The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-12-26


themselves; but, as matter of fact,
they only see aspects of their nature,
and hear the louder voices of their
life; they do not see their nature as
a whole, and hear the finer music
which is breathing through all the
mystery of spiritual being. Men
comparing themselves with them
selves become self -satisfed. The first
essential condition of spiritual prog
ress is that man should know him
self, and this knowledge can only be
obtained by vision of Christ's holt
ness.
In the next place, the man who has
seen the Christ vision sees change
in all standards of value. Those
things that were gain to him, he
counts but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Jesus Christ the
Lord. Birth, wealth, fame, social
Importance, all dwindle into nothing
before the S andard of the Cross.
Paul reioices that he had suffered
the loss of things, and counted them
less than nothingness that he might
win Christ. Let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, neither let the
mighty glory in his might; let not
the rich man glory in his riches, but
let him that glorieth glory in the
Lord" Here, again, is vital point
of wonder. Strange that man
should think the whole world nothing
in comparison with one Man-that one
Man the Saviour who died for him.
In the third place, the man who
has seen Christ is enabled to see
the importance which attaches to
every soul. Christianity raises up
the poor out of the dunghill, and
makes princes of men who were of no
account. Of Christ it may be said,
He hath put down the mighty from
their seats, and exalted them of low
degree. Souls that he despised be-
fore are now become important to
the believer who has seen that Christ
tasted death for every man. LET
the brother of low degree rejoice in
that he is exalted" In every little
child see an emblem of the kingdom
of heaven. Christianity will enable
every believer to see in every human
soul, how lowly soever its social con-
dition, child of God.
Every Christmas morning the
Christian may gratefully exclaim, We
have seen strange things today!
There is new song in the air; there
is new light on all the spaces of life;
there is a new hope in the heart.
Christmas brings us the Babe that
saves the world. At Christmas we
enter into the JOY of having ourselves
become babes in Christ Jesus. He
keeps truly the season of the Nativ-
ity who feels that Christ has been
born in him the hope of glory.
Every heart must be the Bethlehem
in which Christ is born. Has he
been born in ours? Is he Graded in
our love? Is He the Child that
makes all other children as angels?
Every Easter the Christian may ex
claim, We have seen strange things
today! We have seen the tomb
opened; we have seen death van
quished; we have the incoming of
glorious Immortality.
Do not let us think of the resurrec-
ton of Christ as having been accom-
plished at merely historical point
of time: let us rather think of it as the
light of every Sabbath morning. The
true history is not an accident or an
event of a moment; its spirit runs
through all time, and gives new sig
nificance to all events. At Easter
tide we feel as if within the social
warmth and glory of birthday, but
we must never forget that the birth
begun on one Easter-tide reaches
through all the intervening days un-
til the following Easter-tide shall
dawn. IF ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the
right hand of God" (Col. iii. H. The
seeking of those things will keep us
alive in the Spirit from one birthday
to another. We may here and now
enter into the spirit of their Lords
ascension. "Set your affection on
things above, and not on things on
the earth" This is the true ascen-
sion-the rising up of the soul that it
may take possession of heavenly
places, and live in the fear and love
of God. They that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
but they that are after the Spirit, the
things of the Spirit" Never let us