t
gave new courage to our Pilgrim Faith
ers, reading it by the light Of the eve
ming fire, "piled high from the forest
which shaded their door, and repeat
ing to their listening children the story
of their wrongs and their resistance,
bidding them rejoice, that though the
wild winds and wild beasts were rag
ing without, they had nothing to fear
from great mems oppression and the
bishops rage" 1t sustained the Hug
uenots when driven into the wilderness
and forced to hide among the frozen
mountain sides by the prosecutions Of
Louis XIV. 1t gave might not their
own to the Covenanters when pursued
by the dragons of Claverhouse. 1t
was in the right hand of Martin Luth-
or when he stood before the Imperial
Council, and said: "Here 1 stand; /
cannot do otherwise. God help me.
Amen. " And how often have the words
Of Jesus prompted acts Of forgiving
love, long years of patient sacrifice, fidel-
ity in the midst Of temptation How
many sinners has the Parable of the
Prodigal Son brought back to their
fathers house How many good Sam
aritans has the divine story created
How many unknown martyrs have
followed silently in the footsteps of
Jesus This has been the main cur
rent Of the Bible. 1t has flowed on full
of benefcence, like the river which
nOurishes half continent. No doubt
it has had its counter currents, its ed
dies, its errors, contradictions, incon-
sistencies. But the eye capable Of a
true perspective will easily see that
these side issues ara Insignificant COM
pared with the great stream. Foolish
believers say that the Bibleis infallibly
true from the beginning to the end,
and so make claims for it which it never
made for itself. Foolish unbelievers
reject the whole because it is not in
fallibly inspired from the beginning to
the end. Because the Ohio or Missis-
sippi sometimes overflow their banks !;
because they are sometimes blocked by
running ice; because, in midsummer
their channels are in some places too
low for navigation, we do not doubt
that they have peopled the central val
ley of the continent with tens of thous-
ands Of happy homes. All sensible
people take from the Bible good and
pure nourishment for the soul and let
tbs rest go. They follow the course of
Emerson's Humble bee:
"Seeing only what is fair,
Slipping only what is sweet,
Thou dost mock at fate and care,
Leave the chaff and take the wheat
We say of the Bible as the Apostle
Paul said of his own inspiration, "We
have these treasures in earthen vessels,
that the excallencY of the power shall