Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-05-21

He that loveth not knoweth not God
for God is love.I. John w.. $.
There are many detini ems of religion,
but one of the best is that it is the life
of God in the soul of man. 1t begins
with the recognition of the existence OF
God and of his claims upon Us. That
recognition may be very imperfect aud
feeble. our knowledge of God may be
very limited. partial and obscure; our CON
ceptions of his nature may be very made
quate and childish, but with them, sneh
as they are religion begins.
1t is the soul reaching out after God,
but of this recognition come reverence.
worship, fear. love, prayer, praise. n hlga
sense of duty, JOY and hope. These are
the highest and nohlest Things of life;
they give true value and greatness 10
it. God is not luxury nor fashion.
He is a necessity to the human soul.
There are many definitions of tod,
some scientific some theological and
some scriptural There is none more
profound aud significant than this one
given by the Apostle John. God is love.
He does not say merely that God loves
he goes further. aud declares that he Is
love itself. Love is his essential nature
Should he cease to love he would be an
other God. Men who think themselves
wise speak of the God of the Old Iesta-
| ment as fierce. cruel being. With tnat
| definition flaming like a sword, 'iohn,
| who knew more than the Westminster
divines, knew more of Christ. becadse he
had leaned oil the breast of the Divine
Inearnate One, wrote God is love-
Love is the controlling feeling, the
master passion, in his nature 1t moved
him to create 1t was not from ANY
| selfish motive. or because his sense OF
| justice or truth intpelled him to do II,
| that he created the world and men ana
| angels Nor can we conceive of his gov
erning them apart from his love. That
| justice and judgment are the habitation
! of his throne that he rules in righteous
ness. and that he is the God of truth.
| is undoubtedly true. But his justice,
truth and wisdom are never separated
| from his love, nor DO they act indepen-
IDENTIFY of it. He is perfect love.
But what is this love- and how are we
! to think about it? We know in some
measure and in varying degree what hu-
man love is. 1t is undoubtedly the mas
ter passion in man. All other passions
do homage to it and sooner or later rec
| ognize its royal supremacy. 1t over
| comes hatred and avarice and ambition.
| 1t can transform sorrow into joy pain
| into pleasure and loss into gain. 1t can
| renounce all things;' yes, give up life
| itself, and yet rejoice in its sacrifices.
| Where love dwells there are the angels
! of content, peace. joy and delight. 1t
| can make n paradise in the wilderness
| and feast in the house of poverty. 1t
| glorifies the lowliest lot. purifies the heart
| in which it dwells. ennobles life by its
service, makes hard tasks easy and bitter
things sweet. 1t gives to life its sweet
est raptures and its most exquisite joys,
so that men would rather have love with
weeping and pain than he without it and
live painless and fearless existence.
Love is the mightiest aud most benefi-
cent force in the world Its bonds are
the most enduring its work the most
| glorious. 1t transforms everything II
touches. The heart in which II dwels
sees all things in n new light such as
never fell on land or sea-" In the fam
lily its reign makes the earthly home
the dearest spot on earth. n society
it is the Regeneration, peacemaker and
ruler whose deeds are prophecies and
foreshadows Of a coming time, when, I'M
der its perfected reign this sorrowing
world shall reach its golden age.
Romance and poetry thr, lgh all past
centuries have never wearied in pictur-
ing the sorrows and joys. or in singing
| the glories and triumphS of love. Its
tragedies, it's sufferings and its victories
represent all that is greatest in history
and most thrilling in literature. AS it is
among us it is often unwise selfish. inn
pure and degraded. but without it the
world would be a hell of misery and dis
content. Even duty would be irKsome
and righteousness ! woke of bondage
But love. as we know it. in it,. best es-
tate in man. is like love in God Were
il not so the world would have no mean
ing as applied to him. 1t is because we
love thai God can reveal himself to us as
a God of love. Love seeks the highest
good of the object of its affection There
is nothing in its power to give which il
will withhold. 1t gives itself. The meas
ure of its devotion is self-sacrifice II
forgives. it pities. it seeks to WOO to it.
self the object of its affection. 1t is pa
tent and enduring. 1t is panied by in.
difference and neglect 1t is never sat.
isiied until it is owed in return. II i,
jealous of angling that intervenes be
tween it and the object of its love. Its
highest delight is in giving pleasure tC
the person loved.
Such. also, is the nature of the love OF
God toward men. So, by all that is best
in you of pure affection, by all the ten
derness and yearning desire that yor
have felt toward any human being. by all
the ardor of love that has led you to woo
another to yourself and to seek his good
Won NAV know of the love of God toward
you.
Let us now look at the int Dsty Of
Gods love as he himself has reDr 4scnt
ed it to us in his word. Not a few OF
you know what parental love is, thai
strong and pure affection which was
awakened in your heart when children
were begotten to you. All children have
certain attractivenes about them, but
none are so dear to the fathers heart
as his own. They are ever present in his
mind. Their sorrows and pains are Alis
For them he tolls and hopes and praFs
Their dishonor brushes his heart, theii
successes fill him with JOY. When sick
ness smites them OF death threatens then
he forgets his labors aud ambitions t.
wait at their bedsides. His wealth ant
power are all at their service. And. wheI
death smtes them. what would be 30
give for their restoration:
The cry Of David. coming dpTl
through the centuries still finds re-
Spouse in the parental heart. lndiifer
ent Of the tidings Of victory. uumindfu
| of the fact thar the wicked revolt agalns