addresses-第6章

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characterand　it　is　he　character　of　Christwhich　is　built　round

Love。



I　have　said　this　thing　is　eternal。　　Did　you　ever　notice　how　continually

John　associates　love　and　faith　with　eternal　life？　　I　was　not　told

when　I　was　a　boy　that　〃God　so　loved　the　world　that　He　gave　His

only…begotten　Son；　that　whosoever　believeth　in　Him　should　have

everlasting　life。〃　　What　I　was　told；　I　remember；　was；　that　God　so

loved　the　world　that；　if　I　trusted　in　Him；　I　was　to　have　a　thing

called　peace；　or　I　was　to　have　rest；　or　I　was　to　have　joy；　or　I　was

to　have　safety。　　But　I　had　to　find　out　for　myself　that　whosoever

trusteth　in　Himthat　is；　whosoever　loveth　Him；　for　trust　is　only

the　avenue　to　Lovehath





Everlasting　life。





The　Gospel　offers　a　man　a　life。　　Never　offer　a　man　a　thimbleful　of

Gospel。　　Do　not　offer　them　merely　joy；　or　merely　peace；　or　merely

rest；　or　merely　safety；　tell　them　how　Christ　came　to　give　men　a　more

abundant　life　than　they　have；　a　life　abundant　in　love；　and　therefore

abundant　in　salvation　for　themselves；　and　large　in　enterprise　for

the　alleviation　and　redemption　of　the　world。　　Then　only　can　the

Gospel　take　hold　of　the　whole　of　a　man；　body；　soul　and　spirit；　and

give　to　each　part　of　his　nature　its　exercise　and　reward。　　Many　of

the　current　Gospels　are　addressed　only　to　a　part　of　man's　nature。

They　offer　peace；　not　life；　faith；　not　Love；　justification；　not

regeneration。　　And　men　slip　back　again　from　such　religion　because

it　has　never　really　held　them。　　Their　nature　was　not　all　in　it。　　It

offered　no　deeper　and　gladder　life…current　than　the　life　that　was

lived　before。　　Surely　it　stands　to　reason　that　only　a　fuller　love

can　compete　with　the　love　of　the　world。



To　love　abundantly　is　to　live　abundantly；　and　to　love　forever　is

to　live　forever。　　Hence；　eternal　life　is　inextricably　bound　up　with

love。　　We　want　to　live　forever　for　the　same　reason　that　we　want　to

live　to…morrow。　　Why　do　we　want　to　live　to…morrow？　　Is　it　because

there　is　some　one　who　loves　you；　and　whom　you　want　to　see　to…morrow；

and　be　with；　and　love　back？　　There　is　no　other　reason　why　we　should

live　on　than　that　we　love　and　are　beloved。　　It　is　when　a　man　has

no　one　to　love　him　that　he　commits　suicide。　　So　long　as　he　has

friends；　those　who　love　him　and　whom　he　loves；　he　will　live；　because

to　live　is　to　love。　　Be　it　but　the　love　of　a　dog；　it　will　keep　him

in　life；　but　let　that　go；　he　has　no　contact　with　life；　no　reason

to　live。　　He　dies　by　his　own　hand。



Eternal　life　also　is　to　know　God；　and　God　is　love。　　This　is　Christ's

own　definition。　　Ponder　it。　　〃This　is　life　eternal；　that　they　might

know　Thee　the　only　true　God；　and　Jesus　Christ　whom　Thou　hast　sent。〃

Love　must　be　eternal。　　It　is　what　God　is。　　On　the　last　analysis；

then；　love　is　life。　　Love　never　faileth；　and　life　never　faileth；

so　long　as　there　is　love。　　That　is　the　philosophy　of　what　Paul

is　showing　us；　the　reason　why　in　the　nature　of　things　love　should

be　the　supreme　thingbecause　it　is　going　to　last；　because　in　the

nature　of　things　it　is　an　Eternal　Life。　　It　is　a　thing　that　we　are

living　now；　not　that　we　get　when　we　die；　that　we　shall　have　a　poor

chance　of　getting　when　we　die　unless　we　are　living　now。





No　worse　fate





can　befall　a　man　in　this　world　than　to　live　and　grow　old　alone；

unloving　and　unloved。　　To　be　lost　is　to　live　in　an　unregenerate

condition；　loveless　and　unloved；　and　to　be　saved　is　to　love；　and

he　that　dwelleth　in　love　dwelleth　already　in　God。　　For　God　is　Love。



Now　I　have　all　but　finished。　　How　many　of　you　will　join　me　in

reading　this　chapter　once　a　week　for　the　next　three　months？　　A　man

did　that　once　and　it　changed　his　whole　life。　　Will　you　do　it？　　It

is　for　the　greatest　thing　in　the　world。　　You　might　begin　by　reading

it　every　day；　especially　the　verses　which　describe　the　perfect

character。　　〃Love　suffereth　long；　and　is　kind；　love　envieth　not；

love　vaunteth　not　itself。〃　　Get　these　ingredients　into　your　life。

Then　everything　that　you　do　is　eternal。　　It　is　worth　doing。　　It

is　worth　giving　time　to。　　No　man　can　become　a　saint　in　his　sleep；

and　to　fulfill　the　condition　required　demands　a　certain　amount　of

prayer　and　meditation　and　time；　just　as　improvement　in　any　direction；

bodily　or　mental；　requires　preparation　and　care。　　Address　yourselves

to　that　one　thing；　at　any　cost　have　this　transcendent　character

exchanged　for　yours。



You　will　find　as　you　look　back　upon　your　life　that　the　moments　that

stand　out；　the　moments　when　you　have　really　lived；　are　the　moments

when　you　have　done　things　in　a　spirit　of　love。　　As　memory　scans

the　past；　above　and　beyond　all　the　transitory　pleasures　of　life；

there　leap　forward　those　supreme　hours　when　you　have　been　enabled

to　do　unnoticed　kindnesses　to　those　round　about　you；　things　too

trifling　to　speak　about；　but　which　you　feel　have　entered　into　your

eternal　life。　　I　have　seen　almost　all　he　beautiful　things　God　has

made；　I　have　enjoyed　almost　every　pleasure　that　He　has　planned　for

man；　and　yet　as　I　look　back　I　see　standing　out　above　all　the　life

that　has　gone　four　or　five　short　experiences；　when　the　love　of　God

reflected　itself　in　some　poor　imitation；　some　small　act　of　love

of　mine；　and　these　seem　to　be　the　things　which　alone　of　all　one's

life　abide。　　Everything　else　in　all　our　lives　is　transitory。　　Every

other　good　is　visionary。　　But　the　acts　of　love　which　no　man　knows

about；　or　can　ever　know　aboutthey　never　fail。



In　the　book　of　Matthew；　where　the　Judgement　Day　is　depicted　for　us

in　the　imagery　of　One　seated　upon　a　throne　and　dividing　the　sheep

from　the　goats；　the　test　of　a　man　then　is　not；　〃How　have　I　believed？〃

but　〃How　have　I　loved？〃　　The　test　of　religion；　the　final　test　of

religion；　is　not　religiousness；　but　Love。　　I　say　the　final　test

of　religion　at　that　great　Day　is　not　religiousness；　but　Love；　not

what　I　have　done；　not　what　I　have　believed；　not　what　I　have　achieved；

but　how　I　have　discharged　the　common　charities　of　life。　　Sins　of

commission　in　that　awful　indictment　are　not　even　referred　to。　　By

what　we　have　not　done；　BY　SINS　OF　OMISSION；　we　are　judged。　　It　could

not　be　otherwise。　　For　the　withholding　of　love　is　the　negation　of

the　spirit　of　Christ；　the　proof　that　we　never　knew　Him；　that　for

us　He　lived　in　vain。　　It　means　that　He　suggested　nothing　in　all　our

thoughts；　that　He　inspired　nothing　in　all　our　lives；　that　we　were

not　once　near　enough　to　Him　to　be　seized　with　the　spell　of　His

compassion　for　the　world。　　It　means　that…





〃I　lived　for　myself；　I　thought　for　myself；

　For　myself；　and　none　beside

　Just　as　if　Jesus　had　never　lived；

　As　if　He　had　never　died。〃





Thank　God　the　Christianity　of　today　is　coming　nearer　the　world's

need。　　Live　to　help　that　on。　　Thank　God　men　know　better；　by　a　hair's

breadth；　what　religion　is；　what　God　is；　who　Christ　is；　where　Christ

is。　　Who　is　Christ？　　He　who　fed　the　hungry；　clothed　the　naked；

visited　the　sick。　　And　where　is　Christ？　　Where？〃Whoso　shall　receive

a　little　child　in　My　name　receiveth　Me。'　　And　who　are　Christ's？

〃Every　one　that　loveth　is　born　of　God。〃











Lessons　from　the　Angelus。









God　often　speaks　to　men's　souls　through　music；　He　also　speaks　to

us　through　art。　　Millet's　famous　painting　entitled　〃The　Angelus〃

is　an　illuminated　text；　upon　which　I　am　going　to　say　a　few　words

to　you　to…night。



There　are　three　things　in　this　picturea　potato　field；　a　country

lad　and　a　country　girl　standing　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　on　the

far　horizon　the　spire　of　a　village　church。　　That　is　all　there　is　to

itno　great　scenery　and　no　picturesque　people。　　In　Roman　Catholic

countries　at　the　evening　hour　the　church　bell　rings　out　to　remind

the　people　to　pray。　　Some　go　into　the　church；　while　those　that　are

in　the　fields　bow　their　heads　for　a　few　moments　in　silent　prayer。



That　picture　contains　the　three　great　elements　which　go　to　make　up

a　perfectly　rounded　Christian　life。　　It　is　not　enough　to　have　the

〃root　of