Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-12-24
MISSION OF CHRIST.
IT WAS TO TEAC4 THE WORLD THAT
GOD IS LOVE.

scribes the Sympathy and Com
passion OF the Almighty King.
Explains why the Holy Bible Was
Written
WASHINGTON, Dee. 23.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage describes in a new
way the sacrifices made for the worlds
observation-disclosures and deliverance. His
text is l John iv, 16, "God is love-"
PeriIous undertaking would it be to
attempt 4 comparison between the at
tributes OF God. They are not like a
mountain range, with here and there q
higher peak. nor like the ocean. with
here and there 4 prOfounder depth.
We cannot measures infinitieS We
would not dare say whether his omnip-
otence or omniScience or 0mnipreS-
ence OF 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 4 very old
man who wrote the chapter from
which take the text. John was not
in his dotage. as Professor Eichhorn
asserted. but you can tell by the repe-
titiOns in the epiStie and the rambling
style and that he called grown people
little children that the author was
probably an octogenarian. Yet Paul.
IN midlife 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 lore"
Indeed the Older one gets the more
he appreciates this attribute. The
harShneSS and the cOmbatiyeneSS 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 naturer' The young minister
preached three sermons on the justice
of GCd and one on the love of God,
but when he got old he preached three
sermons on the love of God and one Oh
the justice of God.
Descent of the Prince.
Far back in the eternitfes there came
a time when God would express one
emotion of his nature which was yet
uncXpreSSed. lie had made more
worlds than were seen by the ancients
from the top of the Egyptian pyramid,
which was used as an observatory and
more worlds than modern astronomy
has catalogued or deserted through tel
escOpic lens. ALI that showed the
Lords alm-ghtiness. but II gave no
demonstration of bis love. He might
make 30 Saturns and 100 .Jupiters and
not demonstrate an instant of love
10
secret of the universe. II was Il sup
pressed emotion Of the great God. But
there would come q time when this
passion OF infinite love would be de-
clared and Illustrated God would veil
it no longer After the clock of many
centuries had run down and worlds
had been born and demolished. on
comparatively obscure star q race of
human beings would be born and who.
though so beautifully provided for that
they ought 20 have behaved themselves
we'll. went into instruction and cen
spiracy and revolt and war finite
against infinite. weak arm against
thunderhoEts, man against God,
IF high intelligenceS looked down and
saw what WIS going on. they must
have prOphesied determination COM
plete eXterminatiOn-of these offenders
of Jehovah. But. no, Who is that
coming out Of the throner0om of heav-
en-? Who is that coming out of the
palaces Of, the eternal? It is the Son
of the Emperor of the universe Down
the stairs Of t;le high heavens he comes
till be reaches the cold air 0f a Decein-
Der night il Palestine and a:2id the
bleatings CT sheep. and the lowing Of
cattle. and che meaning of canels. and
the banter Of the h9TdSmpn tales his
first sleep on earth and for b years in
viteS the wandering race 10 return to
God ana happiness and heaven. They
were the Ion sst 80 years ever known
in heaven. Among many high intelli-
GenceS what impatfence TO get him
back, The infinite Father locked down
and saw MS Son slapped and spit on
and support IS and homeless. and then.
amid horrors chat made the I0onday
heavens turn black iD the face. his
body and soul parted. And all for
what? Why allow the Crown Prince
to come on such All errand and endure
such sorrow and die such death: 1t
was TO invite the human race TO put
down its antiquities and resistance. 1t
was because God is love-
a ConsoFRns= s4aserraent.
Now. there is not hing beautiful in q
shipwreck- We go down 40 look at the
battered ana split hulk of an old ship
on the Long Island or New Jersey
coast. II exeites our interest We
wonder when and how II came ashore
and whether it was the recklessness
of Il pilot or Il storm before which moth
ing could bear up, Human nature
wrecked may interest the inha btants
Of other worlds as a curiosity. but