Universalism had its day in this country; has run its course and is going by. There is not one-tenth as much of it in this country as there was thirty years ago. There is no argument of consequence about it any more. The only thing wanting to show what it is, will appear anywhere when they undertake to form churches, keep up Sunday-schools, keep up prayer-meetings, meet regularly on the first day of the week and worship. Let them undertake to enforce the clear requirements of Scripture on their people, and they will soon get a lesson. They will soon explain that all will be saved, and they will find that they will have no use for baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer-meetings, nor any regular worship.
It will not do to read, “He who believes not shall be saved;” “He who believes not the Son shall see life;” “The wrath of God shall not abide on him;” “If you believe not that I am he, you shall not die in your sins;” “Where I am you shall come;” “These” (the wicked) “shall not go away into everlasting punishment;” “The beast and the false prophets shall not be tormented day and night forever and ever;” “He who shall sin against the Holy Spirit shall not be in danger of eternal damnation,” etc., etc. The man who denies his Bible first, and then starts out to prove that all will be saved from some other source, is a much more sensible man than the man that undertakes to prove it from the Bible. Whatever the Bible may mean besides, it does not mean Universalism. The man who holds and undertakes to prove Universalism has no use for a Bible, unless it be to show his skill in getting round the clearest things ever written.
[SUPPORT WORKERS.]
THE brethren know that men cannot devote their lives to the work of evangelizing without support, and they will give the support, and do it much more freely where they can see the work done, than where they can see no work done. The preachers in the field doing the work are receiving the main support given, and ought to receive it. The men not in the field, and that will not go into the field, ought not to receive the support. The brethren are not in the way of sending it to them.
We hope the preachers generally will see what is being done by those in the work, go out and participate in the heavenly work, that they, too, when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, may have a crown of glory that fades not away. How can men with the love of God in them see their fellow-creatures perishing, and not be inspired with a zeal to go forth and gather them into the kingdom of God? Look at the tremendous cloud of darkness over the minds of the people, and then inquire can a man who has the light be excusable unless he uses the means the Lord has put in his power for the enlightenment of the world. No, we can not be excusable; the love of Christ constrains us; the value of the souls of men urges, and the example of all the ancient worthies impels us to go into the great harvest and help to reap it down.
[RECKLESS TWADDLE.]