Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-21

At the final Lenten service in Christ Episcopal church. Thursday evening, Archdeacon J. Eldred Brown delivered the address, taking his text from John 13 34: 35: A new commandment I give unto you, That yye love one another as have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
 The boys choir of the church led in the singing and Rev. Richard R. Graham and Rev. F. Johns Bohanan assisted in the service.
 Referring to his text Archdeacon
 Brown said: These words were
 spoken on the night before the crufix-
 ion. They are freighted with all the
 weight and solemnity of a final utter
 ance. They are as it were, the death
 bed message of Jesus to his disciples. Already in that upper chamber where
 they were assembled, there had oc-
 cured several things which must
 have mystified the disciples. There
 had been the solemn institution of the holy communion, a symbolical antici- patton as it were, of the great event of the following day when ChriSt's body was to be broken and his blood outpoured for the sins of the world. There had been the washing of the disciples feet wherein Jesus had given
 such a marked example of the lowli- ness ana HuLllllN nC Ldu dlNdg 5 urged on the minds of His hearers. and finally there had been the un- masking of the hypocrisy and treach- cry of Judas and his departure on his awful errand of betrayal. It is inn possible that these several successive events should not have left a pro- found impression on the minds of the disciples, an impression that must have been, in a way, as myStifying as it was solemn and inspiring. As for Jesus Himself, who would attempt to l fathom His thoughts, as he sat there | with the full knowledge before Him, | by the anticipation of the crowded | agonies and woes of the next few l hours But at least we may we'll be- | lieve that, among the thoughs which went through His mind at this time | were those of sympathy and love for | His disciples. Who does not believe | that Jesus humanly speaking was pre- pared at that time, as never before, to | impress his disciples the importance | of this new message2
 In the text then we have the special | Iy expressed will of Jesus: expressed | in a positive form and in most sol emn command, given at a most solemn hour on the eve of his departure, un- der the shadow of death and the stoke | of eminity That specially expressed
 will that command of Christ is | that his disciples love one another. | Observe, Christ is not here urging His
 disciples towards general philanthropy. .Ie undoubtedly teaches that in other parts of the gispel. as when for ex- ample He reiterates the command
 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self"
 | That command is that the neutral relations of His disciples be those o1 | neutral love. A man must be a dis | ciple of Christ before he can come un- | under this law of Christian love, but
 the moment he becomes a disciple oi | Christ it is his duty to love his fellow | disciple and it is the equal duty ot
 that fellow desciple to love him
 It is an universal duty of the Chris | tian brotherhood and there is no ex- | ception. If a man is a disciple oi ] Christ this command is binding or 1 him. As another has well said. Al | most every Christian grace which car
 be named is love in some form or oth'
 er'
 Repentance Is love grieving. Faith i!
 love leaning. Hope is love anticipat ing. Courage is love daring. So tha
 we see that a man has just as muci
 religion as he has love, and no more
 But what kind of love is this whicl