The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-21
Oh, mould me, till to self / die,
And live to thee alone.
Smite. Lord. thy hammers needful


Smite, till, from all its idols free,
: And filled with love divine,
My heart shall know no good but thee,
And have no will but thine
Love-the love of God, is the cen
tral ideain Universalist theology. But
it is not the love which we hear about
in the old theologies. 1t is not love
of spasmodic action during the little
span of time while men are in the
flesh. 1t is not the love which be-
comes passive and cold at the mo-
ment we cross the dead line into
eternity. 1t is not a love which
turns away the face from a sea of in
finite woe and spurns relationship
with the unfortunate. 1t is not a
love which wants to be crowned as
love, and yet sleeps while its victims
howl with pain. But it is love
which issues in active benevolence
regardless of race, color or condition
of sin. 1t is not love as sentiment
merely. 1t is rather an eternally ac-
tive principle. 1t controls all the
acts and speech of God forever. It
makes it everlastingly impossible for
the Creator to have any feeling to-
ward us, or to perform any act in re-
gard to us, or to institute any law
over US, or to pronounce any judg-
ment upon us, that is not, in the ma
ture of the case, good for us-nay,
the very best for our permanent joy
and lasting peace.
Hence in the perpetual activities of
such a love, the Creator could not
possibly foreordain some men and
angels to everlasting pain. He could
not, by any principle of his being,
predestinate the wicked to the woes
of hell forever. Neither could he
put into mems hands the power of
free choice to save themselves from
the everlasting burning and then take
away that power at the moment it
would have the most value to them.
One brother tells us very fiippantly
that God has done all things possi-
BILE for the salvation of the sinner
and herein has shown his love. But
when God grants mankind the eter-
nal liberty to do wrong, and at death
takes away the liberty to do right,
he has done the worst possible thing
against their salvation. If love could
do this, will they tell us what worse
hate could do?
Madam De Stael tells us of a GUS
tom and incident of the city of An
coma, Italy, as follows: The Jews
were shut into their special quarter
of the city at night. That part of
the town was walled in. The gates
were barred and locked. On the
evening that her hero, Lord Nevil,
entered the town confagration had
broken out Building after building
went down. The flames reached the
Jewish quarters. The Jews were
prisoners. The gates were locked.
Remorseless flames were rising.
There was no escape. Women
screamed. Men tainted. Little chill
dren were frozen with fear. A horrid
death seemed imminent for all.
But there was mercy on the outside
of the gates. Lord Nevil demanded
that the gates be instantly opened.
But the superstitious women who
| heard him flung themselves at his
feet exclaiming: "Oh, our good angel,
on their account we have endured
this visitation. 1t is they who bring
us i'll fortune. And if you set them
free, all the water of the ocean will
never quench these flames"
Now the pity which those women
had for the Jews is the pity which
my brothers God will have for the
wicked. And the love which those
women had for the Jews is the love
which my brothers God will have
for the wicked. 1t is love with
cred and impracticable in the awful
conditions where a genuine love
most is wanted.
On the contrary Universalists look
upon Gods severity as blessing in
disguise. As the snow from heaven,
it is the best under the circum-
stances. 1t is fruitful 1t is a pro-
lection. 1t is far-reaching in its
providential blessings.
''Behind frowning providence
He hides smiling face.
The clouds We so much dread
Are big with mercy, and will break
In blessings ON your head"
''The bud may have bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
HOna thorn of eynerience ia worth a