The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-26
THANKFULNESS AND LOVE.
Extract from n Sermon Delivered This
Morning, by Rev. william It. Eva, at
the First Presbyterian Church OF KEN
sinutOn.

singtOn.
The Church was decorated in no manner
whatever. At 1880 A. NJ. the building was well
kensington, No IL jefferson, No. IL; Northern
Liberties, No. u; Chosen Friends No, 100;
Improvement, No. 3l4; under the narshnIshin
of Past Grand Samuel McCleman, of Chosen
Friends Lodge, No,:l00. A fair representation
of the wives and families of the members were
present.
After an appropriate anthem by the choir.
Rev. VIM. 7. Eva delivered a suitable prayer
and the following address,
The theme of my address to-day is, of course.
Suggested Dy fnH oSSasi9n' But IT finds It's ex
10, BE Ne dsonktu"
l greet you, my brethren, members OF the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, on this your
festaI day of thanksgiving. l greet you in the
name of the great principle upon which vonT
beloved Order is founded-ioUe. God is ioyel
and on This foundation and chief CONVERSIONS
you have built the majestic and beautiful tenn
greet you, too, in view of the appropriate
and delightful services in which you are this
day engaged. Gratitude swells your hearts to-
day, and thanksglVlngs rise from your lips 1t
Is now nearly fifty years-lacking about two
only-since in this country, in the city Of Balti-
more, your Order was first established. 1t had
q small beginning, only four persons besides
the venerables Thomas Wildey Joining the first
Lodge. But how has it grown in that period!
having gathered to itself since then, nearly five
hundred thousand members And how much
has 1t accomplished in that time, In the prose-
mercy! How many hungry men has 1t fed?
How many naked clothed! How many sick
ministered unto! How many weeping widows
comforted How many orphan children blessed!
But you have, to-day, special reason for
gratitude and Thanksgiving. Through the
dangers and perils OF the great civil strife
which has shaken our beloved republic to its
very centre; which has deuged her fields with
blood; tlled thousands of graves with her sons
dead in field and hospital; desolated so large
portion of our country-and rent asuuder the
bonds of so many associations, both civil and
aanla gi1gtf tfn1l fARF1a lng ,N,I.-
The cords of love by which, in North and
South, and East and West, 1t is bound
together, have not been taken, or even loo
sened, so that to-day, like the triumphant and
united Republic, you are still one, the banner
o Fellowship still waving aloft over your Order
from Maine 10 California, from the keys of the
Gulf to the shores of the North Pacific; and the
music of charity swelling in high and noble
anthems through every Odd Fellows temple
and lodge room in all the land! And hence,
especially, your gratitude; hence your thanks
giving to- day; hence the gratitude and thanks
giving rising in concert at this moment from
bands OF looking brethrenla nlassembled lin every
town and village and hamlet throughout the
length and breadth OF the land.
Yet we must not, however, anticipate. I
shall, in the progress of my address, advert to
w"Sid 9reet yon in the House Of od in his
services and would join my heart and voice with
yours in Its duties and exercises. Ills proper
and becoming service. a profitable and de-
liRhtiul one trust it may be; and that. as it's
result the cause OF. virtue and benevolence
may be greatly furthered aud promoted in the
prayer.
henslve statement is this, the consideration of
which is eminenlly proper on this occasion.
The great foundation principle, the iefcorner-
is loue. Your motto gives it to us
as the central virtue, out of which
spring. and around which radiate, both friend
ship and truth, In your chosen and e. expressive
! symbol, 1t is the middle link, Joined at each
! end by another, dependent for its strength and
! virtue upon it wholly Can there be any friend
ship without love? Can there be any truth
| without il? And so all your teachings all your
| brotherhood and benevolence, recognize this
great principle and proceed from it. See,
! therefore, God is love and being such, He is
your Lord, whom,you to-day in this service,
! confess and adore, and in the contem plation
! of whose character in this aspect OF il, you can
have a deep and absorbing interest.
Butwhat does the statement mean? AS you
perceive, it is somewhat peculiar in its form,
and needs word or two of explanation. The
| word "loVe," as ordinarily used, is noun
| substantive, and stands for quality, an aGJri-
butte, an affection or passion well known to
| us all. And the assertion that God is such u
quality, or attribute, or affection, seems some
| what strange and ambiguous thing. Observe,
IL is not said that Goa is lovely, or benevolent,
using the adverb to qualify the statement what
phatic that God is love. The word love, here,
then, cannot be intended to Signifya quality or
attribute of the Deity, but is evidently put for
! His whole moral nature or character, which Is
| toCe, or goodness and benevoence in the general.
Now, there is a class of attributes which are
! considered as making up whatever may be re-
! garded as the natural character of God. For ex-
ample, HIS unity, Hisspirituality. His omnipo-
eternity. But there is another class of attrl-
butes belonging to Him, as those which make
! up His moral character, and which, as | think
| IL can be made to appear, are all included and
implied by the word love, as used in this de-
scription OF Deity. These are holiness, truth,
mercy, and such like. And as they are attri-
butes of which a moral quality may be predi-
Gated, they together make up the moral char
! acter of God, the whole sum and substance Of
which according to the statement of Holy
| Writ, is love.
Note then, my brethren, God is holy, God is
true, God Is merciful and taking these attri-
Dutes ana perlecJlonS with others together as
| composing goodness and benevolence, God is
! love.
The holiness of the Divine Being means His
purlly-Hls freedom from all sin and wrong.
And this every believer in Revelation will at
once be ready to admit is infinite ana perfect
The Bible declares Him to be GLORIOUS in holi-
ness" 1t represents the ble ssed angels as ever
being before Him, crying "Holy holy holy is
the Lord God AlmightyH 1t portrays Jehovah
ye holy, for / am holyw And pure as the
driven snow which has just fallen from heaven
upon the summit of some lofty and fal-away
Alpine mountain, and infinitely beyond what
IL Is possible for mortals to conceive, Is the
malchless and resplendent holiness OF the LORD
The Il nth OF God includes His veracity and
Ialthlulness; His absolute freedom from al ue-
SSbi ana lasehood and the ass ys NIL dal
claIation which falls from HIS own IDS .doo
n true" declares an apostle thouSn dS, every
man were q liarp The PsamlsC poslIIVely
and unequiVocally asserts, "Tne truth or the
LoId endureth foreVerW
Can truth divine fuhlment fg
9, Sooner shall star-orownetd t Ha nasule ule'
Part OF His own eternity
But God is mercful, too! VINO VINO Gou3ts i,I lt' HIS
lender mercies are over all HIS works J! ANA
lie Is declared TO be "Ihe Loru 1oul herclIul
and gracious slow to anger, ana plenteous IN
mercy, forgiving our guilty Iranssressions ana
sins ="
o mercy, booveplv boop sweet attributed