TEXT. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10)
In
speaking from these words, I plan,
I.
To make some remarks on the nature of love.
II.
To show that love is the whole of religion.
III.
To examine some things that are not essential to perfect love.
IV.
To look at some things that are essential to perfect love.
V.
To show some of the effects of perfect love.
I.
Let me make some remarks on the nature of love.
1.
There are various forms under which love may exist.
The
two main forms of love, as far as religion is concerned, I will call an
unselfish love and a complacent love. I
will define an unselfish love as an affection of the mind, or an act of the
will. It is willing good, or a desire
to promote the happiness of its object.
I will define a complacent love as esteem, or an approval of the character
of its object. These commonly used
definitions I use in all my preaching so that when I use these terms, you will
know what I am talking about. Unselfish
love should be exercised towards all beings, no matter what their moral
character is. Complacent love is due
only towards those who are good and holy.
2.
Love may exist either as an affection or as an emotion.
When
love is a tender, heart-felt love or affection toward one another, it is
voluntary, or consists in an act of the will.
When love is an emotion, it is involuntary. Our feelings, or emotions, are involuntary. Feelings don’t directly depend on our
will. Feelings are not controlled by a
direct act of our will. The virtue of
love is mostly manifested when it is in the form of an affection. The happiness of love is mostly manifested
when it is in the form of an emotion.
If the affection of love is very strong, it produces a high degree of
happiness, but the emotion of holy love is happiness all by itself.
I
said that the emotion of love is involuntary.
I don’t mean that our will has nothing to do with it, but that emotional
love is not the result of a mere or direct act of our will. We can’t exercise the emotion of love by
simply by willing it. And the emotion
may often exist in spite of our will.
We often feel emotions rising up from within us, which we know are
improper, and we try, by direct efforts of our will, to banish them from our
minds. When our efforts fail, we
conclude that we have no control over these emotions. But we can always control our emotions by our will
indirectly. Our mind can bring up any
kind of emotions it chooses by sufficiently directing our attention to a proper
object. The more our attention is fixed
the more resulting emotions will increase; provided that, our will is right
concerning the object our attention is focused on. Therefore, if we have emotions that are improper or disagreeable;
our mind can get rid of them by turning our attention away from the object, and
not allowing our thoughts to dwell on it.
3.
Ordinarily, emotions of love towards God are experienced when we exercise love
towards Him in the form of affection.
But
this is not always true. We
may exercise good will towards any object, and yet at times feel no emotions of
love. It is not certain that even the
Lord Jesus Christ always exercised the emotional form of love towards God all
the time. As far as what we know about
the nature of our mind, we know that a person may exercise affection, and be
constantly guided and governed by it in all his actions without any feelings of
the emotion of love towards its object at the time. From this, we see that a husband and father may be devoted to
working for the benefit of his wife and family, and his very life may be
controlled by affection for them, while his thoughts are not always focused on
them long enough to make him have emotions of love for them at the time. Whatever he is doing may occupy his mind so
much, that he doesn’t have time to think about them, and so, he may not feel
love towards them emotionally, and yet he is always guided and governed by
affection for them. Notice that I am
using the term affection the same way that President Edwards used the term in
his celebrated Treatise on the Will.
Affection, in his treatise, is an act of the will or a conscious
decision.
4.
Love for our neighbor naturally implies the existence of love of God, and love
of God naturally implies love for our neighbor.
This
is what the 8th verse says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another,
for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, ‘You shall not murder’, ‘You shall not steal’, ‘You shall not bear false witness’, ‘You shall not covet’, and if there is any
other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does
no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom 13:8-10) Here it is taken for granted that love for our neighbor implies
the existence of love for God, otherwise it could not be said that, “for he who
loves another has fulfilled the law”.
The apostle James recognizes the same principle when he says, “If you
really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself’, you do well”.
(James 2:8) Here love for our
neighbor is spoken of as constituting obedience to the whole law. Pure unselfish love, that is, good will to
our neighbor, naturally implies love of God.
It is love for the happiness of everything that exists. Therefore, the love that is satisfied with
holy beings naturally implies love of God, as a being who is infinitely holy.
II.
Love is the whole of religion.
In
other words, all that is required of the human race by God consists in love in
various modifications and results. Love
is the sum total of everything God requires of us.
1.
The first proof I will offer is that this thought is taught in our passage
today as well as in many other passages of scripture.
The
scriptures fully teach that love is the sum total of all the requirements of
both the law and the gospel. Our Savior
declares that the great command, “You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself”, is the sum
total of all the law and the prophets, or implies and includes all that the
scriptures, the law, and the gospel require.
(see Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27)
2.
God is love. To love is to be like
God. And, to be perfect in love is to
be perfect as God is perfect.
All
of God’s moral attributes consist in love acting under certain circumstances
and for certain purposes. God’s justice
in punishing the wicked, His anger at sin, and many similar things, are only
manifestations of His love to the general happiness of His kingdom. The same is true with us. All that is good in us is some form of
love. Hatred of sin is only the love of
virtue acting itself out in opposing whatever is opposed to virtue. So true faith implies and includes love, and
faith that has no love in it, or that does not work by love, is not part of
true religion. The faith that belongs
to religion is an affectionate confidence in God. A kind of faith in God that has no love in it does exist. The devil has that kind of faith. The convicted sinner has that kind of
faith. However, there is no religion in
that kind of faith. Faith can rise even
to the faith of miracles, and yet, if there is no love in it, it amounts to
nothing. The apostle Paul, in the 13th
chapter of 1 Corinthians, says, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing”. (I Cor 13:2)
The
same is true with repentance.
Repentance that does not include love is not “repentance towards
God”. (Acts 20:21) True repentance implies obedience to the law
of love, and opposition to sin.
III.
Let’s look at some things that are not essential to perfect love.
1.
The highest degree of emotion is not essential to perfect love.
It
is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ very seldom had the highest degree of
emotional love, and yet He always had perfect love. He generally showed very little emotion or excitement. Excitement is always proportional to the
strength of our emotions since excitement consists in emotions. Our Savior generally seemed remarkably
calm. Sometimes His indignation became
strong, or He expressed His grief for the hardness of people’s hearts; and
sometimes we read that He rejoiced in spirit.
But, He was normally calm, and showed no high degree of emotion. Therefore, emotions are not essential to perfect
love. We don’t need a high degree of
emotional love to possess perfect love.
2.
Perfect love does not exclude the idea of increasing love, or growth in grace.
I
believe our mind grows in knowledge throughout all eternity. This naturally implies growth in love
throughout all eternity. Our Lord Jesus
Christ, in His human nature, grew in stature and in favor with God and
man. No doubt, as a child, He grew in
knowledge, and as He grew in knowledge, He grew in love towards God as well as
in favor with God. His love was perfect
when He was a child, but his love was greater when He became an adult. As a human being, He probably always
continued to increase in love to God, as long as He lived. From the nature of our mind, we see that it
also may be true with all the saints in glory; that their love will increase
throughout all eternity, and yet it will always be perfect love.
3.
It is not essential to perfect love, that love should always be exercised
towards all individuals alike.
We
cannot think of everybody at the same time.
You cannot even think of everybody you know at the same time. The degree of love towards an individual
depends on whether you are thinking about that person.
4.
It is not essential to perfect love, that there should be the same degree of
the spirit of prayer for every individual, or for the same individual at all
times.
The
spirit of prayer is not always essential to pure and perfect love. The saints in heaven have pure and perfect
love for all beings, yet we don’t know if they have the spirit of prayer for
any of them. You may love any
individual with a very strong degree of love, and yet not have the spirit of
prayer for that individual. That is,
the Spirit of God may not lead you to pray for the salvation of that
individual. You do not pray for the
wicked in hell! The spirit of prayer
depends on the influences of the Holy Ghost, leading you to pray for things
agreeable to the will of God. You
cannot pray in the Spirit, with the same degree of fervor and faith for all
mankind. Even Jesus Christ said that He
did not pray for everybody: “I do not pray for the world but for those whom You
have given Me, for they are Yours.” (John
17:9) Here is a serious error
concerning the spirit of prayer. Some
believe that Christians have not done all their duty if they have not prayed in
faith for every individual as long as there is a sinner on earth. If that is true, then Jesus Christ never did
all His duty, for He never did this.
God has never told us He will save all mankind, and never gave us any
reason to believe He will do it. How
then can we pray in faith for the salvation of everybody? What does that kind of faith rest on?
5.
Perfect love is consistent with those feelings of languor or constitutional
weaknesses, which are the necessary result of exhaustion or ill health.
We
are so constituted, that excitement naturally exhausts our powers. Nevertheless, love may be perfect. Even though one may feel more like lying
down and sleeping than praying, his love may still be perfect. The Lord Jesus Christ often felt weary and
exhausted even when His spirit was still willing. The same was true with his disciples. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. (Matt 26:41)
IV.
What is essential to perfect love?
I.
Perfect love implies that there is nothing in our mind inconsistent with love.
Perfect
love implies that we have no hatred, malice, wrath, envy, or any other malignant
emotions that are inconsistent with pure and perfect love.
2.
Perfect love also implies that there is nothing in our life inconsistent with
love.
All
our actions, words, and thoughts, are continually under the entire and perfect
control of love.
3.
Perfect love also implies that our love for God is supreme.
Our
love for God is completely supreme and entirely above anything else. Nothing else is loved in comparison with
God.
4.
Perfect love also implies that our love to God is unselfish.
God
is loved for who He is; not for His relationship with us, but for His excellent
character.
5.
Perfect love also implies that our love for our neighbor should be equal, that
is, we should consider the interest and happiness of our neighbor to be just as
important as our own interests, and he and his interests should be treated accordingly
by us.
V.
Some of the results of perfect love.
1.
One result of perfect love for God and man will certainly be delight in
self-denial for the sake of promoting the interests of God’s kingdom and the
salvation of sinners.
Loving
parents delight in self-denial for the sake of promoting the happiness of their
children. There is a father; he gives
himself up to exhausting labor, day after day, year after year, throughout his
entire life, getting up early, and eating the bread of carefulness continually
to promote the welfare of his family.
And he considers all this self-denial and toil, not a grief or a burden,
but a delight because of the love he carries for his family. Look at that mother; she wants her son to
have a college education, and now, instead of finding it painful it is a joy to
her to stay up late and work hard to help him.
That is because she really loves her son. Such parents rejoice more in giving gifts to their children, than
they would in enjoying the same things themselves. What parent does not enjoy a piece of fruit more when he gives it
to his little child, than in eating it himself? The Lord Jesus Christ enjoyed more solid satisfaction in working
out salvation for mankind, than any of his saints ever enjoyed in receiving favors
from Him. He testified that it is more
blessed to give than to receive. (Acts
20:35) This was the joy that was set
before Him for which He endured the cross and despised the shame. (Hebrews 12:2) His love was so great for mankind, that it constrained Him to
undertake this work, and it sustained Him triumphantly through everything He
did. The apostle Paul did not consider
it a grief or a hardship to be hunted from place to place, imprisoned,
scourged, stoned, and considered the reproach of all things, for the sake of
spreading the gospel and saving souls.
(I Cor 11:24-31; 12:10) Paul
considered it his joy. (Phil 4:1; I
Thess 2:19-20) The love of Christ so
constrained him, he had such a desire to do good, that it was his highest
delight to lay himself on that altar as a sacrifice to the cause of
Christ. (Rom 8:36-39) Other individuals have had the same mind as
Paul. They would have been willing to
live a thousand years, or to the end of time, if they could be employed doing
good, promoting the kingdom of God, saving the souls of men, and willing to
forego even sleep and food to benefit objects they so greatly love.
2.
Perfect love delivers the soul from the power of legal motives.
Perfect
love leads a person to obey God, not because he fears the wrath of God, or
hopes to be rewarded for doing this or that, but because he loves God and loves
to do God’s will. There are two extremes
on this subject. One extreme makes
virtue consist in doing right simply because it is right, without any reference
to God’s will, or without any influence from God. The other extreme makes virtue consist in acting from love for
the work, but without reference to God’s authority as a Ruler and
Lawgiver. Both of these extremes are
wrong. Doing something simply because
it is right and not because you love God is not virtue. Neither is it virtue to do something because
you love to do it, with no regard to God’s will. A woman might do certain things because she knows it would please
her husband, but if she did the same thing simply because she loved to do it,
and with no regard for her husband, it would not be virtue with respect to her
husband. If a person loves God, as soon
as he knows what God’s will is, he will do it because it is God’s will. Perfect love will lead to universal obedience;
to do God’s will in all things simply because it is the will of God.
3.
The individual who exercises perfect love will be dead to the world.
He
will be cut loose from the influence of worldly considerations. Perfect love will so annihilate selfishness,
that the individual will have no will but God’s will, and no interest but God’s
glory. He will not be influenced by
public opinion, or by what people will say or think. Look at that woman, what will she do because of her natural
affection for her husband? She would be
willing to separate herself from all her friends, as if she was dead to them,
and not pay any attention to what they say.
She would leave all the riches, honors, and delights they can offer, to
join the individual whom she loves, and live with him in poverty, in disgrace,
and in exile if necessary. Her
affection is so great, that she does it joyfully, and she is ready to go from a
palace, to any cottage or cave in earth and be perfectly happy. And, everything that her friends say against
the man whom she loves has no influence on her mind, it only makes her cling
more closely to him. This one all-absorbing
affection has actually killed all those things that used to influence her. To attempt to influence her by such things
is a waste of time. There is only one
avenue of approach to her mind; and the only motives that motivate her come
through the object of her affection.
As
far as the philosophy of our mind is concerned, perfect love for God operates
in the same way. Our mind that is
filled with perfect love cannot be diverted from God as long as love continues
to be exercised. Take away one’s
worldly possessions, his friends, his good name, his children, send him to
prison, beat him with stripes, bind him to the stake, fill his flesh full of
pine knots and set them on fire; and leave him his God, and he is happy. His strong affection can make him insensible
to everything else. It is as if he was
dead to everything in the world but his God.
Cases have been known of martyrs who, while their bodies were frying at
the stake, were so perfectly happy in God, that they lost their sense of
pain. Put such a person in hell, in the
lake of fire and brimstone, and as long as he enjoys God, and the love of God
fills his soul, he is happy.
Who
has not witnessed or heard of cases of affection approaching the degree that
I’ve described, where a person is in fact dead to worldly things, and lives
only for the loved object. How often do
you see fond parents who live for an only child, and when that child dies, they
wish that they were dead instead.
Sometimes a husband and wife have such an absorbing affection for each
other, that they live for nothing else; and if the husband dies, the wife pines
away and also dies. The soul-absorbing
object for which she lived is gone, so why should she live any longer? Therefore, when an individual is filled with
the perfect love of God, he wants to live only to love and serve God. He is dead to the world. He is even dead to his own reputation. He has no desire to live for any other
reason, here, in heaven, or anywhere else in the universe, than to glorify
God. He is willing to live, here or
anywhere else, and suffer and work for a thousand years, or for all eternity,
if it will glorify God.
I
remember hearing a friend once say, “I don’t know that I have one thought of
living a single moment for any other purpose than to glorify God, any more than
I should think of leaping right into hell.”
This was said soberly and deliberately, and the whole life of that
individual corresponded with that declaration.
He was intelligent, sober-minded, and honest, and I have no doubt
expressed what had been the fullest conviction of his mind for years. What was this but perfect love? What more does any angel in heaven do than
this? An angel’s love may be greater in
degree, because his strength is greater.
But the highest angel could not love more perfectly than to be able to say
in sincerity, “I should as soon think of leaping into hell, as of living one
moment for any other purpose but to glorify God.” What could Jesus Christ Himself say more than that?
4.
Perfect joy and peace are the natural results of perfect love.
I
want to turn your attention here to what the apostle says in the 13th chapter
of 1 Corinthians, speaking about charity, or love. You will notice that the word that is often translated here as
‘charity’ is the same word that is rendered ‘love’ in other passages. It means love. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that
I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” That person might have even the faith of
miracles, so strong that he could move mountains from their everlasting foundations,
and yet have no love. “And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
You can see how far Paul believes a man can go without love. “Love suffers long.” Long-suffering is meekness under opposition
or injury. This is one of the effects
of love, to bear great provocations, and not retaliate or revile again. Love “is kind,” or affectionate in all its
dealings with others, never harsh or rude, or needlessly giving pain to
any. Love “does not envy”. Love never dislikes others because they are
more thought of or noticed, more honored or useful, or because they are
smarter, happier, or more pious. Love
“is not puffed up” with pride, but always humble and modest. Love “does not behave rudely”, but naturally
produces a pleasant and courteous attitude towards everybody. No matter how unacquainted the individual
may be with the ways of society, the person who is motivated by perfect love always
appears well. It is natural for him to
be kind, gentle, and courteous. Love
“does not seek its own,” or is not selfish.
Love “is not easily provoked.”
This is always the effect of love.
See that mother, she is able to tolerate her children because she loves
them.
If
you see an individual that is testy, or crusty, easily flying into a fit of
rage when something goes wrong, if that person has any love at al, he certainly
doesn’t have perfect love. To be easily
provoked is always a sign of pride. If
a person is full of love, it is impossible to make him exercise sinful anger as
long as his love continues. He
exercises the same indignation that God exercises and the holy angels feel at
what is wicked and wrong, but he will not be provoked by it. Love “thinks no evil”. Show me a man that is always suspicious of
the motives of others, and forever putting the worst construction on the words
and actions of his fellow men, and I will show you one who has the devil in
him, not the Holy Spirit. The evil that
is in his own mind makes him think evil of others. An individual, who is honest and simple-hearted, will not think
evil of others. He will not always be
looking for heresy or mischief in others.
On the contrary, such people will likely be imposed on by dishonest men,
not because they any lack good sense, but because they love. They do not suspect evil when outward appearances
appear right, nor without the strongest proof.
Love
“does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth”. Look at that person who rejoices at his
neighbor’s fall, or cries out, “I told you so!” I tell you, that man is far from having perfect love. Love “bears all things”, all provocations
and injuries without revenge. Love
“believes all things”, instead of being hard to be convinced of what is in
favor of others, love is always ready to believe good wherever there is the
least evidence of it. Love “hopes all
things”, even where there is reason to suspect evil, as long as there is room
for hope, by looking at it in the best possible light. Where you see an individual that does not
have this spirit, rest assured, he does not have perfect love. In fact, he has no love at all.
I
might pursue this course of thought further, but I don’t have the time. “Love does no harm to a neighbor.” (Rom 13:10)
Remember that. No harm! Perfect love never cheats, nor defrauds, nor
oppresses, nor does any harm to a neighbor.
Would someone under the influence of perfect love sell whisky to his or
her neighbor? Never. Would a person who loved God perfectly with
all his heart hold his neighbor as a slave?
“Love does no harm to a neighbor.”
Slavery denies him the wages that he has earned, and perhaps sells him,
and tears him away from his family, deprives him of the Bible, and tries as
hard as possible to make him an animal.
There cannot be any greater falsehood and hypocrisy, than for a man who
does that and pretends that he loves God.
Now that light is shed on this subject, and your attention is turned
towards it, will you hate your own flesh?
How can you love God if you hate or injure your neighbor?
Oh,
one last remark. Love always manifests
itself in great efforts for the sanctification of the church and the salvation
of souls. Where a person is negligent
or deficient in either of these, he does not have perfect love, no matter how
much he pretends to have perfect love.
REMARKS.
I.
Do you see why what the apostle James says is true? “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle
his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (James 1:26)
The
man who claims to be religious, and yet allows himself to speak against his
neighbor with an unbridled tongue to injure his neighbor, deceives himself if
he thinks he loves his neighbor as himself.
Strange love!
II.
There may be a lot of knowledge concerning religion, but no love.
You
often see individuals who understand a great deal intellectually about
religion, and can spread it out before others, while it is clear they are not
motivated by the spirit of love. They
don’t have the law of kindness on their lips.
III.
Those individuals who have a lot of religious knowledge and zeal but lack love
are the most unlovely and dangerous people.
They
are always censorious, proud, heady, and high-minded. They may make a strong impression, but do not produce true
religion. They zealously affect you,
but not well.
IV.
The drift of a man’s zeal will determine the character of his religion.
The
drift of a man’s zeal will show whether the light in his mind is accompanied
with love. If it is, his zeal will not
be sectarian in its character. Show me
a man, who is full of jealously towards all that do not belong to his
denomination or group, and there is a man that is a long way from perfect love.
True
love is never denunciatory or harsh. If
true love has an opportunity to speak about the faults of others, it does it in
kindness and with sorrow. Perfect love
cannot speak in a rough or abusive manner, either to or about others. It will not place a lot of emphasis on the
mere circumstances of religion, nor be sticklers for particular measures or
reforms. Many will contend fiercely
either for or against certain things, as for or against new measures in the
church; but if they were full of love they would not do it. The zeal that is governed by perfect love
will not waste time contending for or against any forms in religion, nor attack
minor errors and evils. Love leads to
place importance on the fundamentals of religion. It cleaves to warm-hearted Christians, no matter what
denomination they belong to. It loves
them, and delights to associate with them.
This
zeal is never controversial. Find a
person who loves to attend church political meetings, and enters into all the
arguments of the day, and that man is not full of love. To a mind filled with holy love, it is
exceedingly painful to go to such meetings, and see ministers dividing into
cliques, maneuvering, caucusing, arguing, and striving to come out on top. Find an individual who loves controversy in
the newspapers, and you found someone who is not full of love. If he were filled with love, he would rather
be abused, and reviled, and slandered, either in person or by the papers, than
turn aside to defend himself or to reply.
He would never return accusation for accusation, but he would rather
return a blessing. And, as much as possible,
he would live peaceably with all men.
V.
Much that is called religion today has no love.
Much
of what passes for religious works today is motivated by outward causes and
influences, and not by the inward power of love. It should be better understood than it is, that unless love is
the mainspring, no matter what the outward action is, whether it is praying,
praising, giving, or anything else, there is no religion in it. A lot of excitement that passes for religion
has no love. Much of today’s zeal has
no religion in it. Look at that
man. He is always full of bitter zeal,
and if he is reproved for it, he quotes Paul for justification, when Paul said,
“You child of the Devil”. If he were
under the influence of perfect love, he would see that his circumstances don’t
justify the exercise of such a spirit.
VI.
Those religious excitements that do not consist in the spirit of love are not
revivals of religion.
Perhaps
the church may become excited, and bustle about with a great show of zeal, and
lots of noise, but no tenderness of spirit.
Perhaps those who go about may show a rude and insolent spirit, and pick
a quarrel with every family they visit.
I once knew a young man who acknowledged that he tried to make people
angry, and the reason he gave was that it often brought them under conviction,
and resulted in conversion. Moreover,
that might be true if he went in and uttered horrid blasphemies in their
presence, until they were frightened into considering their own character. However, who would defend such conduct on
the ground that it occasionally produced that result? And if this is the character of the excitement, it may be a
revival of wrath, and malice, and all that is uncharitable, but it is not a
true Christian revival. I do not mean
that when some or many are “filled with wrath” it is certain evidence that
there is no revival of religion. But
that when the excitement has this prevailing character, it is not a true
revival of religion. Some among them
may have the spirit of love, but certainly, those who are filled with a bitter
argumentative zeal are not truly religious.
Religion may be revived in some individuals, but, in such cases, it
usually is a revival of irreligion.
VII.
When people say they are converted, if love is not the ruling feature in their
character, they are not truly converted.
No
matter how good they may appear in other respects, no matter how clear their
views are, or how deep their feelings are, if they don’t have the spirit of
love for God, and love for man, they are deceived. Let no such converts be trusted.
VIII.
Can you picture what the world will be like when mankind is universally
motivated by a spirit of love?
We
learn that the time will come when there will be nothing to hurt or destroy,
and when the Spirit of love will universally prevail. What a change in society!
What a change in all the methods of doing business, and in all the
transactions of mankind, when each shall love his neighbor as himself, and seek
the good of others as his own. If one
of the saints that live now could visit the earth during that time, he wouldn’t
recognize it, everything will be so different.
“Is it possible,” he would exclaim, “that this is the earth; the same
earth that used to be so full of dissention, oppression, and fraud?”
IX.
The Lord Jesus Christ desires to bring all mankind under the influence of love.
Is
it not a worthy goal? He came to
destroy the works of the devil. And
this is the way to do it. Suppose the
world was full of such men as Jesus Christ was in His human nature. Compare it with what it is now. Would not such a change be worthy of the Son
of God? What a glorious end, to fill
the earth with love!
X.
It is easy to see what makes heaven.
It
is love - perfect love. And it is easy
to see what makes heaven begin on earth in those who are full of love. How sweet their temper, what delightful
companions, how blessed it is to live near them, to associate with them, so
full of candor, so kind, so gentle, so careful to avoid offense, so divinely
amiable in all things!
And
can we attain this? Can we love God
here in this world with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind? Is it our privilege and our duty to have the
Spirit of Christ; and shall we exhibit the spirit of the devil? Beloved, let our hearts be focused on
perfect love, and let us give God no rest until we feel our hearts full of
love, and until all our thoughts and all our lives are full of love for God and
love for man. Oh, when will the church
come up to this ground? Only let the
church be full of love, and she will be fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and
terrible to all wickedness in high and low places, as an army with banners.