Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-26
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
THE LOVE OF GOD.

Keep yourselves in the love of God" Jude 21
 The sea hath its pearls, the earth hath it's flowers, the sky hath its stars, but the human heart hath it's love. God hath made us to love, He hath given the brutes instinct, the birds wings, but to man He hath given the power to love. The affections of man are ever seeking some object on which to lean. They re- sernbfe those plants which cannot stand alone. The ivy seeks the oak the hon eysuckle and jessanaine clach the trel- lis, and if they cannot find a support in something stronger and higher than themselves they will creep along the ground in search of a stone, an old and rotten stump, and an unelean and broken vessel. In hike manner the heart of man wiM cleave to something whether it be money, worldly honor, It, erary distinction, or even some, dones- tic animal. The human heart must But how sad it Is that it should miss it's tngs with something lower than God. The love spoken of is hot mere human love. It is not love that has been de veloped, as love for the creature is<de- veloped. We love Him because He first
  shedding abroad in our heart the love of God In this supernatural operation l His love and our love like His will and our will, become so mingled there is a 1 marvellous oneness. It is this love thar | we are urged to keep. The term Keep l is a military one. It means a garrison 1 or fortress, a place where every appl- i ance of military skill has been employed to make secure from attack or capture. I <N ' Garrison yourselves with love
 1 But why this earnest injunction to guard and preserve the love of God There must be something of inestimahl l value in this love or we would not be urged so strongly to guard and keep 1t "Oh, for this love let rocks and hills
 Their lasting silence break:
 l And all harmonious human tongues
 The Saviour's praises speak"
 It is said that an entire oak-tree is contained in an acorn; that with a good microscope, all the parts of an oak-tree may be detected within the little nut You plant it. when it is grown to be a majestic tree of the forest, you set nothing more than you had in the nut developed, indeed, in It's proportions but unalteFed fin it's nature and in it.
 
 ion. love is the kernel, the ream, the es sential substance of true religion.
 We are to keep ourselves in the low, Of God, because love is the link tha unites us to God perfect love secalra perfect safety. An ordinary professo of religion may get over an ocdinar, difficulty well enough, but when a grea trial comes in his way he redllir.s something more than the con1no, amount of religion to overcome it. S , the ordinary temptations may be avoid ed, but there comes times which try tn
 soul great temptations or unusual diff e1llties. and great love is necessary t
 overcome them.
 A ship that is only strong enough fo
 fair weather wifi go down in stron gale and 8 heavy sea. A lukewaFm se . diec may serve very well in a dress DE . rade, but called to meet the enemy an engage in battle he will count for yer little. So the Christian who does n< l | keep himself in the love of God will |
 RIre to come to a griewous fall at las 5 sWhen a'strong man armed keepeth h ', palace, his goods are in peace but whe n 8. stronger t1-n he shall come upon hir : he taketh from him all his armor where U he trusted and divideth his spoils" IT f soul that is kept in perfect love is like u e pond lily which draws nothing but i s necessary. nourishment from the cart - and that through a very slender tub s while it onens wide it's bosom to the ligl l. and air of heaven. The sanctided b t iieyer has narrowed all those avenues # hts soul which lie earthward, while h e whole mind is open to God and his hea 5. is filled with the sweetness of His lov > Keep yourselves in the love of God al : your soul will be like a we'll tuned har ( 1 always in tune with the music of heave n and all fear will be cast out forever