The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-04

we think God has absoluteiT willed for
man. Hence life is school for the
working out of this destiny. 1t is a
school for the educating of men into
holiness. 1t is all ordered u this end,
as anything like a careful analysis of
life will show.
But, it may be said, is no this idea
of life essentially the same az that of
probation? Is not the school idea of
life essentially the same as the pro-
bationary idea? By no means. They
are radically different.
In the first place the school idea
does not limit the time for education,
does not set any bounds Beyond which
we cannot learn of God; does not say
we can learn of God in thls world or for
a certain time in the next; but that we
cannot learn of him forever. But this
is just what the prob ationary idea does
say. 1t says you must learn of God in
this world, or at most, within certain
period in the next, or not learn of him
at all. Old Orthodoxy says, you must
learn of him here or never. 1t is now
or never with all shades of old ortho-
doxy. New orthodoxy says you must
learn of God in this world, or up to the
day of judgment in the next, or you
never can learn of him. The probation
ary idea of life, therefore, in either
form limits the time of education and
so is radically different from the school
idea.
Again the probationary idea of life
makes the future depend on the pres
ent; makes what man is to be through
all eternity depend on what man is in
this world or through the period of
probation. The probationary period
settles all matters of human destiny.
What we are during this period de-
termines what we shall be through all
eternity.
Not so the school idea. That holds
that no one period of life determines
the character of another, much less de-
termines the SOULS everlasting destiny.
What 1 am to-day does not determine
what l shall be tomorrow. So what l
am in this world does not determine
what shall be in the next; nor what l
am in any given perioc8determine what
L shall be in the following period.
What L am to-day viii affect what l
shall be tomorrow, bs.sit will not de-
termine it; for tomorrow may change
my course of living and be very differ
ent. So what we are In this world will
affect our condition q tAe next but it
viii nos A. i az u the next;
for there we may change cur course Of
living and become wiser and better.
So in any given period. Periods of
life influence each other but no one
period fixes the character of another
either for time or eternity. In this re-
spect again, therefore, these two ideas
of life are radically different.
Again, as we have seen, the proba-
tionary idea excludes the divine pur-
pose from life. God does not absolute
ly will that life shall do anything de-
Unite for man. He simply leaves man
to save or damn himself just as he
chooses. But the school idea puts a
purpose into life. Life means some
thing. 1t has a definite end in view.
We live that we may know God and
obey him, that we may know our
Father and love him.
You do not put your child on proba-
tion when you send him to school. You
send him to school for purpose. You
send him to school to be taught and
you judge of the wisdom and efficiency
of the school by its ability to teach. So
with God. When he gives his children
existence, he does not put them on pro-
baton, he sends them to school. He
gives them life, that they may be edu-
Gated and whether they shall be edu-
Gated or not is never left for them to
decide. They may choose, to some ex-
tent, the method of education, whether
it shall be pleasant or painful, but
educated they must be. Soon or late
they must leaIn to love and obey God,
for that is the purpose of God in their
existence, and to this end the great
school of life was ordained by infinite
wisdom and power. A school ordained
and conducted by infinite wisdom and
power cannot fail of its object. Here,
again, the school idea of life differs
radically from the probationary idea
and is the one that harm oniz es perfect
ly with our scheme of thought.
.HrUV