The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-17
For the Central Presbyterian.
Brotherly Love.

tan teachers, sometimes seem to overlook
the great truth that the spirit of the COS.
pei is toUe-that Christ who came to fulfil
the law, most emphatically teaches that
LoUe is the .fuIfllang of the law"
Too often in contemplating and por-
traying the character and attributes Of
God, He is recognized and represented
as stern ruler and memorable Judge
rather than as tender and loving father,
Justice must be an attribute of perfect.
lly upright being, and being of immacu.
late purity must utterly repudiate and
condemn sin; hence, Justice and iudg.
ment are the habitation of His throne"
the essential conditions of His sovereign.
ty; but the Sovereign himself, COP, lis
Love. In the work of redemption, while
Gods justice was fully satisfied, how sig.
nal was the triumph of His mercy
Who in contemplating the atonement,
does not lose sight of the justice which
demanded victim in the mercy which
supplied from His own bosom substi-
tute? Would we love God with true
filial love, that perfect love" which
casteth out fear, we must dwell much
upon His love for us, especially as mani.
tested in the gift of His Son. Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that
He loved us, and sent His Son into the
world to be Precipitation for our sins"
And from the consideration of Gods
great love for our race, there follows the
necessary inference, Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one
another" "And this commandment
have we from Him, that he who loveth
God, loveth his brother also"
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Christ teaches that in its broadest sig.
MITIGATION this term brother" embraces
the whole human family. He who truly
loves Christ, must love his fellow-man for
whom Christ died, with tender regard
which not only induces him to do unit
others as he would have them do to him.
but to rejoice with those who rejoice and
weep with those who weep. And this
love must be evinced by acts of mercy
and kindness. "In this the children Of
God are manifest and the children of the
devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness,
is not born of God, neither he that loveth
not his brother"
There is also narrower sense in which
Christian love is considered-love of the
brethren, that is, the people of God.
1--WE know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the breth-
rem. He who loves Christ, must love
the Church of Christ, whose continuance
and extension, he knows, will rebound to
the glory of God, and contribute in the
highest degree to the welfare and happi.
ness of men. For the individual mem.
bers of that church, whose lives are its
adornment, and whose labors uphold and
perpetuate it, he must feel pure and
ardent affection. He must recognize in
them "a,peculiar people, in whose SEN
timents he can fully sympathize, whose
aims he can entirely approve, and whose
companionship and well-being are espe-
cially dear to him. How utterly opposed
to the spirit of Christ is that narrow
spirit of bigotry and intolerance which
leads one Christian denomination to re-
gard another with distrust, even with
bitterness How unchristian is the fierce
sectarian rivalry which exists in some
communities, stirring up petty jealousies,
and awakening bitter envyings, where
Christ demands and the world looks to
see only Christian harmony and brotherly
love
AND this Christian charity, which en-
braces the whole human race. and is
particularly manifested towards the PEG.
pie Of God, should it not glow with pc
culiar fervor towards those who enter
tanning the same evangelical views with
ourselves, are most intimately associated
with us in Christian effort?
In every army there is certain esprit
de corps, which causes each soldier to re-
gard with peculiar interest every COM
rade of that army, and to feel pride in
the achievements of any branch of its
organization. But how especially vivid
the interest, how keen the citation with
which he observes and recounts the per-
formances Of his own division or brigade
When his own regiment is concerned,
how much more ardent still is his interest
And when it comes to his own company
the men who shoulder to shoulder with
himself made the long march, and led
the gallant charge, and chung together
In the disastrous retreat, and stepped
proudly abreast, with drums beating and
flags flying, into the captured citadel,
how close and strong is the tie
Should it not be the same in the army
of Christ? In the great conflict with
sin and Satan, should not the members
of each church organization fool on