The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-06-14

ING that Gift most earnestly coveted as the type
of all. he declares. though possess the very
greatest of these gifts: Though / speak with
the tongue of men and of angels, and have not
charity | am become rs sounding brass or q
.inkling cymbal" Great reputation apart from
love Is mere noise anu eLatLer. Inc greatest
or fame, power are but the emptiest of all emp
ty things ii they be the product of seliishness,
rather than the servants of love.
knowledge Is wonderful thing. IL Is some
thing to be greatly desired. The wise man of old
declared, Wisdom Is better than riches and all
the things that may be desired are not to be COM
pared with it," Paul does not dsparage knowl-
edge. He presents it in its attrac,lyeness; lie
dwells upon It's three-told manifestation. There
are three reaches of knowledge. There Is the
acquisition OF such knowledge as is alreadyin
the possession of men. Matthew Arnold, the
great apostle of modern culture, defines culture
las the knowledge of the best that has been
thought and said in the world" These young
people have been seeking culture-to know the
best that has been thought and SAID III Inc World.
of knowledge beyond that The world is full of
mystery-of seas into which no ship mas sailed.
of continents that remain yet uneNploIeu, Treal
Sntellects have given themselves ana sun give
themselves to the solving OF these mysteries: IL
is a grand thing to be Matthew Arnold-to De Il
man of higher culture. It's grand tnlhs 10 Do
a Calico. a Bacon, a Newton. an AgassH, Il
Darwin-an adventurous explorer OF unknown
Wastes-a solver of great mysteries. Itis grand
er still to be prophet To ascend as qua Moses
from God--tO declare Gods will out from the
fullness of that which he has revealed-to be In
Spired of the spirit to utter otherwise undiScern-
IDLE truth-that is the highest reach of knowl-
edge To be Moses, an Isaiah, q Paul, aJohn
this is the most glorious of all. But Paul does
not draw back from this comparison. He chal-
lenges it. "And though | have the gift proph-
ecy and understand all mysteries and all knowl-
edge, and have not charity, am nothing"
Knowledge, though 1t be the highest, Is, apart
from love, nothing. A famous Russian princess
built century or more ago upon the banks OF
the Neva a wonderful palace: TWAS built OF ice
Its walls were OF ice; its furnishings ana draper
les were of ice; there were chairs and couches
and tables all of ice. clock of ice hung upon
the walls. of ice. The very tables groaned be-
wonderful spectacle-the marvel of its age But
it was built at an Immense cost at a time when
thousands We're da petshg 3l eoG aa ia Sc
is knowledge without love-beautful, brilliant.
wonderful, but cold. comfortleSS, forbidding.
Faith is q great thing There Is seemingly,
nothing greater. Paul especially was the great
preacher of faith. Christ declared that II his
disciples had but little faith-faith as grain
of mustard seed-they could move mountains.
The writer of the eplstles to the Hebrews has
given us wonderful account of the achieve
ments of faith. Faith. he tells us, has "subdued
Kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises. stopped the mouths of lions. quenched
Che violence of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, out of weakness been made strong, wax
the aliens and received the dead raised TO life
again." Surely the world contansl nothing
greater than this! But Paul. the very apostle of
faith, Is constrained to confess that, there Is
something greater even than faith. And
though have all faith so that could remove
mountains and have not charity, am nothing.
A loveliss faith Is an empty faith 1t may be
even worSe-it may be n prosecuting and destroy
ing faith. Loveless faith has deuged Europe
with bloOd-has set nation against nation. peo-
pie against people, man against man.
Who Is the m0StinfanOuS chaftc III history?
1t is not the base Nero, nor the cruel Callgula,
nor Borga, gluttOn of crime and wickedness.
ltn pNnCf al
the Second OF Spain. And Philip was man of
faith lived as its defender; died in the odor OF
There was In it no love, no sympathy, no human
sty. Faith without love Is nothing.
Noble deeds are indlsputable facts. Faith Is
but a sentiment; deeds are certaintles. Faith
faith, there can be nothing greater. Nay. says
Paul. there is something greater even than noble
deeds. The greatest achievements are to be
measured by the love force that prompted them.
There is medieval legend of great king who
desired to build most splendid cathedral. He
summoned 1.-THE most celebrated architects. he
employed the most skillfu workmen When his
design was done, he had many prOffers of assist
ance. The princes would help, the mobiles oiter-
cd themselves, the people would gladly have
given of their substance. But the king. desiring
To keep for himself all the glory OF the achieve
ments refused all aid. When at last, after many
years of TOLL the edifce was completed, king and
architect went together to view the hnlshed
structure. Upon its very front IL bore tablet
.Op which was inscribed the name of the king.
hold Not the name of the king, but strange.
unknown name stood forth upon the tablet. The
king was enraged the architect made what eX.
cuse he might and caused the offending tablet
to be removed and second yetlarger than the
FIRST, with the kings name yet more conspicu-
onsly engrayen to be set in place; Again King
'edi6ce~ Again not the kings, but this strange,
unknown name stood forth upon the tablet. And
now, much wondering what TINS Pr4tdigy might
that the bearer of this name might be discover
ed. 1t was found at last to be that of poor
widow dwelling in most obscure and wretched
house. Straghtway they demanded what she
had done that her name appeared upon the
cathedral tablet. In fear and terror she confess
I'D her decd. She knew well that the king deslr-
ed alone TO build tile cathedral, but sh-. too. de-
sired to offer something to her God. ana under
scare of the darkness had laid one night single
stone upon the rising wall. God honored the
single Stone laid in love more than the great
cathedral built in pride. Great deeds are empty
without love. And though | bestow all my
goods to feed the poor and though l give my
Body to be burned, and have not charity, 1t
prOfteth me nothing.
Christ came into the world to bring love into
the world The old world was an intensely selfish
world. We think our world today is selhsh
but the old world was world that was selhsh
without being even conscious OF its selhshness;
1t knew of nothing better. Christ came to send
fire upon the EARTH" to kindle love- to awaken
humanity, to inspire brotherly affection. He
created love by revealing love. We love God,
WhyY Because he is great? No Because he is
holy? No. Because he is infinite In glory ana
majesty? No. The scriptures tell us plainly:
"'We love Him because He first loved US" This
IS divine philosophy Of love. The infinite
eoroodings of the divine love begat in human
hearts love like unto itself, love that likewise
is divine.
Christ revealed love as the rule of life. Men
had been trying to live by rule OF thumb. They
had sought to hedge about their way and fence
themselves off from evil by multiplying precepts
and commandments. Christ came showing q
better way: "All things whatsoever We would
that men men should do to you do We even so to
them for this is the law and the prophets"
Paul speaks yet more explicitly For this, thou
shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill;
thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false
0itness; thou shat not covet; and If there be
any other commandment IL is briefly compre-
hended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love
thy neighbor as myself" Love is the fulfill.
Ing of the law" All rules and precepts are re-
duced to single principle. Love is the law OF
Rife.
remember as young man attempting pc
,destrain journey of some 80 miles over the New
York hills. Before set out my father made me
"a very elaborate map OF the journey. He
marked, so far as he was able, every road and
every turning was to take. Over against GER
cain lines he wrote, Don't take this road: :" over
against others. "Take this" And so l started
out with my carefully elaborated map But /
soou came into difficulty, There were old roads
that had been closed; there were new that had
been opened; there were ways that with all my
Cot ha ha1 Mv