The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-25
Special Contributors
LIFE A SCHO0L.-WHAT THEN?
BY REV. S. CRANE, D. D.
lNorwalk, Ohio

tNOIWaIk, Ohlu.f
life being a school, then all men are
scholars. All are learners in this great
school. No matter when or where
they live, all are the Lords disciples.
They may have lived way back in the
morning of the world, or they may live
here in this very year Of grace, all the
same, they are members of life's grand
school They are learning the great
lessons of life, learning the greatest Of
all lessons, how TO live.
Consequently all are being taught.
The environment in which we are
placed is our schoOl-master. Our sur
roundings are our teachers. Everything
with which we come III contact has
some lesson to teach US, some word Of
instruction or admODition. Our place
in life cannot be so poor or so bad as
to have nothing for us to learn. In
the poorest corner Of the world there is
something of the everlasting truth. In
the darkest den there is some light
from the eternal right. The saddest
experience has some precious lesson.
The deepest sorrow has some life-giv-
ing power. The greatest prosperity
has some word of spiritual significance.
The greatest achievement only enlarges
the possibility Of achievement. The
more we learn the more we find to
learn. The larger, more efficient we
make our environment the greater be-
comes its educative power The
teaching power of our surroundings
increases as we Improve liaoae surs
roundings IN al ways, ~ every in
auence that comes to US, by al the
forces that move us we are being
taught, we are being educated into the
great mystery of living.
Therefore we must be taught. There
is a will, a purpose in all these ed
ucative forces. They are ordained of
God for our education. God gave us
life that we might know life. He gave
us existence that we might learn how
to live. That we might sound the
depths, experience the joys of life, was
the great purpose that moved God to
create us and make US such beings as
we are. Hence we must be taught.
Soon or late we must learn the divine
lesson, ''And ye shall be all taught of
God, is the revelation Of the divine
will to man.
1t is not for us to say, therefore,
whether we will be taught or not; God
has determined that matter. He has
decreed our education. He has willed
that we, each and every one of us, shall
be educated in all the mysteries of holy
living, shall become 'partakers of his
holiness Upon this point, therefore,
we have no choice. We cannot say
that we will or will not be educated;
God has decided that question, it is
only left for us to acquiesce.
We may choose somewhat as to the
manner of this education, whether it
shall be pleasant or painful. II we
choose the right way, follow the light
of Goi and walk in his law, we shall
not only be taught, but be blessed in
the teaching. Our education will be
full of gladness. Every lesson we re-
ceive will give Joy to our souls.
But if we turn away from the right,
shut our eyes to the light, we shall be
taught, but it will be painful teaching.
There will be sting in every lesson.
The retributive forces of Gods
school will then take hold of us to teach
us by the hand experience Of pain,
sorrow, loss and remOTse. We shall be
taught, but we shall be taught by the
pains Of reyributiye justice. Whatever
our choice, therefore, our teaching is in
evitable. Whatever we do we must be
taught OF God. We may make it
pleasant OF painful but we cannot stop
the teaching We are in Gods great
school, we must learn.
So one period of life is put into right
relations with another, Ole period
affects, influences, but does not deter
mine the character Of another. Youth
influences manhood, bat does not fix
the character of manhood The boy is
father to the man, but the man may
be very different from the boy. Man
hood does not always fulfil the promise
of youth, the bad boy sometimes be-
comes the good man. The life of to-
day does not determine the life of to-
morrow. There is no cutting off to-day
from yesterday, or tomorrow from to-
day. Great influences run through