The Penn's Grove record., 1914-11-06
FIRST OF VIRTUES
Faith and Hope Never Quite TO
Be Recognized Without
Presence of Love.

WH6ro arc the nine! Thero were
ten cleansed, ten lifted out of deepest
despair; but only one was really
cleansed. The other nine were healed
Of their physical disease, it ia true;
but they denied themselves the full
benefit OF Christ's power. Their gain
was a temporary gain, and there was
no assurance Of safety in the future.
All ten of those men possessed faith
OF a sort, and all hoped to be healed
OF their leprosy; but that kind of faith
and hope Is of the earth earthly, and IL
belongs to the present only. One
turned back in an access Of loving
gratitude; and, because OF love. found
both faith and love raised into terms
OF the eternal.
The command that they should 20
show themselves unto the priests
strengthened such faith and hope az
they possessed, because that was the
method OF attesting and confirming a
cure. The suggestion implied, In an
established method Of procedure, un-
~doubtedly had much to do with the
possibility of the nine being cleansed.
1t certainly relieved them of any ne
cessity Of believing in our Lord az
we believe in him. for instance; and
the loving mercy OF Christ allowed
them to partake Of the ~surface-good,
even if'they could not receive the deep
and abiding quality that was hidden
beneath the outward sign and token
OF his compassion.
All Empty Without Love.
However the order in which the
three great Christian virtues be re-
ceived, faith and hope are never quite
faith and hope without love. That
which must pass away can never sat
isfy; for while we enjoy it, no matter
how beautiful 1t is. the thing which is
temporary makes known to us it's tenn
porary character; and full bloom" is
inevitably associated with fade" and
"sere." Spring cannot erase the mem
DRY OF winter; and as we gather in the
fruits OF the harvest, care and fear
and want lie n'the background Of JOY.
Unshed tears brighten the loving re-
gard that enfolds, our dear ones, for
we part at the last from all that has
its being in time. Strength and vigor
are ours today, but how quickly gone,
and we all unaware till weakness
comes and the making Of place for
others. The fear of, poverty sits at
the elbow of the rich; and he who has
power knows no rest.
"All is vanity" indeed, unless all be
Quickened by love until faith and hope
reach out beyond the world of appear
ance into the world Of things as they
are, and are always. to be.
The law was given. to Moses, craven
deep on stone; and through all
Israel's song breaks the note of sad
ness. Faith there was, and hope; but
faith was a present relationship; hope
an earthly promise.
Fulfllment Of the Law.
The law is fulfilled in the person
of our Lord, whom we may love. with
all the full meaning the word. IF
the ministratiop Of 9TH. written and
engraven gas glorious, so
that esrael could not
stead face of Moses
for Dry c~ountenance;
which $3.50 was t0W~@bne away; how
shall not the ministration Of the spirit
be rather glorious" as we read in
the epistle. The love Of the Gospels
brings US into relationship with the
person who is eternal. Faith and hope
likewise center about him, when we
love him; and the theme of the Chris
tian's song is triumphant Joy; for he
reverses the order of nature and the
natural man. His pain and sorrow, his
trials and tribulations, death and part
ings-these things shall be no more;
and life, Joy and love become the ultf
mate realities. : y
Now the spirit Of love is obedience
("Walk in the spirit, and We shall not
fulfill the lusts Of the flesh
for If We be led of the spirit, ye are
not under the law the fruit
OF the spirit is love, Joy, peace
against such there is no law. That we
may obtain that which thou dost prom.
Use, make US to love that which thou
dost command.") And obedience unto
what? To a dead law, or to the spirit
Of life?
How a we be under the law In
the world when we have fixed our de
sires where Christ dwelleth, in the
world eternal?
When we love him we shall believG
and hope also; and believing and
hoping we shall lovingly serve, obedi
emily walking In the way of his com
mandmentss-The Living Church.