Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-23
MIR. sQUrREs, SPECIAL COURSE.

 Discourse on why | Believe in ssUni- versalism.',
 At the Church of the Messiah last even ing Rev. L. H. Squires gave another of special course of sermons which have been attracting considerable attention. His subject was "Why Am Univer- salist," and the text was I. Timothy 2:4, "God, our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
 The speaker said he was not Univer- salist from early training, for he never heard Universalist until after he was fifteen years of age, nor read distinct lively Unipersalist book until after he be- gan to preach. Yet he never believed the do ctrine he heard preached in the ortho- dox church and taught in the Sunday school where he was. He grew naturally to be Universalist without knowing it. There are great many in the same con- dition who have not found it out. Continuing, he said now believe in Universalism because it is Gods will and purpose to have all men saved, and God will accomplish his purpose. To doubt | this is either to doubt or dethrone God. God who will fail to accomplish his will l is not supreme. One who will punish his children eterna1ly is not divine father. Two things alone must compel any un l prejudiced mind to belief in Universal ism; first, the divine sovereignty, and sec ond the obligations of the divine pater nifty
 Divine sovereignty is the cornerstone O. our faith and the certain teaching of scrip ture. This universe is not to be a divided and his plans and purposes will not be al eternal failure. Whatever may be the in termediate means by which it is reached we may be sure that the end of the divin government will be God-ruler over all and his will done in all places. Thus ia we are strict Calvinists. But when the, then proceed to say that Gods will i wrath and damnation to some of his chil dren, we turn away with horror and sa, this would be fend and not father.
 The obligations of the divine paternity coupled with the sovereignty of God, com pei us to Universalism. A father is boun, to do the best possible for his children il all worlds. What is the best that God cal do with a sinner? Punish him, eternally some will say. But can the devil do any | the old theology, the best that God can d is only equal to the worst the devil can do
 We say God, by means of punishmen and discipline, can subdue, reform, firmly and save unto himself his whole family o children. And we believe this will be tn ultimate result because we believe Chi mercy endureth forever. Because we be lieve in divine justice which punishes t save. Because we believe in Christ wh came to "take away the sin of the world and who taught us that he would ''dra, all men unto him." and that s'as in Adar all die even so in him shall all be mad alive"
 This faith in "the final triumph of goo over all even" is the noblest vision of mar Prophets have foretold it. Reformers an philanthropists have labored for it i most heroic mood. Poets sing it in thei sublimest strains. The deepest prayers c piety in every age plead for it. All thes :. things are evidence Of the working out ( Gods purpose. "For step by step sine time began we see the steady gain of mar and all of good the past has had remains t make our own time glad"
 "Evil shall die like dung about the roo of truth Naught eternal is but thu which is of God. So scripture, reasol philanthropy, poetic insight, and u worlds progress, all unite to give us tn, faith which Wordsworth calls "One ad quate support for the calamities of mo
 tai life, an assured belief that the proce sion of our fate, however sad or disturbe' is ordered by being of infinite benev
 lence and power, whose everlasting pu
 poses embrace all accidents, convertin l them to poodn