The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-27
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
DIR. Cones Baccalaureate Sermon at Buch-
tel College Last Sunday.

in the Grouse gymnasium at Buchtel
College, Akron, last Sunday, to listen
to the Baccalaureate sermon of Presi-
dent Cone were richly rewarded for
their attention. Taking as his theme
"The Kingdom of God," DIR. Cone
said in substance that the idea of a
Kingdom of God was an inheritance
from Judaism. The Jews looked to
God alone as their King, and the
Messiah was to be their king. Jesus
of Nazareth neither fulfilled nor SYM
pathized with their desire for tenn
poral ruler. To him the Kingdom of
God was spiritual one, not set apart
from this world, but of it and in it.
The early Christian church was I'M
able to grasp this high conception,
and even Paul began to emphasize in
the form of dogma the supernal char
acter of the kingdom which was to
be ushered in by the second coming
of Christ; and many people still look
for literal coming of Christ in glory
such as Paul depicted. DR.. Cone
further unfolded his noble theme as
follows:
The rational Christian of today, how
ever, has not this expectation. The real
kingdom is here, now. in our midst. 1t
lives in the form of great idea. 1t has
no priest, no hierarchy, and no organiza'
ton. This is fortunate, for all organiza-
tions partake of the imperfections of
those who make them. 1t is an ideal
quantity, spiritual force unlimited by
time or space. 1t is wherever strength
lends itself to weakness, fulfilling the
law OF love; wherever kindness and con.
sideration are the rule of life; whenever
in high places or low, men are pure and
true; whenever in market place or leg
islative halls honesty finds a fearless
champion; wherever in the forum the
hero pleads for liberty, or on the field of
strife pours out his blood in her sacred
cause. Wherever righteousness is the
ideal of individual life, or of the social
order; wherever charity goes on her d.
vine ministrations to those sick or in
prison; wherever men of wealth and
power are great enough to be just and
kind to the weak and poor. Wherever a
loyal soul devotes itself to duty, sacrific-
ing, if not life, somewhat that is sweeter
than life for it's sake. Wherever the
cruel blow of injustice or wrong finds
forgiveness; wherever love pours out it's
infinite devotion and performs with Joy
its unwearied service, and wherever faith
is triumphant over grief and death, there
is the kingdom of God. Ii we look for
its local habitation we cannot find it; it
is on no map of the world. Its creed is
the consensus of those who believe in
righteousness and in humanity, of those
who are the friends of man, and Of those
who use the things that are seen and
temporal as a scaffolding on which to
climb to the things unseen and eternal.
In the passage from Matthew which
says Seek first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness" emphasis should be
placed on the first word; only those who
seek shall find, and only to those who
knock shall its doors be opened. Men
generally obtain that which they earnest
ly seek. One attains wealth, another
fame, another learning, because he has
made it the purpose of his tireless effort.
II we would enter into the kingdom of
God we must struggle after purity, and
cultivate charity with that intense pas
sion with which we seek lesser things.
Underlying these facts is great psy-
Geological law which the organized
church has at times overlooked. AS a
man thinketh in his heart so is he.
Trains of thought burst into action. and
action is life; action makes character.
Sudden conversions are anomalous, i'm.
possible unless the mind has been, con.
sciously or unconsciously, long leading
up to such change. No sudden magic
can set aside this psychological law.
But the seeking of the kingdom of
God is not for the welfare of the indi-
vidual alone, but to make this kingdom
prevail. to widen and deepen Christian
life among men, to hasten the time when
man shall live according to the law writ
ten in his members. More and more
churches are realizing that there is
false note in the emphasis which has
been placed on personal salvation. Eter-
nal happiness for ones self regardless of
others is merely carrying selfishness to
its uttermost limit. Salvation on such
principle is impossible, for it stimu-
lates that from which we would be
saved.
If but one man existed in the world
he could not be saved, for his situation
would make him supremely selfish. If
but two men existed, one could not be
saved without the other. / will even
say, that none can be saved unless all
are saved. That the happiness of the
individual rests upon the happiness of
all. There can then be no walled in
city with gates of pearl over whose bat
Elements the few fortunate ones look
| without a pang upon the sufferings of