The Princeton union., 1906-07-26

These two thoughts of God are not
contradictory,-ye it makes much
difference on which you lay the en-
phasis. The old text emphasizes Gods
majesty, righteousness, hatred of sin.
But it is more true-"God is love-"
But modern thinking has probably
made advance, or started a real ad-
vance in changing the emphasis.
First and always He is every sinners
heavenly Father. Nothing can annul
fatherhood. No casting off of a son
can prevent the father being still a
father. Every sinner is a child of
God, God loves him, yearns for him,
seeks him, is drawing him, is sur
rounding him with the influences that
will entice him back where be really
belongs in the Fathers home. The
Father says, "Come, all things are
now ready. The kingly father will
furnish the wedding garment to cover
nakedness and poverty" We can not
think God hates sin less, but we be-
lieve he loves the sinner more.
Religion does not consist in believ-
ing that Daniel was in the lions den
but religion is living near to God
and being today a brave soul that
can Daniel-like withstand seductions
and threats of power and be hero
whether in court or in den of wild
beasts.
Christ's advent into the world and
his taking on himself our common lot
is just what the God heart is always
doing. Every sin we commit -(any
soul commits) is a thorn on the brow
OF Christ, a spear thrust in his side.
This gives us the ground of our SAL
vation, Gods compassionate love.
Salvation is having the mind of
Christ, being moved by his unselfsh
concern for others, assuming as our
very own the forgiving spirit that
illumed the cross. Salvation is per-
mitting the compassion of God to
have free access in US in behalf of all
who love us is for their good. Saliva
tion is the process of being made over
into the style of Jesus Christ. It is
not title clear to mansions in the
sky, but divine fitness to make the
community where we live wholesome
with heavenly compassion, interest,
faith.
[ feel sure that our heavenly Father
looks with especial favor upon any
religion that takes on such breadth
and intensity as to break the bands of
provincialism and move out on a con-
quest of love and brotherhood. The
blessed burden of worlds redemp-
tion has been rolled over upon the
church-a burden that we shall lift
and grow mighty while carrying. or a
burden that shall crush US into
powder.
We can be religious and ignore this
responsibility. We can be religious
spending much time in prayer and de-
votion, but our religion will not be
Christian. It will be only a purified
paganism. Christianity is Christ in
the heart reaching out further, further
and further, increasing in sympathy,
zeal, patience, hopefulness. Chris
tianity must arrive at it's divinely
predestined objective or perish. It
comes to move and regenerate. Any
form or adaptation of Christianity
made void of this prime element is
cast aside in the ongoing purpose of
God. What makes religion Chris
tian is the vitality and dynamic of it's
sympathy and faith. A more mission
ary Christianity is as paradoxical as
a cold fire, or truthful lie, or a glor-
ious failure. The whole world saved
is Christian completion and objective.
At Sundays services-which were a
continuation of the jubilee exercises
the musical program was under the
able direction of Mrs. G. A. Galley.
In the morning a vocal solo, "One
Sweetly Solemn Thought, by Miss
Helen Patterson, and a violin solo by
Herbert Anderson were especially we'll
rendered. The theme selected by Rev.
J. E. Henderson for his sermon was
''The Church Triumphant' and the
words of his discourse were as fol-
lows:
The text was the same as that used
at the organization of the church,
3.3: "And Moses said, I
will turn aside now, and see this great
sight, why the bush is not burnt.''
God is performing the same re-
demptive work today as in past ages.
The work is the same. The agents
for doing the work are changed from
time to time. The task Moses per-
formed in leading the children of
Israel from Egyptian bondage is par
alleled in these later years by the