The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-11-15
MR.. BEECHER ON LOVE.
THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT THAT HE SAYS
Is OVERLOOKED.

New York World
Mr.. ] Beecher's text yesterday
morning was from First John, w.,
I9 70 2I, and Matthew, v, 23 TO 4S.
alt would seem" began Mr..
Beecher" "as if il MAS impossible
with nll the learning that has been
developed since the Christian adj
vent, and with the fervent moral
feeling that has been developed-it
would seem as If il were an i'm
possible thing Tor a congregation OF
learned and Christian men to GO
through the New Testament with
out touching the fundamental ele-
ment of it in their creeds, and yet
with some slight emphasis, variable
In places, / affirm that the ereeds of
CristendOm have contrived TO skip
and omit the whole sum and sub
stance and marrow of the New
Testament Much is said of the
creation, Of the origin of evil, of the
DEGREES of God, of the conditions of
holiness, in the sense Of faith in
Christ; much is said about future
reward of the righteous and the
punishment of the wicked. But the
New Testament has nothing in it if
il has not the doctrine of supreme
and absolute love and am not
aware that, except as a mere
phrase. any confession of faith has
set that forth as the centre and cir
cuuaference of Christian life and ex-
perience. The teachings Of the New
Testament are that love is the only
religion and that all over the world
in Christian countries there is no
other religion except love. So that
if YOU have everything else and
miss that you are like a lantern that
has everything but a candle, like q
man that has everything but a soul.
1T is the comprehensive dispo-
sitiOn and not q single emotion that
is required, for first and last the
question ranges on almost every
side of human life. 1t separates
itself from the idea of love of pas
sion. though il includes that Just as
the life Includes the body as well as
che mind There is no worship of
God whieh Is It's equivalent or sub
stitute. If you approach the altar
and then remember that any man
has aught against thee, lay their
gift upon the altar and 90 and be
reconciled to thy brother and then
como and make thrice Offering If
every man in Christian churches
had 10 do that, the number of COM
municants would be reduced one
half for of nothing are we so care
less than of the fundamental law of
the universe-thOu shalt love. Ii is
taught also that no man can love
God except he practise by loving
men. Macy n man thinks that he
is an eminent Christian he prays
well and sings loudly; he is full of
reverence for holy things, but if he
Is rot filled with love for his fellow
men God speaks out of the heavens
and distrusts the vision by saying,
You are liar
1.-The doctrine of the New Tesla
ment OF love carries with il a double
capacity Of admiring, pereeiving the
ideal excellence of beauty of hOli-
ness and yet loving men that repre-
sent the opposite. The love of the
New Testament is such turning of
every part Of our nature towards
men that neither faults nor things
that are detestable in them can pre-
vent you from loving them. Can
YOU see how beautiful truth Is and
yet love a liar2 Can You see how
admirable generosity is and how
detestable meanness is? Can you
despise selfshness and yet love the
selfish man2 Can you abhOr I'M
purity and yet love the impure?
And yet is not that the teaching of
the New Testament Being a dis
eiple of Christ requires that you
should be like him, and love must be
a part of your disposition"
At the close Of the sermon the
Communion was celebrated and nine
new members were admitted to the
church.