The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-03
will always find distinct and needed en-

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pEasis.
We should find every part living in
every other part and nothing that God
has ever made. foreign to his truth. The
smile upon an infants face is a ripple
from the great ocean of,Infnite Love.
A Universalist clergyman should be
like a navigator. Sailing over every
sea whose plummet touches every shoal
and shallow, who comes back from every
voyage richly freighted with knowledge
to give to his people. 1t is necessary
that there should be preparation for the
preachers message. A preacher insults
his audience who does not come before
them fully prepared for his work. We
must have thorough training, and we
ought to draw the line higher instead Of
lower in admitting new applicants to our
ranks. Every minister should spend
much time in his study, in contact with
the great minds who have given such
great thoughts to the world. Every
minister should have some special line
OF study; history, art, literature. the
natural sciences, sociology. This should
extend over several years. The minister
who selects such course of study, will
find it large preparation for his pulpit
work.
We are on the eve of great movements;
we stand confronting great problems
which must be solved, if not in our own
generation then in the generation fol-
lowing. This critical age. We do not
accept all the conclusions of the past
The old Bible is being read through new
eyes. We must be familiar with all
these new ranges Of thought. The min
lister should not have a superficial but
thorough knowledge Of them. An i'm
portant question is that of sociology and
the relations of capital and labor. The
minister can do large amount of dam
age who has but superficial knowledge
OF the principles of political economy;
he can do much good if he has thor.
ough knowledge of them.
This service of thought is great one
il we come to it with adequate prepara-
tion, but after all, our sermon or lecture
is only an instrument. 1t is intended to
instruct and also to move to something.
The sermon has not accomplished it's
purpose until it has been incorporated
into the lives of the hearers.
The.third paper was on "The Service
OF Humanity" and was presented by
Rev. EsH. Chaplin. He said in part:
Thesmost fundamental thing that can
engage the thought, is the living of the
Christ life. The presence of such
force was never more necessary or needed
than at the present day. There must
be combination for truth and righteous
ness. The kingdom of God must have
place among men. There is deepening
regard for the personality of Jesus
among all classes; the age is one of grow
ingsbelief in the essential Christ.
To what extent are we true to this
Gospel we preach? Do we preach the
Gospel to the poor? Not to the extent
that we should. The working classes
have in many instances become the bit.
ter enemy of the church. They say it is
against them and evidently believe what
they say. The mere talk about the
brotherhood of man must cease, and the
real thing must take it's place. The
church must know no rich nor poor, but
only men.
Have we healed the broken hearted?
There is nothing like the ministry to the
suffering. No man can give comfort;
only God, but man can insist that the
injured one shall look up and not down.
Do we preach deliverance to the cap
tive? Thousands are in bondage of the
most degrading sort. Over against the
church, stands the saloon, the gambling
house and the brothel. Has the spirit
of Christ no place here? 1t is true
that we cannot do the work of the Sal
walton Army, but we can stand Loyalty
by every proposed reform.
Do we preach the acceptable year of
the Lord? The opportunity for doing
Gods work will never be greater than
now. We are only in the beginning of
Loves career. We know not now what
we shall be, but we shall know it by and
by when the full revelation shall be
made. The trivial things that divide us
now will disappear, and we shall stand
shoulder to shoulder for the advance
ment of Gods kingdom on earth.
Following these papers. in response to
few questions, DR.. Shutter gave short
description of his method of physical
preparation for the pulpit. which con-
sists of out of door exercise, athletics,
dieting, reading aloud in different Ian
guages. etc.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The first paper was by Rev. A. @.
Grier, on "The Y. p. G. u. Idea ;"
and among other things he said
This is an age of great movements.
Religion is today far more effective
power than ever before. No large body
of people ever gathered around totally
false idea. Every existing thing is the re-
suit of a long chain of causes and effects.
We must not make the doctrine of final
salvation the only article of our faith.