The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-08-14

all the tongues Of men and angels, il
have not love, l am no better than
sounding brase, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though | have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all the mysteries, and
all the depths of knowledge; and though
have the fullness of faith, 30 that /
could remove mountains; if have not
love, l am nothing. And though / sell
all my goods to feed the poor, and
though l give my body to be burned, if
L have not love, it profits me nothing.
Without love life is not worth living,
and nothing in the world is worth
achieving.
z. What Love is,-ve. At.
Love is long-suffering; love is kind
love envies not; love speaks no vaunte;
love shows no vanity; love is never I'M
courteous; love is never selfish; love is
not easily provoked; love bears no NAL
ice; love rejoices not in the punishment
of wickedness, but rejoices in the victory
OF truth; forbears in all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.
Paul, in drawing this wondrous word
picture of love, must have had his men,
tai eye on Jesus; and recollection of the
visible life of Jesus makes Paul's words
inexpressibly luminous to the Christian
reader.
3. The Eternity of Love,-vs.
8-13.
Love shall never pass away; though
the gift OF prophecy shall vanish, and
the gift of tongues shall cease, and the
gift OF knowledge shall come to naugh t.
For our knowledge is imperfect, and our
prophesying is imperfect. But when
the fulness Of perfection is come, then
that which is imperfect shall pass away
When | was child, my desires were
childish. my judgments were childish;
but being grown man, have done
away with the thoughts of childhood,
So now we see darkly by the reflection
OF mirror, but then face to face; now l
know in part, but then shall | know
God, even as now [ am known by Him.
Yet while other gifts shall pass away,
these three, Faith, Hope, and Love,
abide forever. and the greatest of these
is Love.
Drummond by his matchless exposi
ton of this Psalm of Love" has made
it fashion in Cbristendom to speak of
Love as "the greatest thing in the
world" But we hesitate little on that
adjective greatest" : 1t is a compro-
mise: it is witness of the inefficiency
of language. We have, we must az
knowledge. no better word. Paul had
none better. But so far as it exclusive.
ly suggests its first meaning. namely,
that of bulk or spatial extent, we must
be dissatisfied with it. Love is God;
God is love. Love is the one reality. 1t
is the best conceivable thing.
Not only does love pervade all space,
it inhabits eternity. 1t will persist after
worlds have changed their form. 1t will
triumph; it will turn all its human enc.
mics. all opposing spiritual beings to
friends. Love is beautiful as we'll 8
great. Love in the soul is a sustained
rapture. 1t is the pulsing of Gods life.
1t brings the soul into oneness with
God. 1t makes self-seeking impossible.
This is "the more excellent way to
overcome factional jealousy; this is the
path beyond all others excellent.
1t is we'll to desire the most ser.
viceable gifts; it is better to be baptized
in this ocean of love. 1t is we'll to make
the most of self; it is better to utterly
forget self. Rise out of human little
ness into Gods greatness. Forgive and
furbear with Gods eternal charity.
Paul had, as we have seen, been
trying to pacify contentious believers on
the lower plain of adjustment; and,
alas. he must soon return to the same
unsatisfactory discussion. But here,
through a rift in the clouds, he sees
heaven; he breathes upon those who
will receive it the wondrous peace of
God.