The Penn's Grove record., 1904-08-05

age of that perfect love toward which
Christianity calls us. And so we turn back
to the text, and hear the words that S.
Paul said: '1he aim Of the command
ment, the whole aim Of the Christian in
stitutlon, is love out of a pure heart, and
out Of a good conscience and out Of faith
unfeigned."
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 mem
DRY, conscience and will, He who made
this strange, subtle, intangible thing we
call the human soul, may not He remake
the soul, enter into it's p~rofOundest 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 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
Christianity 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
VI CndIdtJeI5 however TRUE II Is lndI WILL
many of Us our Christianity is simply, as
it were, IN attempt to secure self-well- be-
ing In the long reaching future-alas! that
it is such a narrow form of Christianity as
that-however true that may be, neverthe-
less l 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
some life, upon whom the divine truth, the
| Aivipo nrovi1apen and thu divine ipGnJra-
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
the very habitstion and habit of such a
person becomes unspeakably endearlng, be-
cause Of this dwelling Of the Lord Christ
within.
Second-The aim Of Christianity is love
not only out of a pure heart, but also out
of a good conscience. That Is to say, its
aim is not a mere sentimental overflow Of
tears and pity; it shall be a living, and
mighty engine within, under tAe guidance
of God, as to method, and as to measures,
of a 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 a 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 SO
hat 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 60 apart
from the eyes 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 is one whom God loves. Why should
l not love that one? And so it comes to
pass that wherever Christianity Is there Is
still love where it was not.
Two differences are interesting. There
may seem to you to be various defects IN
| the historical parts of the Bible, but If you
| will only tell me where there is a system
whose breath is love, whose inspiration Is
love, which makes this earth a paradise
and a very heaven of love. If you tell me
where that comes from l 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; that
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-sacrifce, charity; so
much and no more. May God help us.
There is infinite resources for US. Let US
look to heaven, and let US look to earth,
and do the little things at hand in order
that when the opportunity may come we
may nourish within ourselves the victor
ious forces of h%elpfulness until at length,
if it please God, we shall be like our Lord
Jesus Christ, who was the very fulness OF
love toward man.