The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-12-15
THE LAW OF LOVE.

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The inffinr enent OF this law is the rock
upon which many split. The Apostle
Paul, ,7ith ali ais augmentation and all
his strong expressions, makes most
prominent OF all this law of love. Very
plausible objections are made oftentimes
to it's complete 1fulfilment. : Men appear
to think il they meet what they call the
spirit of it the action is not SO important.
Thus persons can go to law with a pro
fession Of love for their defendants
which TOO thinly covers spirit of re-
sentiment. They even pray for them il
words, bat pursue their own cause in
courts Of law with as much alacrity as
if their defendants were a sort Of devil.
That is ssau religion. Hence the con-
stsnt apostolic iDjunctions upon the law
of love. The human code is, TO see that
We lose nothing, the divine code is, to
lay do~n everything for God, and to
spend sad be spent for others, Though
the more abundantly we love them the
less we be loved" This divine code
hss divine pattern, pattern which no
man can fully reach; and yet, by the
may. according to our present capacity,
obey the law Of love. For if we are
sincere in this matter, an1 look well to
the model, we shall be sweetly conscious
gcther. Yes, it is even sweeter tho't
that Jesus, the pattern, and his own
spirit, the power, have taken Up their
abode in our hearts, and dwell within US
to fulfil in US the royal law of love.
which is liberty IN its broadest and full
est sense.
Let Jesus be enthroned, AM there
will be a hearty as we'll as willing res
ponse 20 every one of those iniunctions
to which we have referred. There will
be no questions, no endeavor to evade
the intended force and extent OF the
heavenly spirit, An evasive spirit is
from the pit, and belongs to the devil
and aIi who are sled captive by him at
his will Not SO are those who have
been born Of God. Their path is ''as
The shining light, which shineth more
and more unto the perfect day" And
as for our own personal experience of
this code of life and love, the Scripture
is ppIicable-''bereby 1e know that he
abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath
given US"
The divine statement of his holy law
is given il these words, q Thou shalt
love "a Lord thy G od with all thy heart
AMI ulsa all thy sonl, and with all thy
mind, ani with all thy strength, and thy
neighbor as thyself." How utterly in
complete is their righteousness who
claim to have performed the second part
of this requirement aud have no refer
ence to the first! Without supreme love
to God it is impossible to act with full
recognition of the law of love toward
our neighbors. For the love will be
wanting. Men may treat each. other as
gentlemen without the grace of God.
Indeed. sincere follower of the Lamb
may be entirely deficient in some of the
nicer forms of etiquette-he may not
even desire to observe all the rules of
worldly societies. But if love is wanting
what is respect, what is etiquette, what
are all forms of dignified and >social
decorum2 Well in their place. but they
never saved soul, and without the
geace of God they may even help to
social lying and decit, and
thus to ruin the soul forever. God
puts love to himself, and to man in the