Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-11
MISSION OF CHRIST.
or WAS TO TEACH TIE WORLD THAT
GOD is LOVE.

passion OF the Almighty fxfpr
Explains why the Holy Bible was
Written.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 23.-In this dis
course DIR. Talmage describes in a new
way the sacrifices made for the worlds
dtsenthrallment and deliverance. His
text is John iv. 16, "God is love"
Perilous undertaking would II he 10
attempt 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
mere and there a profounder depth.
We cannot measures infinities We
would not dare say whether his omnip-
otence or omniscience or omnipres-
ence or 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 a very old
man who wrote the chapter from
which L take the text. John was not
in his dotage. as Professor Eichhorn
asserted. but you can tell by the repe-
utions 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 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 love-"
Indeed the older one gets the more
he appreciates this attribute. The
harshness and the combativeness and
the severity have gone out of the old
man, and he is more lenient and. aware
or 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 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.
Descent of the Prince.
Far back in the eternities there camo
time when God would express one
emotion of his nature which was vet
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 tel
escopic lens. All that showed the
Lords almightiness, but Il gave no
demonstration of his love. He might
make 30 Saturns and 100 Jupiters and
not demonstrate an instant of love.
mat was an unknown passion and the
secret of the universe. IL was n sup
pressed emotion of the great God. But
there would come n time when this
passion OF infinite love would be de-
clared and illustrated God would veil
IL no longer. After the clock of many
centuries had run down and worlds
had been born and demolished. ON n
comparatively obscure star a race of
human beings would be born and who.
though so bountifuIly provided for that
they ought To have behaved themselves
wei. went into instruction and con-
spiracy and revolt and war finite
against Infinite. weak arm against
thunderbolt. man against God.
IL high intelligences looked down and
saw what was going ON, they must
have prophesied determination - COM
plete cxtermination-of these offenders
or Jehovah. But, no, Who is that
coming out OF the throneroom OF heav- |
enT Who Is that coming out of tho /
palaces OF the eternal? 1t is the Son
or the Emperor OF the universe. Down 1
the stairs OF the high heavens he GENES \
TIL he reaches the cold air of n Decem- 4
Der night i'm Palestine and amid the
Dieatings OF sheep. and the lowing OF ,
cattle, and the moaning OF camels. and !
the banter of the herdsmen takes his
hrst sleep on earth and for 33 years in
Nites the wandering race TO return 20
"ou ana happiness and heaven. They
were the longest 80 years ever known
IN heaven. Among many high inteIll-
gences what Impotence TO get him
pack! The Infinite Father looked down
ana saw his Son slapped and spit ON
and supperless and homeless. and then.
amid horrors that made the noondny
heavens turn black I'm the face. his
body and soul parted. And all for
what? Why allow the Crown Prince
10 come ON such an errand and endure
such sorrow and die such death? Ii
was TO invite the human race TO put
down Its antipatiiies and resistance. II
was because God Is love-"
A Consoiin< Statement.
NOW. there is nothing beautiful IN
shipwreck. We 80 down 10 look M tho
battered and split hulk of an old shin
ON the Long Island or New Jersey
coast III excites our interest. We
wonder when and how II came ashore
ana whether IL was the recklessness
OF pilot or storm before which moth
ing could bear up. Human nature
wrecked may interest the inhabitants
or other worlds as curiosity, but
there Is nothing lovely in, that which
has foundored on the rocks of sin and
sorrow. Yet IL was i'm that condition
or moral break up that heaven moved
TO the res, ue. Ii was loneliness how
ering over deformIty 1t was the life
boat putting out into the surf that at
tempted its demolition. 1t was har-
mony pltying discord. Ii was q living
God putting his arms around rec
reant world {
The Schoolmen deride the idea that
GOD has emotion. They think ID would
De divine weakness TO be stirred by
any earthly spectacle. The God of the
learned Biuch and Schleiermacher is
an inhnte Intelligence without feeling,
cold and cherries divinity. But the I
Tod we worship is one of sympathy !
ana compassion and helpfulness and |
affection. God is love" q
In all the Bible there is no moro ron
soiatory statement. The very best peo- :
pie nave In their lives occurrences in
eAphcaDie. They are bereft or perse-
cuted or impoverished or invalided. =
Ihey have only one child, aud that
uies, while the next door neighbor has
seven children, and they are all spared. y
Inc unfortunates buy at time when :
The market is rising and the day after :
The market falls. At time when they =
need to feel the best for the DISCHARGE :,
Or some duty they are seized wifi =