Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-09-20
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TRUE LOVE OF CHRIST.
By Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady,

mentS.-St. John ii 10.
Now, when we truly love being for
the possession of qualities we our
selves would fain enjoy and exhibit.
that love, if it be worthy the name, is
transforming. We would be like the
beloved object by which our affections
are aroused. Granted that Christ is
the most lovable being who ever has
existed, it logically follows that men
should love Him and that the love we
bear Him should make us strive to be
like Him.
How can this likeness be brought
about In us-made real by us? Christ
Himself in this thrce-repeated injunc-
tion has pointed out the method-by
keeping His commandments.
But what are His commandments? is
at once asked. Certainly they have come
down to us in many forms and in vari-
GUS ways, and our duty is to keep them
all. His words were never meant sim
ply for those to whom they were ad-
dressed directly, as the disciples on this
occasion, nor can they he restricted ia
the case under discussion absolutely to
any particular set group or selection
from His manifold admonitions. He
spoke to the world for all time and for
all men, yet it is equally true that in
this famous direction He referred def
nitely to certain injunctons.
We look back into the preceding chap
ter and find what they WERE In this
same final Interview before His be-
trayal He told His disciples specifically
to do two things as different at first
sight as day and night, but nevertheless
inseparably bound together The first
was that they should wash one anoth-
er's feet; the second that they should
love one another.
would not limit the meaning Of
Christ's words by confining them mere
ly to pitifully literal Interpretation.
The first commandment Is broader than
a mere ceremonial. 1t is a command
ment of service by man to men and the
second commandment Is its complement,
for 1t refers to the spirit in which the
service should be rendered. Christs
whole life was devoted to the service
of men, and every incident and episode
in 1t, every word spoken throughout it,
flowed from spirit of love toward men
so completely and convincingly evil
denced that we can think of no better
name for God, since Christ's time, than
that He is Love.
There is plenty of service to men in
this world, but mighty little love. God
be thanked even for the service which
springs from stern sense of duty or
from whatsoever compulsion 1t may. 1t
is certainly better than disservice or in
difference.
| But we shall never reach the high
ideal and we shall never have peace
among men until the service of one to
another arises from the love Of one to
another. The growing class antagon-
isms-I hate the word class-the grow
ing race antagonisms, the present strife
and bitterness will never be done away
with by any service whatsoever unless
love-and not so much love toward God
as love toward men, be it remembered
be its inspiration.
We are all children of common
Father. The rich have no exclusive
privilege of relationship to Him or
Righteousness in Him, the poor have no
exclusive privilege of relationship to
Him or righteousness in Him. Neither
has the one or the other a monopoly
Of evil and folly for that matter. The
man who works with his brain and the
man who labors with his hands-the
capitalist and the toller, the employer
and the employe, the master and the
man-all stand on a common level be-
fore an Infinite God. The rich and the
poor meet together; the Lord, He is the
Maker of them all. And no man, how
ever noble his achievement or however
great his desire, can say he loves Christ
unless all he does for man Is done as
much for the love Of man as for the
love Of God. For this it Is to keep His
commandments, which are kept In no
other way.
If we could only in some way get the
principle Of love for men actively at
work as inspiration for the law Of SER
vice to men, heaven would be found
here and to-day.
ROOT AND FRUIT OF LIFE.
| Bv Rev Uriah R. Thomas