The Universalist., 1895-07-20

life has not been to tear down the
structures of other churches and
raise the stars and stripes over them
and go home to rest. We are to be
laborers together with God. We are
to help Christ save the world.
During the late Rebellion bullet
struck the flag staff and broke it just
above the bearers hand; instantly he
caught it above the break and said,
"Boys it did not touch the ground" !"
We are bearing aloft the banner of
Christ. We should see that it is not
trailed in the dust. We have taken
our place among the benefcent
means of God. We do not wish to
acknowledge we are unable to cope
with our surroundings. If every
man was a Universalist only in
thought, he would not be in the king
dom of heaven. A man is not bene-
flied till his soul is touched and
stirred. We are not to cease when
men become liberal. We are to in
sist upon works as we'll as faith. A
mans religion is of little consequence
unless it flows out in generous
streams to fellow men. Never in the
history of Universalism were there SO
many incentives as today for activity
and love. We should have our minds
aglow with truth, our hearts filled
with the love of God, and have a
large caravan of ideal victories over
sin and ignorance leading the way.
We are here to conquer and make the
earth a heaven. Let us have more
enthusiasm and loyalty for our
church and we will send it down
widening lines and into new places.
I have seen some people who appar-
emily thought more of the name Uni
versalism than of the spirit.
My brothers, if we would make our
names glorious and have them linger
in the memory like rainbow after a
storm, we must do work honoring to
the names of our brethren dead, who
labored and loved to convince men
that God lives in field and church,
paints the cheek of the flower, and
has our lives all close to his.
Often do we hear it said that was
a Universalist sermon which was
preached in the Methodist, Baptist
or Presbyterian church. You and I
do not display Universalism in that
way. But l learned long since you
and | are not the world. Each soul
will express truth in his own way.
And simply because it does not meet
with our approval we can not say it is
false. People must see the light be-
fore they follow in its leading. 1t
takes some men long time to work
their way out of former belief. We
live great truths before we embody
them in creeds. Each age is marked
by some peculiar feature. There
have been ages of darkness, of super
stition; ages of cruelty, of light, of
intelligence and reason. If many
things were said and practiced which
were at one time, our morals would
be shocked. The low and trivial are
passing, and the more refined and
cultured are coming. Rude ages
gave birth not only to strange prose
but peculiar poetry. Light shines
through the opening man makes forit.
Before light could flood the East of
our country witchcraft had to pass.
Before the affections could extend
their feelers along new lines more
love had to get into the poetry.
We are all thankful that the crude
and uncultured days are passing. We
should hail with delight every up
ward movement toward more light
and love, as we do every fresh tint in
the East before sunrise.
Liberal orthodox churches should
be stay to us instead of hind
rance. Where Universalist churches
are active and determined to build
themselves up near heaven, the grow
ing liberality is not a detriment.
Usually when man begins to talk
about other churches being SO liberal
they injure ours, he does not want to
do as much for his church as he has
been doing. A large-hearted and
generous Universalist has no COM
plant to make. | presume other
churches have some people we should
have in ours. But let us make good
their loss by going into the great
world of life to bring others into the
kingdom of heaven. We are to per-
NIT all other churches to do the good
they can; and we should strive to
make earth better dwelling place for
man, and our church a greater sue
cess,