The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-12-26


in heaven. Among many high intclll-
gences what impatience to get him
back! The infinite Father looked down
and saw his Son slapped and spit on
and supperless and homeless. and then,
amid horrors that made the MONDAY
heavens turn black in the face, his
body and soul parted. And all for
what? Why allow the Crown Prince
to come on such an err2nd and endure
such sorrow and die such 4 death? 1t
was to invite the human race to put
down it's antipathics and resistance. 1t
was because God is love-"
A ConsoIinE Statement.
Now, there is nothing beautiful in a
shipwreck. We go down to look at the
battered and split hulk Of an old ship
on the Long Island or New Jersey
coast. 1t excites our interest. We
wonder when and how it came ashore
and whether it was the recklessness
of pilot or a storm before which moth
ing could bear up. Human nature
wrecked may interest the inhabitants
Of other worlds as a curiosity, but
there is nothing lovely in that which
has foundered on the rocks Of sin and
sorrow. Yet it was in that condition
Of moral break up that heaven moved
to the rescue. 1t was loveliness hoy
ering over deformity. 1t was the life
boat putting out into the surf that at
tempted it's demolition. 1t was har-
mony plying discord. 1t was a living
God putting his arms around rec
reant world.
The schoolmen derde the idea that
God has emotion. They think it would
be a divine weakness 10 be stirred by
any earthly spectacle. The God Of the
learned Bruch and Schleiermacher IS
an infinite intelligence without feeling.
cold and cheerless divinity. But the
God we worship is one Of sympathy
and compassion and helpfulness and
affection. "God is love-"
In all the Bible there is 40 more con-
solatory statement. The very best peo-
pie have In their lives occurrences in
e1piicable. They are bereft or perse-
cuted or impoverished or invalided.
They have only one child, and that
dies, while the next door neighbor has
seven children, and they are all spared.
The unfortunates buy at time when
the market is rising and the day after
the market falls. At a time when they
need to feel the best for the discharge
of some duty they are seized with
physical collapse. Trying to do a good
and honest and useful thing, they are
misrepresented and belied as if they
had practiced 4 villainy. There are
people who all their lives have suffered
injustices. Others Of less talent, with
less conservation, go on and up, while
they 90 on and down. There are in
many lives riddles that have never
been explained, heartbrcahs that have
never been healed. Go to that man or
that woman with rhilosophic eXplana-
ton, and your attempt 1T comfort will
be q failure, and you will make mat
tiers worse instead of making them bet
ter. But let the oceanic tide Of the
text roll in that soul. and all its losses
and disasters will be submerged with
blessing. and the sufferer will say, Il
cannot understand the reason for my
troubles, but will some day under
stand. And they do not come by acct
dent. God allows them to come, and
God is love-"
Divine Pity.
But for this divine feeling l think
our world would long ago have been
demolished. Just think of the organ
lied wickcdness of the nations. See
the denominations continental Behold
the false religions that hoist Moham-
med and Buddha and Confucius. Look
at the Koran and the Shastra and the
Zend-Avesta, that would crowd out Of
the world the Holy Scriptures. Look at
war, digging its trenches for the dead
across the hemisphercs. See the great
cities with their holocaust Of destroy
ed manhood and womanhood! What
blasphcmies assail the heavens! What
butchprieS sicken the centuries! What
professions Of crime and atrocity and
woe enciccle the globe! If justice had
spoken, it would have said, The world
deserves annihilation, and let annihi-
lation come" If inlmutability had
spoken, it would have said: Il have al
ways been opposed to wickcdncss and
always will be opposed TO it. The
world is to me an affront infinite and
away with itw Il omniScience had
spoken, it would have said, Il have
watched that planet with minute and
all comprehensive inspection, and l
cannot have the offense longer cCnt!n-
ucd." If truth had spoken, it would
have said. Il declare that they who Of
fend the law must 20 down under the
law" But divine love took different
view of the worlds obduracy and pol
luton. 1t said: II pity al those woes
Of the earth. l cannot stand here ana
see no assuagemcnt Of those suferlngs.
| will 90 down and reform the world.
I will medicatc its wounds. | viii
calm its frenzy. | will wash Off its
pollution. will become incarnated.
| will take on my shoulders and upon
my brow and into my heart the con-
sequences Of that worlds nlisDehavlor.
| start now, and between my arrival
at Bethlehem and my ascent from OH
vet l will weep their tears and suffer
their grefs and die their death. Fare
well, my throne. my crown. my scep-
ter, my angelic environment, my heav-
en-, till l have finished the work anu
come backw God was never conquer
cd but once, and that was when he was
conquered by his own love. Goa IS
| love-"
In this day, when the creeds OF
churches are being revised, let more
emphasis be put upon the thought OF
| my text. Let it appear at the begin
Ming of every creed and at the close
Tie ancients used to tell of a great
/ -, ,:l;+,,,- 1b;of+oin who ohOut 10 90 tC