The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18

ology is clear, lnclslve. One God,
one Mediator, one Salvation.
(2) The apostle John.
The apostle John wrote the great
gospel of love, the gospel of human
ity. He presents Christ as the mar
velous teacher, the Son of God. In
his epistle he discourses on the divine
side of our natures, and points out
the pure doctrine of love. 1t is re-
lated that near the closing scene of
his life he stated that to love one an
other SIS the Lords command, and if
this alone is done, it is enough"
Jesus Christ invites us to an ideal
life-the life of charity, benevolence,
peace, truth, godliness, and the wor-
ship of the one true God. These
teachings are not poetic but real,
practical. The text does away with
forms and ceremonies, and speaks of
those who feel their dependence on
God, who realize his goodness, and
are sensible of their obligations and
imperfections. God alone is repre-
sented as the true object of worship.
1t should be expressly borne in mind
that Jesus represents the Father as
the sole object of religious homage
and alteration. This is not to be the
work of the hands or the lips, but the
worship of the heart, or rather the
pure incense of gratitude.
1t is to be observed that this wor-
ship is to be Sin truth" Truth is to
be the foundation of worship. Tue
outpourings are to be sincere and the
feelings are not belied. Honesty
forms principal part Of the Chris
tian religion.
ii. The Father.
The language represen' S God as the
Father. This does not do away with
the Hebrew conception that God is
one, undivided, self existent, eternal,
the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of
the universe, and infinite in power
and wisdom. The language must be
regarded as significant. The Father
hood of God is not only here pro-
claimed, but it takes precedence as
among the grounds Tor the express
sion of gratitude to him. Since God
has been so revealed it may readily
be seen that it is evidenced in all ma
ture and all providence. Before the
advent of Christ the Fdtherhood of
God formed a part of no theology
and no philosophy. This doctrine
concerning God is more than dog
matically stated. Jesus represents it
in tenderness and compassion and in
sympathy and love. No teaching
has been more clearly or tersely set
forth Zone God and Father of all. .
(Eph. IV); "To us there is but one
God, the Father, of whom are all
things, and we in him." q Cor. VIII.
g.; "Grace be to you, and peace from
God the Father" (Gal. |. 3; and
again it should be called to mind
that the prayer of prayers begins
"Our Father who art in heaven"
No grander or nobler conception
of God is given than that presented
by Jesus. With him God fills all
things up with himself. God is all
in all, and in him man lives. God is
bound to mankind by the ties and af-
fections of a parent, and governs his
children by laws and commandments
which have been established for the
good of man; but God, as the Father
rises above the Lawgiver and the
Judge and all other relations are sub
ordinate to this. No language is
strong enough to express the tender
ness of the Fathers affection for his
children. The apostle Paul catching
the inspiration was moved to indite:
"Neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord" Rom. VIII.
80 39). By day and by night he
cares for us; from the cradle to the
tomb his watchful, benevolent, kind,
affectionate eye is with us. He is
the fountain of life to all his crea-
lures, and hath made the positive
promise, 81 will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee" Heb. XIII. 81. Such
Being is to be worshiped in spirit
and in truth.
III. Worshiped in Spirit.
The divine Father is to be wor-
shipped in spirit. The word spirit in
this case may be taken in a double
sense. Primarily it means that it is
our spiritual natures that are to be
poured forth to the Deity. "God is a
Spirit; and they that worship him,
must worship him in spirit and in
mi