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


And showed the names, whom love of God
had blest,
And 10! Ben Adhem's name led all the
rest.
I have lately heard in prayer meet
ing, "Oh, God forgive our sin for
Thou only canst forgive SIM" The
old Jew said this, and would bring
gift to the altar to settle an account
brother had against him.
To such Jesus said, "Leave there
thy gift. If thou remembered thy
brother hath ought against thee, go
thy way, first be reconciled to thy
brother" Forgiveness is by the way
of man, and forgiveness is unity and
amity on earth, peace and goodwill
among men. The Great Teacher by
precept and example, continually en-
forced duty of man to man. He knew
that "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy might, mind and
strength" had been so often sounded
in their ears that the other duty,
which is proof of love to God, had
been neglected. So Jesus announces
a new commandment 'love to one
another" St. Augustine and his
mother, Monica, conversing on this
point, came to the conclusion that
love to God is by the way of love to
man. If this is not so, the oft re-
peated "Son of Man" loses all its
significance. Let us refer to Job and
his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad
and Zophar, to show the tendency of
professed zeal for God, to overlook
the weak tempted human brother.
They came to comfort him. When
they first saw him they were amazed
into silence and inactivity, and began
to reason together and concluded
from his fearful disease, that he had
been guilty of terrible sin or God
would not punish him so terribly.
They constituted themselves attor-
neys for God, saying to Job, "Thy
wickedness is great and thine iniqui-
ty infinite. Thou has taken a pledge
for nought and stripped the poor of
their clothing. Thou has not given
water to the thirsty; thou hast with
held bread from the hungry. Thou
hast sent widows away empty and
the arm of the fatherless has been
broken. Wherefore snares are round
about thee, and sudden fear troubleth
thee" Job stood their false charges
as long as he could. Then in an out
burst of honest indignation, replied
"When the ear heard me, then it blest
me and when the eye saw me, it gave
witness to me, because l delivered
the poor that cried and the fatherless
and him that had none to help. The
blessing of him that was ready to
perish came upon me and | caused
the widows heart to sing for JOY.
put on righteousness and it clothed
me. was eyes to the blind and feet
to the lame"
The teaching of the book of Job lie,
God asks no apologies for himself
and he virtually says to these three
friends of Job, "You have been malig-
ming my character; your official zeal
for me has made me out to be mon
ster towards Job. You have left him
to plead his own case. | am not your
client. You ought to have made
your brother Job your client. Ye
have not spoken the thing which is
right as my servant Job has. In
stead of alternating his affliction you
have added to it by your bitter and
unjust charges. You have lied about
him, injured him. Go to Job and have
him pray for you lest l deal with
you according to your folly"
When we come to the heart oil
things we find the old prophets and
Jesus are at one in behalf of man
Unity is salvation, Unity of man
with man, and nation with nation, is
the divine promise, and Jesus is pre-
eminently the "Son of Man" as well
as the "Son of God" He is the
great unifer.
When we, instead of looking into
heaven to bring Jesus down, can see
him in every human brother that
needs help; when the business man
can see him in the one he is doing
business with; when a president of
the Standard Oil Company, or a jaw
Gould, driving with selfish purpose
to make millions, can see he is driving
nails into the members of Christ's
body, then will the unifying process
begin to tell. Jesus, the "Son of God !"
is also the "Son of Man." acknowl-
edging the solidarity and unity of the
race with himself, a life meeting every
requirement, human and divine, and
finally in obedience unto death mingl-
ing it blood with the race to bring
the sons of men into unity and love,
so that finally we shall see man at his
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