The Washington times., 1901-11-04
GODS UNIVERSAL LOVE.
The Rev. DIR. Elliott Addresses the
Columbia Theatre Meeting.

Columbia Theatre Meeting.
A large meeting of men at the Co
iumbia Theatre was held yesterday after
noon, under the auspices of the Y. NJ. c.
a. The principal speaker to address the
meeting was the Rev. nr. John II. Elliott,
pastor Of a Dutch Reformed Church in
New York, an evangelist, and Christian
worker. noted for his plain talks to men.
He spoke for about an hour to a crowd
cd house. imprC ssing his hearers with the
fact that he knows the world.
DR.. Elicit expounded a text from St
John: God so loved the world he gave
his only Eerotten son; that whosoever be
lieved on him shalI not perish, but have
everlasting life"
Luther" said De- Elliott, called that
ScTiptural quotation the Little Bible 1t
is the Bible In miniature In that single
statement is compressed the whole truth
OF the Bible. In 1t is the essence of the
whole truth of the Scriptures. DR.. Ell
liott referred to an English evangelist
who had taken that paragraph for his
text, and had preached every night for a
whole week upon it without repeating
anything he had said, or without touch
ing upon the same points Of his theme.
DR.. Elliott devoted most Of his talk to
the subject of universal love.
Every once in while we believe that
we are going to make people better by
new method. We have some new scheme
which We project into the cause Of Chris
tianity. But sooner or later we come
back to the old one and the only one.
Once upon a time | tried to make people
better by standing over them with a club.
| found ] could make them better after
that fashion. but l also found that when
I had once made them better l was
obliged to constantly stand over them
with club to keep them In :he condition
which l had wrought
There is only one thing and only one
method by which people can become good.
The love Of God. When man once gets
the love Of God in him, you don't have
to stand over him with a club and watch
him. You car: trust him then and rely
upon the sincerity OF his conversion.
When the spirit moves him. then he needs
no watching. He is safe. 1t is the only
thing that viii change the heart, and it
IS the only thing that will permanently
reform.
"A great many people think that God is
a great taskmaster. and that he is cX-
acting. But when they got to know him.
they md that he is a God Of love. |
was demonstrating with an acquaintance
of mine the other day who, in speaking
OF some man who had apparently done
him wrong, hoped that God might damn
MN. told him that was all n heresy.
1t IS all a mistake. God damns no one.
hod damns the sin, but not the man who
commits II.
The wages of sin IS death. So certain
as when ! place my hand in a fire II will
burn, so Will you die IL you sin But turn
on the other side of this warming What
do you find there, The love Of God is
eternal life
Then there is the mothers love. You
men all understand it. You know what it
IS, That is one thing that has never
changed and never will change. other
Things may change and other things may
die. but this will always last"
DR.. Elliott then recited several examples
Of a mothers love for the wayWard son.
He spoke Of one case where mother had
asked to have her son committed to
correctional institution In New York in
order that he might be reformed. AT the
last moment she broke down and asked
Vailed ,;p6n h b.. - ssIve him conaed She
s.ieluy signed the commitment papers and
bade her boy an adieu. As she walked
out Of the prison she fell at the doorstep
dead. She had died of a broken heart. -
lie also referred to a case where way
ward SON the victim Of evil compa Mons
had taken the downward path step by
step, until he had committed a crime
which should be expiated upon the gal
lows. All the world condemned that
young man, but his mother clunC to him.
Al tFl MS HlNhtAAlbIl ne WIS consigned TO
the earth midst the loathlng and contempt
Of his fellow men. But the last words of
his mother when she herself finally passed
away were. Let me be buried alongside
OF my boy. "
Those were sublime examples of the
great mothers love" continued the
speaker. They may be seen every day
in this great world of ours. /. is all
the love Of God. He hates the sin but
not the sinner. There is not a sin 81 your
life that God does not hate and have
yet to find a man Of intelligence who is
capable Of seeing things In their right
light who does not hate every sin in his
life.
THE love Of God Is the only thing that
car permanently effect n change IN a
mans ways. IT Is the only thing that can
turn him from the path Of sin. Let God
have mis- way and you viii see that he
loves you. You will be able to break
from your evil ways. With the love of
God within you, you can accomplish
things that cannot be secured by any
am cunt of argument, coercion or plead
ing OF friends and relatives When you
get the love OF the Almighty In you, you