Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-08-11
FOR CHRISTIAN LOVE
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON

1t Should Be the Constant Aim OF the
Christian to Eradicate the Inherent
Selfishness From His Nature.
BROOKLYN. N. Y.-Bishop E. G. An
drews. of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
preached Sunday morning in the Central
congregational Church. His subject was:
"Christianity and Love-" The text was
from I Timothy is: "Now the end Of the
commandment is charity out Of a pure
heart, and of a good conscience, and OF
faith unfeigned." Bishop Andrews SAID:
Bible takes knowledge Of the fact that the
English language, like every other living
language, is in process of change. He
knows the significance of words, as well
rs their form, and occasionally their order
changes. He reads, for instance, IN the
Psalms: "My heart is fixed, oh God, my
heart is fixed" and he remembers that
was made had the meaning, which we still
retain in our colloquial speech, "to be
fixed up" and so he reads: "My heart is
prepared, oh God, my heart is prepared"
He reads in the Epistle to the Thessalon-
ians that they which are alive at the sec
ond coming of Christ shall not prevent
them that are asleep, and he remembers
that the word prevent" originally meant
to precede simply, and came to have its
present meaning because he that 'precedes
another is likely to get in the way OF that
one and obstruct another who follows, and
so he reads that at the second coming OF
Christ they that are alive shall not precede,
that sleep in Christ, for both alike shall be
called to meet their Lord in the air.
So in this text we have the word "char-
ity," a word which to-day signifies either
almsgiving or kindly judgment of others,
but in the time of our version it had the
meaning to which the new %revisers have
returned. viz, ~"love," or "benevolence,"
The aim of the commandment is lbenevo-
Hence, good will, effective love, even as we
speak of the love of man to God, then also
to his fellow men.
Another Bible criticism is worth our
while. The word COMMANDMENT" like
the word Claw" may have either a narrow
or a broad significance. The narrow sig
niGcance Of that is particular p%,recept" at
tended by particular sanction" A broad
er meaning is that of a "holy ordained in
stitution and SYSTEM" and that broader
meaning evidently should be here used be-
cause of the context. We come then to
the entire statement: "The end, or aim, of
the whole Christian institution is love out
of a pure heart, and Of a good conscience,
aDQ Oh IdlCn uQIelSHeu.
1t originated in a heart Of boundless love
toward man IN an act of love unparalleled,
we may suppose in all the ages of eternity
even the gift of Gods only Son. All it's
precepts turn in this direction. Church or
CARNATIONS and ministrations of every
kind, if they be rightly directed, have sim
ply this purpose 60 discharge the human
soul Of that selfshness that belongs to it
by nature, and to enter into it all the love
of God.
Now all familiar with the New Tesla
ment know that this is no solitary utter.
ance-it is but one Of many broad and
comprehensive statements. One came to
the Master saying: (Which is the first and
great commandment" And He answered:
'"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
strength; this is the first commandment,
and the second is like unto it: Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the
prophets" In another passage St. Paul
tells us that Glove is the fulfilling of the
law" If there be any other command
ment, it is briefly, comprehended in this
thyself." St. James calls this the "'roya
law" st. Paul tells us: "Above all things
have fervent charity one toward another.
And st. John, in a memorable passage, II
one of his epistles, tells u that Good
love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelletl
in God and God in him"
Christ told the story of a man who wen
down from Jerusalem to Jericho and tel
among robbers, as one may nowadays d
on that road. They robbed him, strippe
him of his raiment, wounded him, and lef
him half dead. Then came one of the chic
representatives of the current religion,
priest, and passed by on the other side
Then there came down a subordinate rel
resentative of the current religion a L.
vite, and ne came and looked and passe
by on the other side. Then came a heret.
in religion, an alien in race, and, lookin
upon the wounded man, he was move
with compassion and dismounted an
bound up his wounds, set the wounde
man on his own beast, brought him to a
inn and took care of him for the night an
paid the charges, leaving money for ado
tional charges, saying to the inn keepe
eff it costs more I will repay when I con
again" And that alien in race, that her
tic in religion, the Lord Jesus presents b
fore us as the one great example Of o.
practical religion.
Now be pleased to notice two facts
this natural love. In the first place, mu
OF it is simply instructive, a divine il
plantation for high purposes, but becau
not founded in moral reason, divine reaso
therefore without moral worth. It is b
part Of that endowment of human natu
by which the propagation and the educ
ton of the race is made possible, but
does not imply Of necessity any high mo-
quality. The bear will rush on the point
the spear in the defense of it's cubs. T
wildcat will die for it's young. The Gag
with unwearied patience, will teach t
young eaglet to fly. Will you, thereto
say: Behold, what paragons Of moral
cellence?" Would you not say of them
they lacked parental and flial love: 81
hold what monsters"
In the second place, this natural love
marked by great limitations in it's exte
It is laid upon ones family and on
friends, upon ones neighbors and count
upon those who are of the same race, OF
may be of the same religious faith, or
the same political persuasion, and it
hemmed in by these limitations. II
many a man goes to the market place q
to the exchange with perfect indiffere
to the prosperity and happiness of his
low man and wrestles with them in b
ness to return to his home to lavish ola
upon his family all his ill-gotten gains.
There are many generous men in all
communities, but they may be also men
sirous Of having their generosity duly
knowledged and trumpeted abroad throu
out the world, and if they fail Of that
----