st laws are founded upon love, because their highest end and aim
is to protect the good. But the law, "which is holy, just, and good,"
is full of WRATH to the evil doer when it overtakes and punishes him
for his crimes. But does the good law, which essentially is nothing
but love, change? Is it to-day in a good humor, and to-morrow angry?
Such is our heavenly Father. To the wise and good he is love, both in
appearance and essence; but to the foolish and evil, the very same
unchangeable love assumes the _appearance_ of anger and wrath. You are
now prepared for

THE TEXT.

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you
by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." The
life of Jesus on earth was a life of love. A part of the angelic
chorus as it floated down from the skies, announcing the birth of the
Son of God, was: "GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN." Good will toward men was
everywhere manifested by our Lord in the life he lived and in the
death he died. In his life "he went about doing good;" and no part of
that good gave him deeper joy than to see sinners repent of their
sins.

The burden of John's ministry, by which the way of the Lord was
prepared, had for its keynote: "Repent, and bring forth fruits meet
for [corresponding to] repentance." When our Lord sent out the twelve
to preach, he charged them to say: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand." Right here I wish to impress your minds deeply with this
thought that repentance and reconciliation mean one and the same
thing; at least, there can be no reconciliation without repentance.
Reconciliation is repentance made perfect.

What keeps men in a state of enmity toward each other? It is pride,
self-will, and self-love.

Pride says: "I will not bow to _him_. He has got to come to _me_."

Self-Will says: "If he will not accede to my terms, there will be no
reconciliation."

Self-Love says: "What would others think of _me_, were _I_ to humble
myself to him?"

It is self-evident that just so long as this state of feeling exists
with the parties, the enmity will remain. Where deep enmity exists,
both parties may be in fault, as is often the case; but this is not
necessarily so. There are cases where the fault and enmity are all on
one side, and nothing but love and a desire for reconciliation on the
other. I just now call to mind a case of this kind. An avowed infidel
had been at considerable expense to have his daughter