The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-20
CHARITY THE CHIEF VIRTUE.
DIR HAWTHONRE's SERMON AT RE-
OPENING OF FIRST BAPTIST.

uniting of the Sections, and the
Creation of "a Feeling of Fellow
ship and Confidence Among the
People.
The reopening of the First Baptist
Church yesterday was marked by two
mastery sermons by Rev. ]. B. Haw-
thorne, DID, of Nashville. The response
of the congregation was two of the largest
audiences seen in the church for some
time, and the event was source of JOY
and satisfaction to the members They
we're glad to get back into their home.
DR.. Hawthornes morning sermon was
on charity, which he treated as the SUI
preme virtue In his forcible delivery,
mastery style and sublime thought, he
carried the congregation with him during
both sermons.
when the exiled Jew exclaimed, On
Jerusalem! If 1 were thee. let my right
hand forget its cunning and my tongue
cleave to the roof OF my mouth % said
DR.. Hawthorne. che was thinking especi-
ally of the temple where the true and liv-
ing God had been worshipped. and where
he was visabiy present in the luminous
cloud that lowered over the mercy seat
He loved the temple because he loved God
and His people. The language of that
ancient Jew was inspired by the same feel
ing which every Christian to-day cherishes
for the public edifice in which he is wont
to gather with his fellow-Christians for
the worship of the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. He loves the sanctu-
~ IT,
pie. 4 was glad when they said unto me,
let us go up to the house of the Lord
and L would rather be a doorkeeper in the
house of the Lord than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness.' These words, doubt
less, expressed tine emotions of every mem
Der of this church, as he turned his face
and footsteps this morning toward this
Christian temple. He loves this place be-
cause he loves the fellowship which he
here finds with God and mis- fellow-Chrs-
tians.
Il have selected as an appropriate theme
for this occasion, the supreme virtue
charity" Dr. Hawthorne said. The con-
duct of this band Of Christians in prompt
ly meeting the obligation to repair and
improve this house of God, is an impress
| sive Illustration of the supreme virtue.
Every contribution of money or labor TO
this task was. doubtless, inspired by the
| love of Christ and a desire to see Him en-
throned in the lives and hearts of men.
| MAN is for quantity, but God for quail
| ity," said DR.. Hawthorne. when a man
stands on the Brooklyn bridge and casts
| his eye over Greater New York, his first
| thought is about the millions of human
beings in that vast metropolis. But when
God looks out from heaven upon that city,
He regards not so much the magnitude as
| the character of its population. He meas
ures its greatness, not by the number of
its population, nor its wealth, nor its mag
nificenoe, but by the intelligence and vir-
| tue and manhood of its inhabitants. The
| great need of the world to-day is not more
people, but a better quality of people
people anchored to great principles and
rich in those great virtues which strength
en- and enoble human character. 1 could
select fifty men in this city representing
a certain type of character, who are
worth more to the world than a whole
state full of another class Within the
boundaries of this republic there are sew
enty-five millions of human beings, but
| how few of them illustrate those virtues
which mar the truest manhood and wo-
manhood
! DR.. Hawthorne said the nature of peo-
| pie placed them all close to the animals
beneath them but it is their prerogative
| to grow out of animalhood into manhood
This growth starts just at the point where
we begin to recognize God as our supreme
| Law Giver and, under an inspiration of
love for His adorable attributes, begin
a life of obedience to His will. When the
| people think of the growth and spiritual
| ity of that divine code, he said they feared
and trembled, and yet it is comforting for
them to know that it IS possible for them
to conform to every jot and title of its
| requirements.
"If a man loves me-" Dr. Hawthorne
| hn ant - l., 4
he must not wrong me. If there were no
| Ten Commandments he would never feel
| the slightest inclination to harm me in
person or property. Swayed by a pure
and holy affection, he would respect INV
rights and interests, if he had never seen
any revelation of the moral law. How
true, then, is this apostolic doctrine. He
that loveth another hath fulfilled the law
| Love is the fulfilling of the law What
we need, then, to meet all our obligations
TO God and man, and to attain to the mob
| lest type of manhood, is the inspiration If
| that Christian virtue, called charity. In
the light of what has been said, I think
we are prepared to indorse the apostles
estimate of this virtue, The greatest of
these is charity 1t towers above every
other gift as the statue of Liberty ON the
dome of the nations capitol rises above
every other part of that magnificent edi
! flee.
What would you give to see this dear
old state of Georgia as she will appear a
/ hundred years from to-day?" asked Dr.
! Hawthorne. ito see her when she Is
| strengthened. dignified and adorned With
| all the wealth, material, intellectual and
moral, which she is destined to attain ,
what would you give to have a clear Wis
ion OF what this great republic will be n
| hundred years from to-day, if she should
be true to the sublime mission to which
God is calling her? Precious indeed ia
the gift OF prophesy, and yet Paul nuts
the grace of love immeasurabIy above It.
When man begins TO love God. he he
gins TO love all that God loves He is lift
ed out of self into sympathy with ali man
kind, and realizes not only the universal
| fatherhood of God, but the universal
| brotherhood of man.
"A little more than thirty years aeo we
seemed 10 be a hopelessly dissolved neo-
pie, said DR. Hawthorne. THE two qreat
sections of this country grappled each
other in bloody and deadly strife To-day
! peace reigns, and from the Atlantic 70 ~