The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1909-08-28

Lesson | X. August ~, 10y
PAUL ON CHRISTIAN LOVE.
(Cor. -: I-I3)
Golden Text: And now abideih
faith, hope, love. these three; but the
greatest OF these is love" | Cor.
IS; -.
This is the great poem OF love. II IS
the supreme flower OF the life and love
q OF Paul IL is the one work OF art
which his genius produced To COM
prehend It's position IN the letter TO the
Christians in Corinth, one must read
the twelfth chapter and the first verse
of chapter fourteen.
In chapter twelve Paul had been
writing about various spiritual gifts
which were highly priced in Corinth.
Having written at some length about
them. he closed by saying q Cor Ia:
JD, "Covet earnestly the best gifts.
and ye, show ! unto you more excel
lent way" Then comes the love song
oi the New Testament. The first
three verses G-3) name the best
gifts" which perhaps one might pos
sess. or unto which one might attain.
But they all become insignificant when
compared with love.
The next five verses (4-S) give the
reasons for so highly exalting love.
They give sixteen wonderful particu-
lars, characteristic OF love Such
way 81 life as is described in these
verses would indeed be more excellent
than any which acquired or inherent
gifts could open to ones feet.
The next four verses to-I2) show the
limitations OF even the best gifts; limi-
tations caused by human imperiec-
tons, by old age ca, by childhood, by
imperfect comprehension OF truth.
The last verse (t3) is the climax. All
things human iail Three things re-
main steadiast. and OF these the great
est is love.
THE LESSON.
vs. J. There are three things in this
verse about which we know something.
% The tongues OF men Language
is power The man who can speak
English. French. German, Arabic,
Hindoo. Chinese, Japanese would have
the world for his audience He would
be at a loss To make men understand
him nowhere Cd Sounding brass"
It NNllbhlH III Il ulhNN DdUhr 1 IN
wind instruments on which men play.
The bronze gnngs which men beat.
just big noisc-makcrs CD Thinking
cymbals" Similar noise makers.
Wooden rims filed with jingling pieces
OF metal We know all about such
things. About the tongues oi angels
we know little Whatever angels are,
their words were only those given by
God for his own purposes
Fcrhap, this paraphasc would not
be am',s. Though combined in my
self all clpqucucc human and divine,
! would be nothing but 4 matchmaking
machine had ! NO love in my heart"
Men nowadays, in slang phrase. call
talk that has back Of it nothing oi the
quality oi worth wind or hot air
VI , This is greater contrast
The ono who can talk back can at least
be noisy But the one who Knows
everything. and even can put God to
the muun'a''i-rcmryiug test and is vet
devoid at love l. absolutely nothing.
He S. not even bit 81 changing brass
vs. T. This verse measures n man.
He may hc q great docr He may give
ten millions tp found university. or
fifty millions To- erect libraries, and he
yet without the real love that makes
one like God. Sncn q man does things
indeed But it is OF no advantage TO
him God does not measure men hy
yardsiicE. hui by their power to love
Nss I-S Love j. positive and mega
tive, Or better: il acts IN positive and
in negative manner Note the posi-
tive things Ns. II suffers long
This does not mean undergo bodily
pain II docs mean bear with bears
under. an sorts ct wrong. miSunder-
standing. evil treatment. etc. vs. 4 II
is kind That We comprehend instant
" We know what that word means
Fahcr put it all into two lines.
And the hear, 81 the eternal
Is most wonderfully kind
vs. : Here are four things Two
OF them are included, perhaps, in vs. !,
in the words "Suifcrcth long" The
two are "bcareth' and "cndurcth"
Then note how the words between these
two explain vs.. I3. showing why love
is greatest The words are 'bclicv-
eth which implies faith and
hopeth,'
Now look At the negative method oi
love, VS. ! No envy No Boosting.
No "bighcad" The one whose heart
really loves has no room for envy. etc.
Think what sort OF lie it would be out
of which all sci-concei, had gone
VS. 5 This is fine No bad manners.
No SelhShncsS Do not forget. be-
haviour is one test OF life, Unseen
ly' means "not-to-be-Seen-ly." Love
never has 10 hide its head
But even love may be provoked. but
not easily Remember that, and re-
member that God and not man is the
Judge of what is easy.
What world this would be il the
last thing in verse 5 was law for every
one Thinking evil about another is
what ruins. Do not do il The old
sentence. Give the devil his due, is
good one
VS. 8 Last Of all VS.. 8 is another
way OF saying what is in VS. 10. Is
there anything in this world that does