The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-10
the multitude standing before him Some

Judge such weeping ones by the standard
of eternity is to behold them on the way to
a Joy they cannot now Understandable
these mourning ones were to be themselves
willing to profit by the uses of affection is
presupposed.
Blessed are ye qVAen men shall hate
yoN, for the Son Of Mars sake.
The Son of Man here means every human
being. The least and lowest is brother to
Christ. To serve men,-to suffer in mans
behalf TO be outcast as a heretic,-to
make common cause with the oppressed,
to lose the life to self and find it in the
bettered lives of others,-this is Christlike
1t is to have fellowship with all the true
prophets of the ages.
Through all the benedictions which
Jesus pronounces upon the unfortunates
of the world, runs the implication that
these conditions favor the growth of true
spiritual life.
2. Those Who are Storing Woe
for Themselves,-vs. IS, 26.
In the multitude before Jesus were, we
observe, some, a few it may be, wLo had
worldly riches, and were welded to their
hoard. Their hold on riches was selfish
it was spiritual paralysis. Jesus could I'M
derstandingly say to all such, and to their
fellows in the large world: Woe unto yow
that are rich j. for ye haze yeceivsd your
consolation. Whatever the satisfaction
the possession of riches could bring was
rapidly becoming thing of the past and
there was in it no prophecy of good to
come.
And some in that multitude were, we in
fer, by the standard of the time, in visible
content Sleek, sensual, heartless. They
were, in their life-condition, the very oppo-
site of those who were suffering the pangs
of hunger. To these Jesus could justly
say: Wee unto you that are tvHn07Oy. for
ye shall hunger. Their satisfaction was
soon to end. Then they would awake to
needs for which they had made no provis-
ion. They were not erich toward God"
Woe unto yoU that laugh n0zO !. for .ye
shall mourn and qOeeb. Jesus ears, even
in the stiffness of the spell which was upon
the multitude, may have heard heartless
and derisive laughter. Were not the
scribes still on their hunt? Did they be-
hold the new organization of the Society
of Jesus with contemptuous sneers? Such
hearers of Jesus there may have been. In
such satanic laughter Divine Justice has
planted the seeds of bitter repentance.
Woe unto you 7O]len all men shall speak
weU of y0n To gain the false favor of
the false world on its own terms is to gain
prize freighted with curses. Flattery of
wickedness Jesus regarded with hot scorn.
To be consciously false prophet for the
sake of the favor of the deceived, was in
the vision of the Truth-worshipping Jesus
to reach the depths of spiritual infamy
The woe Jesus pronounced on the will
fully false prophets was of immediate APP
plicatlon,-yet its application is as wide as
the world. While to suffer for Truth is
gain of the highest beatitude, to be recreant
to Truth is to merit the deepest woe.
In all these woes the root evil is absence
of the life of the Spirit.
3. The Law of Right DOING
VS.. Fl 81.
Jesus had so far spoken in Interpretation
of the Providence that allots beatitudes
and woes according to existing human con-
ditions. He now proceeds to declare the
principles on which the active warfare for
his cause must be fought.
The first and in its nature the most
primal requirement, is love of men,-an
all-inclusive LOVE OF MEN. There can be
no installing the universally of the love
which Jesus inculcated Love jour enc
mics, do good TO them that hate y01 An
absolute love of humanity, and of every
being in the family of humanity, love
fashioned after Christ's own, is the primal
requirement of the kingdom of heaven.
Bless them that curse y0n, pray for them
that despitefalLy use y0w. Imitation of
the Father, that maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain
on the just and the unjust Matt. S :45), is
condition of entrance into the inner circle
of the kingdom of heaven.
Endurance of wrong was to be included
in loves active endeavor. To him that
smitetA thee on the one cheek o6er also tie
ether; and from him that fakeM a5Oqy
lily cloak, qyitAAola not thy coat also.
That is, endure to the uttermost Conquer
by endurance Neither insist on selfish
construction of the civil law. Concede,
without contesting, all valid legal claims.
Let an all-enduring goodwill toward all
men become apparent in your life. Live
in the Spirit. Exalt the life of the Spirit
so that all earthly things shall appear COM
paratively trivial. Appeal:to the better
nature of every man. - But this inculca-
ton of endurance is not, as we think, to
be construed as meaning absolute non
resistance, A patriot resisting the foes of
his country, a father protecting his family
from robbers, man guarding his own life
from an assassin, is obedient to the law of
love. One may, indeed, in certain ext
gencies, use brute strength; but the Chris
tan can never descend to the brute's level.
Give TO every one that askeh thee ; and
of him that takeh aa0ay thy goods ask
them not again. Be fraternal and friendly.
Avoid, even if by loss of your own, the
appearance of illwill. Forbear, forgive,
love always; be patient like the Fath,r.
As ye aV0uld that men should do TO you,
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