The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-07
MUST EXPRESS love By .
ACT Of some NATURE
&s0v' a. NJ. Fox. Pastor OF F'sirmount
Church, Says II Cannot
He Defined.
LOVE LEADS TO SACRIFICES
Thought Of 1t Illuminates the Soul,
Brightcns Hope and Gains Raging
OF Our Lifc-It Also Sends Chas-
usements.

Avenue Christian church.. yesterday
morning preached a strong sermon on
Love: Its Greatness. Divine and HUI
man" Rev. Mr.. Fox said in part:
Love cannot be defined. | have
never seen a definition of the word that
has been satisfactory. TO say that God
is love does not define il. We have
to search and find the manifestations.
acts and characteristics of God before
any adequate idea can be formed and
then, we are only at the beginning.
There are two manifestations of love:
Divine and human.
Love can be and must be expressed
by an act Of some nature. otherwise
we could not know of the existence OF
love. God did not send His Son into
the world to learn to love the world.
but to manifest His love toward the
world, This was Gods great act 20
manifest His love to man. girl.
one day. said to her mother: Mother,
why are you so ugly? Why aren't you
pretty like other women The mother
said to her daughter: Father will tell
you The father took the little girl
upon his lap and said: DO you see this
picture ! hold In my hand? That was
your mother when we were married
One day you were playing in the fire.
-Ne.if clothing caught MI IRE and mother
in saving your life burned her face
so badly. The mothers act was
prompted by love 1t was not 20 learn
TO love the child. but because she loved
ii that caused her to risk her life. SO
ii was with Cod God loved the world
and gave His only hegotten Son TO show
how much He loved mankind
Not only can Gods love be cx-
pressed by an act. but mans love 20
MI hs 1Na nj fas tod y nm
act. Our life can be written under two
words obedience and disobedience.
Jesus said II We love me keep my com
wandments Samuel said to Saul:
BEHOLD TO obey is better than to sac
rance, and 10 hearken than the fat
OF rams For rebellion is as the sin of
w}tchcraft and stubbornness is as In
t4uIiy and idolatry.' God has not given
man any unnecessary command. or
commands. 10 obey. If we do not obey
r5od-s command We are in rebefifon.
and theP. car be no love FOR the thing
we rebel against, The nature Of Gods
act Was giving His SON. and the nature
II our act IS tn. giving our III 70
God through Christ.
Must Hnv. Training.
sometime we may think that love
wall mos verd chastisements. corre'c
SION Tho parent who does not correct
his cpf1i does not hate the child, hut
loves the child 4 lady once said.
lotr ~ children and ! want other
nto9}r to love them. bat l know that
II / sea ,ts children grew up without
- -sIrE. req1ie VIII net love them
10 is hacausc hove ms children.
' : c"rvcce them Ne etastenine
s.,n'.th 20 bc good for thu present.
Tits rsaoo uao docs uot cut IS no
rtrg. b. The love ina, does nos chas-
T. no love .~'fNs- Lord cbasteneth
.,s he l3vrth
Tr love fhas cod hafh 20 as is
3iIn Ia Cod aud man nlyo Thss old
at'H would be aask and dreary if
God hld nos towel IL snt It would
81, 1e as bright odas II y" 1hous Il
that s4c did uut love ssiil Those
vso Ne God hsVt RIO fear OF jude
n.ent II - - thought thai eliminates
onv s..sa, OriNNlens our hope aud callers
t3se racing 81 our lifs Love not only
-r-t;o5- t,fft ~ oag f~tie~' being Se'
long ago ] received Il phone u~sss+e
-, one over 10 Mr. --- sff,S * kfe
is dead hurried over aaiciSly
az could and found the husband
str,ckea Two little girls were NJ
school The news OF the mothe! 8
death was rushed TO the school buiid-
Ing and the girls came hhrr'edlS IRE
etris came. The eldest when told that
her mother was dead. cried out ON.
mother my mother if l could have
xpoken to hey, but she is gone The
crv Of the little girl Was because she
loved her mother. that affection which
Kinds an rrT wurfd together and n1uis
n. to God Thou shall love the Lord.
they God. with ALI OF thy FOUL. mind
and strength and thy nei9hbor as thy
self
ITO love God and manifest that love
is an expression of gratitude, Jesus
said on one occasion; Where are the
nine Were there not ten c1eansed
The one cleansed leper that came back,
came TO express his gratitude to the
christ because he had been healed
We may often commit the sin OF in
gratitude by being presumptuous, and
take for granted that our friends
know that We love and appreciate
Them when We never convey that
thought to them. Love to God carries
with 1t an expression of gratitude TO
Him
Love Led to SACRIFICE.
"rhe love we bestow upon thing
indicates the value we place upon II
10 us The love of God led TO the sac
rificc of His Son on the cross to show
how much God thought OF man. And
a. Moses lifted UP the serpent in the
wilderness. even must the Son of
Man be lifted up. And |. il l be lifted
nm will draw all men unto Me tie
was willing to sacrifice His Son TO
.avs the world His Son on the cross
was the value God placed upon the
world No greater value could be
thought OF
How much do we love Code Can
We measure our love to God by the