God’s Love

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 25, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 33.

“God’s Love.”—John G. Woolley is quoted as saying:—

“I do not love the saloon-keeper; I have never even prayed for grace to love the saloon-keeper. But the saloon-keeper who sells strong drink is more logically right than the Christian who is horrified at the idea of such a sale, and ‘belongs all to the Lord,’ and every Sunday evening ‘reconsecrates himself to the Lord,’ and on election day votes to sell the saloon-keeper the right to sell strong drink.”

We hope he did not say it; for God loves all men, sinners as well as saints. Jesus died to save sinners, the worst of sinners; for “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” We may hate the saloon and its cursed business and traffic; but the saloon-keeper is a man as needy and as salvable as any man. “Love your enemies,” not their sins.