Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-12-28

implies an effort to reduce to the last
fraction or else TO entirely eliminate
doubt as to the worth Of the thing or
the person considered. Allowing that
they were commendable, now we rec
ommend them. And now. Gods love
ls upon us and he has commended Il.
When the mother appeared before
the Judge to request that her sons
penalty Of life-term Imprisonment
might instead be hers so that the boy
might go free at the price Of her suf-
fering. that request commended her
mether-love There was the love. and
there was added the act that said
Here is an exhibition Of my love-
Similarly but with infinite range Of
meaning, God commendeth His love
toward us In that while we were yet
sinners Christ died for us. There had
been the holy outgoing Of Gods heart
but the death Of our Lord Jesus ex-
hibited and urged It upon the attention
Of sinful man Not before the Cross
could the words have been received
so absolutely,
o Love. that will not let me go.
1t is as II, up to Calyarys Cross
God called. God sought, God pleaded,
but when the cry went forth from the
Cross, at Is finished God claimed.
Have you considered those words
made manifest and "the appearing
In the first chapter Of the second eplstle
to timothy There we are told that
before the ages began Gods purpose
and grace were in Christ Jesus; but
with His blessed mission on earth they
were .made manifest and so made
because of His appearing" This fact
dates for us new world in which to
live. For, there was love talking, love
walking, love signing, love weeping,
love .thirstlng, love groaning, love fast.
ing death for us-suffering love, be-
seeehing redeeming love. exhibited be-
fore the gaze OF sinners. 0bscurity
then gave way to manifestation. As
he said: 81 am come a light into the
world Never thereafter may sinful
man make the plea that love (the love
of Cod is not manifestly apparent.
In part, It may be due, too, to the
eFowding forces of affection and trial
that God has planned to so enlarge
the manifestation of his love toward
us. Blinded by the fury of the blight
and the pest and the pain men cried
for the flesh-pots of Egypt. But now,
beholding what Love has offered from
Calvary how sinful the sin that would
charge God with harshness or forget
FITNESS because Of the rage of the con
fiict that engages men. In short, look
at the Cross, really look there, and
you do not see the blight; live beneath
the Cross and you do not feel the
storm; accept the Cross and nowhere
Is there left on all the surrounding
field the sign of defeat. For, there is
loye-loye over the blight, love in the
storm. love mightler than the foe; love
so manifest and apparent that they
cannot appear as before, in its light.
It is no extreme imagining that an
nounees:
0 Cross. that lifted up my head.
No, for the crouching and the dis
heartened droop cannot be when the
heart sees the Cross as it is. 1t 30
commends Gods love that we reason
ably exclaim: He that spared aot
His own Son but freely gave Him up
for us all. how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things"
All, yes, and this love of God is
commended, not because Jesus died
on the Cross for the good or the worthy
but, 'in that while we were yet sin
ners Christ died for us" Gods love
apparent to unfallen angels would be
easily accepted as a fact compared
with this. This Is so astonishing that
He commends it. Christ Jesus came
to seek and to save that which was
lost" Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners" The saved
man sees it, yet 1t Is never his to claim
that the slightest goodness or merit
of his own part could have brought
It about Ask him, why we're you
savedi" He must reply: God loved
me So. And he became aware Of 1t
by believing the message concerning
what Jesus did on the Cross. Search
through the Bible for the plainest com
ment upon the little word $50 in
God so loved the world and see II
you do not find 1t in this very express
sion: "God commendeth his love-"
You will never find the meaning of
that little word so" in John 3:16
outside the Bible, and can you i'm
agine arg other way to explain Gods
commencing of His love than to use
that little word with infinite mean
ihgs If possible it would appear TO
be love exhibited as more lovely. AMI
that for the souls of perishing sinners
Thus taught by God Himself what
an estimate He places on HIS love for
US, 1t can only be ungodIlness that
would reject it.