The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-11-27
funeral. The ex.President was, no doubt,
type of a great number of emancipated
but as yet homeless disciples of Christ.

funeral. The ex-President was, no doubt,
type of great number of emancipated
but as yet homeless disciples of Christ.
Prof. @. A. Briggs, whose experience
as a rejected hereto does not seem to
have dulled the keen edge of his inquir-
ing mind, is discussing with much free
dom and thoroughness the question OF
Salvation After Death" He is. as is
known an expounder of the doctrine Of
"The Middle State"-the period and
place between death and the day of res
direction and final judgment. He con-
tends that there is more Biblical warrant
for this doctrine than for the doctrine
of the trinity or of the divinity of Christ.
on the basis Of the actual existence of
such an interval he proceeds to consider
it's bearing on the question Of the saliva
ton of those who died before Christ
came, Of those dying in infancy. of the
heather, and of such Christians as have
begun but have not completed the pro-
cess OF salvation This naturally leads
him to consider the case of those who
are unawakened. and finally of those
who in this life "have definitely rejected
Christ" The result OF his examination
is warrant for holding to much
larger hope of human salvation in the
future life than former ages we're able
to conceive or imagine"
1t is little late, but we must have
our word about the Chicago Convention.
The spirit prevailed over the letter in
that convention. Itwas noticeable from
the first that fine and fraternal feeling
was diffusing itself throughout the
great assembly. Very likely the prelim-
mary meeting of the ministers had
something to do with it. That meeting
originated in deep and general desire
for the religious quickening of the
church. Various schemes for soliciting
the descent of the Holy Spirit we're in
the fertile brains of the brethren; but
when it was made manifest that all were
waiting and willing, 10! the Spirit was
in our midst. Being in our place" was
favorable. but being Of "one accord" was
the needful preparation. The sermon
of DR.. Rogers. which, without prear-
rangement, struck the same note and
prolonged the same strain. was timely
adjuvant. The presiding officer of the
convention, Mr.. Charles L. Hutchinson,
must not be left out of the enumeration
Of spiritualforces that conspired to make
the session memorable and uplifting.
He guided the deliberations with such
alartps sss grace, ss.nd mastery, and in
fused so devout and brotherly spirit
into the proceedings as to make himself
the genius and personal embodiment Of
the occasion.
The convention was great Joy and
blessing to all who were able to attend
it. II now the ministers who we're pres.
ent can reproduce and extend at home
the influence of that great meeting the
revival of the whole church will follow.
The spirit of meeting is difficult to
transport. 1t is so liable to leak out on
the way. But if Pentecost could be
carried to the ends of the world and pre-
serve its potency to remote ages. what
shall prevent those who saw men OF vari-
Gus language speaking one tongue at
Chicago from carrying the message, in
their hearts and on their lips, to our
whole Israel? Nothing is so contagious
as real religion; nothing is so vital. A
soul would be cynical and narrow in
deed that could stand In the path of the
currents flowing through that conven-
tion and not be nightly, graciously
moved. His love and admiration for his
church must have leaped high again and
again; and he must have gone home
warmed to the core with enthusiasm
and hope. Some OF the good things
planned may come to less than we have
reason to expect. But we can never lose
the memory and thrill of that baptism
of the spirit.
CANTON THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL.