The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-08-07

of the Sermon on the Mount were not
spoken of the life in the spheres only;
they were spoken OF the life of mar, be
his place Of abode here or there. BE-
hold, now is the accepted time; behold,
now is the day of salvation" Salvation
is of the soul. and not of its place. Sal
vation is purity of thought, word and
deed. 1t is cleanness at the springs OF
our daily life. 1t is the soul centered in
righteousness, love and truth. 1t is
childlike trust in God. and Godlike love
of man.
Now, if we say to the world that all
men are thus to be saved, are we more
than idle theorists il we do not, in some
measure show our faith by our own per-
sonal and combined endeavors to set the
world forward on its better way? Such
salvation is not to be accomplished by
miracle. We cannot "hold still and see
this salvation of God" We are to be
| Gods co-laborers in the work. 1t is edu
ton. enlightenment. helpfulness. 1t is
the work of lifting up from whatever
degradation to higher plane of life. 1t
has been going on under Christ in this
world for these eighteen hundred years.
Every better thought put into the mind;
every better impulse to the soul; every
loosening OF the cords that bind one to
an evil life; every opening of doors lead
ing to sweeter airs; every institution es.
tablished that supplies purer associa-
tions; every more just and righteous law
put upon the statute book; every more
merciful and humane provision for the
suffering;-in word, every act or speech
or look that brings the sense Of sympathy
to the breast of those who have thought
themselves outcast. and every banding
together of men and woman for bene-
6cent counsel or deed, is new step
taken toward realizing this salvation
which we believe is some day to be uni
versal.
All men thus to be saved? Then all
are susceptible to saving endeavor. All
men can be lifted out of basenees.
Every man can be helped to a better
life, purer soul, nobler desires. holier
loves. There is something Of the divine
in each, which, by human brotherly ef-
fort, assisted by Gods grace, can be
brought out. That is what is involved
in the faith of universal salvation. The
words are empty, meaningless, if not SO
intended. And what would now urge
upon your most serious and devout con-
sideration is, that whatever may have
been the exigencies preventing it in the
past. the general temper Of the Christian
world is now such that we are free to
pursue our convictions to their legiti-
mate application. Free. did l say?
Bound! Bound by the high trust COM
| mitted to us by heaven. We are to be
saviours of men, armed by this faith
that "the kingdom of heaven is at
hand" for them, and inspired by the
love displayed in the cross of Christ.
| Without fanaticism, but not without
leaning on Heavens arm, and with in
telligent recognition of the truth that
all genuine progress, all wholesome and
| enduring improvement among men
must be from within-must be growth
and a ripening of manhood and woman
hood, quickening of the divine pulses
of the soul; with intelligent conviction
of this. we are to prove our faith by our
works. l had as lief be a senselees
heather prating to his idols, as mere
contender for difference of words in
| the statement of Christian belief?
What is it worth? To what use can
you put it? What do you really propose
to achieve withit? These are questions
the answers to which alone can decide
whether our differences of belief from
others in the Christian world are more
important than the braying of an ass.
Do we yearn to have the nightmare of
beliefs inherited from the middle ages
vanish before the coming century shall
have reached its noon? No other argu-
ment will accomplish it without the ar
gument furnished by the active devo-
tion of our church to every work of
moral healing. of mental enlightment
and spiritual quickening. The work of
making it "easier for men to do right.
and more difficult for them to do
wrong;" the work of smoothing the path
of justice. of cementing the ties of
brotherhood, of sitting the demon and
awaking the angel-that is the work of
him who would write his name as dis
ciple of Jesus Christ. That will count
for more and more in the Christian
world as the generations follow each
other into the eternal silence.
| NEWARK, N. Y.