Читать книгу The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of Christianity - Charles Ebert Orr - Страница 35

This is the sweetest theme in the Scriptures and the greatest thing in earth or heaven. “God is love,” and because he is love he sought to rescue, through the sacrifice of his Son, his fallen creatures. It was love that prompted God to make so great a sacrifice for man. It is love that prompts man to sacrifice all [pg 102] for God. When man loves God he loves everything in God's creation. No man can love God and hate his brother; no man can love God and hate his enemies. God loves his enemies. It is the nature of the love of God. When man possesses the love of God in his heart he will love his enemies. To love those who love us and despise those who despise us, is not a love that is a fruit of the Spirit. When man possesses the love of God he does not love the world. 1 John 2:15–17. Everything in our service to God if acceptable must be actuated by love. Supernatural gifts are nothing without love. 1 Cor. 13:1, 2. The greatest deeds of sacrifice profit us nothing without they are done in love. Ver. 3. In the following verses of this chapter the nature of love is beautifully and obviously portrayed.

1. Charity suffereth long. By long-suffering is meant to patiently bear with the failings and foibles of our brother, “With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” Eph. 4:2. There is a beautiful thought in 1 Tim. 1:16. That Jesus might show his long-suffering through us as a pattern for all who may in any way know of our life.

2. Charity is kind. Where love is there is kindness. The greater the love the greater the kindness. The lioness in all the fierceness of her nature strokes her whelp in tenderness and kindness. Thus kindness is a product of love. Love will put a tenderness in our [pg 103] looks, a gentleness in our speech, and a kindness in our acts. If you are not as kind as you know you should be, seek God for more of his love.

3. Charity envieth not. How impossible to envy those we love. The more fortunate they are the more we rejoice. The more they are praised and honored the deeper is our joy. With those we love, we weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice. If there is a secret envy in your heart because of the praise and prosperity of others, the love of God is wanting. “Let not thine heart envy sinners.” Prov. 23:17.

4. Charity vaunteth not itself. We can only love God at the sacrifice of all self-love. When man possesses the love of God there is no self-praise, nor seeking of honor; there is no setting self forward, but the lowliest seat is the most desirable.

5. Charity is not puffed up. There are no feelings of self-importance in the heart when the love of God is abounding. We love him so devotedly we desire him to receive all the praise. Should God make some use of you it will be natural to give him all the praise.

6. Charity doth not behave itself unseemly. There is a becomingness in all the actions of pure and holy love. There is a beautiful consistency in the worship of God when all is actuated by pure love. There is nothing unseemly in our behavior toward God or our fellow man, even to the most cultured minds, when influenced by love. It is noble and sublime, elevating [pg 104] and pleasing to pure hearts. Praise is comely when flowing from a heart full of love, but a wild hurrahing is unseemly. All unseemly conduct in modes and forms of worship—such as tossing the head to and fro, swaying the body, the loud stamping of feet, rolling on the floor, lying stiff and rigid, shouting until the face reddens and veins distend and exhaustion overcomes, are disgracing to God and disgusting to refined ears and pure hearts.

7. Charity seeketh not her own. When man possesses the love of God he does not seek his own pleasure and happiness but is interested in the welfare and happiness of others; “He looks not upon his own things but upon the things of others.” We seek opportunities to do good to those we love.

8. Charity is not easily provoked. There is a weightiness in the love of God. It balances all our actions. We are not hasty under provocations; we are not excited or vexed at every trivial occurrence.

9. Charity thinketh no evil. The meditations of a heart of pure love are holy. A holy man's thoughts are upon pure and true subjects. He thinketh no evil.

10. Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity. Sin saddens and grieves the heart of love. Should there be a secret rejoicing in your heart because some brother has fallen into sin, you are proud and an abomination unto God.

11. Charity rejoiceth in the truth. Where the truth [pg 105] is accepted it causes the heart of love to rejoice. Should God use some other individual in setting the truth before people which causes them to rejoice, if you love God and the truth you will rejoice with them.

12. Charity beareth all things. Amid adversities, afflictions, persecutions, temptations and trials, when storms gather, and breakers threaten, when friends prove false, and the way grows weary, love looks trustingly up to God and says, “Thou doeth all things well, blessed be thy name.”

13. Charity believeth all things. Those who love are ever ready to believe the best of everything and everybody. They see all the good qualities of man before they see his faults. They are ready to believe all the good they hear of any one and slow to believe evil. They rejoice to put confidence in man, and when man's evil ways break that confidence they still hope for something good.

14. Charity hopeth all things. It is very difficult to discourage the heart that is full of love. When love waxes cold then disappointments may cause a murmur. Love hopes for the very best outcome for good of everything.

15. Charity endureth all things. The same might be said of this as that “charity beareth all things.” Whatever darkness may arise to-day, Love hopes for sunshine to-morrow and patiently endures.

16. Charity never fails. Thank God! Pretended [pg 106] friends may fail you; the world may fail you; wealth and honor may fail you; but love will never fail. It will bear you over the rough places in life's pathway. It will drive away the clouds. It will kiss the chastening rod. It will sweeten the bitter cup. It will soften the hardest pillow, and when you are brought down into the shadow of death Love looks across to the golden glories and sings as the cords are being severed—Love never fails.

“Fairest and foremost of the trains that wait

On man's most dignified and happiest state,

Whether we name thee Charity or Love,

Chief grace below, and all in all above.”—Cowper.