The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-02
SERMONETTES
BY THE PASTOR.

n BY THE PASTOR
.'Ie have heard that il hath been
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and
hate thino enemy. But I say unto
YOU, Love Your cpemcs, bless them that
curse you. do good TO them that bate
you, and pray for them which despite
fully use you, and persecutc yon: that
yo may be the children of your Father
which IS in heaven.
This is long text. and docs net
strike many people vosv favorably
There are some Ingredients ~ this
mixture that arc bitter to take; and
have noticed that the average person
makes a mighty wry face when re-
quircd 20 take it. However, [ sup
pose it is not necessary for me 10 apol-
ogize to tho readers of The Tribune
for introducing Jesus Christ TO them,
not only as a great teacher. bnt as the
greatest teacher who ever lived; whose
precepts and example. If followed out
strictly, would make Of this old world
paradise. So strong is this belief
and so generally accepted is 1T that
there is scarcely an organization of
men or women in the civilized world
model 10 work by. aud up to. We
constantly bear the cry, Back to
Christ. back To CHRIST For the bcnc
fit Of Tribune readers | have gone back
to Christ and brought forward for your
especial benefit the text quoted above,
Not that you. Tribune readers. need
the text more than others. but that YOU
need it none tho less than others. II
is q notorious fact that the spirit here
demanded rs one most unusual in Its
manifestations among the children of
men.
The fathtrhood or God socms TO be
the universal cry; and the phrases my
Heavenly Father and "our 1leay-
enly Father have become hackneyed.
and nauseous from use hv those whose
lives are far from being in sympathy
o. accord with the teachings OF this
feNi. There were those in the time of
the Christ who made the same claim
for themselves as the claim we hear
SO much about today. except in a more
restricted a. exclusive sense. Said |
they: "Wc have one father, even God.
But Christ said that If God were their !
father they would love Christ Then
said He unto them: eye arc of YOUR |
father the devil. and the lnsts of your |
father We Will do That was a Sc.
we're dose 10 take. but they had to take
u. They were not, in their lives, in
harmony with the text which wc have
this morning. for they bad hate in their
bcarts. and went about 10 kill man
who. had done only good and told the
truth.
1t would seem that every child born
into the world bears some resemblance
to his or her father. in form, or fca-
turc. or disposition: aud they may be
known by these characteristics which
arc the most prominent III their lives
God is love. and if God is their father
then they must love Christ, even though
they consider bjm an enemy. If God
is love. then the children of God must
manifest that spirit. ANY one can love
one s friends. No difficulty is encoun-
tered here. This spirii is common to
all beings; but il YOU love them who
love you what reward have you. what
nnusual effort have YOU put forth?
Even the devil can love his own or
those who love him. But God com
mendeth his love unto us in that while
We were sinners Christ died for us''
Christ said ''Greater love hath 10 man
than this that a man lay down his life
human love is that one would die for
ono S own or for some good person.
Bul TINS type does mol measure up 10
the love Of God. And while we NAV
rot be possessed of the fulness of the
divine love. Vet We must have it in
shihcient measure 10 love our enemies.
~ tuI 'eAl oi Hlne, tnrlst made TO !
requirement that he could not. aud did
not measure up TO himself. Love Your
enemies! Brace up neighbor. You ap-
pcalcd to Christ, now do not 90 back
On Him. Love nv enemies 2 Let me
think moment Yes he PLAYED me a
dirty mean trick He tried to hurt nv
business. She camc between me and
my my home They told things about me
that were false as-heaven help me. but
cannot do 1T. I can 7 love them. -
INC same old story. You have heard
1T many times. ] have heard II many
lmes- have said tho same thing.
fon have said The Same thing of some
thln2 similar Bless them that curse
me! Not much. 7 can heap curses as
diction upon my head. ] viii heap
maIediction mpou his head. Bless them?
guess not. - ''Do good TO them that
hate you ''Not IL 7 know myself.
VIII 20 this far: If they viii let me
alone ] will let them alone; but as TO
dong them good. ! shall leave that 10
others. and will not encourage il,
either. Pray for them which de-
spitefully use you and persecute you.''
- low can [ pray for such as they.
when 1t Is all can do 10 pray for nv.
self, and am not much used TO that 4
Fray roy them that persccutc me9 Why. +
u could pray for myself. or ever did.
|
lips to speak their name nv PRAYER /
would cease. No IL is not in me 80
do II. This is one requirement. which
] cannot meet Z
In the above soliloquy have simply
represented fhc majority Of our race.
/ have spoken that which ninety and
nine out of every one hundred feel at
some period in life, and 1 am sorry TO
say; that with too many. that period
IN life is An extended one Rut am
reminded, and wopId remind Won by the
Text, that II we are TO be children of
our Father who is in heaven we mus.
meet this requirement
! am aware OF this, that if any one
follow the teachings and example of
the Christ there must be a decided
change IN heart. The old bcart of hare
mast he removed, or subdued. or some
thing equally as effective, for man can.
not love as God loves with the old
heart OF hate in. control Nor has