The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-20

themselves upon the earth ana IL the
tree fall toward the south, or toward
the north, in the place where the
tree falleth there it shall be-" The
chapter is headed Directions for
charity" and the first two verses con
tain advice on that subject, recon-
mending liberality in giving to others
as matter of self-interest, since he
who thus makes friends may use them
should evil fortune overtake him.
The third verse illustrates the adj
vantage of such charity by two ia
miliar facts in nature. The earth
gives to the clouds, and it gives to
the trees, but, instead of losing there
by, it is enriched by its generosity;
for when the clouds become full with
what they have received from the
earth, they pour it out on the soil;
and when the tree, which has drawn
its sustenance from the earth, comes
to die, whatsoever way it falls, the
earth gets back what it gave and is
better off than before. Rightly in
terpreted, this passage conveys very
practical truth, but it has nothing at
all to do with the possibility of re-
pentance either here or hereafter.
Again, we are told that the Bible
says that "now is the accepted time,
now is the day of salvation" QI. Cor.
vi: q. Very true; and very thankful
for that truth we should be. Now is
the day of salvation, the gospel day
for which the world had been waiting
for ages. 1t began with the advent
of Jesus Christ, and will not end un
til he shall have drawn all mankind
to himself, and shall deliver up the
Kingdom to the Father, that God
may be all in all, q. Cor. XIV: "a -2S).
To assume that the day of salvation
means ones life in this world, and
that there will never be any chance
for salvation beyond it, is to force
meaning into the passage which its
inspired author never dreamed of.
So of the passage in Rev. xii: II:
He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still; and he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still; and he that is right
eous, let him be righteous still; and
he that is holy, let him be holy still"
The context shows that these words
have no reference to the subject of
death or of destiny after death. That
which the apostle had in mind was
not the destiny of mankind in an
other world, but the speedy coming of
Christ to this world. Behold, cone
quickly, and my reward is with me-
says the very next sentence. When
those words were written, the coming
of Christ, which he had said should
occur within the next generation
Matt. xvi: rs; xiv: 30, 34) was actu-
ally at hand; and the time was so
short that but few, if any, changes
were likely to be made. They who
were unjust would be overtaken in
their injustice, and they who were
righteous would be found in their
righteousness, and each class would
be rewarded as it's members deserved.
History has justified the prophecy.
1t was fulfilled more than eighteen
centuries since.
Every attempt to prove the doc
thine of probation breaks down. But
some may say that it is an exceed
ingly dangerous thing to teach that
men may repent and be saved after
death. They say that it encourages
people to sin, and that it sewers the
nerve of missionary effort.
Whether dangerous or not, if it is
true, we must accept it. No right
have we to deny even dangerous
truths, or to teach falsehoods, be-
cause, forsooth, they seem to us to
be safer. There is no more danger
Gus heresy than to assume that we
may.
But, rightly understood and used,
the doctrine that men may repent
after death is not dangerous in the
least degree. 1t is eminently bene-
fetal. Like gunpowder, electricity,
fire or food, various truths of the
Gospel may be SO perverted as to be
destructive of mems welfare. But
that is no sufficient reason for de-
nying them or ignoring them. When
Paul proclaimed that where sin
abounds, grace does much more
abound, there were some who said,
Let us then continue in sin. And so
some may say, if there is to be op-
portunity for salvation hereafter, let
us spend our lifetime on earth in
iniquity. Such people are foolish.
What they need is enlightenment.
They need to be taught that repent
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