Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-26

faith. hope. love, these three; but the
greatest OF these IL lovc.'-l Co. 1913.
TIME.-The First Epistlc to the Cor
inthians was written from Ephesus In
the spring q A. j.. 81.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
I. Love Completes All Virtues, and
Makes Perfect All the Good Things Of
Life.-Vs. 1.3. First. Eloquence, unin-
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 1t is guided and filled 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. Cne 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 lie
does not assert that one can have
these things without love, bit says II
he could: 81 am nothing" A moral
cipher, without any moral worth or
Significance; weighed in the balance
and found wanting.
Fourth. Almsgiving. 3. And
though | 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 badc 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-
ounce his highest blessing Matt.
5:10-12), but they are prosecuted for
righteousness sake" Yet wen OF
these things, when done without love,
1t must be said, 1T profiteth me moth,
rewarded. 1t does not improve the
character nor aid the cause.
II. The Spectrum of Love. The
Qualities Which Are Combined in Per-
feet Lovc.-Vs. Al. The absolute i'm.
p%ortancc OF love. as an essential par.
of I'll 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 it can be described and recognized
by what it does, by its fruits, by the
expression of its qualities. II is like
life. The greatest scientists cannot
tell what it is in its essence, but only
describe it by qualities and results.
First Ingredient. Patience. 4. Char.
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" Sclfishness
the opposite of love, is the sol in
which envy grows.
Fourth Ingredient. Humility. Char
fly yaunteth not itself" does no
sound the praises of its own deeds
nor proclaim its virtues with {
trumpet. is not puffed up" witt
~sclf'conccit, as a soap bubble, large il
size. but mostly wind.
Fifth Ingredient. Courtesy. s
doth not behave itself unseemly.
Almost all unseemly conduct flow
from pride and s~elfshness,
Sixth Ingredient. Unsalfishncss
"Seekcth not her own" Is not look
ing out for self first of all. 1t seek
to give more than to receive.
Seventh Ingredient. Good Temper
as not easily provoked" 1t does no
lose it's temper. The popularity of :.
temper is that it Is the vice of th
virtuous. II s. often the one biz o
an otherwise noble character. n
form OF vice is more base; not w,:ll
Illness, not greed Of gold, lot drunken
|, ness itself. does more to un-Christial
lie society than evil temper.
Eighth Ingredient. Guilelessnes
!, "Thinketh no evil" Love puts tn
best construction apon the acts {
, others, instead OF the worst, g
many do.
Ninth Ingredient. Sincerity.
"Rejoiceth not in iniquity." Is n,
glad when others sin, hates to rcpo
y H.
, refuses to seem good by d~epreciatir
u ofharo .Dnini,oth In tho t.,th " u.