The Portland daily press., 1898-11-07
THE LOVE OF GOD.
The New Pastor of the Williston
Church Speaks Upon This Subject.

A Large Audience Hears simple, eorci-
Bile sermon-The Letter of Acceptance.
! A very large congregation for rainy
Sunday, nearly filing the house, attend
ed the Williston church yesterday morn
/ ing and listened to a sermon from the
pastor-elect. Rev. DR.. Smith Baker,
formerly a resident of Maine, but more
recently settled over prominent churches
in Massachusetts and the Vest.
DR.. Baker is substantial looking man,
smooth-shaven, broad -ohested, with the
appearance of dignity and solidity. He
has a good voice and reads well. He
preached without notes, speaking rapid
| w. effectively and at times with consid-
cradle feeling. Before the otfertory his
letter accepting the call to the church
was read by one of the deacons. Deacon
Garland.
The subject of the morning sermon was
the "Love of God,'' and the text was
taken from Ephesians, I'LL, Is 19:
"May be able to comprehend with all
saints what Is the breadth and length and
height; and to know the love of Christ,
be filled with all the fulness of God. "
He said that as sometimes the merest
change in position reveals unexpected
beauties in a landscape, SO small verbal
change may open up new meaning
in familiar phrase. In the text the
word comprehend" is changed in the
New Version to 'sapprehend, which bet
ter expresses the meaning. While We
may not comprehend or understand
things natural or spiritual, we may ap-
! prehend, that is, know them. While We
cannot comprehend the extent OF GODS
| love for mankind we can know that love-
| Just as while our eyes cannot measure
space we know We are in space. In the
text paul wanted the Ephesians to see
the love of God in all directions.
| How broad is it2 1t embraces all hui
mainly. This was truth which needed
to be taught then and sometimes does
now. Sometimes we think God loves us
| little more than he does somebody else,
but the love of God embraces all humani-
ty and is as far-reaching as the sunlight.
Everywhere it is at work, and the history
of the race shows the broad out-reach
thereof working through the laws OF hui
man nature. 1t is the power which IS
back of all history and is manifested IN
the evolution of nations. Wars are only
steps forward and love presides over the
development of the race.
| How long is itf How far back does 1T
reach? To Christ's time, but God loyeth
the world then no better than before 1t
goes back to the days of Abraham and
to the Garden of Eden and antedates
creation. When did eternity begin9 1t
was in the councils of eternity and this
unutterable love will endure till the stars
go out and the world disappears.
How high and deep is it, AS high as
the throne of God, but its character is
what is referred to. He loves us because
| of the possibilities he sees in the weakest
and meanest, 1t is as high as the highest
heaven and as deep as the very edge OF
hell. 1t reaches from the angels down
to the lost 1t reaches out upon all for
| ever. How much God loves us we cannot
say. The speaker said he had imagined
himself in heaven meeting one after the
other a number of those who had gone
before. To each he put the question, how
much God loved the world? and each
one in turn with rebuking glance gave
him the same answer. Abraham and
| Moses David and Paul, George Whitfield
and Edward Payson, and the speakers
own father. "who has now been 20 years
there,'' alike referred him to the words
| in John: 'sFor God so loved the world
that he gave His only begotten son, that
whosoeyer bslieveth in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life." We
cannot measure it with metaphysics or
fathom it with the imagination.
See how Paul makes this fact clear
We do not have it all, but we can know
| it all and be full Of it, as little cup may
be filed full from the boundless ocean.
Eternity cannot measure it, but each
mortal can be filled with it. One vessel
can hold more than another, but If one is
filled the other can be no fuller.
This is DIR. Bakers letter OF accep-
| lance TO the passionate:
Boston, Mass, November 5, 1898.
70 Fl. B. Pennell, N. w. Edison, J. 81.
True, committee OF Winston chufcn:
Dear Brethren--Your communication
in behalf of Williston church, extending
10 mo an invitation to become their pas
tor. is received. | appreciate the unity
and earnestness with which the invitation
has been given, and am not unmindful
Of tbs opportunity and responsibility
which it represents. Believing that the
spirit of God has led you in this action
and trusting also that He is guiding me,
I herewith accept the invitation upon
pagtorate to commence on the first Sun
day Of December next. Believing that
the church is not merely human, but
! a living institution. and that the minis
try is not merely human, but divine
office, we may expect our Master to use
us as workers together with Him in as
sisting each other to clearer and broader
views of His truth and to deeper and
| sweeter experiences of His love and to
greater usefulness to our fellow men. The
| beautiful, tender and loving letters which
have come to me from your former pas
| tors cause me to feel that it must be
| iov to minister to such church.