The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-01-24
GOD is LOVE.
Meaning Of fine Words in Their
Truesr Sense.
Two Magnificent Sermons by DR.
Denny at the First Presby
terrain Church.

The congregation of the First Presby
terrain church, and the visitors within
its doors, certainly had rare feast
Ihday, in the sermons of Rev. DR..
Collins Denny, of Vanderbilt Univer'
sity, who occupied the pulpit both
morning and evening. One seldom
hears sublimer heights of eloquence, q
prettier flow of language, or more
beautifully rounded periods; and,
through it all. runs a rich vein OF
pure gospel truth.
''God is Love- was his theme In
the morning, and certainly these three
common anglo-saxon words were never
made to mean more.
The two incidents related in his
sermon will serve to show the trend OF
the whole. Illustrating the seeming
contradictions of Gods love the ques-
ton Is 80 often asked why he leads us
through dark places and deep waters.
His father, he said, some years since,
travelled in the Holy Land; and while
riding along the banks of the Jordan,
saw a shepherd trying to lead his sheep
across the river. The shepherd would
cali. and the sheep would hear his voice
and come to the waters edge, then turn
back to nibble at the dead grass along
the blistered banks of the river. Again
and again the shepherd repeated his
call, with the same result. Then he
waded back to the shore. and taking a
little lamb under either arm he
started across again. This time he
did not call but the lambs did; and
their mothers heard their call and fol-
lowed after them, and the whole flock
were led safely across to green pastures
beyond. And that is how God leads
some Of his children away from the
dead things of this world to the life
above. And that is why little ray OF
sunshine born into our homes, goes out
like flash and leaves us in darkness.
1t is not Gods anger, but Gods love.
In London many years ago, little
boy wandered away from home OF
wealth and luxury and was lost The
best detective talent that money could
buy was procured, and the great city
was searched but all in vain. Several
years after, chimney sweep came
down one of the chimneys of the rich
but saddened home. All black and
begrimed with SCOT he entered from |
the chimney a large room, richly car
peted, with great speaking pictures
on the walls and in the center of the
room a table, with books upon IT, The
lite Chi sweep stood confused
and bewildered, all alone i'll the room,
looking about him. Finally he fastened
his ewes upon book on the table,
and forgetting his black and dirty
fingers began to turn its pages And
SO absorbed was he that he failed TO
recognize the presence of another
until he was tapped on the shoulder,
and looking up saw sadfaced woman
standing by him. She said, Don't
you know you ought not to soil my
books; don't you know | could have
you punished for this?''
The little fellow began to cry and
while great tears rained down his face
and plowed white lines through the
SCOT he said II did not mean to do
wrong, and am sorry / soiled your !
book; but when | came into this room
it looked like one had seen in my
dreams; and when | came to the table '
and saw my name on one OF the books, '
| could not help opening it, and then | |
saw all the pictures ] had dreamed s
about. l
The mother clasped her boy in her ]
AIMS. dirt and SCOT and all. She did t
not send him to the bath room first, Y
and wait for him to put on his clean l.
linen. She loved him and embraced
him, just as he was. s
And that is just what God does i
,r wants to do for the sinner. He +
owes him in all his sins, and came s
% save him from his sins, and will 4
wash him and make him clean. a
God is not a tyrant, or avenger. r
Tod is Love. Il
The Evening Discourse. h
Sunday night after reading a part of "
he goth chapter of st. John. DR.. W
Jenny said that he took subject
ather than text, and this subject d
vas based upon what he had read He OF
ad preached about "God is Love Sc
n his morning sermon, and tonight he L
yould speak OF Triumphant Love sc
love being the most powerful agency al
4 the human heart The scripture ii
oes not tell us much about the W
haracters in the Bible. 1t does not W
ttempt to give the minute detail of st
ven Christ's life. The most careful tr
1d microscopic students say, that less 81
ian 40 days of his life is spoken of
the gospel. The record left is one in
bring before us some great truth. Al
We don't know much about Mary nc
agdalene. She was probably peas Pc
It Galilean. Her name suggests pa
here doubtless she abode and there tn
today, on the blue eyed sea of sh
alice, a village, over which one palm tn
De waves, village called Magda. ev
But it is idle to speculate upon this. an
hat we know is that we have before gr
a woman. We know that she was See
ssessed with seven devils-a terrible Cal
ate to be ina terrible life to live flo
d we know that her deliverer came nis
,en Christ arrived, and she awoke Low
I'm hell beneath his smiles. He oh,
ought revolution within her life, is
she gave him all her love. She was Low
10 and faithful in her ministries an
to Him, and bestowed all of her tur
tle substance as love Offering. bar
len one gives all. they give what AN
gel gives. Mary was one of the Th
v who felt the terrible oppression eye
Christ death. She was one OF mil