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


Ger from the synagogue chest, or ark,
the repository of the Scriptures, and de-
livered into his hands. With the roll he
assembled the pulpit, He opened the book
and found the place.
The unrolling of the scroll of Isaiah
from the first to the sixty first chapters.
while the eager eyes of the assembly
were fixed upon him. was itself an i'm
pressive incident.
The sixty first chapter of Isaiah is. in
the modern synagogue, the appointed
lesson for the Day of Atonement. Some
scholars assume that it was also, in
Jesus day, and therefore fix the date of
Jesus visit in Nazareth as the Day of
Atonement, the 10th of Tishri, CORES
ponding to our September. But this
does not harmonic with the generally
accepted chronology locating Jesus first
visit to Nazareth in the spring rather
than in the autumn; and it does not &C.
cord with the suggestion naturally re-
ceived from the record, that Jesus ex-
found the place.
1T the selection was previously set for
the day, it was remarkable coincidence
that it should fall upon this day, when
it could be turned to such sublime
| use.
If it was selected by the Master, it is
no less noteworthy, as indicating alike
his familiarity with the old scriptures,
and his conception of the office to which
he had been by the Spirit called.
This is the passage which he read
from the scroll, as reported by Luke:
| The Spiit of the Lord is upon me-
Because he hath anointed me 10 pre- ach good
| tiding to The poor
He h 9TH sent me to proclaim release 10 the
| captives,
And recovering OF sight 10 the blind,
| To set at liberty them that are bruised,
| To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Here Jesus stopped short. In Isaiah
the passage is continued with the say
ing, "AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR
| GOD" Why did Jesus omit those words?
| We press the question upon those who
in these days are affirming that the doc
trine of endless punishment rests now
entirely on the teaching of Jesus. If he
had come to make known the endless
doom of the bulk of the human race,
| could he have neglected such an oppor-
| tunity to declare the fact of the ever
present horror? Why did he omit those
| words?
| 1t is true that the words of Isaiah, an
nouncing in his own generation day of
| vengeance of the Lord, are to be fairly
interpreted as poetical announcement
of the natural retribution which was then
| falling upon the enemies of Israel. The
vengeance of God as Isaiah understood
| it, was. we think, the merciful vengeance
of love.
Nevertheless that Jesus avoided the
| prophets poetic phrase; that he even
| took some freedom with the old scroll in
order to do this, abruptly shortening
his text in order to discard the harsh
| phrase which might have carried an un.
tilial sugg estiop,-is strong negative
| proof that Jesus did not exalt threats of
anger above the overtures of mercy; not
regard himself specially commissioned
to announce the hopeless doom of any
member of the human family.
When Jesus had so read his text, and
amended it to an overture CT good WILL
he closed the book, Tor rolled together the
scroll and gaze 1t back to the attend
ant and sat doaon, and the eyes Of all
IN the synagogue acre fastened upon
| him.
2. The Beginning of His Ser
mOn,-vs 81, %.
He began to sag auto them, Today
hath this scripture been fulfilled in your
ears. He proceeded to show in what re-
spects the prophets vision of the Year
of Jubilee was brought to realization in
his Gospel.
To the poor" he spoke as one who had
shared their hardships. To the "cap.
tiyes" he gave assurance of release. To
the "bind" land some sightless orbs he
may have seen in the audience before
him) he spoke of the sure recovery of
physical and spiritual sight. To the
bruised" (the victims of human injus-
tice, such as may be found ia every COM
munity and must have had representa-
tives among his old acquaintances) he
announced an approaching emancipa-
ton.
This was deed new dispensation
of religion.
The Mosaic Law made the Year of
Jubilee an acceptable gear of the Lord.
by its devotion to good will to men.
Jesus now declares that in the accept
ance and practice of his Gospel of the
Divine Mercy to all, will be the real ac-
ceptable year OF the Lord, the endless
jubilee.
Many speaker on such topics could
entrance all listening hearts Isit strange
that after the Master had spoken all bear
him acitneSS, and wondered at the acords
of grace aohich had proceeded out of his
mouth: and they said, rs not this 10
Nerves