The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-11-01
"The Greatest of These Is Love"

here in the heart of the analysis
of love it finds a place: and the
Bible, again and again, returns
to condemn it as one of the most
destructive elements In human
nature. The popularity of ill temp
er is that it may be a vice of the
virtuous, the one blot or a, per-
haps otherwise, noble character.
This compatibility of i'll temper
with high moral character is one
of the strangest and saddest prob
lens of ethics.
There are two great classes Of
sins-sins of the body, and sins
of the disposition. The "prodigal
son" may be taken as a type of
the first, the "elder brother, of
the second. We have no balance
to weigh one another's sins, and
coarser and finer are but human
words.
No form of vice does more to
un-Christianize society than evil
temper. For embittering life, for
breaking up communities, for de-
stroying the most sacred relation
ships, for devastating hines, for
whitening up men and women, for
taking the bloom off childhood
in short, for sheer gratuitous mis-
reproducing power, this influ-
ence stands alone.
How many "prodigals" are kept
out of the kingdom of God by the
unlovely characters OF those who
profess to be inside.
AS a study in temper analysis
the thunder-cloud as it gathers on
the brow of the "elder brother.
1t is made up of jealousy, anger,
pride, uncharity, cruelty, self
righteousness, loneliness, logged
ness, sullenness. In varying pro-
portions these are in the elements
of all Ill temper. A want of pa
thence, a want Of kindness, a want
of generosity, a want Of courtesy,
a want of unselfishness are all
instantly symbolized in one flash
of evil temper.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. not
account of evil" Guile1essness Is
the grace for suspicious people,
and the possession of it is the Sc
cret of great personal influence.
The people who influence you
r people who believe in you.
For the respect of another is the
first restoration of the self-respect
a man has lost.
SINCERITY-"Rejoiceth not In
unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with
the truth" A quality which prob
ably no English word adequately
defines. 1t includes the self-re-
straint which refuses to make cap
ital out of others faults: the char
ity which "covereth all things"
and delights not in exposing the
weakness of Others.
What was Christ doing in the
carpenter shop? Practising. Tho
perfect, we read that He learned
obedience. He increased In wis
dom and in favor with God and
man. Try to give up the idea that
religion comes to us by a chance,
Or by mystery, or by caprice. 1t
comes by natural law, or by super
natural law-for all law Is divine.
Edward Irving went to see a
sick boy and putting his hand on
he brow of the lad said. my
10Y, God loves you" The sense
hat God loved him overpowered
he boy, melted him down and be-
an creating a new heart in him.
that is how the love of God
lelts down the unlovely In man,
begets in him the new crea-
Ire who is patient, and humble,
nd gentle, and unselfish.
The test of religion is love: not
hat have l done, not what have
'lieved, not what I have ach1ev-
!, but how have I discharged the
mmon charities of life. For the
Unfolding of love is the mega
IN of the Spirit of Christ, the
Oof that we never knew Him.
It is the Son of MAJ before whom