The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-28
LOVE, THE -CONQUERING
POWER.

'ne aetractlon OF the sun keeps the
planet in its orbit as it reyolyes
around the sun, SO love rules in the
spirit realm: and. if the power of the
attraction of the sun were DESTROYED.
the planet would wander off from the
sun into the dark and cheerless re-
glon OF space; SO man if left to him
self, would wander away from God,
who is the source of all spiritual life
and power, as the sun is to the nat
ural world. (Mal. iv:2.) Man in his
normal relation to God is the living
temple of the Holy Ghost: "Know ye
not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the spirit of God dwelleth in
you" q Cor iii: 16) QCor. vi: 19.)
and man, like the planet, when wan
dering away from the sun in the
cold and cheerless regions of
space, when away from God, is spirit
dally dead in trespasses and sins.
(Eph. ii: ~ (Col. ii: 13) Man in this
state is antagonistic to, or resists the
spirit of God, (Acts vii: 51) which is
the fountain of all spiritual life, and
it becomes therefore necessary that a
third party come in as mediator
between God and man. Tim. ii:5.)
This mediator is the man Christ Je-
sus, who gave himself ransom for
all, to be testified to in due time, and
by his perfect life and example, and
his suffering and shameful death on
the cross, will draw all men back to
God. (John xii: 81
The love for Christ is the power
that will draw man to himself and
that love is kindled by Christ's love
for us. "We love him because he
first loved u.s." QJohn iv: l9.) "God
SO loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" John iii:
16) Why do we love and cherish
our parents more than anyone elses
Because they first loved us, nourished
and reared us from helpless infancy
to manhood. Why is day set apart
in which the whole nation turns out
and decorates the soldiers graves
with flowers as token of respect and
honor? Because they died for their
country to give us the freedom and
liberty which we enjoy. But while
we were sinners Christ died for us.
(Rom v:8) Behold the Saviour of
men as he nears the cross! He said to
his disciples, my soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death; tarry
here and watch with me. And he
went little further and fell on his
face and prayed saying, 80, my
Father! if it be possible let this cup
pass from me; nevertheless not my
will but thine be DONE" Matt. XVI:
3S.)
This he did three times, and accord
ing to Luke's gospel, "He being in
great agony prayed the more earn
estly, and his sweat as it were great
drops of blood falling to the ground"
Uuke xxi: Az
The prophet Isaiah says concerning
Christ: "He was despised and reject
ed of men; man of sorrows and ac-
quainted with grief, and we hid as it
were our faces from him. Surely he
hath borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows; yet we esteemed him strick-
en- and afflicted of God. But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon
him. and with his stripes we are
healed"
"All we like sheephave gone astray;
we have turned everyone to his own
way; and the Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us ALL" Isaiah lii. 81
6. And he further prophesies con-
cerning the outcome of Christ's suf-
fering: "He shall see his seed and
prolong his days and the pleasure of
the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul
and shall be satisfied" Love is the
most powerful agent for the govern
ment of man. A mothers love for her
child is the nearest type of Gods love
for us.
A mother, who truly loves her child,
will never forsake it. She will en-
dure any amount of toll, hardship, or
even death itself for the sake of her
offspring, and that, too, regardless of
the child's worthiness or ingratitude.
To win the love of anyone requires
self sacrifice. Everything of value
both in the natural and spiritual
realm has price set on it and love
can only be bought with self-sacrifc-
ing toll and suffering. The Apostle