The Tupelo journal., 1903-02-06

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? 1t means that the n
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 u.s.. The management Of
a 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
willing 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 be paid as
the price of reconciliation. And
therefore Jesus, the Sinless Cue, Of
fered Himself as mans substitute and
became sin for us, that "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
lower determines to very large de-
gree the methods which he will fol-
low in winning the object of his af-
fections, and it 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 &C
complished.
God is a righteous Lover, and as such
He cannot permit or c~ountenance I'M
Righteousness in the object of His af-
fections. He hates sin with an eter-
nal hatred which has planned the
ultimate and utter destruction of the
devil and his angels in the lake of
fire. Fellowship and communion of
man with man is dependent upon SIM
ilarity of tastes and of aspirations.
There can be 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 aspira-
tons reach not higher than the hui
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, devilish human sub
stitute for true love which covers up
and condones sin and wrongdoing on
the part of the object of the affections.
God is the righteous Lover who must
punish sin and Who chastens His peo-
PlC, SClluS upOh tllCIu DCSIIftlCC
and 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 unrighteous-
ness, and for this He has marvelously
provided by the sacrifice of His Son.
Ca ;c - ;o,1o,,, 49,, o-1 .zlz..a-.
along the line of His righteous will is
another kind of jealousy than that
which surges in the human heart and
so often has its full fruitage in blind
passion and black crime Gods ieal-
ousy is measured by His intense love
and He cannot be satisfied with a di-
vided affection in return. Where is
the pUre-hearted lover who is willing
to share the affections of his hearts
idol with some one else? He wants all
the heart and devotion of the one
whom he loves. and her whispered con
fession that there is none whom she
loves as she loves him sends the thrill
of joy coursing through every nerve in
his body. He is not content with just
a part of her love and devotion. He
wants it all. 1t is his right to ex.
, pect and demand it. And is God any
the less jealous as a lover? Would the
human heart dare to say that He had
less right to claim that degree of love
and devotion which human relation.
ships recognize and demand? God il
the Jealous Lover because He wants
and has a right to ask for and expect
Il best love and because He knows
that the life that dwells within the
realm of His will and His activity is
the happiest and best life, and would
the true lover ever desire less for the
object of his affections?
And God is a Just and mercifu'
i Lover. Just in that His Righteousness.
+. demands the punishment of sin, ant
merciful in that the sinner is deliv
cred from the consequences of hi.
sin. God could not change His iudg
ment of death pronounced against
: sin, but His infinite love and mere,
could work out through the ages {
marvellous plan of salvation. so tina
the Judgment blow fell not upon maj
: but upon mans willing substitute 70,
| sin, the perfect man Christ Jesus
The true lover always plans for hi
loved one so that his gifts will no
bring trouble or reproach upon her.
1 was reading the other day of a youn.
man who had been tempted to stea
Y from his employer that he might be