The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-19

T 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 1T 's 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! IL
simply means that God does not superln,
tend the world at a distance, like the OLD
Greek idea of gods set up there IN Olym-
pus, where the waters are cool and the ar
sweet. and there is shade from the burning
sun and all that the world needs to CRAFTY,
the senses. That is the Greeian 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 nostrils the steam or
life hardly comes" God is not away above
the world; not experimenting the world
somewhere outside the world, bit the idea
is, God is right there where His children
thew rejoice, God is; where life is sweet,
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. 7 say: "What WI! you give for your
son." You say: II am not talking about
those things: it is sacrilege: ! will give an
for my SON." There is not a mother IN
this church who would not give her ire lor
her daughter. There is not a decent man
in this church who would not give his last
dollar to save mis- boys life or honor-he
would give his hand, his life. to make the
how wbat he ought to be. "God so loved
the world that He gave How did God
give? I do not know. How could God feel
balm? I DO not know. How could he en-,
dure? I do not know. But it IS the gospel
| of Jesus Christ: "God so lovedI,He gave.
Then I can 60 out into the world, and 1t IS
not so hard to give. I do not want to suck
now ald then temptation says: Get that
sweet thing. But life is giving. not tag
inc" That means pain, toll, ~disappoint-
ment-it may be, death. GOOD so loved
that He gave" Then I begin to under
stand. If the God and Father Of Jesus
! Christ is swing, cannot I give! Cannot
| that boy, who Is thinking only OF a good
time, begin to give? I remember, long ago.
in the old study at home making up my
mind what my life was going, to be. 1
loneed to be a soldier and follow IN the
footsteps of my forbears, but it flashed
upon me that I only wanted Just to have .
GOOD time. and I prayed God for grace to
fead 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 lie
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, ous
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 lerish." 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, I do not want TO
be kept alive. I can 60 on working, trying
to love. trying to be patient and true; n
at last I can 60 to sleep, for God so loved
the world that He gave His only pegotten
Son that whatsoever believeth IN him
might not perish, but have everlasting
lie" Universal life. Now, that you have
rot. It 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.