The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-10-05
The Two Great
Commandments
Sunday School Lesson Tor Oct. 7. 1895
Specially Prepared Tor This Paper.

a Afl Essw 4 NNaN.ANn AIIA T. a a. -
pLACE.-The temple court In Jeru-
salem.
Thoughts on the Lesson.
"The commandment which Jesus
cites 70 the scribe is peculiar 10 re.
vealed religion. That is only TO say.
IN other words, that Il presupposes
redemption. We. could not imagine
such a precept in the religion Of
Greece, or Of Rome, and, Of course. we
do not find ii. Who can love- in any
conceivable sense Of the word. Zeus
or Poseldon. Here or Athene? Neither
the place they hold in the universe
nor their characters and relations TO
each other, nor their attitude 10 men.
inspire any such emotion. II is often
said that love cannot be commanded.
but that has only a limited truth.
Granted certain relations between per
sons, and love is demanded by the
very nature of he case; II II is awant-
ing, its absence is the graves OF
moral faults, and brings innumerable
others In its train; till II comes. 1T
orally nothing can be right"-James
Denney. ID. ID.
Why IS this the first and greatest
commandment
/. Il is greatest In its nature. being
the highest and noblest act cf the
soul
?. Il is the sum OF the first table OF
the Law.
3. II has the greatest value, being
the fountain and source Of all virtue.
Of an love TO our nelghbor, because II
Is the conservation OF self 10 the
Father Of all good. and all men. Her
bert Spencer says, by no political al
chemy cen you get golden conduct out
of leaden instincts"
4. Il IS the act, the outgoing Of the
whole nature OF man. II is allinclus-
i've.
8. It IS the most difficult Of all
things. Love is not a mere sentiment
a general good feeling toward God.
when all things go right with us; but
II Is a devotion TO God and His cause
when that devotion makes us mar
tyrs; that enables us TO trust Him In
the darkest night, and say with Job.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; blessed be the name OF
the Lord" and Though He slay me.
yet will wait for Him."
Reasons for Loving God supremely.
Cd He is supremely good; He is the
sum Of all good. lie that loves God
loves all that is good. and hates all
that IS evil. (2) He is not only good.
but lovable. His goodness Is attrac'
tive; Il IS worthy Of love. (S) All We
have and are We owe to him; and the
only way In which we can make any
return Is TO love him and obey him In
love. That IS all that Is ours to give;
to withhold It Is unutterably mean.
(4) "The best thing in man Is love,
and God wants the best" (6) Such
love not only honors God. but eleyates
man. Love IS the most ennobling act
OF the soul; and the nobler and higher
the object and the more intense the
love- so much the more is the one who
thus loves ennobled. purified. enlarged.
exalted In nature. 90 In Him are
found all that ought to move the high
est affections Of men.
Suggestions. 1. Love Is the greatest
thing in the world. For an unfolding
of THIS great fact see / Cor. Is, and
read Prof Drummonds booklet, The
Greatest Thing IN the World"
.. Love Is the fulfilling Of the second
table OF the Law. Compare THE Spec
trum Of Love" in Drummond. illus
tratlng the description Of love In
Cor. 10. and his Programme Of Chris
uanity." which Is stated in Christs
own words Quke 4:1S), the fulfill
ment OF the Prophet lsaiah's words
lisa 61:D, the soul Of the Old Testa'
ment and exemplined 10 Christs mes
sage to John the Baptist Matt IL:
3.G).
3. By loving our nelghbor We can
test and express our love 10 God. This
IS more effective than even prayers
and songs Of praise, though these help
10 inspire and cultivate love 10 God.
So ST. John says, II a man say, 1
love Cod and hsteth his brother be
IS a liar; for he that loveth not his
brother whom be hath seen, how can
he love God whom he hath not seenY
/ q John 4:2O.
4 Love to God and love 20 man
transform earth into heaven.
Compare the conditions given In the
twenty.hth chapter OF Matthew,
where the good deeds enioined are not
substitutes FOR faith, and prayer, and
love. and honesty but they are the
proofs Of a right heart from which all
virtues grow.
Not the Amount Of the Gift, but the
Spirit OF sacrihce.-Ruskin IN bis
seven Lamps Of Architecture, The
Lamp Of Sacrifice" 10 speaking OF the
expense iavlshed on the tabernacle.
saws that "the covenant Of God with
his people was marked and its &C
ceptance slgnldod by some external
sign of their love and obedience and
surrender Of themselves TO HIS VIII.
The Measure Of the Gift
The measure Of a gift lies not In
| the largeness Of the gift but IN the
| lareeness Of the love and sacrifice II
expresses; not the size Of the gift but
the cost to the giyer; not the number
of the sheavcs. or Of the measures OF
fruit but the love and gratitude ana
iaith that fills them. And In tnAf
great day when we present our fruits
at the Judgment seat, some largs
.heaves will grow larger By that meas
ire. and some viii shrink into hand
ful OF halfgrown stalks; and pebbles
rom barren feds will grow into gems