Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-04-04
Universalism.

Rev. Albert Hammatt closed notable
series of sermons at the Sunday morning
service at the Universalist church. The
series continued through the month of
March as follows: March Sd, Phillips
Brooks; 10th, Spiritualism; 18th, Agnos-
ticism; oath, The New Ism; 31st, Univer-
SaliSm. Last Sundays discourse was
heard by large congregation who fol-
lowed the speaker closely and with
marked interest. Below we give some
of the best thoughts.
Luke's gospel 2: 10, "GoOd tidingS of
great joy which shall be to all people,"
My subject is UniverSalism. We are
born into this world with the parchment
of our uniformed character all written
over with the traits and the tendencies
which have come down to us from thou
sands and millions of years, through
thousands and millions of ancestors. 1t
has well been said that heredity and
environment tell. 1t is true nationally:
That is why English blood stands for
reverence for the past; Scottish blood for
persistence; Irish for wit, humor, enthu
SiaSm; Roman for conquest; Grecian for
culture and Jewish for trade. Heredity
and environment tell, and what is true
nationally is no. less true individually.
That is why the house of the Stuarts
stands for bigotry and cruelty; that of
the Wilberforces for philanthropy; that
of the Adamses for craftsmanship. Now
that is one reason why am Universal
list, why believe in
cone God, one law, one element,
One far off divine event,
Toward which the whole creation moves"
am impelled by ancestry and environ
ment to take optimistic instead of pes
Simistic views of life; denominationally
and racially inclusive instead of partial
and exclusive. Our text is the Bible
definition of the gospel. The word Cos
pei comes from two Greek words, God
and spell, signifying good news. AS
a leading orthodox divine has well said,
Nothing therefore can be the gospel
which is not good news" What there
fore is the gospel or the good news about
God? That He is the Universal Father;
that His impelling motive is love, not
wrath; "God sent not His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved;"
that He loves all of His children equally,
making His sun to rise upon the evil
and the good; sending His rain upon the
just and the unjust" The good news
about God is, that He is the Universal
Father. What is the good news about
man? That he is Gods son; that inner
entity and fundamentally he is divine.
When Judas came to betray his Master,
what did Jesus call him, traitor, muir
derer? No! He called him friend,
Friend, wherefore art thou Gomez"
And that forgiving, prophetic estimate
so overwhelmed Judas with repentance
and remorse that he flung away his bride
and went and hung himself. When Peter
denied and profaned Him He said his
love and loyalty will yet deepen and
harden, and upon this rock | will build
my church, and the gates of Hades shall
not prevail against it, That is the good
news about man; that inherently and
fundamentally he is divine; that he is
the universal son and brother What is
the good dews about Christ and Destiny?
That nearly all will be saved? That
some will become so depraved, unsalv-
able that God will endlessly punish or
annihilate them? No! that cannot be
the gospel news, because it isn't good
news. The good tidings of great joy is
to be to all people. The Good Shepherd
is to continue his search, until the last
and the least is safely within the fold.
Cucifed Love will not drive, but it will
draw all men unto Him. Christ will
reign until He has put all enemies
under His feet, and God shall be all in
ALL God the Universal Father; man
the universal brother; Christ the univer-
sal Saviour; the final outcome, univer-
sal victory, that Not one life shall be
DESTROYED or cast as rubbish to the void,
when G cd hath made the pile complete
That, as | understand it, is the good news
of the gospel.
And, my friend, l am profoundly i'm
pressed that it is great good news. 1t
saws to the young man who is undergrad
and overworked, your wrongs shall be
righted. 1t says to the hardened sinner,
YOU shall come to yourself; renounce
YOUR animalism; repudiate the husks;
repent and reform, putting on the best
robe. the robe of holiness, the holiness
of helpfulness. 1t says to the mourner,
YOU shall be comforted; and to the faith
ful in all of the denominations, Not
creed. but Christ, ''by their fruits We
shall know them" That, as / under
stand it, is Universalism. God willeth
that all men should be saved and come
to a knowledge of the truth" IF God
be for us. who can be against us?"