ish
may read there one or more sermons for themselves or their people.
They are too long to insert here.

_Second Sunday After Trinity_

Text: 1 John 3, 13-18.

13 Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. 14 We know that we
have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He
that loveth not abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is
a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in
him. 16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso
hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and
shutteth up his compassion from him, how does the love of God abide
in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither with
the tongue; but in deed and truth.

EXHORTATION TO BROTHERLY LOVE.

1. The Epistles and Gospels selected for the Pentecost cycle of
Sundays have love as their general theme. They deal not only with the
love we owe to Christ and God, which is only to be thankful for the
unspeakable blessing of forgiveness of sins and salvation through
Christ's blood and death, but also of the love we owe our neighbor;
not a love in return for favors, but one that unceasingly gives,
forgives and works all good even when unrequited.

2. John here admonishes the Christian to exercise the virtue of love.
Considering the evident rarity of love among men, this admonition is
necessary. He particularly warns Christians not to wonder at the
world's hatred and desire for their death. Such was the hate of Cain
for his brother, of which the apostle has just spoken. The world's
hate, it must be admitted, repels love and powerfully obstructs its
exercise.

3. Is it not surpassing strange that one can hate those who love him
and from whom he has received only kindness? Such wickedness is
almost inconceivable, we say. What incentive is there for any to
render the world service when in ingratitude it rewards love with
hatred? But let us examine ourselves, who are baptized and have
received the Gospel, and confess how we requite the supreme love of
God in giving us his Son. What a beautiful example of glad gratitude
we display! For the shame of it we ought to despise ourselves before
God and his angels.

And what shall we say of those who will not endure the preaching of
the glorious message of God's grace and blessing, but condemn it as
heresy? to whom they who seek to serve, to