Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-01-28


dren was destroyed, and the world
turned TO its own way in seeking it's
false loves, while God followed and
sought to win it back to Himself
And God found the world in the slave
market of sin. The price of death
must be paid to redeem the world.
and He paid the price in the gift of
His Son, who, as our text declares.
became "sin for US, Who knew no
sin; that we might be made the right
eousness of God in Him.
As century after century has come
and gone since sin entered into the
world, separating from God. God has
patiently and persistently continued
His wooing. Do you know what love
unrequited is? II means that the one
upon whom the hearts affections have
been centered has not responded to
the flow of love. The heart hunger
takes the inspiration out Of life. The
heart is breaking with its grief. HUI
man emotions may serve to help us
understand the great. infinite love
wherewith God has loved us and
longed for us. The management of
universe could not divert the heart
of God from the lost world. In the
unseen realms of Heaven He had hosts
OF angels to do His good pleasure,
but all the peace and Joy and glory of
the Heavenly places could not give
His heart rest or satisfy His love.
Not even the love of Jesus Christ,
His Son, could satisfy the longing of
the Father. And Jesus Christ felt
the heart throbs Of God for the world,
and He so loved God the Father and
so loved the lost world that He was
wiling TO leave all the glory in
Heaven in order that He might help
God in His wooing. The world was
separated forever from God because
OF sin. That barrier had to be swept
away before man could be won back
to God. The wages of sin is death.
The penalty of sin must bc paid as
the price of reconciliation. And
therefore Jesus, the Simless One. Of
fered Himself as mans substitute and
became sin for us, that 1--WE might be
made the righteousness of God in
Him"
And if we would understand the
manner of the wooing of God. we
must study the attributes of the Lover
himself. In human love affairs the
character and temperament of the
Io"er determines TO very large de
gree the methods which he will fol-
low in winning the object of his af-
Iections, and il is because Of what
God Is and what He longs for that
the wooing of the world back TO Him.
self is so faithfully and completely ac-
complished
''od IL righteous Lover. and as such
lie cannot permit or countenance I'M
righteousness in the object of His af-
fections. He hates sin with an cter-
nal hatred which has planned the
ultimate and utter destruction of the
devll and his angels in the lake of
hre. Fellowship and communion of
man with man is dependent upon sim
lIarIty of tastes and of aspirations.
mere can he no fellowship and com
munion between God the Lover and
the world, the object of His affections.
while its desires are centered upon
the things of time and while its aspra-
tions reach not higher than The I'M
man life. God. the righteous Lover.
cannot swerve one hairs breadth from
the eternal truth of His word. Love
with Him does not mean blindness.
IT is not the weak. dcvilish human sub
StItute for true love which covers I'M
and condoneS sin and wrongdoinp ON
the part of the object of the affections.
God Is the righteous Lover who must
punish sin and Who rhaStens His peo-
PIE. who sends upon them pestilence
ana famine. and cruel captivity when
they wander from Him and indulge in
sin God. the righteous Lover. cannot
abide in the dwelling place of sin. and
the world cannot come to Him until
IT. is cleansed from all unrightcous-
ness ana for this He has marveIouSly
provided by the sacrifice Of His Son.
God is jealous Lover. and jealousy
along the line Of His righteous will is
another kind Of jealousy than that
which surges i'm the human heart and
so often has its full fruitagc i'm blind
passion and black crime Gods ical-
ousy is measured 10y His intense love
and He cannot bc satisfied with = di-
Flded affection in return. Where is
me pure-heartcd lover who S. willing
10 share the affections Of his hearts
idol with some one else? He wants an
the heart and devotion Of the ouc
whom he loves. and her ,hispor,d CON
fcsNion that there is none whom She
I"NcS as She loves him sends the thrill
or Joy coursing through every nerve in
his body. He Is not content with lust
20 part OF her love and devotion. lie
wants il all. u is his right TO cx-
poet and demand g. And is God any
the less jealous az lover? Would the
human heart dare 10 say that He had
less right 20 claim that degree of love
and devotion which human relation
hips recognize and demand? God is
the Jealous Lover bocausc He WANTS
and has right 10 ask for and EXPECT
our best love and because lie knows
that the life that dwcI~ within tho
realm Of His viII and H.. ...,....