The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-02-05


Paul to mount up and still up. Put
on compassion, but do not be content
to rest at that altitude Put on kind
ness, but do not delude your heart into
the thought that kindness is the full
expression of the Christian life. Lift
up the eyes and behold the heights still
beyond. Attain meekness and long
suffering, and forbearance and forgive
ness, and still love, the "summum bo-
num-" remains towering above all else
Paul calls it the bond of perfectness,
as though love were the essential ele-
ment needed to unite and make of the
others one harmonious whole.
T is as though one wishing to make a
| garment should secure all the ma
terials, the cloth, the lining, the buttons
| the trimmings, etc, and should lay one
material after the other upon the person
and expect them to make one complete
whole. The cloth might be all that
could be desired, the lining good, the
trimmings and buttons Just what were
! needed, but if they were not securely
| and properly Joined the one to the other
| in its proper place there would be no
! garment at all. So it would be with the
! character which had compassion here
and kindness there, meekness, longsuf-
| fering, forbearance, forgiveness, if love
were not present to make them one COM
| plete, and beautiful, and harmonious
| whole. Compassion without love-is it
possible? Yesi Kindness without love?
Yes! Long suffering, forbearance, for
giveness, without love? Yes! For COM
passion is not love. Kindness, meekness,
etc, are not love. And so the Christian
life may be rich towards God in many
ways, but the essential element of love
may be lacking, and the greatest factor
in soul winning be missed.
Another phase of this question of love
as factor in soul winning is suggested
by Paul's admonition in the twelfth of
Romans to '1et love be without hypoc-
risy." How the devil loves to counter
felt. He tries to pass the mintage of
hell as the genuine coins of the kingdom.
How much it behooves the Christian to
test for the true ring; to make sure that
he is not aiding in circulating bogus
article instead of the real thing. Let
love be without hypocrisy" Let 1t not
be false and superficial love which is
devoid of inward inspiration and power.
That kind of love is not soul winning
love. How we ought to subject ourselves
to the Searcher of all hearts to let Him
probe deep and discover if that which
we have supposed was love is only
sham.
PUT may all be possessed of this true,
u soul-winning love? Yea, verify, for
God gave that love might be expressed
and Christ gave Himself that love might
be possessed. Love is the one thing all
His followers may have in unstinted
measure. Hereby know we love, be-
cause He laid down His life for u.s." In
exact ratio as the sense of what God
has done for the soul through Christ
love becomes the possession of the soul.
AS Jesus said: ITO whom much is for
given, the same loveth much" The pos
session of love is great in degree as the
work of Christ is manifest to the heart.
The more l get of Christ and His saving
grace, the more capacity l have for love.
The love of Christ can fill my heart only
as the Christ is there to draw that love.
And with possession comes express
sion. Love within means power in serv-
ice without. Consciousness of Christ's
sacrifice stirs to self-sacrif1ce-the lay
ing down of Christ's life gives to the
Christian Willingness likewise to suf-
fer. Not sentimental expression of lip
and tongue, but real genuine expression
of love in deed and truth. Loving souls
into the Kingdom. instead of trying to
70 L Z hpr inf hoK ir1o ict lot
down His life that we might know love-
We must lay down our lives that others
may become conscious of that love.
A CONVERTED Catholic with deep
n feeling told me once that the only
thing that ever brought her out into the
light and blessing of the Gospel was the |
unfailing and all-conquering love of one
who sought her conversion. Where !
arguments and talking and pleading had /
failed love won its way and was tn |
umphant. She pleaded with Christians |
that If they were to win souls for Christ !
they must love them with love which |
counted no sacrifice too great, a love
which could endure all things, a love |
which was constant and tender. How
CdH d IONe IndI Will not Sacrlnce reveal |
a Christ who died? How can a love that |
will not get way down alongside the
unsaved soul, even if it is in the gutter,
reveal the Christ who came all the way
from Heaven to earth to save? How can
a love which is not persistent reveal a
Christ who stands patiently waiting
to be gracious? How can a love which
will not break with its longing to see
souls saved reveal the Christ whose
heart burst with anguish for the lost
world? Paul became Jew that he might
gain the Jews; Ito them that are I'M
der the law, as under the law, that I
might gain them that are under the law:
10 them that are without law. that I
night gain them that are without law:
o the weak became 1 as weak, that |
might gain the weak; l am made all
things to all men, that l might by all
means save some" And Paul was able
o do all this because Of love-the mar
,elous love of Christ--was operative in
lis life. And if you would be a soul win
you must be unless you stop
your ears to your Lords commands.
md shut your eyes to your supreme
as a Christian-you must
lave lovei Love!! Loveiil