Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-24

Of a servant, that we through His poverty
might be rich; il that Sons new command
ment was that men ssshOuld love one another.
and His win and His prophecy that the poor
should ever be in the world and with the
church, then the reason for this great change
Is plainly seen. \ new light had shone upon
man.
ar-reaching than our slow. dull hearts can
readily believe. 1t has been pointed out py
scholars that the Greek word used for the love
OF God 10 man IS one OF peculiar slgnlInlca ah
says a profound thinker: From all these
considerations il is evident that the primary
idea IN dVdua ,agapel must be that love when
Is affection for one regarded as surprisingly
precious. and therefore dear love such as
that with which a father regards an
only son. the heir TO his estate and
his hopes and his h'nors; one
who represents. if not in their
actualization, yet in their promise, all the ex-
cellences which he most values sucn was
Isaac, the heir Of promise to his father
Abraham; and the love which hlled ADra :
hams heart for has 'sOnly son Isaac whom ne
l0vedn answers to and most nearly represents
til Glove which Is the being OF Cod inns +
/ no general beneyOlence or good feeling I'm :
l personal IN ITS nature. "Ihe language OF
Divine love is personal: Il have loved thee
I with an everlasting love. therefore with low
{ ing kindness have drawn thee. Ana the
/ response Orthe heart that believes IN the love
/ of Godsis: He hath loved me, and given him :
I self for me- And this love being personal
{ IS also in its very nature self sacrificing
Again, the central idea Of the Christian
religion is God as one whose love for man
has manifested itself in life Of practical
/ sympathy with him in all the trials and temp
tatIOns to which humanity is subject. 1t pro-
claims that it is not only the duty OF Chris
tians to follow in this respect the example OF
I their Divine Master. but that, II they truly
| believe in this manifestation Of love for man,
| they must be animated by the same spirit OF
/ love. without which all their knowledge and
spiritual attachments are worthless.
And so fully is this spirit OF practical sym
pathy for man the distinguishing spirit OF real
/ Christianity. that. in the day of judgment.
/ the one and the sure test of acceptance with
! God as true disciples Of his SON Is represented
+ to be their having shown such sympathy Tor
their suffering and afhicted ienoW men IN az
1 whom they could not fail. if they were Chrlsts
disciples indeed. TO have recognized those
! whom their Lord redeemed; or, as the apostle
/ John says: He that l0yeth not his brother
whom he hath seen. how can he love God
/ whom he hath seens'
The bearing of these Fundamental principles
| upon the work of the Union Society must be
; obvious to YOU all. The Bethesda Orphan
I House, whose very name-'HOuse of Mercy
I speaks Of the mercy, charity and phllap-
/ thrOpy Of its original founders and OF the good
| men who revived their work when 1t was
/ ready to perish. In former days many OF
4 Sayannahs best men took a leading part in
/ the management of the institution and felt
/ deep interest in its success. And why not :
! Such institutions as these-such houses Of
mercy-are the most substantial charities IN
/ the world.
/ To give a dollar or five dollars to a poor,
destitute orphan boy may relieve his lmme
! diate want, but when the sum is spent he is
/ where Ire was before. But to take him. sup
/ port and educate him and teach him a
/ trade, is to serve the State, to do the boy him
/ self a lasting service, and il may be to rear
/ structure that shall last when time shall be no
/ more. God sendeth His rain upon the just
! and the unjust, and our love and interest
should be as universal as the brotherhood
/ Ofman. But certainly when need and suffer-
/ ing are at our very doors, when organized
| Institutions exist for their present relief and
/ permanent good within our reach, we should
| take real and practical interest in them and
in their inmates. The one is a charity, which
! claims Of the sons Of love loving help; Of the
1 Other-as little as we think it-when we uni
! form them alike, and think of them only as so
/ many orphans in an indscriminate multi
/ tude of them each is a brother. each an i'm
! mortal soul Outweighing in value material
/ world, and possessed of pOtentialities, posi-
| bilties, reaching through eternal ages.
The clash Of arms may equal in noise the
/ roar of thunder; the eloquence of the forum
/ may attract universal attention, the COM
/ merce of the world may absorb its entire in
I terest, but when earth's wars have ceased.
! when the human tongue Is silent in the grave.
/ when dynasties have crumbled INTO dust and
/ all things have been dissolved by fire, then
/ shall the cup of cold water, the kind word, the
! helping hand, the substantial benefit, not be
/ forgotten. Then shall those who have built
/ for eternity shine as the brightness of the
/ armament and all the true sons of love dwell
! forever in the bosom of God. who is Love.