The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-13
THE PULPIT.
an ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. G.. B. ETSleR.
Theme: Future of the Church.

torate Sunday morning in h Church
of the Good Tidings (Fourth Univer-
saiist). He preached on "The Future
of the Church of the Good Tidings."
He is a strong, vigorous young man
and a fine speaker. He was listened
to by a large audience. He said:
1 would ask you to consider with
me this morning something OF
future which we are to work out for
our church. In the first place, l be-
lieve that in order to achieve the best
results we must be essentially one
big family, that We must realize that
relationship, and that as members OF
the family we are responsible for the
welfare Of our church home.
We know that the home is the cor
n%erstone of the nation, that the nome
is the foundation whereon are reared
the superstructures of society and OF
the State. And we would repeat, that
for this our church organization we
should have as our example and pat
tern-the old-fashioned home. we
want this our church home to be the
dwelling place of our church family.
We want every man, woman and child
of US to look upon themselves as
members of this family and inmates
of this home. Then, and only then,
a we have the spirit Of good fellow
ship and brotherly kindness, without
which Christian growth and progress
is impossible. But before we con-
slider the future of our family here,
let us first make it known to all men
that as our creed we have inscribed
above our altar the Saviour's con-
l.-..J -toto-oa-f 1f tho c,thcfonnn nf
both law and gospel: Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind, and thy neighbor as
myself" If a nan a subscribe to
this statement then he is a man to-
gether with whom we cah plan and
work, and he is a fit member for this
our family.
. In considering the future for our
church, it may perhaps be well If we
but glance back upon the work of
past and present. The religion of
yesterday was a religion based on a
conception of God as a being fearful
and terrible. He was regarded as a
great Judge or ruler who admins
tered law in justice, but who must be
feared, and whose anger must be ap-
peased. Universalism has given us an
idea of God as the universal Father,
the Father of us all, the Father who
so loves us and who so desires our
best welfare that He chastens and dis
ciplines us, not for His own satisfac-
ton, but rather that the Christening
may yield for US the peaceable fruit
of righteousness.
The old idea, too, Of a physical hell
as the eternal abode of u~nrepentant
sinners has given place to the teach
ing of Universalism that all life, both
here and hereafter is one-that it is
a great school-that opportunity for
repentance and salvation never ends,
but that God will discipline each soul
with His t~ireless love, until all souls
know and obey Him. All these
changes have been toward that broad
er religion known as Universalism-
shat Universalism which meanS har-
nony-man at harmony with himself,
at harmony with his neighbor, at har-
mony with his God" THAT Univer-
salism which teaches also that Jesus
Is the great Harmonizer, that He
came to reconcile man to his duty, to
dealing u~nselhshly with his brother,
to honor and obey his God"
What other religious conception
can point to so many changes in the
old-established ideas Of God and re-
ligion, and can say these are the
changes: these evolutionary changes
toward the light and truths that have
been brought by our maintenance Of
the principles of our church? But
people tell us: "Oh, you Univer-
salists cannot progress, because the
other denominations have ceased to
preach hell fire and endless torment;
they have stolen your thunder. AL
though their creeds recognize the old
ideas, yet they now preach a theology
which is practically Universalism, but
under another name" What does the
argument amount to? Universalism
has brought about the change from
the old theology of hell to the new
theology of Gods love, and other
churches have seen the light and
have modified their preaching. But
we maintain that this is nc reason
why Universalists should cease to
preach Gods endless dove. If others
preach it; how much more should we,
the original supporters of the faith,
seek by our works to maintain and
spread abroad the good tidings-o of JOY
and love.
But for a fully successful develop
ment we must have within US, within
each individual member of u fam
lily, a strong spiritual life. We must
mediate upon and consider we'll that
conception of God as u Father, our
universal Father, who watches owe
us to lead and guide, even as did our
earthly parents in Jul weak and help
less infancy. Then shall we be able
to think of God as He truly is-reach-
ing down His hand Of love, for us
in turn to reach and grasp and thus
be drawn from out a life of sin into
the path of right. The gospel of Uni
versalism shows God as wholly upon
the side Of mankind. His interest
and love for every soul is endless.
He not only strives and searches
for the prodigal child here and now,
but also in the hereafter. "Univer-
salism holds that God the Father Of
all souls will not limit His efforts to
save His children by the boundary
line of death; once our Father, He Is
always our Father, bound by every
attribute of His paternal love to still
labor for our good"
Moreover, our faith teaches that
there is nothing in death itself that
can irrevocably fix the character for
ever for good or for i'll.
There is no reason apparent to hui
a judgment why it should be i'm
possible for a soul to repent and be
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