The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-08-04
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE eY BISHOP
6. C.. ANDREWS.
Subject: "Christianity and Love-Church
illustrations Should Be DIRECTED
Toward Freeing the Human Soul OF
That SeIfishness which is Inherent.

illustrations Should Be DTec'e"
Toward Freeing the Human Soul OF
That SeIfshness Which is Inherent.
BROOKLYN, n. Y-Bishop Z; 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 i:j: Now the end OF the
commandment is charity OFT OF pure
heart, and of a good conscience, and OF
faith unfeigned" Bishop Andrews said:
Every careful reader. OF the Ensnsh
Bible takes knowledge OF the TACT that the
English language, like every other living
Language, is in process cf change. He
knows the significance OF words, as we'll
as their form, and occasionally their order
changes. He reads, for instance. in the
Psalms: ''NIy heart is fixed, oh God, MY
heart is fixed" and he remembers that
that word fixed" at the time our version
was made had the meaning, which we still
retain in our colloquiai speech, Ito be
fixed up," and so he reads: My heart Is
prepared, oh God. my heart is prepared.
He reads in the Epist!e to the Insssa.on'
ians that they which are alive at tie sec
ond coming OF Christ shall not prevent
then that arc asleep, and he remembers
that the word "preveDt' 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 precece,
or shall not have the advantage over them
tiat sleep in Christ, for both alike shall te
called to meet their Lord in the cir.
So in this text we have the word "ch.r-
ity,'' word which to-day signifies either
almsgiving or kindly judgment O. others,
but in the time of our version it had the
meaning to which the new revlsers have :;
returned, viz, "love," o. "Denevolcnce, "
and in ills passage We read this statement:
The aim of the commandment is benevo-
leace, good Will, elective love, even IS we
speak Of the love tf man to God, then also
to his fellow mcr.
Another Bible criticism IS worth OUT
While. The w,rG "cc:nmandnent," like
the word law" nla7 have either narrow
or broad significance. he narrow sig
nifcancc CT that is particular preeept' at
tended by "particular sanction" A broad
CT meaning is that of q holy ordained IN
ctitution and systern,'' and that broader
meaning evidently should be here used be-
cause Of the context. We come hen to
the entire statement: "The end, or aim, Of
the whole Christian institution Is love out
CT pure heart, ard OF coed conscience,
and Of faith unfeigned.'
It originated in heart Of boundless love
toward man IN an act Of love unparalleled,
we NAV suppose in all the ages of eternity
even the gift OF Gods only Son. All its
precepts turn in this direction. Church or
carnations and ministrations Of every
Kind, if they be rightly directed, have SIM
ply this purpose TO discharge the human
soul Of that sel6shness that belongs to 1t
by nature, and to enter into 1t all the love
Of God.
Now all familiar with the New Testa-
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
. with Ill thy mind, and with all thy
strength; this is the first commandment,
and the second is like unto it: Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyseif. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the
tells us that Love is the fulfilling of the
law" If there be any other co-.!iuano-
ment, it is briefly comprehended in this
saying: s'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyseif." st. James calls this the "royal
law" St. Paul tells US: Above all things,
have fervent charity one toward another: ,"
And St. John, in a memorable passage, in
one Of his epistles, tells US that God is
love, and he that dwelieth in love dwelleth
in God and God in him.
Christ tod the story of man VINO went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho and tsil
among robbers, as one may nowadays 90
on that road. They robb bed hmm, stripped
him of his raiment, wounded him, and lett
ILL looS fEhon NE the ch1et
representatives of the current religion. a
priest, and passed by on the other side.
Then there came down a subordinate rep
resentative OF the current religion. LIE.
vite, and he came and looked and passed
bv on the other side. Then came hereto
in religion, an alien in race, and, looking
upon the wounded man, he was moved
with compassion and dismounted and
bound I'D his wounds, set the wounded
man on his own beast, brought him to an
inn and took care of him for the night and
paid the charges, leaving money tor addl-
tional charges, saying to the inn keeper:
IF it costs more / will repay when come
again" And that alien in race, that here
tic in religion, the Lord Jesus presents be-
fore us as the one great example OF Cur
practical religion.
Now be pleased to notice two facts IN
this natural love. In the first place. much
of it is simply instructive, a divine ln.-
plantation for high purposes. but because
rot founded in moral reason. divine reason,
therefore without moral worth. 1t is but
cart of that endowment of human nature
by which the propagation and the educaa-
tioa of the race is made possible. but 1T
does net imply of necessity aay high mora!
quality. The bear will rush on the point OF
the spear in the defense of its cubs. The
wildcat will die for its young: The eagle,
with unwearied patience. viii teach the
young eaglet to fly. VIII YOU. therefore,
say: Behold. what paragons OF moral eH.
cel!erce:" Would YOU not say Of them II
they lacked parental and ilial love: Be
hold what monsters:
In the second place, this natural love is
marked by great limitations in it's extent.
It is laid upon ones family and ones
friends, upon ones neiehoors and country,
lpon those who are of the same race, or it
nay be of the same religious faith. or OF
he same political persuasion. and it is
,emmed in by these limitations. How
rany man goes 70 the market place and
% the exchange with perfect indifference
. the prosperity and happiness of his fel-
ow man and wrest,es with them in busi-
ness to return to lis home to lavish gladly
1po1 his family all his i!i-eosten gains.