Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-08-03
LESSON FOR AUG. 6
GREATEST THING in THE WORLD.
Temperance Lesson.)


True ministry is In the exercise of
spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:7-l5). Every
believer is II member of the body Of
Christ, and therefore has Il definite
ministry. Though the gifts are di.
verse, all are equally honorable be-
cause they are bestowed, administered
and energized by the Holy Spirit.
Love alone gives value to the ministry
Of any gift.
/. Fill the Gift With Love wv. 1-3).
Just as the body Is dead unless a liv-
ing soul abides In and inspires 1t, so
is the gift unless filled with the spirit
of love. This Is the more excellent
way' to which Paul makes reference
at the conclusion of Chapter II. In
praising love Paul does not fall into
the error Of cr;ticiZing others. not even
his followers. and suggests that even
he may be wanting in this trait. The
Corinthians We're eager to attain eN-
cellcnce and to be prominent in wis
dom and philosophy; to understand
the world in which they lived; to be
scholars and teachers and improve
and correct society. Paul therefore
shows how vain are such things unless
filed with the motive Of love. (1) The
gift of tongues. The saints in the
church ut COrinth seem to have been
particularly gifted in this direction,
and to have been proud of it, (Ch. IA:
2-23) and eager to outstrip the others.
Paul tells them that such boasting
amounts TO little. The grace Of love
is a far more excellent way. (2) The
gift of prophecy. The New Testament
prophet was d fOrth-teller, not u teller
of the, future. To be a forth-teller wns
Il thing to be coveted and admired. but
not unless accompanied by love. (3)
Miracle working. A man can have
this in the most powerful form con-
ceivable, and yet If he has not love.
he is nothing. az Benevolence. You
can give all you have for the most
philanthrOpic purpose. to feed the
poor. ard If you have not love you are
nothing" How many false hopes
this will a~nnilhiI.te (see Mathew G:1-
4;23:5). (5) Marsyrdom. Give the body
to die at the stake. and 1t will bring
no great reward. The supreme gift,
the one absolute essential. is love.
can stop it.
n. Love Is Known by Its Mani.
festations wv. 40. Having shown the
absolute necessity of love Paul shows
how, mo NM, rnoorpi,a ~ Tho hohov.
Tor of love n be seen and known.
Paul set for us Is manifestations. ~
Love. sufferetlf long. Love is no pass-
Ing emotion. hut n fixed thought. (2)
1t is kind. Kindness in action. love
at work. (3) Love envieth not. 1t
does not grow out of seltishness, for
seIishness is the very opposite of love.
(i) Love vaunteth nOt itself, does not
climb to the hOusetOps to proclaim its
glory. (5) Is not pulled up. There Is
no imitation. like Il soap bubble, to
dazzle the eye. (6) Does lot behave
itself unseemly. that Is without deli
cacy of feeling. Unseemly conduct
grows from pride and %selfshness,
whereas love is the foundation of true
courtesy. "a Seekcth not her own Is
not looking out for self first of all. (S)
Is not easily provoked good tempered,
not irritable. TO lose ones temper Is
a dangerous evil. The evil is not S o
much in the temper but in II failure
to control it,. (9) Thinketh no evil.
Puts the best construction upon the
acts of others. making all possible nj.
lowances. C1O) Reioiceth not in ini-
putty. t11) Reioiceth in the truth, that
is. is in sympathy with all that is true.
(12) Beareth all things; endureth
lardshirs and trials for the working
of the Kingdom. (13) Believeth all
things: not credulous hut putting tho
best construction upon the, words Of
and having faith In the final
outcome Of every good cnuse. I'D
llOpeth I'LL things; Is not discouraged
in the dark and shadOwy days. (15)
Endurcth all things; It goes on believ.
Ing and hoping to the end; ~ obstacle
can stop 1t. Surel! such n catalogue
of the marks of love is enough to
make us nll pause and mediate.
~. The Permanence Of Life wv.
S.13). The word 'faileth" here denotes
failing in the sense Of cessation. and
love is c%ontrnsted with three typical
but passing forms Of Christian ex.
~ "%Prophecles :" not the
things prophesied but the gift or act
If p%rophesying ". 3) which at best
,an only partially express Gods word.
Prophecy will pass away In the fuller
rision and wider knowledge Of God
Who is love-" (2) Tongues" The
will come when they will not he
as a sign nor to enable us. to
our, varied emotions. The di.
'inely inspired prophecies tell, but a
,art Of what Is yet to be. (S) "Knowl-
.dge." It shall be done away in the
uller knowledge of the eternal world
IS the light Of the stars vanish before
he rising sun. When that which is
Is come these lights will be
cen to be only like the separate stones
4 a quarry which can only be fully
Understood when the whole building
lands before us In its completion.
'aVl gives an Illustration of this truth
the familiar case Of the growing
HID wv. IL. 12). In conclusion ".
81 faith, hope, love abideth, three
races, imperishable and immortal.
Hope is a fountain; faith draws the
'ater and drinks; love distributes the
'ater to others" DIR. J. H. Jowett. But
he greatest Of these is love. (a) Love