, 1874-08-10
"aoD so LOVED THE woRLp.".

.."aoD SO LOVED THE woRLp."-
Sermon by tho. Rev. q. r. i'inEoun, nf Iowa
Collage.
Tho Row G. +. N[ngouu D. D., President OF
Iowa College, prcachcd yesterday morning to
Church. IIia to1t wns tho 10Th verse Of tho
third chapter Of tho Gospel according to 1T.
Jo1lns
beaotton son. tss whosoever besvoth ii ui1n ahouid
mt porish, but have evsrlasting Ife
Dr.. Magoun said 1t yaB tho opinion Of many
commentators that these uotds woro not uttered
by Tic aavior, but that they woro thrown
Ia by tho Evangelist, having been
drawn from Instructions given at another timo;
t1at tho words wcro simply an explanatory pa-
ronthosis- Whethor this opinion WAS accurate or
not waB not essential to us for in any case, to
tho 1niasiou Of Christ upon earth wns past aud
complete, and Il WIS enough to take the worisas
presenting, In the simplest aud most consolidated
form, tho font Of God'B lovo for the world. Tho
reflections suggested by tho toxt woro divided
into thrco headB,-the fact Of Goda love: tho
binding conditions ot the Gospel; tho result OF
that Gospel.
He fsat treated tho faes that "aod 90 ioved
tho world"-how lie loved, and in whnt mannor
conceived suoh proof Of lovo as that sfroriedin
giving Els only bogotten son, whom no gayo, not
to tho angelic hosts in hoavon, but to world
sinful proyoklng lncorrlgiblo full Ct error, I'M
And tho glft was lis son. To hsye givon nway
whole galaxlos and syatcma would hnve bneu
naught TO the gift Of an only son-the only per-
son In Ills august kingdom on whom TINT name
had over rostol.
Tile binding condition Of tho Gospel WAS
shown In tho vords, "Whosoovsr bo,iayoth in
Him." Under tho Gospel, man had one great
duty n1ore than under tic aw,-that Of believ-
J4Ar %f$AA f1hHh $t1wn r4h1T
lug tic Gospel taot; realizing TINT God Ind
given Ills eon to tho world. believing 10 Christ
was NOT oolisying in salvation; tho latter was
eoliisl, which lovo was not. One did not havo
thereby. snoh might DO tho faith Of commerce;
Il was not tho faith Of home. Believing In
Christ % vas b.olioving .. 10 tl'o vholo Gf Him;
copt Ills death md reject Els lite. Thoro
VIVA no faith in porsuading ourselves Of
our eleotion to otcrnM Afo; Gospel faith
wsa to eaye the whole question met; of ctornal fo
world waa involved In Ills exhibition OF divine
/ character. What was character . Not anaiab-
Ivy and philanthropy moroly; tho convincing
proof, Of aa love- ohrSts aao5ise G for ists
| 1t. waa not faith in Christ. Wo needod His life
as well as Ella doath In ordor to have tile full
enough to belisve that wo Ind derived o great
| advantage through Qhrfst'B atonement, and to
| avail ourselves of Tint advantage, though wo
had beon told tl,is many times. This vas not q
HNing faith thoro WAS no NOW grace Of ohar-
| Motor Ia it.
Tho peculiar bonoflt Of tho Gospel to mankind
vas shown In tho ASSURANCE OF s'overlastinR
| life" for those WHO beloved. This must nut be
accepted III setting asido tho Laws Of God LII
favor Of tho ropentart belloTor; 1t meant, not
| that he should escape tho identical consequence
Of bis Hin, but TINT lo should eBoape tho oternnl
ponalty; he ehould suffer, but not perieh. The
boliever in Christ was brought 1rat OF all to his
spiritual oonBciousncBs; aiI that our soul was,
| or could booomo, was revealed to itsolf. The
soul revelod In & cloar, deep conBcousnoss Of
| bolng spiritually sweet and right.
Tho essential Of everlasting life Tas the fully
restored md received favor Of God. Tie atone
| mont WIS tho moving and thrilling means that
| God could uBo to bring ollr hearts back to Hin-
| eoif. With every roason to loatllo man, the
| faot that God took this stop showed how
| spontapeouR Ills love for man WIS. In
| order to onjoy tho benoilts Of Coils great love
| VIC must do moro than to tnorely accept and ao-
| knowledge tho fact. Thero was absolutely no
hope for linn who knew all about tho Gospel
rejected 1t. He who had Lived and died with
ont ever haying heard Of Ci1riat, was
not 30 ignorant and hopeless. Christ
ean1o not to condemn tho world, but thnt tue
] world through Him might bo saved.' He was
hero as Savior, and not aa q Judge; but In thnt
| other world Ha sits III full power md glory, to
4 tudgo those who reject Him. IF man was con-
don1nea to doath for tho violation Of Moses law
| what Of him who troada under foot tho precious
blood Of Christ, and despisos Ills mostsaffecting
| covenant Of graeo2