Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-18

w oAAO WIN cApeCGeQ OF her.
He then went into a abatement IF +ho;
financial obligations to the diocese He had On
posed, and worked hard to Tighten the burden
they had placed upon them. He did not he
heve IN the equity and justice of their being
burdened to ease others. His efforts had met
with success. But now he wished them to do
IN generosity this year what they did in the
past, because the burden was laid upon them.
Let Justice be done though the heavens fall
he said, but now that justice was done them
they could afford to be generous-''iusticef first.
generosity" The times were pc
culiar, he said, but the only remedy was to do
as Rome did when Hannibal Numbered at her
gates, as our own noble President did when
the army was driven back almost within the
hearing of his own voice.
The sermon being upon the subject of the
church's contribution to the diocese matter
of dollars-it did not offer an opportunity for
the reverend gentlemans accustomed eloquence.
Jackson Street NJ. f.. Church.
MIR. Stafford spoke in the morning from the
18th verse 4th chapter, John l.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear" &c.
Much has been said and written by way of
discussion on the subject of perfect love. The
discussions have been needless and unprofta-
BILE, for they have lacked in many things, the
chief element of which is charity. If I know
anything of the teaching of this word it teach
es this, the most perfect soul is the most char
liable. We differ in our views of perfect love-
and very much of the difference arises from
our want of understanding of the terms perfec-
ton and sanctifcation. The time was when
persons who did not use these terms were look
ed upon as opposers. We like the terms be-
cause they are scriptural but the time
has come in our church, when, if man
says. II am resting in Jesus" he is considered
a good man, and l am glad such time has
come. DR.. Bushnell says: "Oh, for the fact,
oh, for the experience" care not how YOU ex-
press yourselves if you know you are perfect in
love. We do not question the motives of those
who teach differently. There are many good
scholars who are not good teachers Every one
who has this love is not a good instructor and
is not capable of teaching others. 1 remember
when was grooming for this experience. The
one who tried to teach me, could not, and yet
had all confidence in him. So 1 come before
you in fear this morning. There may be souls
here longing for higher life and 1 may not be
able to teach.
What is perfect love? There are those who
in trying to define it make distinction be-
tween justified and sanctifed person, as
it they did not emante from the same
source. The Apostle John does not
intimate such thing as inn
perfect love. There is no difference in quality.
whether we possess much or little. The apostle
does intimate that there is a difference in de-
gree, that we may have little or much. Some
have SO little the world cannot see that they
have any: some are in constant foreboding of
the future. The apostle says: "God is love. I"
Herein is our love made perfect In every
faculty of the soul, it is the love of God to
that degree that we can do nothing else but
Gods will. AS to its fulness, some say that
we can be satisfied. We do not so teach. Some
think that because they constantly hunger
ing and thirsting after this love, they are not
perfect in love. The more we have of this love
in the life of a true Christian when it will not
be necessary to grow in grace, to become more
like God, going on from one degree of grace to
another. The all important question is, do we
love God with all our hearts? Is God the SUI
preme object of all our affections? Let
US answer this question carefully.
WHICH Gl has the greatest hold upon
l will not hesitate to say you are made perfect
IN love. 1t you love your neighbor as yourself
then are you made perfect in love. The effect
OF perfect love is that it casteth out fear. The
evidences are such that we may know just where
we stand in the divine life Now, if upon
careful examination we find seryile love is gone,
We are perfect in this love. Paul says: 'sBe
not high minded, but fear the Lord We are
admonished to fear the Lord. There is fear
that 1T does not cast out. How good it would
be for us to cultivate more of this fear that
would keep us from evil. There are those who
think If this natural fear is not cast out, they
have not this perfect love- The fear people
have for their well being does not indicate that
we are not right in the sight of God. To rush
unnecessarily into danger is recklessness, and
people should not presume Gods goodness
and power to save. If people will destroy
themselves, He cannot help it, and he should
not be held responsible. When the devil in
tempting Christ said, Cast myself down, &C.,
in the power of God to save him. Every heart
IN the Union mourned the loss of Ellsworth,
and yet they could not excuse his want of judg-
ment IN placing himself in such imminent peril.
We all presume too much upon the promises of
God. Perfect love does not cast out ilial fear
We should fear to disobey God lust as child
should fear to disobey its parents; and there is
nothing antagonistic in this fear. One of the
reasons why our love is 80 cold is because we
have not been afraid to disobey God, and we
have presumed on His goodness on that ac-
count. 1t casts out the man-fearing spirit. l
do not mean that it casts out all fear of what
men may say of us, an Indifference of the
opinion of the world, whether it be good or
bad; excepting when it comes to doing the will
OF God, it cares not what men may say, think
or do. Martin Luther said when he went to
Worms: II Ii go if there many devils as
there are tiles the houses Perfect love
casts out all fear of death. AS rule, we are
not afraid of the things we can see, but we
have natural dread of the unseen.
1t casts out all fear and we 60 down to our
graves In peace and triumph, and we can sing.
Il would not live Away" &c.
If you would have the fear removed, seek this
perfect love- 1t casts out the fear of the judy
ment. There is an hour coming when the last
sand will run out and the nations will stand
before God in judgment. It will be an awful
hour; but those who are made perfect in love
shall have nothing to fear in that honr