Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-03
CONGREGATIONS ANTICIPATE EASTER
THROUGH Fast Day Services-Unon Service Morning
Church of the Good Shepherd-Park Congregational
- Church Also Held Morning Service.

The union service for Fast day was
held Friday morning at IL o'clock at
the Church of the Good Shepherd,
where there was a congregation of
good proportions. After the organ
prelude a responsive service was con-
Quoted by Rev. H. J. Wyckof of the
Second Congregational church and
scripture selection was read by Rev.
DR. ]. B. Slocum of the Central Bap-
fist church. The passage referred to
the last week in the earthly life OF
Jesus.
The Law of Love.
An anthem by the choir was follow
Cd by the scripture lesson, read by
Rev. F. w. Coleman of Trinity Meth
odist Episcopal church and prayer by
Rev. E. S. Worcester of Broadway
Congregational church. A response by
the choir and a. hymn by the congre-
CATION preceded the impressive SER
mon by Rev. Joseph F. Cobb. pastor
of the church. who spoke upon the
theme, The Law of Love.
He spoke from the text John Is: r.
N: This is my commandment. That
We love one another, as 1 have loved
you. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends. Ye- are my friends.
IL We do whatsoever l command you"
said, we have in mind, no doubt, the
crucifixion of our Lord. We are not,
however, to think of it at this time
as the shameful and degrading mode
OF judicial punishment which was in
ficted upon slaves and criminals of
the very lowest class in the Roman
empire in the time of Jesus, but we
Hesire this morning to think rather of
he spirit Of Jesus as he met his death
Z pom the cross.
hob
/ nore than our Elder Brother, Jesus.
His life's story is a story Of love. He
was the highest manifestation of pure
love.
There was no love so pure. so dis
interested, so unselfish as that of
Jesus. mighty and powerful is the
appeal to human hearts that comes
from the well known friendship of
Damon and Pythias where one was
ready to give his life for the other:
Grand and magnetic is the portrayal
De unbroken friendship between JON
Athan and David, and Ruth and Mao
mi. Touching and pathetic is the re-
c1tal Of the unselfish sacrifice of one,
to US, unknown man for another in
our land at the time of the Civil war.
AS over that young mans grave can
be read the simple but touching cpl
taph, HE died for me-" so when we
think of Jesus we may think this same
Thought: HE died for me-" He. had
S1lhC 1ONS WuICh WAS So great lIldL he
yielded it up that We through Him
might live. He is the Redeemer of
the world.
Three Things to Note.
There are three things to- note brief
ly in connection with this law of
love, namely: First, Jesus did not COM
mand or request or expect his follow
ers to do what He Himself did not
do, not did He demand the unattain-
hla the iT11nnSSih1n This 1nUa
the key to all his actions. He never
gave up Towing because He saw that
men were SO unworthy of His love.
He saw in every individual the divine
nndly, in this. the 18th commandment.
THAT We love one another" Jesus has
shown US how to love.
Yet we say: How can fulfil the
command to love my neighbor or to
love others? How can I make myself
love a man I do not like? How can
love one who has said harsh things
against me? How can love him who
has offended me in some manner? How
can I love the man I do not know,
who does not think as I think? How
can I love him who teaches contrary
TO my belief? How can I love the
man who does what 1 believe is not
right? How can I love the man who
insists upon diSobeying and violating
the laws of justice, morality and spir-
OF people who have nothing in COM
mon with me? How could Jesus love
those who opposed him, even those
who crucif1ed him? Yet hear him
praying for the Fathers forgiveness
for them.
Not impossible.
Difficult as it is we have the assur-
ance that it can be done If we re-
member who it was that not only ask
ed but commanded this love, we shall
note that he asked nothing impossible
II we think of Saints John, Bernard
and Francis we shall note that they
had this love and manifested it in
their acts. We need to ask ourselves
if we endeavor to have the spirit of
the Christ in this matter. do we for
give? Do we have the spirit of for
bearance? Do we forgive times with
out number, If necessary Do We
have the same charity toward others
that we desire from our Father and
Elder Brother for ourselves? If we
have we shall learn to love.
Thirdly, we note that the emphatic
word is zone another" love one an
other" Our Lord had announced the
commandment ito love thy neighbor
as thy SELF" with an added emphasis
and extended grasp. That is, he had
pointed out that their neighbor in
Guided all. even their enemies.
The Message for Today.
We need ever to keep in mind also
what the requirement is to become