The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-04

SlodtcoO, Jul uOoU IclISlUuh dCbS are,
generally speaking, the simplest. They
consist in nothing greater than giving
cup Of cold water to the needy; in
speaking an encouraging or comforting
word to the discouraged or sorrowful;
in being truthful; in being faithful to
our daily duties; in helping the poor to
the measure of our ability in refusing
to believe evil of any one until evil is
proved of them, and then treating them
with pity rather than with scorn; in
overloo king the unconscious and even
the conscious Sights and rude manners
of others. But though religion is as sim
pie as all this, still there are none who
are wholly faithful to it. One of the
most religious acts on the part of man is
to believe in and trust his fellow men;
and yet how many there are who go
about with continual suspicion in their
heart. They are always looking for
some great thing, some terrible disaster
to happen on account of the unfaithful-
ness of certain of those with whom
they are associated. They sigh and
grieve and make themselves as miser-
able as possible over something which
seldom if ever takes place. Some one
has said that 1.-THE most irreligious act
which one can commit is not to believe
in man." If we are not to have faith
in man who are we to have faith in ?
st. John says that, IF man say love
God and hateth his brother he is liar !;
70 that loveth not his brother whom
ha seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen ?" So is it with
one who pretends to have faith in God,
but does not have faith in man. His
life is bound to be false, frivolous,
miserable and irreligious in spite Of
himself. There can be no true, no
exalted life except we put implicit
trust in those about us-except we
regard them as worthy of confidence as
ourselves.
Another very irreligious act is to
treasure up and hold resentment with
respect to anybody who has said some
thing or done something against us.
Such an act is thought sometimes to
show greatness of spirit and indepen-
dence, but it shows neither. On the
other hand it does reveal that we can
be as contemplate and small of spirit,
if not more so, than the one whom we
think has injured US. 1t shows that
our hate is as great, if not greater, than
theirs. 1t shows, also, that we are not
that independent and free man we
supposed we were; but that we are
tyrannized over, bound, as it were,
hand and foot by this terrible passion
of resentment. There are those who
think that this manner Of forgiveness
of overlooking injuries, belongs ex
clusively to the minister. OF course it
is rather expected of him that he will
not hold resentment toward any one,
but with the laity it is different. They
need not put up with as much as he is
called to unless they want to. How
false such reasoning as this is to assume
that there is any difference between
what is proper for the minister and all
other men who are just like him. He
possesses no monopoly upon any truth,
but whatever is right and proper in him
is right and proper for all. This matter
of forgiveness is a universal law. 1t
affects everybody alike, and unless one
does not wish to come under it's lasting
condemnation, unless he does not wish
to be doomed to eternal unrighteousness
and littleness he must be faithful to it..
If we wish largeness, generosity, wis
dom, beauty and heavenliness Of spirit.
we must be obedient to this law. There
is no way of being truly religious with
out being forgiving.
So we might go on showing by these
simple illustrations how true servant
ship is to be manifested. We are to do
by others as Jesus did by us; and we
are to do it not merely because he
commands it, but because that way is
altogether right and true and lovely.
What better thing can we do for our
selves than to resolve to be more
religious in the sense that L have
attempted to point out. Because of
our false pride, our pettiness or our
sinfulness, we have not yet served our
fellow men as we may and ought. We
are about to celebrate together the
beautiful communion service of the
Christian church. l trust that we will
all unite in this service, and that in it
we will pledge renewed fidelity and
love to our Master, and also that we will
consecrate our lives anew to the higher
and divine service of each other and of
all men-that we will put away forever
the hard and cruel and base thoughts
which we may have entertained toward
any one. May this be real communion
"a communion Of fellowship and love.
May we be in fact to each other what
God means we shall be.
ENGLISH literature is by no means rid
yet OF that "rule of the old " of which Mr..
Grout Allan not Inno a0o oouonIa;ao5