The Penn's Grove record., 1904-09-30

/ do not believe there is one mother or
father that has had experience, who does
not know it Ia not easy. to believe at times
that God loves the wSrld. But it is the
gospel, the great gospel Of Jesus Christ.
The second thing is this: God so loved
the world that He gave"-what is the mes
sage of Jesus Christ about God giving? It
simply means that God does not superiu-
tend the world at a distance, ike the old
Greek idea of gods set up there in Olym-
pus, where the waters are cool and the air
sweet, and there is shade from the burning
sun and all that the world needs to crafty
the senses. That is the Grecian idea Of
God. 1t is not my idea of God at all. We
still think of God on His throne. not
ga god into whose nostrils the steam Of
life hardly comes" God is not WI above
the world; not experimenting the world
somewhere outside the world, but the idea
is, God is right there where His children
are. Where they suffer, God is; where
they rejoice, God is; where life is sweet,
God is; where love is. God is. God so
loved the world that He gave" Nothing
| costs like giving. A mother gives her babe
life, but it costs her much. We give our
children the best We have. We give them
our pain, the result of hours Of toll; we
give and are glad to give because we love
them. | say: "What will you give for your
SOM" You say: 81 am not talking about
those things; it is sacrilege; / viii give all
for my SON." There is not a mother in
this church who would not give her life for
her daughter. There Is not a decent man
in this church who would not give his last
dollar to save mis- boys life or hoBor-he
would give his hand, his life, to make the
boy what he ought to be. God so loved
the world that He gave How did God
give? / do not know. How could God feel
pain? l DO not know. How could He en-
dure2 l do not know. But it is the gospel
of Jesus Christ: "God so loved-He gave"
Then l can go out into the world, and 1t j.
not so hard to give. l do not want to suck
the world like an orange. | know every
now and then temptation says: Get that
sweet thing. But life is giving. not TAX
ing" That means pain, toll, ~disappoint-
ment-it may be, death. God so loved
that, He gave" Then | begin to under
stand. If the God and Father. Of Jesus
Christ is giving, cannot l glve: Cannot
that boy, who is thinking only Of a good
time, begin to give? ] remember. long ago.
in the old study at home making up my
mind what my life was going to be. L
longed to be a soldier and follow in the
footsteps of my forbears, but it flashed
upon me that | only wanted lust to have a
good time, and | PRAYED God for grace to
lead a useful life. We have got to make
choice between giving life and getting life
one is the worldly life and the other Is the
Christian life. The whole purpose Of God
comes out in giving. God Himself Is a
giver: "God so loved the world that He
gave"
The third thought: First, the world is a
love world; second, love is not simply
something looking down. but something in
dwelling here with us, giving His only be-
gotten Son. What is third? Love victor
ious. The love of God is not simply a beau
tiful. patient pain, a universal thing, but
an almighty thing. Back of the love OF
God is all mighty, all wisdom, all resource.
God that made the world is the God that
saws, "Shall not Perish" He says whose
ever believeth shall not perish. Not the
hero. the great. the wise, the strong, but
the whole world of men. Ii there Is any.
thing in me that is worth living, God VIII
keep my life; if nothing, l do not want to
be kept alive. / can go on working, trying
to love, trying to be patient and true: and
at last [ can go to sleep, for God so loved
the world that He gave His only hegotten
Son that whosoever believeth IN him
might not perish. but have everlasting
life" Universal life. Now, that you have
got. 1t is the church's heritage for the
world. Let us try to give it, for the world
wants it to-day Just as badly as 1t did nine
teen hundred years ago.