The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-02-21

In the lives of other men and of ma
tions. And, withal, He loved them
with that mighty, godly love where
with none other had ever loved them
before. Such was the love of Christ
to His disciples. Such was the char
acter of the affection, in the broadest
Interpretation, that He lavished upon
them. Such was the love which, in
its fullest application, He wished
them to manifest to all men. He had
loved them as sinners. They must
love other men i'm sin. He had dealt
kindly and patiently and with all
forebearance with them They must
do the same with their fellows. To
be sure, they we're to strive for har-
mony among themselves at all times
that they might be known and read
of all men as His disciples. Only
thus could their teachings gain or
retain a merited respect. But the
wider expression OF the love of Christ
that was spread abroad in their
hearts demanded, as 1t demands to-
day, that they look upon all men in
sin, as well as upon all Christians, as
brothers-and love them.
But, | hear some one ask, suppose
Christian men to-day do love, spe-
cfically and generically, as Christ
commanded that the disciples should
q love, what then?
That is just the point that I wish
to consider. This command Of
Christ, in its application both to the
relation of the Christian to the other
faithful and to the world of men In
sin about him, is Just as imperative
upon us as 1t was upon any of the
eleven. And the outworking of that
Christ principle in all the depart
ments of human activity will ensure
the final solution of all difficulties
that now perplex and distress us and
the consummation of the Kingdom of
our Lord. 1t is so perfectly easv and
so very simple that the ease and sim
plicity of it all astonishes us. We
have become so accustomed to think
of our problems as exceptionally hard
to solve. We seem to take much Joy
to assure ourselves of the almost iu-
surmountable difficulty to set the
world right with the eternal plan of
God We would much rather, so It
would seem, that the whole matter
remain complex. We think, perhaps,
that God will be easy OF us If we fail
in a difficult task.
Beloved, it is difficult, It is we'll
night, yea actually. insurmountable,
this sin in the world, when squared
to the possibilities Of our own un-
aided powers. But did we open our
hearts wide toward Beaten once, and
let the power of the Spirit of the liv-
ing Father fill US to the full; did we
but empty out our Splrit-filled hearts
in love upon our fellow men; did we
but put into action once this simple
plan of God toward the rehabilitation
! of the world, we would learn, and
that quickly. what are the possibilities
of the power that cometh from on
high. And the only way to rectlfy
the results of the spiritual, moral,
economic and political sins of this
world, individual and social, is to
let the love of God fill you and
through you the world of men about
you. This done, the task is light, for
our basis of action is changed. We
no longer rely upon the wisdom OF
the PHILOSOPHERS of men and their
theories, but we clutch tightly to the
power arm of that Ruler of us all to
whom all things are possible-and
we seize the first thing first.
Now this command of Christ to
| love one another even as He has loved
us, is imperative. 1t is mandatory
and not permissive. If we would be
! good Christians of full and regular
standing in the household of faith
! we must obey. II is not for us to
decide whether or no in our case the
| law shall be valid. Christ commands
and only by obedience to His demand
! do we so live that all men shall
| know that we are His dlsci-
pies. The test of fidelity is in obedi-
ence. Lip testimony is judged by
fealty in service. Some one has said :
What you do speaks so loud that
cannot hear what you say" 1t is this
central fact that Christ recognizes
when He commands a loving order
ing of our outward life. We are
Christians, but do we live the life OF
love?
These words of Christ should come
home to each of us with more than
usual force at this season of the
year. Christmas is over; shortly we
shall be face to face with those sad
der days which are so full of mem
ories of Him who for our sakes, suf
fered even ignoblest death. 1t Il
fitting that we should re-dedicate our
selves to the work that He so dearl!
loved. In His own good Providence
God has seen proper to make use o.
us to redeem the world. It remains
for us to decide to cooperate witt
Him and to do good work for tht
kingdom. Shall we put our shout
ders to the wheel or shall we ado
weight TO the load? Shall we no
drink deep at the fountain of Cod
love; shall we not be messengers o
His healing love unto this weary. sin
crushed world?
only as we breathe the Spirit o
His love do we represent Him.
Let us open then our hearts bot
God-ward and man-ward; and fill tn
world with Christ's uplifting, sancti
tying love.
"A new commandment ] give unit
you, that We love one another; eve
as have loved you, that ye also Low
one another. By this shall all me-
know that ye are My disciples, If y
have love one to another"
The True Church.
There are some few churches lei
to show the type to which a.
churches must return. Next to tn