The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-11


lay hold upon their sufficiency and
thus make her bowers of beauty. And
God so loves the whole world that he
provides that man shall find little
satisfaction in each achievement with
an Astounding ambition, and moves
him to accumulate and to employ
men and to furnish food and susie
nance for many families.
Let us reflect, in concluding our
study, that the chief purpose of God s
recompense of good and evil is to
teach us his will and way; that his
character is the ideal and consumma-
ton of all, the Alpha and Omega;
and that the soul which, in its weak
ness and want, seeks him. finds him.
l. He puts us at school to himself
He would show us his justice and his
goodness. He would give us the dis
cipline that is needful to make us
strong in the qualities like unto him.
In the evil he would visit us with
tribulation and anguish, that we may
turn from it; in the good with joy
and peace that we may continue in
it.
The visitations of his providence
are never meant as evil for evil,t Tough
they sometimes seem to be i'll dis
patched upon us.
Suffering is not his revenge
Upon his creatures weak and frail,
Sent on pathway new and strange,
With feet that wander and eyes that
fail .
He would teach us care for life
about us. The increase of insects
which destroy growing grains and
edible roots should suggest kind
ness to the birds, while 300,000.000
are slaughtered annually to make
ornaments for ladies' hats. The in
sect pests may be looked upon as
visitation of Providence for the sin
of unkindness to some of his harm
less and even useful and beautiful
creatures, which can only be atoned
for by the refusal of the ladies to
wear feathers in their hats or bonnets
for which birds must be killed.
Friday was fair, and the boat was
available for the pleasure party, that
some hours might be spent in the
happy companionship of nature and
of our kind; but some trembled on
the brink of the day and said, "We
fearl we fear! No; let us not go on
Friday" and the rain fell on Satur-
day and spoiled anticipations, or
brought down dripping to earth high
hopes without umbrellas. Ground
less fear OF the fair and favorable
might have been reproved and the
heart taught to esteem every day as
it is. He that is Lord of the Sabbath
and is pleased with our improvement
of Sunday in worship and devout
meditation, is Lord of every other
day of the week, and hath resigned
none to spooks and furies.
2. He is our ideal and example
who does good that good may stay,
who wounds only that he may heal,
who Furnishes that he may save, who
discounts that he may compensate
and bless.
The good and not the evil should
be our wish toward our fellows. To
help and not to harm should be our
aim. To make whole and upright
should be the purpose of our remedies
and penalties.
The bounty of God teaches us
generousness of thought and munifi-
cence of deed. The commences of
the traces of aquatic creatures in
rocks on every hill and in every
vale. on every plain and along every
running brook. tells us that God was
not niggard of his bounty when no
land was raised above the sea. Life
was abundant and his provisions for
it transcribed all demand. The
years became equation marks be-
tween that ancient outlay of his
goodness to innumerable creatures
and the wealth of rocks and marble
and coal which stoutly rib the earth
and hold evidences of the divine
goodness in the present.
He makes one plant produce half
million seeds because he hath birds
to feed which gather not into barns.
And if he feeds Lis birdie, he must
love their singing.
He maketh nothing in vain. He
hath uses for all which lead to uses
higher.
Nor should man deal with slack
hand toward the world. He should
not economic his good will toward
men. He should not measure his acts
by the strict rule of justice only. He
should be just, and more. Jesus