The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-13

Will remember L06 human DrOLQeTQOOO.
He will take, on himself the limitations of
his weaker brother. He will. out of def
erence to his brother lest he cause him
to fall for whom Christ died, refrain en-
tirely from such meat.
This was Paul's teaching and practice.
He extends the application of the prin
ciple. He prefers to be, by self-abnega
ton, the most independent Of men. He
will, by the human standard, owe the
church nothing at all. He magni6es his
apostleship by accepting none of its
emoluments. He has no home; unlike
certain of the other apostles, he remains
celibate, that he may thereby give him
self more completely and exclusively to
his missionary work He has the right
to his own livelihood from the church,
in return for the arduous service he rem
ders; but not even this will he accept;
with his own hands, at his trade as a
tentmaker, he works for his daily bread.
This he does, he says, not as matter of
choice, but because it is with him me-
cessity. The necessity having been laid
on him to preach the Gospel. in this
manner he tries to fulfil his stewardship.
His reward is not in being independent.
not in human renowp; it is rather in
serving his fellow man. in following his
Master; it is in the work he is doing
In continuance of this exposition of
unselfshness, Paul proceeds in our les
son assignment.
"ThoughT aoas free from all men.
brought myself under bondage to all
men, that | might gain the more"
Though l made myself, by abnegation of
personal rights, indepe ndent of all men.
even of the church, yet bow to the law
of human brotherhood and acknowledge
myself indebted to every man. l fulfil
my service without human price in the
desire to make it more profitable to my
needy human brothers.
"T'o the Jes0s / became as O. Jeto. that
I might gain the JeaUs." While l am
independent of all race and religious
narrowness. 1 nevertheless defer to the
race and religious prejudices of the
jews, that l may, as an acknowledged
brother. the better serve the Jews.
ITO them that are under the laaU, as
uader the laac." 1t seems to us that
Paul here refers to the law of penances
and ceremonies which the Pharisaic
leaders had imposed on their followers.
Paul. under the higher law of God which
required him to love his neighbor as
himself, observed certain requirements
of the ritual law, that he might thereby
get near to those who idolized this bon
dage.
ITO them that are a0ithout laao. as
acithout laaU." To the Gentiles he ap-
pealed in the great fellowship of human
ity, declaring that they. in order to be-
come partakers of the Gospel, we're un.
der no obligation to accept the yoke of
the ceremonial law.
ITO the aoeak became aceok." In the
spirit of fraternity l put myself in the
place of every man.
81 become all things to oil men," l
break all the bans which separate me
from my human brother, wherever find
him and whoever he is; l appeal to him
as one like him, as in very truth his
brother. Yet, it ought to be needless to
say, Paul never compromised the truth.
He simply adapted himself. in the de-
sire to help every man. to the ingrained
preiudices and inherited practices of all
classes of men.
II do all things for the Gospels sake,
that mag be joint partakes' thereof"
He serves his Lord in serving Of every
human brother. simply that he may gain
such inner rewards as he hopes to enjoy
jointly with all; he hopes for no personal
gain which all others may not share.
In all these Publications. we see
the central principle, = namely, that
other things being equal. our spiritual
influence over others is in proportion to
our nearness to them in the sircum-
stances and habits of life. I'm harmony
with this principle says Beet, 1.-THE Son
OF God clothed himself in human flesh
that he might speak to us through hu-
man lips and stretch out for our saliva
ton human hand. (Gal. 4: A. And
by conforming to their habits and prac-
tice Paul was accustomed to diminish,
as far as practicable, the distance be-
| tween himself and those he sought to
save. To the Athenians he spoke as a
philosopher (Acts IT: % 81; among
Jews he acted as Jew (Acts 81: 26); but
always without surrendering principle
| (Gal. 2: 81, for to do this would benefit
no one. We shall do we'll to initiate him.
Whatever reminds our hearers that our
circumstances and endowments differ
from theirs will lessen the force of our
Words
The same instinct of brotherhood
and logic of Divine Fatherhood that re-
| quires us to feel the burdens Of all in a
real human fellowship. imperatively de-
mand that we do not by our example. or
by our indifference. add to the moral
burdens of any one.
The man who has become slave
to drink is our brother; he has the right.
under the Divine law, to look to our ex-
ample and to expect from our endeavor
| moral help rather than hindrance, in his