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


sal, exalted, undivided, impartial, un-
broken, unlimited, infinitely wise,
holy, gracious, blessed end is spoken
and made known.
o. What think we of this Christ?
We do not dogmatize strongly as to
his position in the order and scale of
being. The Scriptures characterize
him as "the Son of God with power"
We have been content not to be wise
above what is written. Just how the
Son of God we have not pretended to
say; that his character was unique, we
have been constrained to believe.
The nearest to dogmatism we have
come is in the firm assertion of the
negative, "Christ is not God" AS
to anything else in regard to him, the
vital and essential thing is, that he
is the sent of God, with power and
authority to declare him, and execute
his will. 81 came not to do mine own
will but the will of him that sent me;
and this is the will of him that sent
me, that of all he hath given me, l
should lose nothing but should raise
it upSat the last day" 1t was Gods
pleasure Through him to make
peace;" ''to reconcile all things to
himself;" and his purpose 'in the dis
pensation of the fullness of time to
gather together in one all things in
Christ" This declaring God;" this
executing his will;" this closing
nothing;" this raising up" this
making peace;" this 'reconciling all
things" defines the wise, holy, be
nevolent end of God, of which Jesus
is the all-sufficient means.
(n) Yes, all sufficient. Not by
substitution but by reconciling
power; by truth, by life, by love-
by education and by inspiration.
The Elder Brother of man, sufficient
ly near to him to have shared his
varied experiences, = his joys, his
sorrows, his trials, temptations, suf-
ferings, successes, disappointment
everything, in short, except his sins.
By that nearness, by those exper-
fences learning mans needs, he finds
the way to meet them; and meeting
them he gives an example, and in it's
grandeur and inspiration a marvel
ously potent incentive to follow him.
He is light leading the way out of
the darkness of ignorance, otherwise
bewildering; guide leading the
way out of the wilderness of sin; a
persuasive voice calling men up to
the Father himself. Perfect victor
in the strife with temptation, men are
encouraged to struggle and hope for
victory for themselves.
(d.) But he is more than an ex-
ample in temptation. He is pattern
of sweet, godly, helpful, earnest life.
His mission does not relate to sin
alone, not primarily so, but to life in
its fullness. 1t relates to sin, but
more largely to that vaster, higher,
nobler realm of life that instantly
expands from the point where sin is
left, until it takes in the infinite
breadth, and length, and height, and
depth of the life of love of God. l
repeat, his was not mission only,
neither primarily, to show the way out
of sinfulness, but rather to show the
way into life. This is of great signifi-
canoe in our system. To be out of
sin is something. Yes, very much,
but to be into life, into light, into
love, breathing, and living by the at
mosphere of eternal truth, is vastly
more. Out of sin is negative; into
life is positive. True, one phase of his
work was to call men to repentance,
because out of sin is step positively
essential, with the SHINING soul, to the
larger and fuller life he desires to
give; but that step once taken, the
larger, the eternal work remains of
teaching how to live in the spirit.
"He came that we might have life
and have it more abundantly." The
soul only begins to live truly when
its life has the same source and spring
as his; when "hid with Christ in
God;" when it is impelled from
above and not compelled from be-
meath; when the attraction is from
heaven and not the propulsion from
hell.
(e) Moreover in Christ is felt the
wonderful power of self-sacrifice; sac
rifice for, not instead of, others.
Everywhere in the Bible it is sacrifice
for, not instead of. Note the fact, and
the distinction. 1t is not substitution,
not satisfaction, not adjustment, not
compromise, but revelation, enlight-
enmeut, illustration, inspiration. 1t
is atonement Cat one-ment) recoDcilia-