The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-05

less spirit to what seemed to be
fatal doom; she let her despair blind
her to the help. But after the first
paroxysm of grief was over, the strong
will, the God enthroned in her soul,
asserted itself. She arose; no time
for weeping now, but action; she
brushed away the tears; she appealed
to heaven for strength.
She did what duty prompted and
returned to the dying boy, whom she
had deserted in her anguish, with a
clearer vision and stronger faith;
when 10! in the very performance of
this duty she beheld the fountain of
life. Had she remained, bowed in
her sorrow, hopeless, forlorn, dis
couraged, who can tell whether she
would have seen the help or not.
Very likely the angel would not have
found her.
What profound lesson this is for
us. While we have pains, endure
suffering, bear sorrow, yet the will
should be strong enough to master
these things. We should be able to
see the streaks of light which pierce
the gloom. When told by his physi-
clans that there was no hope for him
and he must die, Douglas Jerrold
said: "And leave family of helpless
children? l won't die" He kept his
word and lived years. "God works
in mysterious way his wonders to
perform" and through the will he
pointed out the fountain of life to
this man whom the physicians said
must die.
Put your trust in God. He rules
the universe with a just hand, and
his children with kind heart. This
is no idle talk; no weak and foolish
sentimentalism; no puerile cant; no
unmanly affectation. Put your trust
in God! This is the greatest privi-
lege and the highest duty of man.
God enters more directly into your
life and into my life than any of us
realize. The world has a wrong idea
regarding the workings of God, and
thinks that he arbitrarily interposes
to avert some great calamity which
threatens his children, never mani
Testing himself except in superna-
tural manner. This false idea has
driven many honest thinkers into
conscientious unbelief or doubt re-
garding Gods help at all. Tourgee,
in his novel, "Murvale Eastman"
portrays such character in the ply
stefan. A wonderful combination of
circumstances had TRANSFERRED which
produced startling results; and the
physician said to the minister, Snow.
you would probably call this discov-
cry 'providential.' To me it is only
the result of fixed laws" "And may
not Providence act through fixed laws
as we'll as is contravention of them7"
asked the divine. Trust in God and
you are trusting the law which con-
trolls the physical and moral world.
Trust in God and you are trusting
the love which prompted the law.
This is manly thing to do. I have
no sympathy with that oft repeated
remark that religion is only for
woman and children. 1 oppose it
for two reasons: First, because it is a
slur upon woman, intimating that
her mind is so weak and 80 filled with
vagaries, that she, with children, can
be easily duped, the one with Santa
Claus, the other with God; both a
myth to be cast off as the mind grows
stronger. And secondly, because
history and experience teach other
wise. The greatest minds, the strong
est wills, the most manly men have
been religious, some of them intensely
so.
But there is cause for this pessi-
mistic sentiment,-this idea that
faith in God is weak and sickly sub
stitute for the more manly unbelief.
1t is in the fault of that which passes
as religion, which is supposed to con-
stitute faith, but which is no more
the genuine article than a dew drop
is diamond. 1t is the idea which
has been mentioned, that God acts
through contravention of law instead
of acting in conformity to it. God is
law as we'll as love.
Plan and purpose precede crea-
ton. This plan and purpose are
manifested to us in all the workings
of nature and man, viewed in the
light of centuries. with their history
and progress. Man should not kick
against the goads, but should aid in
the fulfilment of this plan and pur-
pose. Gods purpose; mans ability;
here the power is generated which
moves the world towards the final
goal for which it was created. The
posifiva t1Ole Gods Y0urDoSa oOminor