The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1906-10-05
The Two Great
Commandments
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 7. 1906
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

The commandment which Jesus
cites to the scribe is peculiar to re-
vealed religion. That is only to say,
in other words, that 1t 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 Poseidon, Here or Athene? Neither
the place they hold in the universe,
nor their characters and relations to
each other, nor their attitude to men,
inspire any such emotion. 1t is often
said that love cannot be commanded,
but that has only limited truth.
Granted certain relations between per-
sons, and love is demanded by the
very nature of the case; II 1t is awant-
ing, its absence is the graves OF
moral faults, and brings innumerable
others in it's train; till IL comes, lit
orally nothing can be right.
Denney, d. ID.
Why is this the first and greatest
commandment?
l. 1t is greatest in its nature. being
the highest and noblest act of the
soul.
2. 1t 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 all love to our neighbor, because it
is the conservation of self to the
Father of all good and all men. Her
bert Spencer says, by no political al
chemy can you get golden conduct out
of leaden instincts"
4. 1t is the act, the outgoing of the
whole nature of man. 1t is all-inclus-
i've
5. 1t is the most difficult of all
things. Love is not a mere sentiment,
general good feeling toward God,
when all things go right with us; but
it 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 Stay me,
yet will wait for Him.
IbedSOHS lOI NOu
% He is supremely good; He is the
sum of all good. He that loves God
loves all that is good, and hates all
that is evil. GU He is not only good,
but lovable. His goodness is attrac-
tive; it is worthy of love. 90 All we
have and are we owe to him; and the
only way in which we can make any
10, 70 Ia in
love. That is all that is ours to give;
to withhold it is unutterably mean.
"a The best thing in man is love.
and God wants the best" 90 Such
love not only honors God. but elevates
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. co 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. 10, and
read Prof. Drummonds booklet, The
Greatest Thing in the World"
2. Love is the fulfilling of the second
table of the Law. Compare THE Spec
trum of Love" in Drummond, illus
trating the description of love in 1
Cor. 13, and his Programme of Chris
tianity," which is stated in Christ's
own words duke 4:1S), the fulfill
ment of the Prophet Isaiahs words
lisa GID, the soul of the Old Tesla
ment, and exemplified in Christ's mes
sage to John the Baptist Matt. IL:
3-6).
g. BY loving our neighbor We can
test and express our love to God. This
is more effective than even prayers
and songs of praise, though these help
to inspire and cultivate love to God.
So ST. John says, IF a man say, 1
love God and hateth his brother, he
is liar; for he that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can
he love God whom he hath not seen?"
Il John 4:20).
4. Love to God and love to man
transform earth into heaven.
Compare the conditions given In the
twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew,
where the good deeds enjoined 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 Sacriflce.-Ruskin in his
Seven Lamps Of Architecture. THE
Lamp of Sacrifice" in speaking of the
expense lavished on the tabernacle.
says that the covenant of God with
his people was marked and its ac-
ceptance signifed by some external
sign OF their love and obedience and
surrender of themselves to His will.
The Measure Of the Gift.
The measure of gift lies not I'm
the largeness of the gift, but In the
largeness of the love and sacrifice IL
expresses; not the size of the gift. but
the cost to the giver; not the number
OF the sheaves. or Of the measures of
fruit, but the love and gratitude and
faith that fills them. And in that