The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
LOVE DOES THE WORK OF LAW.
short sermon by Rev. {. NJ. Shepherd,
ID. d.. Pastor of Union Presbyterian
Church, Evanston, Wyo.

corinthians. Xiii. i3.
xiii 10
Here are two propositions of vast moment.
One afiirms that love is the greatest mo-
tive that affects the soul. Faith is potent;
business. science civilization, religion-so-
ciety itself are impracticable without it.
But love is greater than ff tn. Hope is
precious; when the soul wanders like Lear
in the Tempest destitute, afflicted, tor
mented. hope still whispers of rest and
solace. But love is greater than hope.
The other proposition declares that where
love reigns the work of law is done. Laws
dominion stretches from beyond the fire.
mist and over matter and spirit. Yet here
we understand that when law has led the
soul up to the feet Of love, she folds her
hands and bows in worship.
These are, indeed, mighty affirmations.
How shall we prove them2 The modern
scientific spirit brings everything to the test
of fact. DR.. Koch offers cure for tuber-
culosis. The scientific world coldly inquiries,
what are the facts? FIR. Schlatter appears
in Denver working wonders Of healing. En-
thusiasm may prevail for a time, but the
ultimate inquiry of the trained intellect is.
what are the facts? And the principle has
the clear sanction of Scripture: prove all
things" Let US, therefore. apply this cri-
ter1On or 1dcL TO the Claims OF love
The family is the social unit The family
is to the higher organization what the cell
is to the lower. What has love to do in the
family? Just this: We will suppose that you
seek to ascertain whether a given family
rightly performs its given functions You
begin to investigate You find wealth, but
that does not satisfy you. Culture appears,
but that will not content you. Religion is
manifest, still you push your inquiry. But
iet the mind be assured in some way that
love is supreme in the family, will you
search further? No. Let it be the abode OF
the Scotch cotter, the log cabin of the pio-
neer, or the millionaife's palace, you will
rest satisfied. You will feel that where love
holds sway the father will be true, the wife
will be devoted. the children will be docile
Love makes the best of every condition, love
Is the guarantee of duty.
But the sphere of the family is limited.
portion of its work is taken up by the
school. What OF love in the school? Let US
suppose that one is in quest OF teacher
for his children. He can readily secure the
mental requisites and the technical training.
Is that enough? We know very well
how when assured of these we
still pause in doubt. Now. let it
be ascertained that love is the
characteristic. The teacher loves her pupils
and wins their love- We ask no more. In
imagination, we already recognize tact,
power and sympathy following in the train
OF love We cannot forget that the regnant
philosophy in education is the philosophy
of Froebel, and that is doctrine of love.
Next consider love in the business world.
Here many see but maelstrom of selfish
ness We nevertheless believe that love is
b strong undercurrent there. But it is true
that the real tendencies of mans work are
best seen in its typical forms. Every age
OF the earth's physical history, we are told
has contained some type or prophecy of the
age to come. We hold this to be character
istic Of human history and of the industrial
life. In France may be seen a great manu-
featuring establishment. There are many
like 1t in Germany, England and America,
but this one may represent them all. Here
hundreds of men are employed and a vast
capital is invested. One finds hospital, a
bath, library. a gymnasium, a church. He
hears Of workmens insurance, profit shar-
ing, a savings bank and comfortable hous-
ing. On every hand are evidences of the
reign of good will. The banner over this
establishment is not greed, but love. This
is a type of the coming age. though we cam
not know the anti~type in all its diversity.
We therefore judge the drift of the present.
We may also study love in science. When
Pasteur died, what was his legacy to man?
The conquest of disease, the deliverance of
industry from intolerable plaques, the pro-
spective lengthening Of our mortal span.
We do not think OF asking how much
money he left; but what was his ruling mo-
tive? Good will to men. In this he is rep
resentative. He is one of a goodly fellow
ship: Kepler, Newton. Faraday, Agassiz
and Livingstone are examples. Is there any
other mission, save the mission of the cross,
which has numbered so many martyrs, so
many who have acted from the sole impulse
OF 1.-The talent which is death to hide?"
What Of love in the state? Now we
pause, as we think of the bloodshed of
nations. the remorseless ambition and the
venal rage OF politics. Notwithstanding.
charity is the slow leaven of civil life. The
ancient law without the Hebrew state was
untempered severity 1t dealt only threats
and blows. In the middle ages capital Of
lenses were counted by the thousand. Now
a change has come over the spirit of the
law Howard, Romilly and their noble COM
peers have done their work. The prison has
been regenerated, the statute book has been
purged of terror, the ends of the law have
become education and reformation The
Elmira Reformatory is the tyne of the fu-
ture Or, from another pOlns or view, IL is
manifest that the time-woru and pagan idea
of the State has lost its hold on the minds
of men, Those nations which still cling to
1t are moribund. Peoples may be rated in
the scale OF strength and vigor by the
measure in which they have absorbed the
Christian conception. National arbitration,
legal and civic reform. the enlargement of
rights the redress of wrongs, are the signs
of the times. PENIS colony was but a
state born before the time. The nations of
the future will march under the banner
of love.
So we might go or broadening our induc-
ton The results in art, in literature, in
philanthropy. would be marvellous. Crawl
tation affects every atom of matter Love.
even in secular view. is the spiritual
alogue From below we begin to get i'm
pressive glimpses of its universally and
comprehension. Love is greater than faith
because il is the higher principle in which
faith is merged. One could not be really
efficient in thu family relation out of a
mere apprehension of its beauty and neces-
sity That Is correlated with love as light
with heat. Again, love is tEa fulfilling of
the law because it SO operates that the
tinalities OF law become inbred. Thou
shalt is needless because u will" has an
ticipated it. Even according to a limited
purvew Of love, it begins to take the place