The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-10
REV. DR.PEABODY'S SERMON
PREACHED IN B1TTELL CHAPEL
 YESTERDAY MORNING.
Head Master of Groton School Delivered Fine Discourse to the Members of Yale University-Last Sermon In the Chapel Before Graduation.

before the graduatio of the present
 senior class was delivered yesterday
 morning by the Rev. Endicott Peabody
 the head master at the Groton school
 at Groton, Mass The sermon was an
 excellent one, and his text was taken
 from St. John iv, 16; "God is love, and
 he that dweleth in love dwelleth in
 God, and God in him.' The preacher
 spoke in part as follows:
 It would be interesting to know what
 each of us in this chapel this morning
 believes in a being whom we call God,
 If we could see into the minds and
 hearts of many of those who are here
 we should find perhaps conflicting the
 ories about Him. Some picture to
 themselves God as one who created the
 world years ago, and then took a seat
 far off beyond the stars. He has not
 much to do with men, nor men with
 Him.
 Love-This word is weakened by com
 mon usage. It has become current
 coin. Just as the quarter of dollar
 loses the definiteness of impress with
 passing through many hands, so this
 word has been injured by being used
 in all sorts of common ways. That is:
 Man may say he loves roast beef or
 loves money; get as much as he can.
 He loves his country. Asked why?
 Because it is great, prosperous place
 where a man has a fine chance of mak
 ing a good living.
 He loves children, because they are attractive, because well behaved Let
 them do things which are wrong or
 bring disgrace upon them and there are some who cease to care for them.
 So one has heard it said to children, ''If you do well, God will care for you; if you are naughty, God will not love you."s So there has arisen a notion that love is either feeble kind of thing which may best be called liking or fondness, or else it is caring for a thing which is bringing wealth or ad- vantage. These are instances of the misuses of this great word by which St. John has defined the God who be- longs to Us.
 There was no such thought in the mind of St. John. for her had learned the nature of love from Christ Himself. And this is the first great quality of love; that it is giving
 Who is it that loves the poor? Not the man who weeps as he hears of some dreadful tale of suffering, but the man who gives of his substance to the poor, and part of his time and of his strength to them.
 There are scores of millions of citi- zens who will throw their hats into the air at the name of America. How many are trying to serve her? How many are praying for her? It is they alone who love her
 The other day two men were working in an iron tank, and by some mistake the live steam was turned into it. They both ran to the ladder which led to the manhole in the roof. The one who | reached it first-I don't know, his name | it is written somewhere in heaven | this man stopped and turning to his | companion said, You are married Jim, | you go first" Jim went up first and | escaped unnjured. The other man struggled to the top, and was taken out, but died in two hours. That is love. It may be that the other man could not have told you that he loved | Jim; b-t you or I know that he loved him. for our hearts confirm the test of Jesus, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend" So Jesus gave Himself, His life for men. He came to His own and His own received Him not. Did He dsown them then? He went on and died for them. The good shepherd giv- eth his life for his sheep. And He ho bo tbo | tell T, if I be lifted up Gle said of crucifix, foreseeing) will draw all men unto Ma."
 This, too. is the nature of God Him. seld. In Jesus Christ you find it. "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Fa- ther." God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.. And God is ready, eager at all times to give Himself and His children. Tn all places and at all times? Yes, I believe so, my brothers. In the fields? Yes if we are ready to receive Him there In the family? Yes, if there be affection in the home. Tn work? Yes, if it be work. In play? Yes, if it be healthy play. In church? Yes, more in church than in the fields? Yes; be- cause of the sacred associations of the church; because of the architecture; because of the sympathy and inspira- of the brethren In the sacrament? Yes. More in the holy communion l than elsewhere? Yes; because the bread and the wine bring back to us more vividly than anything alse the body and blood of the Master; and talk Ing these in His name we are more , open to the coming of the Holy Spirit , than at any other time. But always, z God is prepared to give r Himself, for God is love- q Even now it might seem compara- \ lively weak thing, this love. We must a lefne further. It is that which seeks f he highest in the beloved; in the per a on whom it loves. There is a feeble r Iind of love which manifests itself f nore to-day than commonly in the D ,ast; that yields to the child's request & ,ecause it cannot bring itself to deny h he child. ''Mayn't I do this? Maynt O do that? Mayn't I?" Well if you " want to very much. I don't approve O f it. but I suppose you may" That V sn't love. it is sald-indulgence. Cow s1 rdice. If 1 do not approve of it: if e tod has shown me that it is wrong, Il hen nothing in the world ought to q me to allow it to my child. I n no, +p hn will to c,,ff +o