The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-01

y
ment. In this liberty of choice of
motives we exercise the moral free
dom which makes US responsible be-
ings.
1t is often the case that the only
part of our conduct which is free and
unrestrained is the choice of the mo-
tive from which we act Physical
force and the overpowering influence
of circumstances compel us to act
in certain way, but we are always
and under all circumstances free in
the selection of our motives.
1t is the motive that gives moral
and spiritual character to the act.
This nearly all writer's on morals adj
NIT. 1t is moral judgment of the
race, sustained by a general con-
sensus Of human thought on this
subject. This is the phase of respon-
sibility. 1t is the moral empire of
the human soul. For our choice of
motives, and not our outward acts
are we accountable in morals and
to God. 1t is the motive that gives
moral color and character to our con-
duct.
There are great number and vari-
ETY. of motives that appeal to us all the
time, and mingle as so many different
elements III the acts of everyday life.
Motives growing out of mans an
imal, intellectual, rational, social,
moral and religious nature-such as
appeal to animal appetites and pas
sions, to his desire to know and his
thirst for knowledge, to his social af-
fections and sympathies, to his reason
and conscience, and his faith, rever-
ence and gratitude. These motives
in value and Importance are of differ
ent grades, and rise one above the
other, from those which men possess
in common with animals to those
which influence him in common with
angels, Christ and God.
Every individual intuitively feels
that the intellectual motives are
above the animal-that reason and
conscience should control passion and
appetite benevolence is super
ior to selfishness, and that love is bet
ter than hate.
The supreme motive that rises
above all others is love to God and
man. ITO love God with all the
heart, mind. soul and strength is the
first and great commandment, and
the second is like unto it: Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
These two embrace all morality and
all religion.
Love is the supreme motive to and
principle in action. It is the very
essence of morality and religion.
Religion, then, is not so much dis
tinct work, as it is religious motive
going into all work, into all interest,
and into all duties. 1t does not de-
mand that we act from no other mo-
tive. This would be impossible, or
ganized and situated as we are. With
mans nature and environment we
must feel the force of other motives
to action. But the Christian religion
does demand that we make this the
supreme and all controlling motive.
1t must go into all conduct and char
acter as the sunlight and the atmos-
phere goes into the life and growth
of all plants, animals and men. All
the animal, social, rational and moral
motives unite and combine in human
life, conduct and character, but the
love of God and man must be the
motive that controls and regulates
all others. This must be the CEN
trail motive of the ethics of the uni
verse.
We may not always be conscious
that we are acting from this motive.
By the influence of habit it may &C.
quire the power to control us I'M
consciously. The light thus shines
on US. We breath the atmosphere
and it sustains life, often without our
being conscious of it; our food is di-
gested and assimilated, building the
organism into strength and for use
all unconscously. So the deeper
principles and motives of moral,
spiritual and divine life may control
us without any special consciousness
on our part of the fact.
This supreme motive grows out of
our highest and noblest nature. It
is the outcome of the divinity within
us. In it we are like God, for God is
love. 1t springs from our divine re-
lations. God is our Father and we
are his children. We are born of God
in his image, likeness and spirit.
God is supreme, and love for him
must be supreme love and the Su-
preme Motive.
D.. n