The Universalist., 1897-03-27

HHESE words are from the heart
l. of God. In the progress of the
ages they broaden out until, in the
Gospel age, my people" means the
entire human race. Comfort ye,
comfort ye" all my people, not the
Hebrews alone, but Gentiles as well, ],
"saith your God" 1t is the tender
solicitude of the Fathers love for all
his children. Let the whole world
be taken care of; let the strong help
the weak; let the rich consider the
poor; let the bold and courageous
champion the cause of the oppressed; /;
let the hopeful lift up the despond-
ent; let all who have faith nurse the
doubtful into trust; let all Christians
lead the way to him who says, Come
unto me, and l will give you rest"
This word comfort, as a noun and
as verb, and in its equivalents, is
scattered all through the Bible as
wild flowers of beauty and fragrance
are scattered over the fields and in
the forests, or as the stars that shine
in the heavens TO glorifY the night.
1t is a word that stands for all minis
tration of human kindness, from the
simple loaf of bread to the hungry,
up to loves sublimest self-sacrifice
1t means the shining of human face
into the darkened home of poverty,
or a song of cheer and hope where
desolation reigns. 1t means every
touch of God in the benefcence of
nature, in the gsntle rain, in the sun
shine and in the harvests; it means
the helpfulness of God through great
souls whom he has given in every
age to lift up the people, and to lead
them on to higher and nobler living;
it means the gift of his Son, showing
the Father to the world and opening
up the way of eternal life; it means
relief to the -burdened, by forgive
ness and home, welcoming to all
penitents. It means that in God
every human soul has Father whose
love is changeless forever.
The world we live in is no beggar-
ly world; it is rich and grand, and
princely in all its belongings. 1t was
made on magnificent scale, and fit
as birth place for the royal family
of God. Everywhere there is evil
denced a tender anticipation of all
bodily needs and comforts, and yet
what hard struggle it is for many to
get enough to eat Millions starve
to death. In huts and novels other
millions drag through the dreary
years in suffering worse than death
dying by inches.
God has provided comfort for all
abundance to meet every physical
need-in the possibilities of the soil
and in the spontaneous productions
of nature. Enough is provided for
the population of the world though
it were many times quadrupleG
Enough could could be spared from
the productions in prosperous years
to lay up in store for years of scare
ity, sufficient to prevent the horrors
of famine. Why, then, all this human
suffering, these hard lines for toiling
millions, this living from hand to
mouth, this widespread half-living
throughout the world, this actual
starvation unto death of vast multi
tudes? These are great questions,
too great for any adequate discussion
here to-day. They are raised for the
purpose of calling attention to what
God-"the God of all comfort" is
doing through the tender-hearted
Christian people of the world to re-
lieve these sufferings and to give
comfort. These tender-hearted Chris
tians who are educated to know some
what of the "ways of God," and are
not blinded to the present sufferings
of the world by theological visions of
worse to come in the world beyond /,
are in the lead of the comforting
hosts of God. To these the text is
an echo of the voice from Heaven
ever sounding upon their hearts,
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, :"
comfort all people throughout the
world. There are, indeed, other
workers tender with sympathy, spas
modic in effort, but who are lacking
in the stuff that Gods wisest COM
forters are made of. No tidal wave
of sympathy sweeping over the world
can wipe out its evils or cure its mis-
fortunes. Not only temporary relief
is required, but wise and far reach
ing measures to provide against re-
current calamities, and not only such
measures, but sagacious Christian
craftsmanship in directing such ma
tional policies as will break the
tyranny of oppression, and secure to
Al l. ua1 ,,1l,Io- ,,,..O-