The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-07
GODS INFINITE LOVE.
SERMON by Bishop Payne at the Meridian NJ

SERMON by Bishop Payne at the Meridian NJ.
Il. Church.
Bishop Payne preached yesterday morning at
Meridian-ssreet Nj. E. Church. The subject of
his sermon was What Ought to be the Chris
tian Heart and what the Christian Homel"
The text was Deuteronomy vi, 40. He said
that the Christian heart should be the
abode Of infinite love. This is the primary the
essential thing In every Christian life, because
infinite love purifes the heart as nothing else
can do. II drives out all sin, expels wickedness
OF every kind, and makes the heart pure and
holy as it was when God gave 1t. In this re-
spsct infinite love is unlike mere human love,
because human love sometimes corrupts its OBJ
ject and its subject Take the instance Of o
spoiled child in the case this child s injured by
the intensity Of the parental affection. The
love of the father and mother blinds them 70
their duty and the result 10 they do not train the
child as they should; they allow it to have all
it wants; In short, they suffer it to DO injured
through the very strength of their love for it.
Infinite lore puriies the hest because IL
brings God down into that heart; IL makes Him
. part Of our life and our being. Under this
law OF infinite love man was created; he was
werld. Paul says. He hath chosen US in Him
before the foundation of the world. that We
should be holy and without blame before Him in
love-" This presence Of God, of infinite love. in
the heart sxpes sin from it The two are in
compatible and cannot, under any circum-
stances, dwell together. Jssus says, 'Tf man
love me, he will keep my words; and my Faith
or will love him, and we will come unto him
and make our abode with him. showing that
where this infinite love dwels there il the pres
quired this of the Jews. II He required il Ct
them, He cannot require less OF rs. We have
greater spiritual help. and therefore lees cannot
be required of rs; itmust be more.
IL such is the Christians heart, what must be
his homel In the first place IL is q dedicated. a
consecrated home, dedicated the part of the
Christian, and consecrated on the part of Jeho-
yah. the covenant God OF the Christians. This
dedication makes the home church; in it's side
there is q beautiful altar dedicated to the Lord;
there God IS worshiped az morning and even
ing: there is the reading or His word in tho
presence OF the family. the husband and wife,
the children. the servants, and the sojourners
in she household God is worshiped in this
family by the sweet and hallowed songs of Zion;
He is worshiped by the solemn suppiieations of
the father and the mother the heads of the
family. This dedicated and consecrated homo
becomes also a school-house, where children are
trained for usefulness on earth and for the IN
utterable glories of the heaven OF heavens
The Bishop cited the example Of Moses Of
what Influence the training of children had on
the world and mankind He said. what a
brain, what heart was there in this man. what
90 influence has como down the ages from him,
aud how much in all ages are men indebted to
his pure and upright life-the result of earnest
Christian training in bis youth"
In concluding the Bishop said, '1n fine. to love
not only puriies the heart but also expands tho
heart II 10 ever increasing. ever Astounding,
ever Overlooking the heart in which it dwells
blessing every member OF the family, every
neiehbor in the community, every citizen in the
State. the entire Republic. II even ovsrlaps the
boundaries of the Republic, and blesses the whole
world