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

ual recognition of divinity. The an
cient Jews had carried Journalism to
an extravagant extent.
Mere Journalism had no place in
the life and teaching of the Christ.
He beheld God to be spirit, and the
proper recognition of that God was
through our universal natures. There
is no appeal to the outer senses but
to the inner life. God, the Father,
was predominant in his own life, and
to that Father he prayed and lived.
The worship of the Father was that
of spiritual indwelling, communing,
or the souls sincere desire breathing
toward the infinite.
This would necessarily bring us to
the subject CT prayer; not what the
world denominates prayer, but that
which is recognized in the Scriptures.
The relationship of the Father to
mankind as exemplified in prayer is
thus clearly set forth: "What man is
there of you, whom, if he asked for
bread will he give him stone? or, if
he ask fish, will he give him SER
pent? If We, then, being evil know
how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?" Matt.
vii: GID. Here is practical appli-
cation of the efficacy of prayer, or
scriptural worship. There is an eff
cacy in this intercourse. There is
perpetual outflow from the Infinite
Being, for the support and guidance
of man. And in this the soul rises
into filial relationship with the
Heavenly Father. The Divine Spirit
is poured into the worshipping or
praying soul, till it's weakness becomes
a power, and its poverty wealth.
The Divine Spirit has its character
istics. God is a moral Being. In
order to worship God in spirit then,
it is incumbent upon us to partake of
his nature. When the command was
given, "Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect" Matt. V: 49,, no unmeaning
sound was intended. Our moral ma
lures are here prominently brought
into action. The Divine nature is
love, mercy, goodness, justice, holt
ness. Then we are not to suppose
that in the light of the Christianity of
Christ we can worship God, and be
blind to the highest teachings of NOR
atty and humanity.
". Worshipped in Truth.
The Master, with the same stroke
at Journalism, and practically at the
religious phases of that age, points
out another essential character of
true worship. 1t must also consist
Gin truth"
| neither shall attempt to define nor
enter into discussion of the subject
of Truth. Christ does not appeal to
philosophical view of this subject.
There is a general understanding of
the difference between truth and err
ror. There is form of error abhorred
throughout biblical teachings which
has been denominated lie. Our feel
ings, our consciousness, our con-
science, our rectitude, are not to be
scared or scorched with lie, in the
worship of the Father.
A great problem is here presented
for the Christian church. We are
not to close our eyes to the unpleas-
ant fact that even in the church there
is a tendency to blunt the moral
consciousness. The Christian church
viewed in one spect, presents us
with a beautiful figure. We may
liken it to an orchard. Here are diff
ferent kinds of fruit. The apple, the
peach, the pear, the plum, the cherry
are represented by many varieties, all
of which grow out of the same fertile
soil; and all affording nourishment
to man, as we'll as pleasing to the eye.
We notice that in this orchard the
pear does not masquerade as peach,
but remains what God has made it.
The thistle, though it may blow hither
and thither and even find lodgment
at the root of tree, it still is not di
vested of its nature. 1t will not grow
plums nor apples. 1t must remain
a thistle.
Upon the fertile soil of the Christ
ianity of Christ are many trees re-
ceiving their nourishment from the
same source. There the trees are not
all alike, but they all bear fruit. No
one of them constitutes all there is of
Christianity. AS we'll may the apple
say to the peach, or the pear to the
plum, or the cherry, 81 am all the
fruit there is in this garden" The
true Christian church is made up of
individuals existing in all these var