The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-04
LOVE FOR MAN.
GIFT or HIS SON FOR THE WORLDS
DISENTHRALLMENT.

DiSENTHRALLMENT.
DR.. Talmage breaches O ermon Es-
peciaIIy Appropriate For the Chris
mas season-The Mission Of the
Saviour.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %. In this dis
course DR.. Talmage describes in a new
way the sacrifices made for the worlds
disenthrallment and deliverance. His text
Is / John iv, 16, "God is love-"
Perilous undertaking would it be to
attempt a comparison between the at
tributes of God. They are not like a
mountain range, with here and there
a higher peak, nor like the ocean, with
here and there a profounder depth. We
cannot measure infnities. We would
not dare to say whether his omnipo-
tence, or omniscience, or omnipresence,
or immutability, or wisdom, or justice,
or love is the greater attribute, but
the one mentioned in my text makes
deeper impression upon US han any 9TH
er. 1t was evidently a 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 repetitions in the epistle 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 audi
ence 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 love-"
Indeed the older one gets the more he
appreciates this attribute. The harsh
ness and the c~ombativeness and the Sc
verify 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 frequent
~ calculates, "Poor human ~nature:" The
young minister preached three sermons
on the justice 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 emo
ton of his nature which was yet unex-
pressed. he had made more worlds than
were seen by the ancients from the top
of the Egyptian pyramid, which was
used as az observatory, and more worlds
than modern astronomy has catalogued
or deserted through telescope lens. All
hat showed the Lords almightiness, but
it gave no demonstration of his love. He
might make so Saturns and a hundred
Jupiters and not demonstrate an instant
of love. That was an unknown passion
n the secret Of the universe. 1t was a
suppressed emotion of the great God.
But there would come q time when this
passion of infinite love would be declared
n illustrated. God would veil it no
longer. After the clock of many centu-
ries 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 boun-
tifully provided for that they ought to
LAY behaved themselves we'll. went into
insurrection and conspiracy and revolt
and war-inite against infinite. weak
arm against thunderbolt, man against
God.
Chrfst's Descent to Earth.
If high intelligences looked down and
saw what was going on, they must ave
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
VI lue I'LL SlSc. DOMA tuc Sld1IS VI lAG
high heavens he comes till he reaches the
cold air of q December night in Pal
estine and amid the bleatings of sheep
and the lowing of cattle and the moaning
of camels and the banter of the herdsmen
takes his first sleep on earth and for So
years invites the wandering race to re-
turn to God and happiness and heaven.
They were the longest 33 years ever
known n heaven. Among la high in
teligences, what Impotence 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 hat 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 errand and endure such sor-
row and die such q death? 1t was to in
vite the human race to put down its an
tipathies and resistance. 1t was because
God is love-"
Now, there is nothing beautiful in a
shipwreck. We go down to look at 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
how it came ashore and whether it was
the recklessness of a pilot or a storm be-
lore winch nothing cOulu pear up. Eu-
man nature wrecked may interest the in
habitants OF other worlds as a curiosity,
but there is nothing lovely in that which
has foundered on the rocks Of sin and
sorrow. Yet it was in that condition Of
moral break up that heaven moved to tie
rescue. 1t was loneliness lowering over
deformity. 1t was the lifeboat putting
put into the surf that attempted its demo
lition- 1t was harmony plying discord-
1t was a living God putting his arms
around q 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 learn
ed Bruch and Schleiermacher is an inf
mite intelligence, without feeling. a cold
and cheerless divinity. But the God we
worship is one of sympathy and compass
sion and h%elpfulness and affection. "God
Is love-"
In all the Bible there is no more con-
solatory statement. The very best people
hara IN fhe;r I;yao pcc1rropaoc inoxnliao-