The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-12-28

race; tell IL in song and sermon, on can
vas and in marble, on arch and pillar;
tell il all around the earth--"God is
love"
Notice that the wisest men of the ma
lions for thousands of years did not,
amid their idolatries make something
to represent this feeling, this emotion.
They had Jove, representing might;
Neptune, the god Of the sea; Minerva,
the goddess of wisdom; Venus, the god
dess of base appetite; Ceres, the god
dess of corn. and an Odin, and an Osiris,
and Titan, and a Juggernaut, and
whole pantheons of gods and goddesses,
but no shrine, no carved image, no
sculptured form has suggested god
of pure love. That was beyond human
brain. 1t took a God to think that,
God to project that a God let down
from Heaven to achieve that.
Fear is the dominant thought in all
false religions. For that the devotees
cut themselves with lauces and swing
on iron hooks and fall under wheels and
hold up the right arm so long that they
cannot take it down. Fear, british
fear! But love is the queen in our re-
ligion. For that we build temples.
For that we kneel at our affairs. For
that we contribute our aims. For that
martyrs suffered at Brussels market
place and at Lucknow and Cawnpur
and Picking. That will yet bejewel
the round earth and put it an emerald
on the great warm. throbbing heart of
God.
The world has had many specimens
OF slandered men and women, their
motives slandered. their habits SLAM
dered-slandered until they got out
of the world. and then perhaps hon
ored by elaborate eulogium and tall
shaft of granite, all four sides CHS
eled with the story of how good and
great they were. But no one under
the heavens or over the heavens has
ever been so much slandercd as God.
Bad men have fought against Him and
have thought they heard His voice
in the crash of thunderstorm. but
have not seen Him in the sunshine of
the spring morning. They have blamed
Him for wrongs which they had done
themselves The sight of a church
building eNcitcs their disgust. They
like the madrigal of saloon better
than the doXology of n temple. They
do not want to live with Him in
Heaven, but would prefer on leaving
this world to 90 into some realm
where God has abdicated the throne
and from which He is eNiled forever.
10 4 Ina,
They do not realize the fact that God
is the best friend this world ever had
or ever will have. and that He would
do more for their happiness than any
one i'm the wide universe; that He
would help them in the wear and tear
and tusse of this life: that He would
hush their SORROWS; that He would
help cure the evil habits with which
they sometimes struggle; that He
would at their request not only for
give but forget the wrong things in
their life. Yes, forget! And that is
the only thing that God ever does for
get-pardoned transgression. The best
memory in the universe is Gods mem
DRY. and He remembers all that has
transpired in all time and in all
eternity save one kind of occurrence.
That masses COMPLETELY ont of His
memory. He declares: "Their sins
and their iniouities will l remember
no more"
Do YOU want more proof that Good
is love ." Yea. disinter,sted love. No
COMPENSATION for its bestownI No
reward for its sacrifices But call
that bacll. The world did nav Him.
II mid Him on Calvor, Maid Him with
brornbles on tbe brov, ana for,. sniLas
two for the hands and two for the
feet. and one smear for the side near
the heart: paid Him in cxccration;
paid Him with straw pillow i'm n barn
and cross on a hill: Maid Him with
third of a century of maltrcatmcnt
and hardship save one year-yea is
having Him vet in rejection of His
mission of mercy. HAVING detbroucd
other kings. the world would like ia
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