The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-25
Christ's suffering on the cross to deliver
us from the just anger OF God, is fiction

antiquated dogma, they are very far II
deed from ignoring or making light
the necessity of salvation.
They see, per hop, more clearly than an
others, the urgent need OF deliveren,
from many things and they affirm that Il
only effective process of deliverance ID b
purifying and strengthening the bodiI
and spiritual nature of each indiyious
In other words, salvation can come onI
through right character. A man of rig b
character 10 not one whose outward acts
merely, are respectable ana decent; he 1
one whose motives and intentions and dc
sires are norable-whose inward natur
Is pure and strong. Yes-it is a question
OF the inward nature-and this applie
Just as sptly to the body as to the soul.
We speak OF the character Of q man
constitution, meaning thereby the in
ward condition Of his physical frame
Anc the ground taken by liberal Christ
ians Is, that IL this inward condition
were, In every man, pure and strong, tn,
human race would be "saved."
| We should in that case, be freed from
ell we need to be free from; we should be
In the deepest and best sense, reconciled
with God no matter whether we profess
Inc Christian or tt Q Huddhish-the Mo-
hammedan or the Confncian fsith.
What. then, are the things we need saw
ing from and now can right character
save us?
We need saving, urgently, from ell
Kinds OF pain. Under this ttrm every Ill
In life Is comprised. Bodily ailments and
mental agonies are alike painful.
Now, liberal Christians affirm that all
paius are due to imperfections, either of
the physical or Of the moral constitution;
and that such imperfections are the re-
suit not OF the fail of Adam, or the
curse OF God'-but simply of the incom-
pie.eness OF our present stage of develop
ment.
The true course to take, then. in order
10 get rid OF pain, is to get rid OF those
imperfections of our present stage of de-
veiopment which give rise to pain to
substitute perfect for an imperfect, a
healthy for ar unhesltby state, In the in.
ward nature and character.
How does the phys ician set to work to
get rid OF bodily pain? He searches for
the root OF the matter; recognizing that
tue trouble springs from some physical
imperfection, he tries to ind its inward
seat ana source. Unless Re can reach
thaf, his rene lies are but palliatiyes-
they DO not cure. And when he has
discovered the inward sourcs of tbe
desease, what does be do? Why he sets
10 work TO substitute Q healthy for an
unhealthy condition of tie tissues. He
tries to purify and strengthen them.- In
other words, he eudeavors to change their |
C character.
ana similar course must be pursued |
With the silments of the soul. All mental
pain comes from some impsrfection. lust
as Gil bodily pain does-either from
gnorance, which 10 due to imperfect
knowledge, or from sin, which is due to an
imperfect desire for righteousness.
IL Is our ignorance thst makes us quail
WITH fear OF death. Our eyesight cannot
the dark beyond. We know not
~ what dim shore tsrry the spirit. OF
'ur beloved. And SO when they pass from
his origot earth. we fancy that they are
ost' We look with dread upon the angel
hat coneth in the name of the Lord, and
ur hearts are torn with anguish.
Again, 1t is our sins of cruelty and sci.
shness and evil passions that bring our
Interest woe.
Every sorrow not due to ignorance is
ue TO sin. The mothers agony for her
ayward child, the thief's remorse. the
ara mans Loneliness, tyranny, oppres-
on poverty; the sunerings and self.
crifice OF the good; can they not all be
aced to the same source?
The roots of ignorance and sin n. IN
'e inward constitution of the mind. in
imperfect nature, in Its weak and half ,
rmed chsrscter. =,
There is your field OF work. II Won !
ould be saved from ignorance and ain
"a SO be delivered from the misery thew
tail, you must transform the inner I
rings of action. You must purify and ]
rengthen the constitution Of the soul. {
ou must change its character by substi- r
ting knowledge for ignorance. ana n
niger and thirst after righteousness for !.
f-seskipg and base desire, and when =,
ls is achieved, will man in very truth n
saved! ~
how can 1t be othsrwisef Equipped Il
To perfect knowledge nothing will be 81
rk to him. He will see into the secrets u
the universe and know that the love of !"
q ia upholding and sustaining all. Be- q,
e his cleared vision the veil of death h,
u be rent asnnder and he Will perceivs NJ
W, taers, the little children do alvsvs of
1old the face OF their Father who is in q
aven. IL
EQUIPPED with perfect desires. no dc
hteous course can, to him, be irksome- IN
duty difficult, no labor hard. ".
% DO the will of God is to him com. NJ
TEST liberty and unsulliod joy. w
nat Is the salvation we desire. That ri
nc salvation we arc journeying To- OF
'os, and shall some day, reach. sp
rpers Magazine, perhaps the statelie,t ~
urrent periodicals, Is rich and beautiful y,