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addresses-第5章

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biceps muscle; and if a man does not exercise his soul; he acquires

no muscle in his soul; no strength of character; no vigor of

moral fibre; no beauty of spiritual growth。  Love is not a thing

of enthusiastic emotion。  It is a rich; strong; manly; vigorous

expression of the whole round Christian characterthe Christlike

nature in its fullest development。  And the constituents of this

great character are only to be built up by





Ceaseless practice。





What was Christ doing in the carpenter's shop?  Practising。  Though

perfect; we read that he LEARNED obedience; and grew in wisdom

and in favor with God。  Do not quarrel; therefore; with your lot

in life。  Do not complain of its never…ceasing cares; its petty

environment; the vexations you have to stand; the small and sordid

souls you have to live and work with。  Above all; do not resent

temptation; do not be perplexed because it seems to thicken round

you more and more; and ceases neither for effort nor for agony nor

prayer。  That is your practice。  That is the practice which god

appoints you; and it is having its work in making you patient; and

humble; and generous; and unselfish; and kind; and courteous。  Do

not grudge the hand that is moulding the still too shapeless image

within you。  It is growing more beautiful; though you see it not;

and every touch of temptation may add to its perfection。  Therefore

keep in the midst of life。  Do not isolate yourself。  Be among

men and among things; and among troubles; and difficulties; and

obstacles。  You remember Goethe's words:  〃Talent develops itself

in solitude; character in the stream of life。〃  Talent develops

itself in solitudethe talent of prayer; of faith; of meditation;

of seeing the unseen; character grows in the stream of the world's

life。  That chiefly is where men are to learn love。



How?  Now; how?  To make it easier; I have named a few of the

elements of love。  But these are only elements。  Love itself can

never be defined。  Light is a something more than the sum of its

ingredientsa glowing; dazzling; tremulous ether。  And love is

something more than all its elementsa palpitating; quivering;

sensitive; living thing。  By synthesis of all the colors; men can

make whiteness; they cannot make light。  By synthesis of all the

virtues; men can make virtue; they cannot make love。  How then are

we to have this transcendent living whole conveyed into our souls?

We brace our wills to secure it。  We try to copy those who have

it。  We lay down rules about it。  We watch。  We pray。  But these

things alone will not bring love into our nature。  Love is an EFFECT。

And only as we fulfill the right condition can we have the effect

produced。  Shall I tell you what the CAUSE is?



If you turn to the Revised Version of the First Epistle of John

you find these words:  〃We love because He first loved us。〃  〃We

love;〃 not 〃We love HIM。〃  That is the way the old version has

it; and it is quite wrong。  〃WE LOVEbecause He first loved us。〃

Look at that word 〃because。〃  It is the CAUSE of which I have

spoken。  〃BECAUSE He first loved us;〃 the effect follows that we

love; we love Him; we love all men。  We cannot help it。  Because He

loved us; we love; we love everybody。  Our heart is slowly changed。

contemplate the love of Christ; and you will love。  Stand before

that mirror; reflect Christ's character; and you will be changed

into the same image from tenderness to tenderness。  There is no

other way。  You cannot love to order。  You can only look at the

lovely object; and fall in love with it; and grow into likeness to

it。  And so look at this Perfect Character; this Perfect Life。  Look

at





The great sacrifice





as He laid down Himself; all through life; and upon the Cross of

Calvary; and you must love Him。  And loving Him; you must become

like Him。  Love begets love。  It is a process of induction。  Put

a piece of Iron in the presence of an electrified body; and that

piece of iron for a time becomes electrified。  It is changed into

a temporary magnet in the mere presence of a permanent magnet; and

as long as you leave the two side by side; they are both magnets

alike。  Remain side by side with Him who loved us; and





Gave himself for us;





and you; too; will become a permanent magnet; a permanently attractive

force; and like Him you will draw all men unto you; like Him you

will be drawn unto all men。  that is the inevitable effect of Love。

Any man who fulfills that cause must have that effect produced in

him。



Try to give up the idea that religion comes to us by chance; or

by mystery; or by caprice。  It comes to us by natural law; or by

supernatural law; for all law is Divine。



Edward Irving went to see a dying boy once; and when he entered

the room he just put his hand on the sufferer's head; and said;

〃My boy; God loves you;〃 and went away。  The boy started from his

bed; and called out to the people in the house;



〃God loves me!  God loves me!〃



One word!  It changed that boy。  The sense that God loved

him overpowered him; melted him down; and began the creating of a

new heart in him。  And that is how the love of God melts down the

unlovely heart in man; and begets in him the new creature; who is

patient and humble and gentle and unselfish。  And there is no other

way to get it。  There is no mystery about it。  We love others; we

love everybody; we love our enemies; BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US。





III。  The Defence。





Now I have a closing sentence or two to add about Paul's reason

for singling out love as the supreme possession。



It is a very remarkable reason。  In a single word it is this:  IT

LASTS。  〃Love;〃 urges Paul; 〃never faileth。〃  Then he begins again

one of his marvelous lists of the great things of the day; and

exposes them one by one。  He runs over the things that men thought

were going to last; and shows that they are all fleeting; temporary;

passing away。



〃Whether there be PROPHECIES; they shall be done away。〃  It was the

mother's ambition for her boy in those days that he should become

a prophet。  For hundreds of years God had never spoken by means

of any prophet; and at that time the prophet was greater than the

king。  Men waited wistfully for another messenger to come; and hung

upon his lips when he appeared; as upon the very voice of God。  Paul

says; 〃Whether there be prophecies; they shall fail。〃  The Bible

is full of prophecies。  One by one they have 〃failed〃; that is;

having been fulfilled; their work is finished; they have nothing

more to do now in the world except to feed a devout man's faith。



Then Paul talks about TONGUES。  That was another thing that was

greatly coveted。  〃Whether there be tongues; they shall cease。〃

As we all know; many; many centuries have passed since tongues

have been known in this world。  They have ceased。  Take it in any

sense you like。  Take it; for illustration merely; as languages in

generala sense which
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