The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-30
SERMON.
BARNEsTNEsS AND STEADFAST-
NESS.
BY REV. c. G. CONNER.

Farnestness comes of deep convlc-
lions. AS men perceive truth they
grow enthusiastic. The soul is made
for the good as the eye is adapted to
the light. A moral principle feeds
and strengthens the heart OF man as
bread nourishes the body. One can
not live truly earnest life without
he thinks in the right, without ne
feels that his cause is good. Only
the good, only the right, has encour-
agement and liberty in Gods world
shared with man in his likeness.
Restraints are put about the evil.
Law of God forbids wrong. A wit
ness sits at the heart testifying OF
sin. Mankind becomes jury untothe
infinite Judge, and gives in its verdict
of guilty or not guilty. Ii men
steal, they must attempt it secretly
shrinkingly. If men murder they 90
it in a passion which is quickly re-
pentant, or in malice coldly calculat-
ing and meanly crouching for the
act. If they do aught which law OF
God declares is wrong and the con-
sciences of his children resist, they
cannot do it feeling sustained and
free. An earnest life must have the
grounds of the Eternal for its range;
it must have the air of liberty which
is conditioned in obedience to the
laws of right. 1t breathes free; it has
a sense of individual liberty; it has
purpose which it consciously owns,
and it proceeds with lawful permits
sion and with divine invitation, as
well, to work out life's problems IN
accordance Herewith, and it becomes
the actualization of a divine ideal IN
human life.
have not been saying that men
may not be wrong and Jealous at the
sametime,-in error and in earnest
as they conceive that they live right
orspeak for the truths sake. Men may
mistake wrong for right, error for
truth. AS they think, so are they
judged, for the time, of God; so do
they interpret the divine command.
Paul prosecuted the Christians with
an earnestness kindred unto that
with which he declared the Gospel
of Christ and established churches in
his name, because he thought all
the while that he was doing Gods
service. But Paul could not go ever
in the way God meant for him to
abandon, even if he conceived it was
right. For the time, his zeal ran with
the applause of his conscience. But
he was arrested in the wrong. The
true will, the benefcent Power, came
to him.
A new light appeared above the
brightness of the monday. A voice
from the opening realm of spirit, but
with name in the earth, called him
to companionship and to labor. The
soul learned its persuasion. The
heart found its chord. Faith was
KEYED to diviner note, and life took
up the strains which were carried in
crescendo to the last, like the Sym
phony March rendered by Frederic
Archer the other evening in our city.
The music that was first family heard
came apparently nearer and nearer
and grew louder and still louder, and
in full volume, when all had come
into our very presence, as it were, 1t
ceased.
So the life of the apostle was lived
until the time of his departure, when
he said II have fought good fight, l
have finished my course, l have kept
the faith: henceforth there is laid up
for me crown of righteousness" and
his soul escaped into the eternal pres
ence where also it is in the perpetual
fellowship of men.
The religion of Christ is adapted
to produce the highest quality of
earnestness. The teaching OF Christ
involves a practical human good.
His religion reaches the needs of
men. His truth appeals to the mind
and heart, satisfying the reason while
it strengthens the character. 1t makes
men and women obedient to heavens
law, loyal to duty, true to God, and
helpful to each other.
If there is anything that the church
teaches which does not involve the
moral and spiritual and material
good of man, it may be set aside as
"a non essential" in religion, or as
something that belongs not in Chris
tianity.
The Christian religion is itself a
beatitude, made up of the beatitudes
of the pure in heart, of the peace
makers, of the meek and merciful, as
the universe is made OF atoms, each
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