The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-08-27

a"i'ii OliN y Nli'AC 'iii''gN 'a' INV
greatest OF these is lowell Co. 1913.
T1NE.-The First Epistle to the Cor
inthlans was written from Ephesus In
the spring of A. u. 81.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
1. Love Completes All Virtues, and
Makes Perfect All the Good Things of
Life.-Vs. 1-3. First. Eloquence, min
spired by real love, not seeking the
highest good of the nearer, is but
sounding brass, or a tinkling Gym
ball" mere noise without harmony,
without meaning, without the soul Of
music. This is true even if we had
the gift Of tongues bestowed by the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Second. knowledge Is powerless to
build up character and the Christian
life, unless it is guided and filed with
love.
Third. Faith. 2. And though I
have all faith, so that | could remove
mountains" as promised in Matt.
1920; 21:21, the mightiest and most
enduring faith. One may have the
most strenuous faith in the facts and
doctrines of Christianity, without the
faith that moves and touches the
heart, faith that knows but does not
obey. And have not charity" He
does not assert that one can have
these things without love, but says if
he could: II am nothing" A moral
cipher, without IN moral worth or
Significance; weighed in the balance
and found wanting.
Fourth. Almsgiving. 3. And
though l bestow all my goods to feed
the poor" AS the Pharisees gave
aims and Ananias sold his property
from unworthy motives, without love;
while Barnabas and many others sold
theirs from love, and Jesus babe the
rich young man do the same, as an
expression Of love and faith.
Fifth. Martyrdom. And though I
give my body to be burned" From
unworthy motives, from pride, for a
desire for honor or glory. There are
prosecuted upon whom Jesus pro-
nounces his highest blessing Matt.
5:10-12), but they are prosecuted for
righteousness sake" Yet even Of
these things, when done without love,
1T must be said, at profiteth me moth
ing" There is no virtue in it to be
rewarded. 1t does not improve the
character nor aid the cause.
II. The Spectrum of Love. The
Qualities Which Are Combined in Per.
feet Love.-Vs. Al. The absolute i'm
portance Of love, as an essential part
of all virtues and actions, has been
shown in the first three verses.
Our next duty is to learn what love
Is. Like life, love cannot be defined,
but 1t can be described and recognized
by what it does, by its fruits, by the
expression of its qualities. 1t is like
life. The greatest scientists cannot
tell what it is in it's essence, but only
describe it by qualities and results.
First Ingredient. Patience. 4. Char.
ity 0ove) suffereth long" Is patient
with the faults and provocations of
others, never weary of well doing"
Second Ingredient. Kindness. "And
is kind" Kindness is love working,
love in action, doing "as many kind
things to as many people as possible.
Third Ingredient. Generosity.
CHARITY envieth not" Selishness,
the opposite of love, Is the soil in
which envy grows.
Fourth Ingredient. Humility. "Char.
ity ~vaunteth not ITSELF" does not
sound the praises of its own deeds,
nor proclaim its virtues with a
trumpet. is not pulled up" With
self-conceit, as a soap bubble, large in
size, but mostly wind.
EIfth Ir~,oI;o-% Co.
doth not behave itself unseemly."
Almost all unseemly conduct flows
from pride and selfshness.
Sixth Ingredient. Unselfishness.
"Seeketh not her own" Is not look.
Ing out for self first of all. 1t seeks
to give more than to receive.
Seventh Ingredient. Good Temper.
"1s not easily provoked" 1t does not
lose its temper. The popularity of Ill
temper is that 1t is the vice of the
virtuous. 1t is often the one biz, on
an otherwise noble character. No
form of vice is more base; not world.
Illness. not greed Of gold, not drunken.
ness itself, does more to un-Christian.
ize society than evil temper.
Eighth Ingredient. Guilelessness.
"Thinketh no evil" Love puts the
best construction upon the acts OF
others, instead of the worst, as
many do.
Ninth Ingredient. Sincerity. 6
"keJoiceth not in iniquity." Is not
glad when others sin, hates to report
the weaknesses and faults of others
refuses to seem good by depreciating
others. "Rejoiceth in the truth" Bet
ter as r. ", "rejoiceth with the truth
is in sympathy with all that is true
rejoiceth whenever it can find a vir
tue or good deed in others, joys in the
triumph Of virtue.
1t "beareth all things" The Greek
Teans to protect, as a shield protects
b soldier.
Or the sides Of a ship protect II
against the thrush of the "multitudin
GUS seas" or wall and battlements
hear nll attacks nf nv iDuod;o~ 49,.