The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-09

phases Oh one anu bue sdLue Bull
timent So it was in the Greek
there were four or five different words
to convey the several shades of mean
ing which then, as now, it was de-
sirable to express. But the word here
used, az nearly always in the New
Testament, is the highest and best of
them alias denoting both affection
and goodness. Perhaps we should
best render it by the compound term
holy love or loving kindness; at any
rate, it is certain that, as the Apostle
used it, he intended to speak OF a
love that possessed both the element
of holiness and the element of helpful
ness: and it was of this that he said:
eff we love one another God
dwelleth in us, and his love is per-
fected in u.s." 1t is not merely the
physical passion, or the impulsive
desire, or the feeting fancy, or the
spirit of genial goodwill, which we
dignity with the name of Love, that
he had in mind; but rather that deep,
strong, pure, sacred affection, that
yearning to bless its object, which is
linked with all holy aspirations and
which is established in righteousness
and truth. This kind of love is the
power of God working in the heart,
and they who cherish it may be sure
thereby that they are born of God
and know God. Hereby we know
that we dwell in him, and he in us,
because he hath given us his spirit"
Such is the doctrine of the Divine
Immanence as inculcated in this re-
markable chapter.
Results of This Teaching
Now if this teaching is true it sim
plifes at once our whole Christian
life.
a. We see that the object of all
our religion is to awaken holy love
within our hearts. Our churches,
with their worship and their work,
our doctrinal instruction and our
reading of the Bible are intended to
subserve this grand purpose; yea, the
mission of Jesus Christ to each hui
man soul contemplates the same
great end-to establish Gods love
as the one regnant power in each
heart, and thence to disseminate it's
influence in other lives. There still
remains call to study, room for
thought, the need of learning; but if
only little of all these is possible
to any humble soul, it shall not be
deprived of the richest and best pos
session of all-the consciousness of
the Divine Presence in the meek and
lowly heart.
Then how easy everything else
becomes as soon as this holy love is
awakened in the soul! One does not
need to be exhorted to attend church,
for he delights to worship in the sane
tuary and to labor in behalf of its
precious interests. Just as the love
of study when once aroused in the
mind of schoolboy is the pledge of
his intellectual progress and his ul-
innate scholarship, SO the love of
things divine is the pledge of ones
growth in grace and a knowledge of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The affections become set on
things above and not on earthly
interests alone; and the expanding
force of all the sweetest sentiment
and aspirations of the soul enlarges
and exalts the entire scope of ones
life. The Spirit gives wings to am
bition, desire and purpose, and all
the care and toll and sorrow of the
world are transformed into upward
bearing experiences.
Again, our religion becomes much
more spontaneous, free and vital
under this conception than it was be-
fore. We may worship in one form
or another, simple or elaborate; we
may recite long creed or short
one; and we may change our opin-
ions not a little as we grow older,
wiser and better: but, all the time,
we shall know that the real essence
of the Christian life is the spirit of
holy love; and as long as we keep
and cherish this our hearts are happy
because God dwells in them and
keeps them in perfect peace l am
sure our religion will tend always to
become mechanical. and our churches
cold, unless we continually strive to
have all worshippers and all sanctu-
aries replenished with this spirit of
holy love; and where this really ex-
lists, how fresh, free and gladdening
is the life withinl
ca But a more important result
of duty, needing the teaching of our
text, is that it prompts us to cheer
full and helpful service in behalf of
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