Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-04-14
MOODY in LYNCHBURG.
siGOD Is LOVE"


Moody preached from the text-'God is
love- The Lynchburg Vuginian gives
the following condensed report
The text selected by Mr.. Moody was
from the third chapter Of the Second Epistle
of JohnS''God is Love-"
This is the only text of discipleship be-
cause we have the spirit of Christ. A
Christless creed is worth nothing. If l can
not pray for them that prosecute me, am
not Christian To be Christian is to
have the spirit of Christ as he prayed on the
cross, "Father forgive them; they know not
what they do" The text is love. God is
love. The devil has been trying for six
thousand years to keep the human race
from believing that God is love. Mothers
sometimes teach their children false theol-
ogy, without intending it. They say to the
little fellows, "God loves you when you are
good; when you are bad, he does not love
you'' God loves you all the time. He hates
the sin, but he loves the sinner. From the
beginning to the end of the Bible you cannot
find where God hates sinners. Christ died
for the ungodly, not for the righteous. God
took the side of the sinner, not because He
loved him, but to put His own arms about
him and help him up. Gods love is I'M
Il
finite love is what drove Judas to suicide,
and broke Peters heart. When Judas saw
how great was the love he had sinned
against, he went out and hanged himself
Jesus did not upbraid Peter. He only gave
him one look, and Peter went out broken
hearted and wept. He loved them in their
sins with an unfailing love. "Having loved
His own which were in the world, He loved
them unto the end.' And there was no
change in his love. The man you loved
ten years ago may be nothing to you now;
but Gods love lasts forever. The strongest
tie on earth is mothers love. "Can a
mother forget the child at her breast Aye,
she may; but do not forget" A young
man in Vermont was arrested for murder
When he was brought to trial it was reveal
ed that he had committed previous muir
ders. He proved such wretch that the
whole country was Mortified and threats of
lynching were made. But his mother was
with him during his trial, She loved that
wretch in all his crime and degradation, and
chung to him. When the jury came into
the courtroom and convicted the wretched
man. the mother wept. When sentence of
death was passed upon him, she almost
tainted aud had to be carried from the
courtroom. Then she tried to get him
pardoned, and when she failed she wanted
to die with him. When he was hung she
begged for his body. When this was denied
her, she went away and in a short time she
herself lay dying, and as she died she beg
ged that her body might he taken and laid
by that of her son. She loved him and she
wanted to lie by his side. ''Can a mother
forget her child at her breast? Aye, she
may; but will never forget you," is the
promise of God.
The minister then gave a most graphic
picture of the return of the prodigal son.
He had lost everything, money, reputation,
character, and all he had, except the love of
his father, and he knew how his father
of the varied wauderings of his own broth
er; how for years and years, no word ever
came to the loving hearts at home that were
waiting and hoping and fearing. The
mother would talk to her children about
their dead father, but never about her abb
sent boy Sometimes when the night was
dark and stormy and the winds were high,
she would say that perhaps be was at sea,
and she would spend that night in watch
ing and prayer. Years passed, and all but
the youngest of the family had gone out
from the home roof, when one day bearded
stranger came to the door; and when the
mother saw the tears falling over his long
black beard, she recognized her long lost
boy. He cried to her, 'Mother, 1 cannot
cross this threshold until you forgive me. ~
Does any one. in this house believe that he
was not forgiven?
This picture was so graphic and touching
that not many dry eyes were III the house
when it was finished Mr.. Moody related a
touching incident of a little boy who was a
member of his mission School in Chicago,
and who had to bear the SCOTS of an infidel
father, and whose mother was an uube-
| lever. The little fellow become a Chris
tain and was the means of bringing the
whole family to God.
The incident, as related by Mr.. Moody,
was very affecting and almost the entire
audience was moved to tears.
Then using these pictures to illustrate
the infinite love of God, he made most
moving appeal to sinners to turn to Christ.
He then asked the choir to sing. and re-
quested all who had the slightest desire to
be christians, to go to the First Presbyterian
Church, where lie would talk with them.