Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-07-13
LIRE. R
l. There are several things tha,
pass ! II love, in this world. FIJI

each other. People experience tins
when they ".taAin love-" Ihis il
sometimes very beautiful aud some.
times it is not. There is always yer,
much of the animal in it, with, prob
ably, very little either of the intel
lrc,ual or the spiritual. One may b.
the strongest lover in this sense, and
at the same time, be utterly selfish. -
Seif is the person To be profted and
II aiitird. Where self fails to he a.
pleased and enriched and satisfied, as
was anticipated, the love fails proper.
tionatrly.
Lovers of each other IN this sense
Of The word love) may be quite as
irrational, and quite as self,seeking a.
lovers Of ciae The former tud
thfms'lv's possessed Of n very strong
feeling which inlprIs them toward
the object Of that desire. Precisely
so Of the latter; and the latter are
often quite ~ rensOnabh ~ the for.
ner, and certainty more spiritual. Of
this love We car affirm nothing, as To
It's moral character 1t belongs TO
nature. II il constitutional. There
fore, in itself, it is neither virtuous
nor vicious. We fluid it in the best
men and women, and also in the
worst We lind it power, modify
ind the lives of Statesmen and phil
osophers, and we find it equally strong
in shaping the course Of pirates and
bandltti. Controlled by reason aId
goodness, il is an angel. ControN
ng reason, an lrampllng upon good
ness, Gas it often doeS) it is devil.
2. Then there is the love at kin.
drch--pareaai, iilial, ila'ernal hove,
This love il ALWAYS beautiful; and j.,
lt-elf, unsrIti>h bnt it i, largely cons,
tituti"nal. We cal it nat,rai oGec
ti0ns. Ii Is found in connrctton with
all types Of character. Though W.
cannot cal il selfish, yet il is often
largely manifested by the mGst selfish
people in the worll. NJ my people
viii do great things for theiY children,
or for th"ir near kin, under the i'm
pulses of natural aifrtion, who treat
the rest Of mankind rs if they bad no
right tn be respected.
We find something like this love
IN all the higher orders Of animals
1t serves m excellent purpose in the
world, but il il pvtiok II ancS not
" fnIil) the law" A. an impulse, ii
leans t0tcuyd virtue, bit it cannot be
called one OF the virtues, for it often
controls and ovet.ii',,s the decisions
"f reason, producing vastly more
harm than good ..#...
8 But there is love which is nj
WAYS gooa--which j. the very essence
of virtue which is never partial
which iultils the law" This isl
Good Samaritan love; { hrist,.lovc J;
cod love. 1t is not n mere impulse {;
it is n principle. 1t j. MT a natural
bins; 1t is goo1wiIIn;. Iti+ not tit,
:ul desire it il n steady purpose. --
This love Is the sum of all gaodnrSS
II is entirely un>eIf,h. II never asks
what may have" but "what can
| do or give for the good of others"
1t regards all good, whatever and
wherever that good is. There
fore it IL against All that is
really evil whatever and wher.
ever that evil is 1t seeks not
It's own blcssedurs~, bus finds it's own,
IN seeking evpryonc's else. 1t is not
gushing emotion. 1t oitener hides
itself IN deeds. 1t is not so correct
to say one has It, rs to say he does il.
II Is not al "Xper fence, 1t l. actl"n
Action, indeed, that brings mp>t bless