The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-07

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able to love-love God the Creator
and Father, love our kindred and
friends, love all that is beautiful and
true and good; to possess the power
to do good to those around us and
thus create perpetual happiness in
the hearts of others as we'll as in our
own hearts; to have the power to
throw off imperfection and advance
along the lines toward perfection; to
escape sinfulness, and to rise into
purity and goodness; to leave the
brute nature behind and to climb to
the dignity and holiness of saints
and angels; to feel God in the soul,
and to realize that you are his own
] child, born and destined to an i'm
mortal and blessed inheritance when
this life's duties are completed-all
this and much more the cultivated
soul takes in of life; and so, instead
of becoming weary of existence and
cursing the day of his birth, he
thanks God for this most precious of
all gifts, and determines in his own
mind that he will make the most he
can of it. And this life, this higher
life of the soul, is not only blessing
and we'll worth living, but this world
into which you and are born is a
blessed world in which to live. Says
| one:
20 yes, love the earth-its cares and sorrows
| Its bounding hopes. its feelings fresh and
| warm,
| Each cloud it wears, and every light 1t borrows,
Loves, wishes. fears, the sunshine and the
storm
love them ALL hut closer still the loving
| Twines with my beings chords and makes my
life."
Sum up all that is dark and gloomy
and bitter in this world-all that
brings sorrow and anguish to thesoul
and he who climbs up where St.
Paul stood, in thought, in feeling, in
character, will tell you that all this
is not worthy to be compared to the
goodness, the beauty, and the privi-
leges which this earth alone has to
offer to each human soul.
What world of sympathetic hearts
we have to associate with! What a
rich feast of knowledge the past ages
have piled up in store for each truth
loving soul of to dayl What moral,
social and religious advantages we
can enjoy if we wish! What a sweet
and sunny spot is the true home for
loving, tender heartsl In the intel
lectual and moral and social atmos
phere that everywhere surrounds us;
in the opportunities which we have
for obtaining good for ourselves, and
in doing good to others; in this great
world of mind and spirit; o, what
blessings there are in store for all of
us! o, there are untold joys to be
found in mingling and commingling
with men of culture and refinement;
in studying the thoughts of others
and seeking after true wisdom, and
in going forth into the world as bear
ers of truths to others, and in aiming
to make the world wiser and better by
our living in it. And he who will
mingle with others in this busy world
of thought and affection, and will
bend all his energies in the direction
of wisdom and goodness, instead of
folding his arms and doing nothing,
making of himself mere stick, a
cipher, a nobody, will most surely
reach the conclusion that this world
has blessed privileges, and that this
life is most truly worth living.
But all the good there is to life is
not found alone in society, in home,
in books, in the intellectual and NOR
al world around us. Here is a world
of beauty into which you and | are
born, world of sunshine and of joy.
This is not sin cursed earth and a
vale of tears, as many have told US.
tits "beauteous, bounteous earth, "
as Tom Hood calls it. God never
bligted and cursed this earth, but hav-
ing formed it, he pronounced it good.
And it is good and beautiful to him
who uses it Alright. 1t is good God,
kind loving Father, who has created
this world for you and for me. And
the love of his own heart he has
stamped most plainly upon every OBJ
ject in his creation,
Said one of old 1.-The Lord is good
to all, and his tender mercies are over
all his works." Could you and l but
reach that condition of purity, right
eousness and culture of soul, when
the greet Teacher stood and looked
out upon the great world of nature as
he saw it, l doubt not but we would
discover goodness, beauty and per-
lection manifested everywhere and