The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-16

taught that he boldly proclaimed to
the world such truths as we're re-
vealed to him, and left the result to
the Father, having faith that he
would sustain him. Did he court
popular favor for personal benefit, or
did he, like the God-like being which
he proved to be, trust to that Omni-
potent Power behind the throne to
sustain the teachings which he was
given to imparts Did he enquire if
the world was ready to receive the
truth, or did he consider the fact that
the truth was ready to be given to the
world9 Our vanity, aristocracy, pride
and regard for popularity are fast
enslaving us, not only as we are con-
nected with social institutions, but as
individuals, until they are completely
controlling our sincerity and our de
sire to attain to the spiritual life, and
we are growing more and more un-
conscious of the danger to which we
are exposed. While we may boast
to certain extent of being no longer
slaves to creeds and "orthodox" dog
mas, and of believing in the true
Fatherhood of God and the brother
hood of man, if we do not arouse our
minds to active reasoning, we will
find ourselves so ensnared by the
subtlety of popular regard and the
restraint of human limitations, that
the true meaning of the Fdtherhood
of God and the brotherhood of man
will be, by our undeveloped spiritual
minds, entirely undiscovered.
If a knowledge OF the universal
salvation of mankind does not make
us better and wiser, it is certainly of
no value to us. Above all things,
this knowledge should, as far as it
extends, cause us to be sincere and
earnest, and we should become more
generous, believing that as God has
revealed to us some of the beautiful
pages of Wisdom, there are still
others, from which some one with
ability and perhaps greater opportun-
ity and experience, may be able to
learn many of the hidden truths of
which we may be deprived of in this
existence No one should be so big
oted as to believe that the narrow
view of divinity which he as an indi-
vidual is permitted to scan, is the
whole, for after generations have
passed, each one more progressive
than it's predecessor, there will vet be
truths not unsealed to humanity
Gods wisdom will still be unfathom-
able. Thus we see that we cannot,
with human opinion or human laws,
limit the spirit of man in its flight up
the sleeps of Gods eternal truth.
Now, to return to our topic, the
Bible as applied to our social insin
cerities, we claim that it is the fear of
popular opinion which causes many to
fail to proclaim the truth as given
them. We find that every stage of
advancement in spiritual wisdom is
backed up and substantiated by its
written law, or, in other words, the
natural, spiritual law is the evidence
OF that reality to which the divine
written law furnishes confederation.
For the teaching and uplifting of
mankind, the plan of the divine law
of nature, is to certain extent de-
pendent upon the written law.
In conclusion, in order to success.
fully understand and apply the
teachings of the Bible to our lives, in
dividually and socially, we must be-
come more sincere in our efforts to-
wards the cultivation CT natural good
ness of heart. AS means TO the
blessed sincerity of truth, let us make
an examination, each one of us, of our
social conscience, and see whether or
not we are enslaved to some hobby
that restraints us from being sincere
with our God and also with our fell
low men.
''The immortal truth demands each
thoughtful hour,
Our work must live through all futurity.
The highest glory, born of conscious
power,
Is but for him who yields it reverently"
BRAZIL, IND.
THE DECLINE OF ENTHUSIASM.