The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-15

man III 1hlo lilO COuiO uOb COluulu a
sin deserving infinite punishment. ar
gued that man kept on SHINING in the
immortal state, from the fact of his
unchaugeability and fixedness in sin.
A reply appeared in the Baptist
Standard of that city. This point
was taken; the thought was appalling,
that in the eternal ages not one, but
unnumbered millions, would be roll
ling up dismal volume of sin to
darken God eternal ages, perpetu
ate pain and constitute our Heavenly
Father, who is the life-giver and
life-sustainer, the chief agent in per-
petuating that which it was his great
purpose to "put away by the minis
try and suffering of his son."
l would not say one word to
smooth over the sin that is in the
world. But extravagant things have
been said by good men. A good
Baptist deacon whom | knew sixty
years ago said in prayer meeting, 81
commit more sin every day than to
damn ten thousand worlds" To
abase himself and magnify Gods
grace he had lost sense of moral
proportions and just accountability.
Are we not more ready to tell God
we are great sinners than to apollo
gize to a brother or make thing
right with him? A puritan spirit has
been extravagant, when it has said,
Man is nothing and less than moth
ing;" it has in the same breath infini-
tized his sin.
The gravest charge Jesus brought
against the Jew, was their neglect
to perform duty to man. Because
Moses said, "Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart and
with all thy SOUL" they found no
strong reason to love man. They
conceived of sin as mostly against
God and he the only one that could
forgive it. Moses taught the one
ness of God, against universal idola
try. Jehovah was the Hebrews
polar star, possessing moral qualities
adapted for the social condition of
the age. After Moses, the prophets
teaching the duty of man to man,
teaching that there was something
more in true worship of Jehovah,
than adulations and laudations or
bloody sacrifices. Hear Micah the
prophet speaking to those who were
violent and oppressive in his time
"Will the Lord be pleased with
thousands of rams or with ten thous-
ands of rivers of oil? What doth the
Lord require of thee, but to do justly
and love mercy" duties which when
done to one another are done to our
common Father. A sacrifcial and
ceremonial priesthood neglected to
teach and practice the duties owed to
man. The priestly environment was
bloody one; it not only narrowed
him down, but it also cultivated in
him an insensibility to the wrongs
and sufferings of others, so he could
pass by even brother Jew who lay
torn and bleeding, without rendering
help, until he became so callous as
to call for the blood of the Just One.
| Sins against man had been atoned
for by offering money paid to the
priest or for temple service so long,
that by this process the Jew failed to
see his duty to man until he could
devour widows houses and for SER
vice to man substitute long prayers.
A new word dropping from the
lips of Jesus reversed the order of
thinking on mans duty. Idolatry
by its sacrifcial systems, sought to
bring its gods into loving relations
with man; to change the gods, not
man.
! The tendency of the Jewish sacrif-
cial system was this way: Jesus
came to tell man that the essential
peace of his Father had not been dis
turbed; that his love for man, his
child, though sinful and imperfect as
yet, had not been weakened; that his
eternal and progressive purpose of
bringing peace and good will on
earth out of moral chaos would not
be frustrated. He has brought beau
tiful suns and planets out of chaotic
star dust. Shall he not develop char
acters wearing the beautiful Inca
ments of him who is the chief among
ten thousand and the one altogether
lovely?
Forgiveness.
The Old Testament does not make
Gods forgiveness conditional on man
forgiving man. This is the new word
Jesus taught man: "Forgive us our
trespasses as we have forgiven those
who have trespassed against u.s."
This teaches us that if the door is
shut against our brother, it is shut
against God. The "Son of Man"