The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-18

verse. If Christ had always been cruel to me-
would love Him for what He had been 10 my
mother. and father and wife, and children. The
most charitable construction that can be placed
on this guilty world to-day is that it doesn't love
God. because it does not know Hin.
But love alone cannot save you. Can you imag
inc anything in love that will keep man sober,
when he has got half gallon OF whisky in his
hidef Can you imagine any thing that will keep
a man honest, while he is robbing peoples
There's q poor old mother, who has seen her
only SON SO wrong and get to drinking. She has
watched him, and prayed for him, and at his
death bed she is by his side, weeping, with her
heart broken; sud, when he dies, she waters his
grave with her tears. That mother loved her
boy with all her heart. but it didn't save him.
When man goes to hell, it amt any sign God
don't love him. If love could save souls, all
this world would have been saved by Gods love
long ago. The great store house OF Gods love is
in His heart What made that mother cling to
that boy? 1t was little of the nature of God
that had been bestowed upon ner. What makes
poor sorrowful wife love and cling to her
drunken husband, and try TO reform him? 1t IS
just little OF the nature of God in her heart
Love canno. save but, through the expression
of love on the cross, 1t has been made possibfS
for you to save yourself.
When was in ST. Joseph. Mo-, talked with
lawyer there at his home, and he said to me-
II am not q member of the church, and / have
not been TO church for four years."
said to him, If yon are going to be heath
en-, why don't you pack up and move to Chins,
some other heather countryW
He said, Jones, / used to go TO church, and
to be honest with you, got to thinking that tte
preacher was against me; that the church Was
against me, and that God was mad at me, and
made up my mind that would never set my
foot inside church again"
Think of that, my brethren think of that state
of affairs. And expect there are thousand SEN
sible men in indianapolis who feel the same way.
God against the sinner! No, sir. If God is mad
at anybody, it is against those preachers aad
churches who allow such a state of affairs to
exist. Oh, brother, God commends His love to
US He SO loves US that He gave His only San
that we might be saved. The great ship of hu-
manity was sinking down into the great sea Of
sin and death, and Jesus Christ came down aud
saved it and rescued US.
Now, what is our part9 1--WE love Him be-
cause He first loved US" The highest expression
of my love is to give myself to God. In geue-
raj way there are three manifestations of love-
The love of trust or confidence, such little
child has for its mother the love of admiration
such as the child has for that which he sees is
good and great and desires to emulate and best
of all, the love of selfsedication Now, brother.
the love of faith in God, that's the lowest lore
then the love of admiration that's BETTER bus
above all is the love of self-dedication, where
consecrate ourselves to His service, and He 60
ours He is mine, and am His. and all is oura
Gracious Father give US love like that. Amen.1
He said: ''lf you love me keep my command
ments" He didn't shout, or exbort, or preach.
If any man says he loves Him and don't keep
His commandments he is liar-put that down.
Let's be careful on this point We love Him
because He first loved Love is tho
sublimelt passion in the universe; love
the soil out of which grows sympathy.
The highest compliment that was ever paid me
by old colored man who ragged ard
dirty, came to hear me preach at Huntsville, Alas
and when was done he sad with tears running
down his face: "Befoh God, dono like dat
man. cause he talks like he had sympathy for
us poor people" tell you that what the world
needs to-day is sympathy sympathy is good
deal better than dignity. tell you, my brother
preacher, that you are doing the most good when
you are getting the closest to your people. I've
seen some old preacher get up in his pulpit, and
he looks like he is five miles away, and he has
got dignity enough to fill two worlds Dignity
is the starch of shroud When die, and am
lyirG stiff and cold in my coffin, I'll have 40
m uch dignity as anybody, but am never going
to be G;gnifed till l do die-mind that Talk
about dignity, and the world is goin' TO hell for
lack of sympathy! You can take the head Of
my should ers if you will show me wherever
Christ or the disciples were dignified Dignity,
dignity! Sisters, you encourage your preach
ers not to have any of it. I've seen some
old preachers so full of consolidated. conceu-
trated dignity that you couldn't find sinner n
town to pull them out of well if they fell in.
hIauehter Oh. God, give US sympathy and
not dicnity-sympathy for men, to help reclaim
them and save their souls. | tried that dignity
business just once WHen was a pastor, an0 III
the good Lord will only forgive me for that ef-
fort, I'll never do it again. Now, some sister, I
expect, will turn up her nose at me because
am not digni6ed. Bless you, the devil has got
mortgage on that noso and he will foreelose il
some of these days, and get the old gal with 1t,
too. Great laughter Preachers, you will be
successful when you are in love with God and liz
love with this world. too. and not before, Jesns
Christ conquered this world by love. Alex
ander, Chariemagne and Napoleon conquered by
force.
In response to a request from Mr. Jones for
all Christians who wished to consecrate them
selves anew to Christ to arise, number of per-
sons stood up dozen also arose fof
prayers.