The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-12-28


In this discourse Dr. Talmage de-
scribes in a new way the sacrifices made
for the worlds disenthrallment and de-
hverance. His text is |. John w., 16:
God is love-
Perilous undertaking would it be to
attempt comparison between the at
tributes of God. They are not like a
mountain range, with here and there
higher peak, nor like the ocean, with
here and there a profounder depth. We
cannot measure intinities. We would
not dare TO say whether His omnipo-
tence, or omniscience, or omnipresence,
or immutabiIity, 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
take the text. John was not in his
dotage. as Prof. Eichorn asserted, but
you can tell by the repetition in the
epistle and the rambling style that he
called grown people little children"
that the author was probably an octo-
genarian. Yet Paul, in midlife master
ing an audience of Athenian critics on
Mars hill, said nothing stronger or
more important than did the venera-
BILE 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
harshness and the combatveness 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 JUS
tice of God and one on the love of God,
but when he got old he preached
three sermons. on the love of God
and one on the justice of God.
Far back in the eternities there came
a time when God would express one
emotion of His nature which was yet
unexpressed. He 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 micro
scopic lens. All that showed the
Lords almightiness, but it gave no
demonstration of His love. He might
make so Saturns and hundred Jupiters
and not demonstrate an instant of love.
That was an unknown passion and the
secret of the universe. 1t was a sup
pressed emotion of the great God. But
-1o,, ~ ;,
passion of infinite love would be de-
clared and illustrated. God would veil
1t no longer. After the clock of many
centuries had run down and worlds
had been born and demolished on a
comparatively obscure star a race of
human beings would be born and who,
though so beautifully provided for that
they ought to have behaved themselves
well, went into instruction and con-
Spiracy and revolt and war finite
against infinite, weak arm against
thunderbolt, man against God.
If high intelligences looked down and |
saw what was going on, they must have |
prophesied determination, complete ex-
termination, of these offenders of Jeho- |
yah. But no! Who is that coming out |
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 stairs of the |
high heavens He comes till He reaches |
the cold air of December night in Pal
'estine, and amid the bleatings of sheep |
and the lowing of cattle and the moan
ing of camels and the banter of herds |
men takes his first sleep on earth and
for 33 years invites the wandering race
to return to God and happiness and
Heaven. They were the longest 33 |
years ever known in Heaven. Among
many high intelligences, what impa-
thence 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 err
rand and endure such sorrow and die
such a death? 1t was to invite the hui
man race to put down its antipathies
and resistance. 1t was because God is
love"
Now, there is nothing beautiful in
shipwreck. We go down to look al the
battered and split hulk of an old ship on
Long Island or New Jersey coast. 1t ex-
cites our interest. We wonder when
and where it came ashore, and whether
ii was the recklessness of pilot or a
storm before which nothing could bear
up. Human nature wrecked may in
terest the inhabitants of other worlds
as a curiosity, but there is nothing love-
" in that which has foundered on the
rocks of sin and sorrow. Yet it was in
that condition of moral break I'D that
Heaven moved TO the rescue. 1t was
loneliness lowering over deformity. 1t
was the lifeboat putting out into the
surf that attempted its demolition. It
was harmony plying discord. 1t was
q living God putting His arms around a
recreant world.
The schoolmen deride the idea that
God has emotion. They think it would
be a Divine weakness to be stirred by
any earthly spectacle. The God of the
learned Bruch and Schleiermacher is an
infinite intelligence, without feeling, a
cold and cherries divinity. But the