The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-15
WHAT THE MESSAGE
OF UNIVERSALISM Is
Concluded from Page 81

and your life. Your secret trlumphs are
all witnessed. Your toilsome work for
truths sake and righteousness sake Is
understood. Your self-sacritice for others
even to the giving of all you have to give
Is service for the adequate payment OF
which God has abundant means. You
must live truly and do nobly with other
motives, but sometimes you may cheer
yourselves with thoughts of your reward.
DON'T WANT TO DO WRONG.
But men say, 81 try to forsake evil
and live a good life, but ! fail. / don't
want to do wrong but l can't help it,.
This Is a common expression and 1t m
PRODUCES another vital part of the Uni
versalist message. our religion is Chris
tianity, and out church says to men get
the fellowship of God and Christ. Clio
rious things those words involve. In
them is foretold the grandeur of our des-
tiny. We are called not only to higher
diving, but we are called to the society of
God.
The Universalist church says believe
but it understands belief as something
more than assent to the idea of Gods
existence or assent to any doctrines in re-
gard to Him. So with Jesus Christ. 1t
is important to believe certain things
about Him, but it is still more important
to stand in such an attitude toward Him
is person, and the great truth of the
Gospel is that his influence in human
hearts shall be the influence OF person.
We may think of Him as an example, but
He is more than an example. we may
think of Him as the embodiment or all
that is noble in character, but lie Is more
than that. We may think of Him as the
revelation of Gods attributes, but even
in that way we fall short of the highest
estimate. Jesus is a person, ana Ills or
flee to men Is primarily the office OF a
person. The Gospel asks us to see Him
as our companion, our friend, our eluef
brother. This is the Gospel that Jesus,
such a spirit, is in the realm of human
life. inviting men to associate with Him.
And it is by such association that men
are helped to do the will of God and to
choose the noblest paths. The influence
of the Master is suggested by the infiu-
ence of good men. We have all felt the
power of companionship. In the company
of some souls we cannot conceive OF DO
ing a wrong. No fact is palmer. And IN
some such way souls grow in the society
of Christ. In His company they cannot
choose the bad. Realizing His personal
friendship they cannot be out of sympa-
thy with His aims. knowing the ma
jesty of His soul almost without Knowing
they grow to like Him. 1t is not the
power of a precept, it is not the intlu-
ence of an ideal that brings about the
great result, it is the personal touch of
the Savior.
TAKE JESUS LITERALLY.
And so the Unversalist church says,
strive to get this companionship with
Tesue Road HE words as though they
| were spoken to you-as, indeed, they
u.are Iieor Hts ,oice across the centuries
oo1lino to vou ae He called to disciples of
old rake Him literally when He said
| He would he with men ALWAYS and make
| If tho tirst rule of vour life that every
| where and at all times he shall be your
| connanion recognized and honored and
ohayed
| Ana If Won do this Won will not only be
| balnad with vour temptations and moved
| 10 q GOOD lifs hut underneath all the de-
| tails of vour davs Won will have an abic-
| inp exnerience Of neace and ioy. The
! connanionshin of Christ and God is akin
| to tho oononaniorsbin Of our dear ones
We love our aarthlv associates. not for
what tho, do for ne NOT hecause thev
| r,inister 70 ne NOT even because they
| axert a holy influence round us. We NAV
NOT tell comnletelv why we love them
hut This Is sure we love them for their
| oun sales O,,r connanionshin with
| tban, is itsalf a nrerious thing
So # is when we realize God and His
Con Tho avneriance is a consummation
1bera 10 nothing 60 GOOD as being AT
home with tha Rather and with our Elder
Rrotbar This comnanionship is religious
life And JTniversalism saws. seek this
| hecause cod means II for Won because il
For vou hecause If is nrecious and because
| onlv In that wav can Won find vour des-
tiny
| In tho tbird nlace Jrniversalism
so,,s 70 Won reioice Won NAV have hard
shins Won may have heavy burdens to
| carr1} Won nav have q great main at
| onr beart hecansa vour dear one is dead
or gone astray or because you yourseit
nase aiiicu, - Ho. ,'9r .e.' ini.,o
| .@iIiS @ Int ~ ,, 's't'ti eo,Is,, .,S1,I
~ ~oiau tluti5S ~ an peoP0 "S ny -, o.,
anu Suu sne ,ot On -
I'OIi, - n ~ - 80, ~,
d emu Vi 80. ou ma' NJ Hoo OK
cn,'1lce y, ~ 60 y, ~ i,,a pai;n,.o ~
Hlaue Sou' anu Sou aie iito, i 80. e, ~
tause sou are 1oo - 'na. ''t ~ 49,
- lio' " pe eo,iip' T,, nu "f ~ -
| ,Al