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

ald you In DullQlng Cnrlstlan cndr-
acter of truth and righteousness; she
will make you strong to resist temp
tations, and will bring to you
knowledge of eternal life, and conse-
quently peace and happiness. We
are associated together as church
for mutual encouragement and i'm
provement, and by uniting with us,
you as much as say that you desire
to improve, desire to "Grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ" whom to
know is "life eternal" There is room
for, and need of improvement for all,
even for the most pure, wise and
learned. Religion and the church
ought to occupy a prominent place
in our lives, as individuals, and as a
community. Jesus said, "Seek first
the Kingdom of God," but many
make it secondary or last thing; in
stead of religion being first, there is
a tendency to let worldly interests
have preferment. The church is too
much neglected by large per cent
of the people. If religion and the
church is of such great value to man
kind as we are all willing to admit,
in our best moments, then we ought
to do more for them than we do. If
we love and appreciate the church as
we should, it will ever be place to
which we will turn our steps, not with
heaviness, but with joy; by her in
structions we will be helped, will be
fed with heavenly mama, and have
our thirst satisfied with the water of
life. The value of the church can be
best realized, if we but imagine it
struck out of existence. If there was
no church, would life and property
be as secure? If the community sup
ports the church, does not the church
uplift and elevate the community? If
the Sabbath and other holy days
were taken away, how great the loss.
But there is much more than these;
there is the church's efforts to re-
claim the fallen, and to relieve the
wants of the poor; there are its lofty
motives and sublime hopes; and there
are it's restraints that hold men true
to duty and to right.
We say,then, if you are not church
member, become one. If the teach
ings of this church seems to you to
be Scriptural, and accord with reason,
unite with us. But if that of some
other church seems to you more
Scriptural and more reasonable, then
you should go with that church.
Every man and every woman ought
to be connected with church. 1t is
sad thing, and very much to be de-
plored, that SO many are content to
live without any church relation.
They surely must sometimes feel
that they ought to be SO connected.
And when we look around. and see so
much sin, wrong and misery in the
world, we cannot help thinking, that
he who takes no interest in, but
stands aloof from the church is shirk-
ing, or neglecting duty that is his
duty, as much as tits mine or yours.
He is not doing his part to promote
the reign of that truth and love,
which, and only which, can save the
world, destroy sin, and do away with
the wretchedness caused by sin; he
is not helping to disseminate and
promote that faith of which it is
written of its founder: "There is no
other name under heaven whereby
we must be saved" This saying
that no other code of morals or
rule of action than that given by him
that can uplift, elevate and make So
ciety, make man what he ought to be
and what it is possible for him to be.
Saved by him, saved by being i'm
bued with and controlled by the
spirit of his teaching; having our
lives and characters, moulded or
shaped by it. This is what consti-
tutes true Christian Salvation.
Then may we all be brought to see
that it is our duty, and be thankful
that it is our privilege, to do some
thing in our day and generation, to
help bring the grand contamination,
the time when, "The knowledge of
the Lord shall fill the earth as the
waters cover the great Deep" the time
when strife and sorrow shall be no
more, and peace, JOY and love shall
reign supreme and, "The kingdoms
of this world shall become the king
doms of our Sord and of his Christ
| THE S0UROE OF JESUS' POWER.