The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-11
SERMON.
EQUATIONS OF PROVIDENCE
BY REV. C. c. CONNER.

kiel xviii. 30.
..Be not deceived God is not Knocked,
for whatsoever man soweth, that shall
he also reap" Galatians vi. I.
,.He Disappointed the devices of the
crafty, so that their hands cannot per-
form their enterprise. - Job. V. IL.
:'Behold happy is the man whom God
correcteth; therefore despise not thou the
Christening of the Almighty for he
maketh sore and biadeth up; he wound
eth. and his hands make whole Job. v.
II, IS
1--WE had the sentence of death in our :
selves, that we should not trust in our
selves, but in God which raiseth the
dead. II. Corinthians l. Q.
y obs ways may seem unequal 10
VI man because he adapts them to
our inequalities. He is just and merci-
full. He gives measure for measure,
value for value, like for like, as a
merchant who deals with us. He
keeps his accounts with accuracy.
We pay for what we get. Ii we
bring large purchasing power of
aspiration and hope and love and
labor to his counters, we get more
and better goods. If we bring little,
we receive little. If we cone with
the coin of genuineness in the hand,
we go with real values of happiness
in the heart. If we have brought
craftiness and treachery, we shall be
sent away disappointed and empty.
The All-Wise weighs his wisdom
against our own. If we live the life
of good, our experience is blessed; if
the life of evil, it is accurst.
The Almighty has opened up an
immense business and deals with
every soul, man by man, woman by
woman, child by child. Not for his
own enrichment hath he established
the world wherein are set his market
places. He maketh us partners and
sharers in the gains and losses. 1t
is for our sakes that he hath ordained
seasons in the steadfast earth, given
days and nights as opportunities of
labor aud rest. And he maketh us
heirs to his vast estates, even to that
which is incorruptible and undefled
and fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for US.
There is a measure OF mercy in his
Justice. His attributes are not at
war with each other. They plead at
peace, they hold even scales. His
love is in all. This is the ground of
his Justice, this attends his justice,
this crowns his justice. The Psalm
ist said 'It is good for me that | have
been afflicted. that | might learn thy
statutes. The law of thy mouth is
better unto me than thousands of
gold and silver" The author of He
brews declared that he chastens us
for our profit, that we might be par
takers of his holiness" God fits his
recompenses to our deserts; his law
reflects our life; we are made to real
ize the evil or the good. But he
stands before us in his providence
and would have us see his perfection
towering above our imperfections. In
being just he would show us that he
is at the same time merciful. In his
severity he would reveal his kind
ness. He, being God, must not act
simply on the principle of an eye for
an eye, and a tooth for tooth. He
is greater than his works. He has
something to impart above what our
life contains today. He said to the
people of old, and he says to US, and
he shall say to future generations,
aye shall be holy; for l the Lord
your God am holy"
His vision of us is not single, his
work in us is twofold. He would re-
ward us and save us besides. His
holiness seeks an equation between
him and us, making us in his like
ness of nature first and of character
following. Holiness in his children
must match the holiness of the
Father in heaven, else the moral uni
verse shall be out of balance. He
sets his purpose even now on the
side of his children to equal his char
acter and his heaven.
Again, then, in being merciful, his
ways shall seem unequal. The dens-
er the ignorance of his child, the
more patient his wisdom and long
suffering his charity. The greater
the need, the larger shall be the
supply. The further the prodigal
has wandered, the longer shall be the
track of loves solicitude. The deeper
the valley of guilt, the higher shall
rise the hills of salvation. He puts his
strength over against our own weak
ness, his comfort satisfies our cry,
his answer meets our question, his
saving is commensurate with our
SHINING. Moreover the law entered, :"