The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-08-03

Of natural love OF whiCn we speak is lndeeu
oftentimes a very faint reflection and i'm
age of that perfect love toward which
Christianity calls us. And 50 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 a pure heart, and
,ut of good conscience and out OF talsh
unfeigned."
First-In this matter of Christianity wa
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
tio1, reason. imagination, fancy and mem
ory, conscience and will, He who made
this strange, subtle, intangible thing We
call the human soul. may not He remake
the soul, enter into its profoundest depths
so reconstruct, recorder and inspire it that
it may shine in all the likeness of God? Is
it not said, He will do for us far more cx
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
Christianity points us.
And the other thing to be said is TINS
that however true 1t 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 seit-well-be
ing in the long reaching future-alas! that
it is such narrow form of Christianity as
that-howevsr true that may be neverthe
less | take it for granted that perhaps
every one present has during some time in
his experience come in contact with some
soul has become intimate perhaps with
,,l,N t,sa1 trttA IA flNn
divine providence and the divine inspira'
ton has so operated in Transforming power
that the soul seems to have entered into
tha 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
the very habitation and habit OF such
person becomes unspeakably endearing, be-
cause Of this dwelling OF the Lord Christ
within.
Second-The aim Of Christi. nifty is love
not only out of pure heart, but also out
of a good conscience. That is TO say, its
aim is not a mere sentimental overflow oi
tears and pity; it shall be 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 at which Christian.
ity aims is love out of faith unfeigned.
Let faith return. Bring back your Bible
Behold one living and eternal God. He is
love, and He has loved this poor world SC
that He has effected redemption for man
kind and lifted them across the heavens
Has thrown His arms around man, in or
der that He might lift him up by His Holy
Spirit. Prayer, so that the broken-hearted
and the sufferer and desolate may go apart
from the ewes of man and pour out Their
hearts to God, whose ear can catch their
faintest sigh, and whose eye beholds the
falling tear. Providence. No sparrow falls
to the ground without His knowledge, and
the very hairs of your head are numbered
Death; Transformation. Life here; intro
duction to the life eternal. Let these
truths enter and live within human souls
and somehow the human race has become
transformed by these facts. ! cannot meet
a man, woman or child, but at once | know
there ~ one whom God loves. Why shoulc
l nct love that one? And so it comes to
pass that wherever Christianity is there i,
still love where it was not.
Two differences are interesting. There
may seem to you to be various defects il
the historical parts of the Bible, but if you
will only tell me where there Is system
whose breath is love, whose inspiration il
love, which makes this earth a paradis,
and a very heaven of love. If you tell m,
where that comes from / am sure l shall
know how God comes down to our world
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second. How much Christianity have
you? Not how much religion. The Brah
min, the Mahommedan have religion; thai
is common to all nations, but how much
Christianity have you? There is one an
swer, So much Christianity as we have
self-forgetfulness, self-sacrifice, charity; SC
much and no more. May God help us
There is infinite resources for US. Let "
and do the little things at hand in or3e:
that when the opportunity may. come W,
may noursh within ourselves the victor
ious forces of helpfulness until at length
if it please God. we shall be like our Lore
Jesus Christ, who was the very fulness o
love toward man.