addresses-第4节

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denounced。



So　much　for　the　analysis　of　Love。　　Now　the　business　of　our　lives

is　to　have　these　things　fitted　into　our　characters。　　That　is　the

supreme　work　to　which　we　need　to　address　ourselves　in　this　world；

to　learn　Love。　　Is　life　not　full　of　opportunities　for　learning

Love？　　Every　man　and　woman　every　day　has　a　thousand　of　them。　　The

world　is　not　a　playground；　it　is　a　schoolroom。　　Life　is　not　a

holiday；　but　an　education。　　And





The　one　eternal　lesson





for　us　all　is　HOW　BETTER　WE　CAN　LOVE。



What　makes　a　man　a　good　cricketer？　　Practice。　　What　makes　a　man

a　good　artist；　a　good　sculptor；　a　good　musician？　　Practice。　　What

makes　a　man　a　good　linguist；　a　good　stenographer？　　Practice。　　What

makes　a　man　a　good　man？　　Practice。　　Nothing　else。　　There　is　nothing

capricious　about　religion。　　We　do　not　get　the　soul　in　different

ways；　under　different　laws；　from　those　in　which　we　get　the　body

and　the　mind。　　If　a　man　does　not　exercise　his　arm　he　develops　no

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　was　not　in　Paul's　mind　at　all；　and　which

though　it　cannot　give　us　the　specific　lesson；　will　point　the

general　truth。　　Consider　the　words　in　which　these　chapters　were

writtenGreek。　　It　has　gone。　　Take　the　Latinthe　other　great　tongue

of　those　days。　　It　ceased　long　ago。　　Look　at　the　Indian　language。

It　is　ceasing。　　The　language　of　Wales；　of　Ireland；　of　the　Scottish

Highlands　is　dying　before　our　eyes。　　The　most　popular　book　in　the

English　tongue　at　the　present　time；　except　the　bible；　is　one　of

Dickens'　works；　his　〃Pickwick　Papers。〃　　It　is　largely　written　in

the　language　of　London　street…life；　and　experts　assure　us　that　in

fifty　years　it　will　be　unintelligible　to　the　average　English　reader。



Then　Paul　goes　farther；　and　with　even　greater　boldness　adds；

〃Whether　there　by　KNOWLEDGE；　it　shall　be　done　away。〃　　The　wisdom　of

the　ancients；　where　is　it？　　It　is　wholly　gone。　　A　schoolboy　to…day

knows　more　than　Sir　Isaac　Newton　knew；　his　knowledge　has　vanished

away。　　You　put　ye