The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-08
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

| CHRISTIANITY, when accepted as
system of ethical and religious truth,
produces form OF human experience
which does not attend the belief of
any other system of truth. All truth
when received by the intellect affects
the emotions, and operates on the
feelings, and by this process reaches
the will, and terminates in volition
and action. This gives to man the
experience of thought, emotion, Volt
ton, action and life. 1t is the knowl-
edge of himself as knowing, feeling,
acting and living.
This is experience. In this process
we have its genesis, evolution and
development. Here we find its
philosophy, psychology and logic. 1t
is inseparable from personality, in
telligence, emotion, action and life.
Christianity as new system of re-
ligious truth and doctrine awakens
new thoughts, kindles new emotions,
presents new motives, causes new
volitions and prompts to new actions.
1t gives us a new experience; we en-
ter upon a new life and build new
characters. Under its influence neither
God, mar, life, duty nor destiny are
the same that they were. We prac-
tically worship new God, live in
new world, act from new motives,
have new emotions, cherish new
hopes, feel new aspirations, form
new life plans, and have new visions of
the glory to come. There is to us
new beauty in the flowers, new
brightness in the sunbeam, a new
music in the songs of birds, new
sweetness in life, new thought in the
mind, a new law in the conscience, a
new love in the heart, a new power in
the will, new value in man.
In the language of inspiration, to
the Christian, old things have passed
away, and all things have become new.
He has new philosophy of life. 1t
looks on the world, humanity, society
and history from a new standpoint;
views them as in new relations. The
world, life, and history have become
to him Christie centric. He finds in
Christ the key to life and to history.
The date of events in the worlds
progress, and the life of the race is
reckoned from him, backward and
forward.
In this way Christian experience
marks the date of human events,
determines the epochs of the worlds
history, decides the legality of the
business transactions of life and con-
trolls courts, legislatures and admin
istrations. 1t determines the value of
deed, the worth of note, and the
legality of deed. Marriage, birth
and death all are different from what
they were before the advent of Christ
and the experience of Christianity.
The home, the family. the school
and society have all been modified
by its influence. Science, art, litera-
ture and law have all been improved
by it. The beneficent influence of
Christian law and experience is uni
versal. Like the sunshine, the at
mosphere and electricity, their inhu-
ence for good is felt everywhere. The
spirit of humanitarianism was born of
the Christian experience. Sir Henry
Maine says it was unknown in the
oldest civilizations. Among them
the tie that united different families
and tribes was blood and natural
kinship. They had no conception
or experience of universal benevo-
lence. This is the result of the teach
ing and spirit of Christ as it enters
into the experience of Christian men
and women.
Christian experience grows bright |
as Christian character grows strong.
Every action in the faithful and fear
less discharge of duty; every time
temptation is successfully resisted;
and whenever and wherever love for
God and man reigns in heart and
life, then and there is Christian ex-
perience frightened. As experience
brightens faith grows strong. The
currents of Christian life are broad
ened and deepened, and our useful
ness is enlarged and extended. Re-
ligious enjoyment is increased as