The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-09-29

as if that was what we profoundly be-
lieved). "God loved the world does not
mean the elect. Ftme and my wife. my son
John and his wife; We four. no more,
amen" Not the people we like, but the
heather Chinee It does not mean simply
that God made this world-that is wonder
ful-but the gospel says the world ls not
simply law world, but it is love world.
If anv man says it is easy to beileve,. ne
does not know much about it. 1t you Lose
one whom you love better than your
self it is not easy to believe 1T is love
world. When some bitter trouble comes,
when pain racks your body, when the one
thing YOU lived for is taken away, IN the
hour of trouble and toll and pain it is not
easv to Get up and say: II will be a man
after the heart of Jesus Christ, for / be-
lieve that God loves the world; 1t is love
world
1 do not believe there is one mother, or
father that has had experience, who does
not know it is not easy to believe at times
that God loves the world. But it is the
GOSPEL, the great gospel OF Jesus Christ.
The second thing is this: God so loved
the word that He gave;'-what IS the mes
sage of Jesus Christ about God giving! IL
simply means that God does not superin,,
tend the world at distance, like the OLD
Greek idea of gods set up there IN O'ym-
pus, where the waters are cool ana the ar
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
dwelling down here. AS Tennyson says:
"A god into whose rostriis the steam OF
life hardly comes.' God is not away above
The world: not experimenting the, wcrld
Somewhere outside the world, bnt the idea
is. God is right there where His children
are. Where they suffer, God IS; where
thev rejoice, God is; where life Is SWEEP,
God is: where love is. God is. GOD SO
loved the world that He gave. Nothlhg
costs like giving. y mother gives her oaoe
life, but it costs her much. we give our
children the best we have. We give: them
onr % main. the result OF hours of TOLL, we
Give and are glad to give because we love,
them. say: What will you give for your
son:'' You say: 81 am not tai aoouS
those things: it is sacrilege; 1 will give all
for INV SON. There is not a mother IN
this church who would not give her life tor
her daughter. There is not decent man
in this church who would not give his last
dollar to save his boys life or honor-ne
would give his hand, his life: to make the
boy what he ought to be. God so loye9
the world that He gave How dld God
give? do not know. How could God 1eel
pain9 I DO not know. How could he en-,
dure? do not know; But 1t IS tne m gn gospen,
of Jesus Christ: "God so loved.-.He gave:
Then 7 can 60 out into the world, and 1t ls
not so hard to give do not want to suck
the world like an orange. 1 know every
now and then temptation says: Get thae
cveet thing. But life is giving. not tax
inc" That means pain, toll, disappo'nt-
ment-it NAV be, death. "God so loved
that He gave" Then I begin to under
stand. If the God and Father of Jesus
Christ is giving, cannot l give! Cannog
that boy. who is thinking only OF a. gooo
time. begin to give? remember, long ago,
in the Old study at home making up my
mind what my life was going to oe' l
Ionred to be a soldier and follow in the
foofstens Of nv forbears, but it flashed
nnon me- that I only wanted Just to have a
GOOD time. and T prayed God for grace to
lead 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
eiver: 'tGod so loved the world that he
The third thought: First, the world IS
love world; second, love Is not Simply
something looking down, but somethlns IN
dwelling here with us, giving His T only be- be-
gotten Son. What is third, Love Vlctor-
ious The love Of God is not simply abe11l: b
an almighty thing. Back Of the love of
God is ali mighty, all wisdom, all resource:
God that made the world is the God .hasas that
ave., be6eveth shall not perish. Not the
ssgo hero, the great: the wise, the strong, but
the whole world Of men + hIas there dd is any my
taep tae nv nv life: if nothing, do not want to
be b kept T alive. I can go on working, trying
to love: trying to be patient an and true; and and
at last can 50 to sleep, fer GCd san{ted So Loved
Son. that whosoever beleveth in Him
might not perish. but have everlasting
life" Universal life. Now, that you have I'VE
got. It is the church's heritage ior 1g .hs
World. Let us try to give it, for the world
wants it today just as badly as it did nine
teen hundred years ago.