Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-02
Gptnortb League
Topir
"The Supreme Motive Power"
REV. SAMUEL w. GRAFFLIN.

"The Supreme Motive Power"
Scripture basis: III Corinthians. 5:13, "A; John.
1884; John, 1915.
F all the motives that prompt the
DSy words and deeds of men, but one
~ survives. The thirst for gain that
drives men over sea and deep into the
earth's dark cells is satisfied with wealth
or lost within the all-consuming tomb.
The cravings of appetite give way be-
fore the ravages of time, and If old
men do not desert their vices their vices
desert them" Hate is a thing of time
and soon or late hater or hated dies.
Base desire fades to shriveled leaf.
Two haggard shades in robes OF mist.
For longer years than each could tell.
Joined, by strong gyye. wrist with wrist.
Have roamed the courts of He'll
Their blank eyes know each other not;
Their cold hearts hate this union drear;
Yet one poor ghost was Lancelot
And one was Guinevere.
Love only lives on. for every other mo-
tive Is selfish in birth or aim, while the
torch of love is lit at the affairs of God.
We have as a general topic for the month
Progress in Character" The secret of
each life is its supreme motive. and the
supreme motive of the loyal Christian is
the ''constraining." OF holding" love Of
Christ This is the handspring of those
great unselfish lives whose devotion cam
not otherwise be accounted for: those
men and women. in this and every age
since Jesus died to save this sinful world.
who have poured out, upon the altar OF
their devotion. the largest measure of
service and sacrifice. Their thought,
voiced by the poet, is:
when survey the wondrous
On which the Prince OF Glory died,
My richest gain l count but loss.
And pour contempt ON all my pride
he w aip m of fura min
That were present far too small
Love amazing divine.
Demands my life. my soul, my all"
But the love of Christ is a great
vitalizing and fertilizing force. force
that moves US to love others Jesus
said. "A new commandment / give unto
loved you" 1t is the observance of this
commandment that gives us Chrstlike
zeal in our work for God. Before us is
the example of that matchless love and
in our ears the injunction, las / have
loved YOU" Then who can fail to strive
to initiate and obey this loving Savior.
or miss an opportunity to reflect and
propagate this spirit of love. There Is
one other thought given us in the Scrip
ture reference-namely, that of laying
down our lives for others. What a tre-
mendous conception is this: this idea of
laying down our lives for the brethren"
In these words we see the final sacri-
fee, the loftiest altruism. and stirred by
a God given and Chrst-inspired love- toll
and danger have no repugnant hues. and
even stern death no terrors. IL Jesus
Christ or His cause demand the last full
measure of our giving.
Thus in this lesson THE Supreme
Motive Power" three great thoughts lure
us to the doing and being of all that is
noblest. First, the constraining love of
Christ. Second. LAS / have loved you,
and, third. the challenging thought of
laying down the life for those for
whom He died. AS the lights of the city
vanish in the blaze of the King of Day,
SO before this thought of love. the SUI
preme motive power. constraining, en-
ergizing. sacrificing love. all other mo-
tives seem sordid and transient. un-
worthy of the blood-bought children of
God.