The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-25

conception-this revelation OF God!
These cruel theologies that minimize
the love and exaggerate the justice
of God and picture their awful bells,
and bolt and lock the gates of
Heaven, how they degrade the high
ideal of God revealed in the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christi Human
ity, with all its imperfections and
weakness, is nobler than the God of
such theologies.
But there are those who fear, if the
gates are never closed, sinful people
will indefinitely postpone the day of
repentance. But to all such fear the
sufficient answer is, God knows best,
and it is he who keeps the gates
open. The dogma of probation has
no place in the divine government.
We are not here on trial for another
world. Life is for education and
its results. This world is the prim-
airy school-the first lesson school
as it were. 1t is in no sense finish
ing school-no one graduates here
greater and greater lessons are to be
given by and by in the world to
come. The standard is the great
Teacher Himself-perfect manhood.
hIrII ii L
primary lessons here will have op-
portunity hereafter, the gates are
never closed and the teacher has in
finite patience and time enough.
The school is never dismissed till
the lessons are through and diplomas
given to all. The chief lesson, the
lesson that comprehends in its spirit
all others is, that with the father, or
life in accord with Him, is Home
Heaven. The true end, or glory of
life is to know God and to enjoy him
forever.
The simplest primary propositions
are: 1t is better to be good than it
is to be bad; it is better to be honest
than to be dishonest; it is better to
be virtuous than to be impure. These
propositions appeal to the universal
conscience. We are created on this
plan; however human nature may be
outraged and degraded, underneath
all deilement and impurity the eter-
nal facts OF these propositions exist.
They are live facts; no moral suicide
can destroy them; they give vitality
to the phrases,-We ought to do so;
1t is best to do so. The ought and
the best are sure of victory SO long
as the gates are open. Other lessons
come on involving our relations WITH
God and these bring up before us
the sins we have committed, our dis
loyalty, our misspent time, and the
sense that forgiveness should be
sought and confession be made be-
comes strong. 1t may be fought off,
but it will return-it will follow-it
will never let US alone till we yield.
This, again, is the power of the
ought, the power of the best, the
power of, we had better yield. High
er lessons still come with experience
of Gods forgiveness, and the dawn
ing glories of the better, the new, the
real life. Consciously close to God
we feel the thrills of home. "The
substance of all things hoped for" is
ours now in this supreme glory of
life. The ought to be, we had best
be,-old forces of conscience-are
all swallowed up in love divine. The
attractions of parentage have won
the child and home is Heaven.
Some people wonder why we are
religious-build churches, attend
prayer meetings, feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, visit the sick, re-
lieve sorrow if there is no endless
hell to shun. Whyi The ans wer is,
religion is supreme JOY, it is life, it is
glory and the doing of good is a joy
full service love inspired. Religion
is not only happiness, it is blessed
ness; it is the soul in blossom and
fruit. Poor slaves are they who
serve God because they are afraid of
hell if they do not servel
Others who serve God, or suppose
they serve Him, for the reward of
the heaven of their dreams-golden
harps and nothing much to do-are
slaves to the bride that obscures the
supreme blessedness of religion-the
honor and nobility of being a real
live Christian. The damage of this
idea of bribing enters into much of
the Sunday school work of the day
hiring children by presents to at
tend. In many homes children are
hired to be good. Candy is offered
or a new suit of clothes, or a new
hat. The real good of being good
is thus obscured by the dazzle of
other things.