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Addresses



by Henry Drummond








Introductory






I was staying with a party of friends in a country house during my

visit to England in 1884。  On Sunday evening as we sat around the

fire; they asked me to read and expound some portion of Scripture。

Being tired after the services of the day; I told them to ask Henry

Drummond; who was one of the party。  After some urging he drew a

small Testament from his hip pocket; opened it at the 13th chapter

of I Corinthians; and began to speak on the subject of Love。



It seemed to me that I had never heard anything so beautiful; and

I determined not to rest until I brought Henry Drummond to Northfield

to deliver that address。  Since then I have requested the principals

of schools to have it read before the students every year。  The one

great need in our Christian life is love; more love to God and to

each other。  Would that we could all move into that Love chapter;

and live there。



This volume contains; in addition to the address on Love; some

other addresses which I trust will bring help and blessing to many。



'signed'D。 L。 Moody。











Contents









Love; the Greatest Thing in the World 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。   7

Lessons from the Angelus  。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。  35

Pax Vobiscum  。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。  44

First!  An Address to Boys  。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。  70

The Changed Life; the Greatest Need of the World  。 。 。 。 。 。 。  82

Dealing with Doubt  。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 113











Love:  The Greatest Thing in the World









Every one has asked himself the great question of antiquity as of

the modern world:  What is the 'summum bonum'the supreme good?

You have life before you。  Once only you can live it。  What is the

noblest object of desire; the supreme gift to covet?



We have been accustomed to be told that the greatest thing in the

religious world is Faith。  That great word has been the key…note

for centuries of the popular religion; and we have easily learned

to look upon it as the greatest thing in the world。  Well; we are

wrong。  If we have been told that; we may miss the mark。  In the

13th chapter of I Corinthians; Paul takes us to





Christianity at its source;





and there we see; 〃the greatest of these is love。〃



It is not an oversight。  Paul was speaking of faith just a moment

before。  He says; 〃If I have all faith; so that I can remove

mountains; and have not love; I am nothing。〃  So far from forgetting;

he deliberately contrasts them; 〃Now abideth Faith; Hope; Love;〃

and without a moment's hesitation the decision falls; 〃The greatest

of these is Love。〃



And it is not prejudice。  A man is apt to recommend to others his

own strong point。  Love was not Paul's strong point。  The observing

student can detect a beautiful tenderness growing and ripening all

through his character as Paul gets old; but the hand that wrote

〃The greatest of these is love;〃 when we meet it first; is stained

with blood。



Nor is this letter to the Corinthians peculiar in singling out

love as the 〃summum bonum。〃  The masterpieces of Christianity are

agreed about it。  Peter says; 〃Above all things have fervent love

among yourselves。〃  ABOVE ALL THINGS。  And John goes farther; 〃God

is love。〃



You remember the profound remark which Paul makes elsewhere; 〃Love

is the fulfilling of the law。〃  Did you ever think what he meant

by that?  In those days men were working the passage to Heaven

by keeping the Ten Commandments; and the hundred and ten other

commandments which they had manufactured out of them。  Christ came

and said; 〃I will show you a more simple way。  If you do one thing;

you will do these hundred and ten things; without ever thinking

about them。  If you LOVE; you will unconsciously fulfill the whole

law。〃



You can readily see for yourselves how that must be so。  Take any

of the commandments。  〃Thou shalt have no other gods before Me。〃

If a man love God; you will not require to tell him that。  Love is

the fulfilling of that law。  〃Take not His name in vain。〃  Would he

ever dream of taking His name in vain if he loved him?  〃Remember

the Sabbath day to keep it holy。〃   Would he not be too glad to

have one day in seven to dedicate more exclusively to the object

of his affection?  Love would fulfill all these laws regarding God。



And so; if he loved man; you would never think of telling him

to honor his father and mother。  He could not do anything else。

It would be preposterous to tell him not to kill。  You could only

insult him if you suggested that he should not stealhow could

he steal from those he loved?  It would be superfluous to beg him

not to bear false witness against his neighbor。  If he loved him

it would be the last thing he would do。  And you would never dream

of urging him not to covet what his neighbors had。  He would rather

they possess it than himself。  In this way 〃Love is the fulfilling

of the law。〃  It is the rule for fulfilling all rules; the new

commandment for keeping all the old commandments; Christ's one。





Secret of the Christian life。





Now Paul has learned that; and in this noble eulogy he has given

us the most wonderful and original account extant of the 〃summum

bonum。〃  We may divide it into three parts。  In the beginning of

the short chapter we have Love CONTRASTED; in the heart of it; we

have Love ANALYZED; toward the end; we have Love DEFENDED as the

supreme gift。





I。 The Contrast。





Paul begins by contrasting Love with other things that men in those

days thought much of。  I shall not attempt to go over these things

in detail。  Their inferiority is already obvious。



He contrasts it with ELOQUENCE。  And what a noble gift it is;

the power of playing upon the souls and wills of men; and rousing

them to lofty purpose and holy deeds!  Paul says; If I speak with

the tongues of men and of angels; and have not love; I am become

sounding brass; or a tinkling cymbal。〃  We all know why。  We have

all felt the brazenness of words without emotion; the hollowness;

the unaccountable unpersuasiveness; of eloquence behind which lies

no Love。



He contrasts it with PROPHECY。  He contrasts it with MYSTERIES。

He contrasts it with FAITH。  He contrasts it with CHARITY。  Why

is Love greater than faith?  Because the end is greater than the

means。  And why is it greater than charity?  Because the whole is

greater than the part。



Love is greater than FAITH; because the end is greater than the

means。  What is the use of having faith?  It is to connect the

soul with God。  And what is the object of connecting man with God?

That he may become like God。  But God is Love。  Hence Faith; the

means; is in order to Love; the end。  Love; therefore; obviously

is greater than faith。  〃If I have all faith; so as to remove

mountains; but have not love; I am 
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