MISS FRANCES E. WILLARD,

of Chicago, is a devoted and eloquent speaker and worker in the gospel harvest-field. Her transparent spirituality of mind and life, untiring zeal, and continual study of God's Word are combined with all the modest graces and tender sympathies of Christian ladyhood. One of her associates writes: "Her temperate, simple manner, clear, melodious voice, and rare command of language, her deep Christian experience, wide culture, vigor of thought and versatile genius, make her a most attractive speaker for the thoughtful. Though still young, Miss Willard has been for years a close student of literature and art, has occupied prominent positions East and West as an educator, has seen much of what is worth seeing in her own and other lands, and has now devoted all her time for some years to the work of Christian beneficence. She belongs to a family of New England origin, who number among their ancestors many eminent names, some of whom have been well known in Boston." In the "Garden City," where she lives in a little cottage home with her aged mother, who is now past threescore and ten, her name is honored of the brethren, for her consistent and persistent toils in behalf of all Christian efforts.

For several years, Miss Willard has given her energies, voice and pen to the organization of Woman's Temperance Unions throughout the nation. These associations are a logical outgrowth of the Woman's Temperance Crusade, "which began in 1873, continued about six months, extended over a half-dozen of our most populous States, and enlisted hundreds of thousands of Christian women." In an essay read by appointment before the International Temperance Conference, which met in Philadelphia in June, 1876, Miss Willard read an outline "History of the Woman's National Christian Temperance Union." From that we make the following quotation:

"The women who went forth by an impulse, sudden, irresistible, divine, to pray in the saloons, became convinced, as weeks and months passed by, that there was to be no easily won victory. The enemy was rich beyond their power to comprehend. He had upon his side the majesty of law, the trickery of politics, and the leagued strength of that almost invincible pair-appetite, avarice. He was persistent too, as fate; determined to fight it out on that line, to the last dollar of his enormous treasury-house, and the last ounce of his power. But these women of the crusade believed in God, and in themselves as among his appointed instruments to destroy the rum

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power in America. They loved Christ's cause; they loved their native land that had been so mindful of them; they loved their sweet and sacred homes; and so it came about that, though they had gone forth only as skirmishers, they soon fell into line of battle; though they had ignorantly hoped to take the enemy by sudden assault, they buckled on the armor for a long campaign. The Woman's Praying Bands, earnest, impetuous, inspired, became the Woman's Temperance Unions, firm, patient, persevering. The Praying Bands were without leadership, save that which inevitably results from the survival of the fittest; the Woman's Unions are regularly officered, in the usual way. Enthusiasm a God in us '-enabled the Praying Bands to accomplish prodigies; the steady purpose, and the same faith which inspired the crusade, is conducting the Unions to victory, distant but sure."

When the national organization was effected in August, 1874, at Chautauqua Lake, N. Y., Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer, of Philadelphia, was elected President, and Miss Willard Corresponding Secretary. The latter office was no sinecure, for five thousand written communications were sent out from the Western office alone within a twelvemonth, to women in every State in the Union. Its faithful Secretary, who was also at the head of the Chicago Union, was engaged besides for four months in traveling in behalf of the National Union.

When Mr. Moody, while at Boston, bethought himself, as he said, of gaining "the great magazine power there is in the hearts and consciences of the New England women," he called Miss Willard to his aid; and she at once complied, delaying merely to receive the permission of her aged mother. She labored assiduously as a leader in the spiritual meetings for women in that city. Her thorough, practical expositions of Scriptural truth were heard with wrapt attention by many crowded audiences, and were fruitful of much good.

GOD IS LOVE.

"God is love." 1 JOHN 4: 16.

If

My text is taken from the 1st epistle of John, and it is one of those texts the world does not believe. If I could make every one in this building believe this text, I would not preach a sermon. we all believed it, we would not need a sermon. "God is love." That is one of the texts the devil would like to blot out of the Bible. For six thousand years he has been going up and down the world trying to make men believe that God is not love. Love begets love, and hate begets hate. Let me tell any one of you that I heard a man say this week that you were one of the meanest men in town, and you will soon come to the conclusion that the man who said that was the meanest man you ever heard of. Let me tell you that I heard a man say he thought more of you than of any other man in the city, and though you may not have thought about him before, your love will spring up and you will say, "I think a great deal of that man."

Now, men are believing the devil's lies when they don't believe God is love. A few years ago, when we built a church in Chicago, a friend put up over the pulpit in gas-jets the words, "God is love." We thought, if we couldn't preach it into the hearts of the people we would burn it in. A man happened to see that text up there, and he said to himself: "God is not love; God does not love me;" and he came around into the church, not to hear the sermon, but to see the text as it was burning there upon the wall. The arrow reached its mark. He went into the inquiry meeting. I inquired what it was impressed him. He said it was not the sermon; it was those words that had burned into his soul. He was weeping, and he wanted to know what he should do to be saved.

"God is love." I hope this text will find its way into every heart here. I want to prove it from Scripture. The great trouble with men is, they are all the time trying to measure God by their own rule, and from their own standpoint. A man is apt to judge others from his own standard. If a man is covetous, he thinks every one else is covetous. If he is a selfish man, he thinks every one else is selfish. If a man is guilty of adultery, he thinks every other man is. If a man is dishonest, he thinks every other man is. Many are trying to bring God down to their own level. They don't know that between human love and divine love there is as much difference as there is between darkness and light. God's love is deep and high; Paul says it passeth knowledge. We love a man as long as he is

worthy of our love, and when he is not we cast him off; but we don't find in the Word of God that God casts off those who are not worthy of his love. If he did, there would be no one in the kingdom of God except Jesus himself. He was obedient unto death. He was worthy of love. If you have your Bibles, turn to the 13th chapter of John, at the first verse: "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." Now we find his love is unchangeable. He knew his disciples were to forsake him and leave him. Peter was to deny him with a curse. Judas was that night to betray him with a kiss, and sell him for thirty pieces of silver. He knew that that night, when the shepherd was smitten, the whole flock was to be scattered. Yet, it is said, he loved them right through it all. His love is unchangeable; his disciples were never dearer to him than that hour when he was betrayed. Some people think that, because they are not worthy of his love, he is going to cast them off. It is said in the 15th verse of the 49th chapter of Isaiah: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." There is no woman that loves on this earth like a mother. There is no love on earth so strong as a mother's love. A great many things will separate a man from his wife, or a father from a son; but nothing will separate a true mother from her child. She will love him through all his sin and iniquity. He may sink so low that a hiss will go up against him from every human being, but the mother loves him through it all. God takes that for an illustration. He says: Can a mother forget her child? "Yea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands," and thy name is ever before me. His love is unchangeable. He loved Judas, when Judas betrayed him with a kiss. I should have thought that love would have broken the heart of Judas. If there is a soul goes down to hell, it must go over God's love. You have to trample that love under your feet.

It is said in Jeremiah, 31st chapter and 3d verse, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." He loves us with an everlasting love; that means, love without end. The only way you can get into the pit of hell, is to go right over the love of God; you cannot get there in any other way. God so loved the world that he gave his Son to die for you. That is what will make hell so terrible. It is because you have to go over the love of God. Some people say: "I like some proof of love." If a man told me he loved me, and never gave me any token, and never showed his love by any act, it would not be long before I would doubt his love. There is love