Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-29
Jottrna1'S
Saturday
Sermon

/ personal experiences during the past ten
i years which, though they will be OF IN
| terest only TO my friends, Will snow some
reason to others for the faith am pleas
ed to entertain.
| This text of Jesus seems to teach the
/ largeness of the sphere of Christian &C
tivity and the definiteness Of purpose ana
/ aim of the glad tidings OF joy. Accord
ing to our master, no human heart Is un-
! touched by infinite love; no SUFFERER Is I'M
/ blessed by this boon from heaven; no
\ earthly condition remains unbettered py
the truth and life our Lord brought 10
| the world.
! we leave our text for individual con-
/ alteration. believing that 1t is suggestive
/ of the larger hope which many DESIRE
and the larger assurance which many
claim to possess. sAc-
In leaving the Congregational denomlna-
/ ton under whose influence was raised 10
! manhood and by whose service my re-
/ igious nature was developed, take the
| stem not without most careful and prayer
4 full consideration and study. For nearly
/ twenty years have been an active mem
Der of this church. about half OF the time
! being spent in her ministry. In becoming
4 affiliated with the Universalist chureh,
realize it is a step which is great mo
ment to me and of no little concern to my
/ closest friends.
/ I boast OF no Universalist creed by In
| heritance my present theological concep-
lions are the result OF thought, prayer ana
study, and the freest exercise OF reason
| To say when / began to be UnlVer-
\ saIist would be as difhcult as to say when
1 began to be man: the time when a
step separated my childhood and mannooo
IS unknown. My entrance into the UNI
versalist fellowship has been one OF un-
: conscious growth covering PERIOD OF at
4 least five years. -,
Some influences have come to my IRE
indirectly which have greatly modified my
method and manner of thought. Indirect
Influences are often more forcible than
4 those that are direct.
I A knowledge OF men is indispensable to
any public servant. The physician needs
1.-THE hospital In order to complete his class
/ room work believe I can safely say
! I have come in touch with many Of the
most happy and distressing conditions Oh
humanity in the different lines of mission
work have been engaged In while a stu
dent or pastor.
slum work in Boston and other places
brought me in touch with men VINO hao
gone to the lowest gutter; as assistant IN
/ a large city church came into pleasant
RELATIONSHIPS with those in happier condi-
lions. While assistant in this church
had charge of the city mission WORK
/ among Chinese, which work was not only
educating but uplifting.
1 while a student In Bangor, Maine, II
was my lot to work among prisoners ana
there came into close contact with those
whose crimes were from petty stealing TO
/ murder.
| In nv first regular pastorate became
| interested in state humane work and for
/ several years worked in the organization
| as an officer and editor OF national mag
azine. In this work became acquainted
with many Universalists throughout the
/ a. 4olr a most active
4 interest in this line of benevOlence.
1 While a pastor in Vermont l was Tor
/ some time superintendent of education
| and principal of large school, This werk
was done in connection with church duties.
state and local Sunday school and Chris
tian Endeavor work, especially among
l children, has been of great interest to me
| and In which have devoted much time.
Here in Georgia my work has centered
| in the Central Congregational church, ana
| nv duties have been in educational ana
practical lines in this city and other parts
of the state. The work in the Atlanta
Theological Seminary was of great in
terest to me, and my efforts In the locai
union of Christian Endeavor as president
was not the least pleasant work, as l
found the young people of the city most
| noble and consecrated in their Efforts for
/ Christ and the church.
Meeting and knowing people from man
sions to log cabins, from places of happi-
ness and prosperity to those of misery and
Indebtedness, these experiences have had
much to do in broadening my conceptions
of life.
When one comes in touch with real life,
\ he tends either to believe in no God for
anybody, or one God for everybody. Man
comes in touch with God through men
chiefly
When saw the sIum inhabitant lifted
! r4,,I or aad
when 1 saw the most depraved come forth
1 into newness of life through the sweet in
/ fuence of Christian charity when l saw
1 drunkards show kindness and considera-
/ ton; infidels and non-professors minister
for righteousness. began to think of the
doctrines of total depravity, eternal tor
ment. predestination, and the like, as the
| false conceptions Of human minds.
i When / took my own little babe on my
breast, seeing in her a beauty and lowell
ness superior to the lily, the thought of
native depravity left my mind, and could
not but look upon that little one as sweet,
| pure and untainted by sin.
He who advanced the doctrine of in
/ FAINT damnation must have been one whose
/ own heart was cold and unresponsive,
/ about which was an impregnable wall,
against which Cupid's darts dashed in
vain.
When 1 saw and touched real life with
| my OWL DTGdulA ulSDldCGu UlBOlIys
/ ity dispelled criticism; largeness Of faith
took the place of littleness, and the belief
in the imminence of God enrapt my whole
attention.
! Narrowness and bigotry are the fruits
| of a life devoid of excursions into the
/ world where men live. There is but one
| class of people that truly lives: The very
| rich and the very poor each exist, but the
middle class lives. This class serves the
/ rich and dispenses charity to the poor
The direct influences that have come in
to my life have been many. The first one
1 will never lightly value, as 1t consisted
/ in the lives of noble Universalists who
have been members of former parishes
where I have ministered. The Universal
ist people have often been my strongest
/ friends and co-workers, and their kind
ministries in my behalf have left strong
impressions on my mind of their genuine
ness. Not one ever talked to me of his
| faith; every one lived ii.
The strongest direct influence has come
/ from the Bible itself. book. have en-
deavored to study and to preach.
| L believe in the Bible and love fits sa-
| cred pages, and accept II as containing
/ the revelation of God TO man.
| In my individual research have found
the Bible to be book of history and
from Genesis to Revelation there is a
| purple as well as a scarlet cord" passing
| through the entire book which to me
| means the triumph of God in the soul.
The first prophetic utterance in Genesis
I