The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-14

graces which may be justly esteemed, ant
shows that unless love Is Joined with them
they are utterly worthless. Oversees l to 3.
The gift of tongues and the ability TO spear
all the languages on the earth with I'M
greatest pr9priety and tiuency: the git o
Of all the mysteries and knowledge OF divint
things illumined by the spirit of God; tht
gift Of faith, the faith hat works miracles
Mark Xi. 80; the wonder-working power
displayed by men Of God: the outward &C
of charity. even to the bestowment. OF ones
goods to the poor: the act of suffering, ever
TO allow the body to be- burned-all thes.
are proiitless unless prompted and governed
by love. They are useless TO the one whe
possesses them. to the world in general
and to God and his cause. So that. ac'
cordinG TO his teaching. in all these traits
tiful in themselves. the one essential is
q benevolent mind.
VICTORIOUS-Next SEQ what love. when
1 to ~ 1t triumphj over all evil. 1t is
lons-suffering in the midst Of injury ana
provocation. restraining resentment indig-
kind, benign. courteous. and obliging. seek
ing to be useful, Selling opportunity to do
good. 1t suppresses envy. Is not srieved az
the good fortune of others. neither at their
honors or estates; 1t subdues pride and
vainglory phil. ii. ~, Is not bloated with
self,eohesit does not $ swell upon IpSa its n,; asqg gna,
not belong to it. 1t does not pass the
bounds of decency or propriety, but behaves
toward all men as becomes their rank and
station, with reverence to superiorS and
condescension to interiors. 1t is an enemy
to selfshness. and has no inordinate desire
for praise. 1t restraints the pa Sons, sweet
ems and %softens the mind and thinks no
evil. 1t finds pleasure not in doing injury
to any Rom. i. 39, but in promoting truth.
1t bears burdens and covers faults. 1t be-
lieves and hopes well of others. cheriPhinG
kind opinions of all until forced to change
them by weilcknoWn facts
love is next exhibited by contrast. CVerse
81 Other states and actions are for a time
destined to fail after awhile. but love never
fails-it esdures forever, through all time
and circumstance in this life and through
the endless ages of tie next life. Paul
draws this contrast with three OF the most
coveted gifts among the Corinthians. en-
deavoring to convince them that what he
commented. was vastly better than what
performance. Prophecy. whether under
stood as a prediction of the future or, as
is more appropriate. as the del.very or In
struction under the prompting of the Holy
Ghost: public speaking in unknown tongue.
conveying ideas to others who might otner-
wise remain en- In IgnoranGe; kn oisiass
available at pleasure for various uses in
the church-these three were certainly, ex-
Il Cor. xii, 81 And yet they are all short
lived ~glories-they shall fail, or cease, or
IS that beautiful grace of hoy, affection;
which is perpetual. which adorns and
blesses your after years. and grows brighter
- liS sttSOssANo SSdio a IN liV.k ihShN.
PERFECTlON-Love not only outlive5
knowledge and prophecy, but it works ON
after them for the completion of character.
Their ministry. important while it contin-
ues. is for a time and purpose, and. when
that ministry is accomplished, love carries
K erWaTd and a., geT n I t what nrs o thsy IN S1 5ap;
(verse %. necessarily limited. but love
knows no Limitation. and under its infu-
away Nac verse I1 The apostle s;tI has here
struck the doctrine of perfection which has
Provoked so much discussion in the modern
invited his followers CMatt. V. 4S>. and
toward which the whole church is urged 10
press CHeb. Vi. y, as the goal of all holy
love state. An old English divine, who
wrote more than any other on this subject,
said: $50 to love God with all the mind.
ones self. that out of the fountain of love
to God and love to man shall proceed all
t Inc ACTIONS !" pan, or ire bife-t tiss Is GhrtStiap n perfee,
idea, when, in another place he urged d!s-
ciples to put on the bond of perfectness''
lCol. iii. 14), as the regulating agency in
.Matrrins-The power OF love to complies
the character is set forth in another form
through various periods from chiidh p15ds' up
to manhood, declaring that when he reached
the latter stIer.s state to he he Ru. away the things
outsrown them. had no use for them, felt
no desire for them. His richer. fuller life
required what the child life could not sup
ply, although as a matter Of fact, the man
hood had already been enriched by that
which was no longer needed. By this it is
of the Christian religion. about which the
Corinthians commended with jealous zeal, be-
lonsed to an immature religious life, and
love, was demanded In the higher life. In
deed. they must put away the earlier and
accept the later. they must come under the
dominion of love. If they would be matured
into the f~ullness CT the measure of the
stature Of perfect men IN Christ Jesus"
How excellent is that grace which builds
and strengthens Christian manhood. ripens
ITS powers and sets 1t forth in all its divine
glory.
BEHoLDINGPaul advances in the I'M
folding of this theme. to make known the
blesSedness of him who has attained the
love state. the manhood stature. This he
f req ny y0" empicyed very BY e hfm and me atSss
Scripture writer@ He sets the condition of
one who has not attained over against the
former sees through a glass darby. and
y. face to face. and Knows he is known.
clears the vision and enables a man to see
and know spiritual things. This is in d. |
rect rect an nj with the old adage that
the heart is the organ of correct vision.
lRom; x, 10) Many a man has applied
himself to investigations ever learning: but
never able to como to a knowledge of the |
truth. q Tim: Ill. ., because he was blind
ed by the state Of his heart. psalm, xiv. |
- And this is the reason that many wise |
men have erred and rejected what the sim
lMatt; XII. - Love puts new life on every
relation. event. circumstance and
opens up the larger world in which God
works for the accomplishment of his gra-
ciorIs purposes.
sURPAssINGEHavins thus presented
love as essential in the performance Of
p~raiseworthy deeds. as victorious over the
evil that Is in the world, as enduring when
other coveted. good fails, as perfecting the
enabling him to see distinctly, Paul at
one further commentator of love,
by comparing 1t with those two other ex-
with which 1t Is most commonly
associated. affirming that 1t is the greatest
of the three. Faith fixes upon the divine
word and assents to its utterances. assum-
Ing an attitude of trust. Hope fastens on
future rewards, and waits for them. assuln-
Ing an attitude of expectancy. But love re-
CARDS the divine projections and the image
In benevolent disposition and appropriate
action toward all. In faith and hone man
Is a recipient through the mercy and power
Of God: In love he is a dispenser Of that
John. Nv. ~ TT is more blessed to give
than to receive" (Acts Xxx. 3d. He who
has the strength of life flowing outward is
to the divine deal; he is the nor
and pattern man. Wherefore. love sur
REFLECTIONS-Now we know what the
o%ression. that which is offered to every
,hild and man. Not the mere performance
II certain rites and ceremonies, not the ac-
'crmity to rules and regulations talthough
.hese may be so helpful as to be well-nigh
TO the attainment of the desired
,ood. means to no end. but the love Of God
I'D kt~- H.