Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-12-27
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
FOR THE WORLDS OLSEN
THRALLMENT.
A Sermon Especially Appropriate for
the Christmas season--The MI.sIcn OF
the Saviour of the World roof Taas
God Is Love.

ooo - A@ohcs
Copyright. 1900, Louis klopsch. y. "
Washington, Dec. 23.-ln this dis
course DR.. Talmage describes in a new
way the sacrifices made for the worlds
disenthralment and deliverance. His.
text is I. John w., is. God is love"
'Perilous undertaking would it be to
attempt a comparison between the at
tributes of God. They are not like a
mountain range. with here and there
a higher peak, nor like the ocean. with
here and there profounder depth. We
cannot measure ininities. We would
not dare to say whether his omuipo-
tenee. or omniscisnce, or Omnipresence,
or immutability, or wisdom. or justice,
or love is the greater attribute, but
the one mentioned in my text makes
deeper impression upon us than any
other. 1t was evidently very old
man who wrote the chapter from
which I take the text. John was not
in his dotage, as Prof Elchhorn assert
ed. but you can tell by the repetitions
IN the epistle and the rambling style
and that he called grown people little
children" that the author was probably
an octogenarian. Yet Paul, in mid
life mastering an audience of Athenian
critics on Mars hill. said nothing
stronger or more important than did
the venerable John when he wrote the
three words Of my text. God Is love"
Indeed the older one gets the more
he appreciates this attribute. The
barshness and the combativeness and
the severity have gone out of the old
man. and he is more lenient and aware
Of his own faults, is more disposed to
make excuses for the faults of others.
and he frequently calculates, Poor
human nature!" The young minister
preached three sermons on the justice
Of God and one on the love OF God. but
when he got Old he preached three
termons on the love Of God and one on
The justice OF God.
Christ's Descent t. Earth.
II high intelligences looked down and
Baw what was going on. they must have
prophesied determination. complete ex-
termination, OF these offenders of Jeho-
yah. But no! Who is that coming
but Of the throne room of heaven?
Who is that coming out Of the palaces
Of the eternal? 1t is the Son OF the
Emperor of the universe. Down the
ttairs Of the high heavens he comes
ill he reaches the cold air of Deem
Der night in Palestine and amid the
bleatings of sheep and the lowing of
cattle and the moaning of camels and
the banter of the herdsmen takes his
first sleep on earth and for 80 years
Invites the wandering race to return
10 God and happiness and heaven.
They were the longest SO years ever
known In heaven. Among many high
intelligences, 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
NIL for what? Why allow the Crown
Prince to come on such an errand and
endure such sorrows and die such a
death? 1t was to invite the human
race to put down its antipathies and
resistance. 1t was because God is
love-"
Now, there Is nothing beautiful in a
shipwreck. We go down to look at
the battered and split hulk of an old
ship on Long Island or New Jersey
coast. 1t excites our interest. We
wonder when and how 1t came ashore
and whether it was the recklessness
OF pilot or a storm before which
nothing could bear up. Human nature
wrecked may interest the inhabitants
Of other worlds as curiosity, but
there is nothing lovely In that which
has foundered on the rocks of sin and
sorrow. Yet 1t was In that condition
Of moral break up that heaven moved
to the rescue. 1t was loveliness hover
ing over deformity. 1t was the life
boat putting out into the surf that at
tempted its demolition. 1t was har-
mony plying discord. II was a living
God putting his arms around a re-
creant world.
Our Worlds Welcomes.
But for this divine feeling think
our world would long ago have been
demolished. Just think OF the organ
izad wickedness Of the nations! Sc
the denominations continental! Behold
the false religions that hoist Moham-
med and Buddha and Confucius! Look
ut 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 hemispheres! See the
great cities, with their holocaust of
destroyed manhood and womanhood,
What blasphemies assail the heavens,
What butcheries sicken the centuries!
What professions of crime and atrocity
and woe encircle the g ODE! II justice
had spoken. it would have said. THE
world deserves humiliation, and let
humiliation come" II immutability
had spoken, 1t would have said: ~
have always been opposed to wicked
ness and always will be opposed to II.
The world is to me an affront infinite,
and away with It," II omniscience had
spoken. II would have said: II have
watched that plane: with minute and
ell comprehensive inspection. and
cannot have the offense longer con-
tinued." II truth had spoken. II would
have said. II declare that they who
offend the law must go down under
the law" But divine love took diff
ferent view Of the worlds obduracy