The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-20
lesson SERIES FOR 1896.
SECOND QUARTER.
INTRODUCTION.
MARK IA: 1926.

Personal leadership, personality in
action, is the secret of the triumphant adj
vance of Christianity. No Church can
have institutional and overcoming energy
which substitutes a prediction, however
gloriously universal, for personal leader
ship in present battle. Under Jesus the
Moral Hero, as disclosed by modern lights
upon his earthly battlefield, bent upon the
then seemingly hopeless but now more
hopeful task of conquering the world for
his Fathers Kingdom, sending mighty
throbs of courage from that battlefield to
all kindred hearts, and REINFORCED to-day
and forever by that energy of the Holy
Spirit which is the power of God unto sal
vation,-under such a leader and no other,
men will fight, the church will grow, evil
will be beaten down, the Kingdom of right
eousness will come in."I only give
voice to growing want when | say,-l
want to obey Notwithstanding my revolt
against an illegitimate authority, my hatred
of tyranny, my contempt of servility, |
want the noble and exalting exercise of
implicit obedience to wholly trusted SUI
perior and leader. l want something that
l can do without any other reason for do
ing it than that am obeying orders. For
years we may not know what is lacking
why our attachments so little satisfy us,
why rigid honesty, selfdenial and sacrifice,
constant labor, benevolent affections and
large successes, leave us so hungry for
something deeper. A day comes when
new revelation is flashed upon US. We
are derived beings, and absolute self-rule
is not enough for US. Alteration and self
surrender are the lacking elements. Elk
haustless trust and implicit obedience
alone can round out our lives with the SUI
preme power and joy.-I cannot find
this leadership among beliefs, nor among
men. Not a creed, church, bishop,
pope of them all can satisfy me. So
turn to the God who made me, and who
left this empty space in my heart to be
filed by Himself. But even here find a
difficulty. Immanent as God is, part of
Him as | am, am too small part of
Him to grasp His Wilderness. But as
much of the splendor of His moral glory
as may be exhibited in the form of a man
like myself, who once walked this earth as
do, but walked in the heaven Of Gods
will too-so much | can grasp and hold.
Much as can see of God through the
thinning screen of Nature, much as | can
see in the unfolding life of man upon this
globe, want companionship at once
closer and higher. For this reason take
up the perspective glass of science and of
history, and sweep round the horizon of
this life. The brightest image of God !
see is Jesus, the Christ. He is not my
God, but my Lord. listen, and of all the
voices of this earth, his is the one in which
recognize the heavenliest tone.-That
voice, then, shall be to me as the voice
of God. am going to obey it. 1t says
"Worship, and am going to worship,
although cannot see the Being adore;
it says "Pray,"-and am going to pray,
though the alleged laws of nature en-
compass me with adamatine barriers it
says "Hope and trust, and l will hope
and trust while ! have sense and memory
left. My Lord says "Love and help your
felowmen," and that shall be my business
so long as there is any power of love and
help in me. He says "Stand up and con-
TESS me before men, and all unworthy
and unable as am to fill the measure of
that supreme demand, essay to attempt
i'll. NJ. PULLMAN, DID.