The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-28
sorrows of life, and a peaceful and
triumphant death.

is the father of all, then all are his
children. And if his children, we par
take OF his nature. And so we are
told that 'God created man in his own
image and after his likeness. And so
our souls are born of God. In the es-
sence of our being we are transcripts of
the divine mind. This power which
we possess to think, to remember, to
love, to hope and to fear, originates in
God. And so, by our creation, we are
allied to God. 1--WE are the offspring
of God" Paul says, "made in his simili-
tude." Sin has marred this likeness,
but it has not obliterated it.
| Underneath this cloud of sin,
| The heart of man retaineth yet
Cleans of its holy origin"
All the attributes that man ever pos
sessed he still possesses. He has the
same mind to think, the same heart to
love, the same religious nature to wor-
ship. Touch men with the divine spirit
and they will bud and blossom, and
yield glorious fruit. All down through
the ages man has been Gods child,
Gods offspring, and he is to-day. We
all have immortal powers that came
from God, and we can all look up to
him and call him Father.
Encouraging view of man is this
We are not born to perish like the
beast; not born to have our powers
eternally wasted. But we are called
into existence that we may stand erect
before our maker, and take in his
thoughts, and feel the power of his
love, and be inspired by his spirit, and
to become Enthusiastically his child
rem, as we are his by nature. Let
therefore no man think meanly of him.
self or his fellow man. Let him hate
sin, but love the sinner. The meanest
and lowest man has that in him that
makes him kindred to the infinite low
ing spirit of the universe. We are not
therefore worms, but men, Coos child
rem. Who that catches this cheering
vision of himself, can give himself up
to the dominion of evil2 To feel with
in ones self that he is a child of the
skies, capable of rising higher and
higher in life, of reaching higher alti-
tudes of wisdom, goodness, purity, and
all that is divine and heavenly, is an
inspiration to man to quit the paths
of sin and wretchedness and to mount
upward. And when men realize that
what is true of themselves, is also true
of all others, that every child of hui
mainly is child of God and infinitely
precious in the fathers sight, then will
wrong cease, and the golden chain Of
brotherly love will bind heart to heart,
and peace and goodwill shall every
where abound.
Universalists believe in Christ.
We'accept him as our Saviour, Teacher,
and Guide. He is the imam Christ
Jesus" "touched with the feeling of
our infirmities, in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without SIM" He is
man perfected, sanctifed, made divine,
a manifestation of the godlike in hui
mainly and to humanity. And SO
while he represents the moral and
spiritual likeness Of the father, he yet
is perfect pattern for man to follow,
the ideal life for man to ever keep be-
fore him and strive to initiate. His
, life was the purest, sweetest and ten
, derest that ever lived upon earth, and
his teachings the loftiest and divinest
Through his life and his teachings
his whole ministry-we become ac-
quainted with God as far as the finite
can take in the infinite, for he came tC
manifest the Father. He and the Fa-
Their are one-one in purpose, spirit
love. And so he revealed to us TIE
Father and at the same time pointed
out the way to the true life. II an
the way, the truth and the life."
4. And this brings me to the question
of salvation. Salvation includes sever
al ideas. L. A something to be saved
2. A something to be saved from. 8
A something to be saved to. A. A
Saviour. Sinners are objects Of saliva
ton, and all men are sinners. eff We
say we are without sin we deceive our
selves and the truth is not in u.s. AL
are sinners because all have sinned per
sonally more or less. We have natures
capable of making us angels, but we
are accountable beings with freedom Of
choice. If we choose the right we are
elevated and blessed; if the wrong we
are cursed. We are very apt to take
both paths at times, though most mer
finding the path of virtue the sunny
path, travel therein more than the op-
posite way. Yet all have sinned, and
so all need to be saved. Aud it is mems
sins that they need to be saved from
their sinful habits and dispositions, un.
lawful lusts and corrupt desires any
thing that degrades the soul. 1t is moi
the punishment for sins already COM
mitted, but the sins that bring punish.
ment, which men need to be saved
from.
And what sinners need to be saved