The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-18

| JOSHUA sMITHsON.
as nearly the truth as possible, be-
cause "as man thinketh so is he;
that is, mems characters are shaped
or formed by their ideas or concep-
tions of the character of God. If a
man believes in a vindictive and re-
vengeful God, he too will be vindic-
tive and revengeful; but if his God
be God of mercy, he too will be in
clined to show mercy. Men are in
character like their ideals. 1t is
these that dominate the life, and for
this reason the world needs more
than any other thing to truly know
God; needs to have correct or true
ideas concerning his character. Truth
is what we want to find for ourselves,
and we want to do what we can to
help others find it.
Jesus was the expression of Gods
love to man. In character, he was
the express image of God; he shows
us God; he said, "He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father" When we
see him, see his character, we then
see God, see Gods character, and
this character is so lovely thatit COM
mands our admiration, and inspires
us with confidence, trust, or faith in
God. Man needed this knowledge
of and confidence. trust or faith in
God, needed it before the coming of
our Lord, and he needs it today.
This church presents Christ or Chris
tianity somewhat differently from
what other churches do,presents it in
a way that we believe will bring this
confidence; in a way that is destined
to revolutionize the thought of the
world aad save the entire race of man
from unbelief, ignorance, error and
sin. The leaven is at work and ulti-
mately through the Gospels lsaven-
ing process, the whole lump shall be
leavened.
Jesus labored to impress upon his
hearers the idea that the kingdom of
heaven is to come to earth, and it is
just as necessary now as then, that
we pray, "Thy kingdom come" and
ever will be, until it be fully come;
that ideal state or condition of So
ciety. when, every knee shall bow"
and when "no man shall say to an
other, know ye the Lord for all shall
know him, from the least unto the
greatest"
The main or principal endeavor of
this church is to bring men to a
knowledge of truth; to acquaint them
with and bring them to God, or which
is the same thing, bring them to
"eternal life," for Jesus defined
eternal life" as being a knowledge
of God. Did he not say: "This is
life eternal that they might know
Thee, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom Thou has sent? Here
we learn that to know God causes us
to feel assured that we are possessors
of life that is eternal, shall have no
end. But all do not believe this.
Faith in Christ can satisfy us of the
truth of our Immortality, nothing else
can. "Whosoever liveth and believeth
on me shall never de-" i. e. shall feel
assured, be convinced, that he will
never die. Only to the Christian is it
revealed that man is to have an endless
existence. Our Lord, in his own per-
son, demonstrated this truth. To the
true Christian, he who truly believes,
immortality is a present inheritance
Others than believers in Christ may
give assent to, but they do not pos.
sess an undoubting, satisfying sense
of the souls Immortality. Only the
Christian can say, Il know that my
Redeemer liveth." Only to the Chris
tian is Christ a Redeemer, Saviour or
liberator from perplexing doubts and
tormenting fears. BLESSED are the
pure in heart for they shall see God"
By this we learn that to have the
power or ability to see or rather to
know God, was esteemed by our
Lord as very great blessing.
The religion of Jesus requires pur-
ity of life, and it is purifying in its
nature. Indeed the great object of
his mission was to cleanse, purify or
save from SHINING. Sin blunts the
spiritual perception. Man is so con-