The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-09-02

hat lt IS very easy TO overload all the
ioists and timbcrs of our soul with these
leIects, and we may notice in passing that
a great dea! that passes for charity Is of.
centimes a thin veneer over unmeasured
masses Of selhshness, and we may further
notice that sometimes we have credited
ourselves with very great tenderness and
good will toward men. because. for in
stance we wept over the griefs and woes
OF the heroes and heroines Of fiction. and
set find ourselves (such is the inertia of
our nature) never so much as lifting up
our halds to relieve the unutterabie woes
that crowd in human souls all around us
Another defect of the naturai love is that
il is simply an unri2hteous love; ! mean it
lacks the quality OF righteousness in that it
is mere kindly affection and desire to do
Kind things to those who are objects Of our
love, while at the same time there is no
recognition of chat foundation which up
holds the whole process of human life, that
fundamental truth which only can confer
any large and permanent well being.
Finally, this natural love is oftentmes
ungodiy. That is to say, it is the recogni-
ton in man (the children Of Cod of this
or that scintillation of the infinite good
ness, while it withhods from Him who
gathers unite Himself all conceivable ex-
cellences, all truth, patience, generosity,
purity-while it withholds from Him the
hearts true loyalty. So that this native
or natural love Of which we speak is indeed
oftentimes a very faint reflection and inn
age of that perfect love toward which
Christianity calls us. And SO we turn back
to the text, and hear the words that st.
Paul said: "The aim of the command
ment, the whole aim of the Christian In
stitution, is love out of pure heart, and
out of good conscience and out of faith
unfegned,"
First-In this matter of Christianity we
have to do with such divine forces in their
operation upon human nature as yield
hopes of even this great result. 1t is not
that we expect ourselves to attain any
such goodness, but is it not possible that
He who made this thing we call the human
soul with all its varied powers of observa-
ton, reason, imagination fancy and men,
DRY, conscience and will, He who made
this strange, subtle, intangible thing we
call the human soul, may not He remaks
the soul, enter into its profoundest depths,
so reconstruct, recorder and inspire 1t that
it may shine in all the likeness of God? Is
it not said, "He will do for us far more ex-
ceedingly than we can ask or think"
And that is the warrant in this Christian
church. and in all these Christian churches
for the high aspiration toward which
points us.
And the other thing to be said is this,
that however true it is that most OF us
who profess and call ourselves Christians
come far very far, short OF this high ideal
of character; however true it is that with
many of us our Christianity is simply, as
it WERE an attempt to secure self-well-be-
ing in the long reaching future-alas! that
it is such narrow form of Christianity as
that-however true that may be, neverthe-
less | take it for granted that perhaps
every one present has during some time Ill
his experience come in contact with some
soul, has become intimate perhaps with
some life, upon whom the divine truth, the
divine providence and the divine inspira-
ton has so operated in Transforming power
that the soul seems to have entered into
the very fellowship Of God, even has be-
come radiant with divine life, the features
have been chiseled by the soul within, the
eye has looked tenderly out toward all
men whom it has met, and now and then
tile very habitation and habit of such
person becomes unspeakably endearing, be-
cause Of this dwelling of the Lord Christ
within.
Second-The aim of Christianity is love
not only out of pure heart, but also out
Of a good conscience. That is to say, its
aim is not mere sentimental overflow OF
tears and pity; it shall be a living and
mighty engine within. under the guidance
Of God, as to method, and as to measures,
Of widely instructed moral sense. Chris
tianity is something beside mere happiness.
1t aims at the great soul Of life under the
guidance and shaping of an instructed
moral nature.
And finally the love ab which Christian
ty aims is a love out of faith unfeigned.
Let faith return. Bring back your Bible.
Behold one living and eternal God. He is
owe. and He has loved this poor world so
that He has effected redemption for man.
Kind and lifted them across the heavens.
Has thrown His arms around man, in or
Ter that He might lift him up by His Holy
Spirit. Prayer, SO that the broken-hearted
md the sufferer and desolate may go apart
rom the eyes of man and pour out their
hearts to God, whose ear can catch their
aintest sigh, and whose eye beholds the
alling tear. Providence. No sparrow falls
o the ground without His knowledge, and
he very hairs Of your head are numbered.
Death; Transformation. Life here; intro.
luction to the life eternal. Let these
ruths enter and live within human souls,
md somehow the human race has become
by these facts. ] cannot meet
man, woman or child. but at once ] know
here is one whom God loves. Why should |
not love that one? And so it comes to
,ass that wherever Christianity is there is
till love where it was not.
Two differences are interesting. There |
nay seem to you to be various defects in
he historical parts of the Bible, but if you
viii only tell me where there is a system
whose breath is love, whose inspiration is
owe, which makes this earth a paradise |
nd very heaven of love. If you tell me
where that comes from | am sure | shall |
now how God comes down to our world |
n the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second. How much Christianity have
GU? Not how much religion. The Brsh-
ain, the Mahommedan have religion; that
common to all nations, but how much
have you? There is one an
wer So much Christianity as we have
self-sacriice, charity; so
,,oh ooJ No ,,,ora NT,,, Cod bo1I, 10