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

that we should feel the obligation of
this commandment most keenly, and
that we should obey and fulfil its
every requirement. There is great
need that we should be 80 pure in
heart and 80 sound of mind that we
can see the force and righteousness
OF this law; that we should be able
to obey it in pursuance of the verdict
of reason, and not simply because it
is written on the pages OF our sacred
books.
Let us then make study of its rea-
son and its requirements.
In the first place, we may inquire
what reason there is for such law.
Why ought so great task to be laid
upon the human soul? The answer
is not hard to find, but it reaches
down to the very roots of human ma
ture, and up to the topmost twigs on
the tree of human possibilities. In
deed, the complete answer can only
be given when we know and under
stand the perfected, the Divine, the
Godlike man.
Man is bound to love God with all
the fervor and strength of his nature
because he is man. Because he is
alive with that life which never ends.
Because he is blessed above all the
rest of Gods creatures with the in
comparable gift of religion. And the
true end of life and of religion, is to
establish true and eternal relations
with the Infinite Controller of the
Universe. 1t is all summed up in the
words of Jesus: "This is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou has sent" In order to do this
we must come in closest possible
touch with them; and we do this
through love for them and for all our
fellow men. Love is the method love
is the law.
We have an illustration of this in
the every day affairs of the world. In
order to know the world we build rail
roads, hang the interlacing wires of
the telegraph, and sink beneath the
vastly deep the worlds great electric
nerves. Through all these opera
tions runs one great fundamental
law: the law of gravitation. So
through all and under all the ethical
codes runs the law of love. All the
facts and phenomena of the spiritual
world are explainable only by a
knowledge of that law.
And what is much more important,
only through loving obedience to this
law can we attain unto that life which
is eternal; that life which is the full
ness and perfection of the divine
life that every son of humanity bears
in his soul. Love is the method,
and the only method. To attain unto
true relations with God and mankind
we must love the Lord our God with
all our powers, and beyond this, and
more difficult than all else in the
world, we must love our neighbors as
ourselves.
The discoveries of this law, the
codifiers of ancient Israel, were only
interpreters of human nature, after
all. They only wrote on parchment
what God had first written in their
souls. Jesus could have read his
lesson to the lawyer from the I'M
written love of the human soul, as
we'll as from the law of the Jews. For
filial affection is the first emotion of
the heart of man. 1t is first in time
and first in power. 1t is never re-
placed by any other. The heart
strings may be swept by many other
loving hands, but none can produce
melody so sweet as that which
swells forth in response to the magic
touch of mother love. Music more
fervid and passionate may be heard
during the intoxication of youths
sweet DREAM" but no other love of
man or woman is so truly lovely as
that which responds to parental love.
1t is because God is our spiritual
father and mother that the highest
law of our natures requires us tolove
him with all our strength. Within
our breasts burns spark of the In
finite energy, and throughout our
spiritual selves breathes the spirit of
the Absolute.
Because of this potentially divine
endowment there is a still higher
phase of this same reason. Far above
all these more common affections,
which we 80 readily recognize and SO
often experience, is the souls native
yearning for the realization of it's
ideals. All the divine emotions of