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anonymous triumph of a truly loving spirit。 〃I shall pass through
this world but once。 Any good thing； therefore； that I can do； or
any kindness that I can show to any human being； let me do it now。
Let me not defer it or neglect it； for I shall not pass this way
again。〃
GENEROSITY。 〃Love envieth not。〃 This is love in competition with
others。 Whenever you attempt a good work you will find other men
doing the same kind of work； and probably doing it better。 Envy
them not。 Envy is a feeling of ill…will to those who are in the
same line as ourselves； a spirit of covetousness and detraction。
How little Christian work even is a protection against un…Christian
feeling！ That most despicable of all the unworthy moods which
cloud a Christian's soul assuredly waits for us on the threshold of
every work； unless we are fortified with this grace of magnanimity。
Only one thing truly need the Christian envythe large； rich；
generous soul which 〃envieth not。〃
And then； after having learned all that； you have to learn this
further thing； HUMILITYto put a seal upon your lips and forget
what you have done。 After you have been kind； after Love has stolen
forth into the world and done its beautiful work； go back into the
shade again and say nothing about it。 Love hides even from itself。
Love waives even self…satisfaction。 〃Love vaunteth not itself； is
not puffed up。〃 Humilitylove hiding。
The fifth ingredient is a somewhat strange one to find in this 〃summum
bonum：〃 COURTESY。 This is Love in society； Love in relation to
etiquette。 〃Love doe not behave itself unseemly。〃
Politeness has been defined as love in trifles。 Courtesy is said
to be love in little things。 And the one secret of politeness is
to love。
Love CANNOT behave itself unseemly。 You can put the most untutored
persons into the highest society； and if they have a reservoir
of Love in their hearty they will not behave themselves unseemly。
They simply cannot do it。 Carlisle said of Robert Burns that there
was no truer gentleman in Europe than the ploughman…poet。 It was
because he loved everythingthe mouse； and the daisy； and all the
things； great and small； that God had made。 So with this simple
passport he could mingle with any society； and enter courts and
palaces from his little cottage on the banks of the Ayr。
You know the meaning of the word 〃gentleman。〃 It means a gentle
mana man who does things gently； with love。 That is the whole art
and mystery of it。 The gentle man cannot in the nature of things
do an ungentle； an ungentlemanly thing。 The ungentle soul； the
inconsiderate； unsympathetic nature； cannot do anything else。 〃Love
doth not behave itself unseemly。〃
UNSELFISHNESS。 〃Love seeketh not her own。〃 Observe： Seeketh not
even that which is her own。 In Britain the Englishman is devoted；
and rightly； to his rights。 But there come times when a man may
exercise even
The higher right
of giving up his rights。
Yet Paul does not summon us to give up our rights。 Love strikes
much deeper。 It would have us not seek them at all； ignore them；
eliminate the personal element altogether from our calculations。
It is not hard to give up our rights。 They are often eternal。 The
difficult thing is to give up OURSELVES。 The more difficult thing
still is not to seek things for ourselves at all。 After we have
sought them； bought them； won them； deserved them； we have taken
the cream off them for ourselves already。 Little cross then to
give them up。 But not to seek them； to look every man not on his
own things； but on the things of othersthat is the difficulty。
〃Seekest thou great things for thyself？〃 said the prophet； 〃SEEK
THEM NOT。〃 Why？ Because there is no greatness in THINGS。 Things
cannot be great。 The only greatness is unselfish love。 Even
self…denial in itself is nothing； is almost a mistake。 Only a
great purpose or a mightier love can justify the waste。
It is more difficult； I have said； not to seek our own at all
than； having sought it； to give it up。 I must take that back。 It
is only true of a partly selfish heart。 Nothing is a hardship to
Love； and nothing is hard。 I believe that Christ's 〃yoke〃 is easy。
Christ's yoke is just His way of taking life。 And I believe it is
an easier way than any other。 I believe it is a happier way than
any other。 The most obvious lesson in Christ's teaching is that
there is no happiness in having and getting anything； but only in
giving。 I repeat； THERE IS NO HAPPINESS IN HAVING OR IN GETTING；
BUT ONLY IN GIVING。 Half the world is on the wrong scent in the
pursuit of happiness。 They think it consists in having and getting；
and in being served by others。 It consists in giving； and in
serving others。 〃He that would be great among you；〃 said Christ；
〃let him serve。〃 He that would be happy； let him remember that
there is but one way〃it is more blessed； it is more happy； to
give than to receive。〃
The next ingredient is a very remarkable one： GOOD TEMPER。 〃Love
is not provoked。〃
Nothing could be more striking than to find this here。 We
are inclined to look upon bad temper as a very harmless weakness。
We speak of it as a mere infirmity of nature； a family failing； a
matter of temperament； not a thing to take into very serious account
in estimating a man's character。 And yet here； right in the heart
of this 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 peculiarity of ill temper is that it is the vice of the virtuous。
It is often the one blot on an otherwise noble character。 You
know men who are all but perfect； and women who would be entirely
perfect； but for an easily ruffled； quick…tempered； or 〃touchy〃
disposition。 This compatibility of ill temper with high moral
character is one of the strangest and saddest problems of ethics。
The truth is； there are two great classes of sinssins 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。 Now； society
has no doubt whatever as to which of these is the worse。 Its brand
falls； without a challenge； upon the Prodigal。 But are we right？
We have no balance to weigh one another's sins； and coarser and
finer are but human words； but faults in the higher nature may be
less venal than those in the lower； and to the eye of Him who is
Love； a sin against Love may seem a hundred times more base。 No
form of vice； not worldliness； not greed of gold； not drunkenness
itself； does more to un…Christianize society than evil temper。 For
embittering life； for breaking up communities； for destroying the
most sacred relationships； for devastating homes； for withering up
men and women； for taking the bloom of childhood； in short；
For sheer gratuitous misery…producing power
this influence stands al