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Addresses



by　Henry　Drummond








Introductory






I　was　staying　with　a　party　of　friends　in　a　country　house　during　my

visit　to　England　in　1884。　　On　Sunday　evening　as　we　sat　around　the

fire；　they　asked　me　to　read　and　expound　some　portion　of　Scripture。

Being　tired　after　the　services　of　the　day；　I　told　them　to　ask　Henry

Drummond；　who　was　one　of　the　party。　　After　some　urging　he　drew　a

small　Testament　from　his　hip　pocket；　opened　it　at　the　13th　chapter

of　I　Corinthians；　and　began　to　speak　on　the　subject　of　Love。



It　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　never　heard　anything　so　beautiful；　and

I　determined　not　to　rest　until　I　brought　Henry　Drummond　to　Northfield

to　deliver　that　address。　　Since　then　I　have　requested　the　principals

of　schools　to　have　it　read　before　the　students　every　year。　　The　one

great　need　in　our　Christian　life　is　love；　more　love　to　God　and　to

each　other。　　Would　that　we　could　all　move　into　that　Love　chapter；

and　live　there。



This　volume　contains；　in　addition　to　the　address　on　Love；　some

other　addresses　which　I　trust　will　bring　help　and　blessing　to　many。



＇signed＇D。　L。　Moody。











Contents









Love；　the　Greatest　Thing　in　the　World　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　　7

Lessons　from　the　Angelus　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　35

Pax　Vobiscum　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　44

First！　　An　Address　to　Boys　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　70

The　Changed　Life；　the　Greatest　Need　of　the　World　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　82

Dealing　with　Doubt　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　113











Love：　　The　Greatest　Thing　in　the　World









Every　one　has　asked　himself　the　great　question　of　antiquity　as　of

the　modern　world：　　What　is　the　'summum　bonum'the　supreme　good？

You　have　life　before　you。　　Once　only　you　can　live　it。　　What　is　the

noblest　object　of　desire；　the　supreme　gift　to　covet？



We　have　been　accustomed　to　be　told　that　the　greatest　thing　in　the

religious　world　is　Faith。　　That　great　word　has　been　the　key…note

for　centuries　of　the　popular　religion；　and　we　have　easily　learned

to　look　upon　it　as　the　greatest　thing　in　the　world。　　Well；　we　are

wrong。　　If　we　have　been　told　that；　we　may　miss　the　mark。　　In　the

13th　chapter　of　I　Corinthians；　Paul　takes　us　to





Christianity　at　its　source；





and　there　we　see；　〃the　greatest　of　these　is　love。〃



It　is　not　an　oversight。　　Paul　was　speaking　of　faith　just　a　moment

before。　　He　says；　〃If　I　have　all　faith；　so　that　I　can　remove

mountains；　and　have　not　love；　I　am　nothing。〃　　So　far　from　forgetting；

he　deliberately　contrasts　them；　〃Now　abideth　Faith；　Hope；　Love；〃

and　without　a　moment's　hesitation　the　decision　falls；　〃The　greatest

of　these　is　Love。〃



And　it　is　not　prejudice。　　A　man　is　apt　to　recommend　to　others　his

own　strong　point。　　Love　was　not　Paul's　strong　point。　　The　observing

student　can　detect　a　beautiful　tenderness　growing　and　ripening　all

through　his　character　as　Paul　gets　old；　but　the　hand　that　wrote

〃The　greatest　of　these　is　love；〃　when　we　meet　it　first；　is　stained

with　blood。



Nor　is　this　letter　to　the　Corinthians　peculiar　in　singling　out

love　as　the　〃summum　bonum。〃　　The　masterpieces　of　Christianity　are

agreed　about　it。　　Peter　says；　〃Above　all　things　have　fervent　love

among　yourselves。〃　　ABOVE　ALL　THINGS。　　And　John　goes　farther；　〃God

is　love。〃



You　remember　the　profound　remark　which　Paul　makes　elsewhere；　〃Love

is　the　fulfilling　of　the　law。〃　　Did　you　ever　think　what　he　meant

by　that？　　In　those　days　men　were　working　the　passage　to　Heaven

by　keeping　the　Ten　Commandments；　and　the　hundred　and　ten　other

commandments　which　they　had　manufactured　out　of　them。　　Christ　came

and　said；　〃I　will　show　you　a　more　simple　way。　　If　you　do　one　thing；

you　will　do　these　hundred　and　ten　things；　without　ever　thinking

about　them。　　If　you　LOVE；　you　will　unconsciously　fulfill　the　whole

law。〃



You　can　readily　see　for　yourselves　how　that　must　be　so。　　Take　any

of　the　commandments。　　〃Thou　shalt　have　no　other　gods　before　Me。〃

If　a　man　love　God；　you　will　not　require　to　tell　him　that。　　Love　is

the　fulfilling　of　that　law。　　〃Take　not　His　name　in　vain。〃　　Would　he

ever　dream　of　taking　His　name　in　vain　if　he　loved　him？　　〃Remember

the　Sabbath　day　to　keep　it　holy。〃　　　Would　he　not　be　too　glad　to

have　one　day　in　seven　to　dedicate　more　exclusively　to　the　object

of　his　affection？　　Love　would　fulfill　all　these　laws　regarding　God。



And　so；　if　he　loved　man；　you　would　never　think　of　telling　him

to　honor　his　father　and　mother。　　He　could　not　do　anything　else。

It　would　be　preposterous　to　tell　him　not　to　kill。　　You　could　only

insult　him　if　you　suggested　that　he　should　not　stealhow　could

he　steal　from　those　he　loved？　　It　would　be　superfluous　to　beg　him

not　to　bear　false　witness　against　his　neighbor。　　If　he　loved　him

it　would　be　the　last　thing　he　would　do。　　And　you　would　never　dream

of　urging　him　not　to　covet　what　his　neighbors　had。　　He　would　rather

they　possess　it　than　himself。　　In　this　way　〃Love　is　the　fulfilling

of　the　law。〃　　It　is　the　rule　for　fulfilling　all　rules；　the　new

commandment　for　keeping　all　the　old　commandments；　Christ's　one。





Secret　of　the　Christian　life。





Now　Paul　has　learned　that；　and　in　this　noble　eulogy　he　has　given

us　the　most　wonderful　and　original　account　extant　of　the　〃summum

bonum。〃　　We　may　divide　it　into　three　parts。　　In　the　beginning　of

the　short　chapter　we　have　Love　CONTRASTED；　in　the　heart　of　it；　we

have　Love　ANALYZED；　toward　the　end；　we　have　Love　DEFENDED　as　the

supreme　gift。





I。　The　Contrast。





Paul　begins　by　contrasting　Love　with　other　things　that　men　in　those

days　thought　much　of。　　I　shall　not　attempt　to　go　over　these　things

in　detail。　　Their　inferiority　is　already　obvious。



He　contrasts　it　with　ELOQUENCE。　　And　what　a　noble　gift　it　is；

the　power　of　playing　upon　the　souls　and　wills　of　men；　and　rousing

them　to　lofty　purpose　and　holy　deeds！　　Paul　says；　If　I　speak　with

the　tongues　of　men　and　of　angels；　and　have　not　love；　I　am　become

sounding　brass；　or　a　tinkling　cymbal。〃　　We　all　know　why。　　We　have

all　felt　the　brazenness　of　words　without　emotion；　the　hollowness；

the　unaccountable　unpersuasiveness；　of　eloquence　behind　which　lies

no　Love。



He　contrasts　it　with　PROPHECY。　　He　contrasts　it　with　MYSTERIES。

He　contrasts　it　with　FAITH。　　He　contrasts　it　with　CHARITY。　　Why

is　Love　greater　than　faith？　　Because　the　end　is　greater　than　the

means。　　And　why　is　it　greater　than　charity？　　Because　the　whole　is

greater　than　the　part。



Love　is　greater　than　FAITH；　because　the　end　is　greater　than　the

means。　　What　is　the　use　of　having　faith？　　It　is　to　connect　the

soul　with　God。　　And　what　is　the　object　of　connecting　man　with　God？

That　he　may　become　like　God。　　But　God　is　Love。　　Hence　Faith；　the

means；　is　in　order　to　Love；　the　end。　　Love；　therefore；　obviously

is　greater　than　faith。　　〃If　I　have　all　faith；　so　as　to　remove

mountains；　but　have　not　love；　I　am　nothing。〃



It　is　greater　than　CHARITY；　again；　because　the　whole　is　greater

than　a　part。　　Charity　is　only　a　little　bit　of　Love；　one　of　the

innumerable　avenues　of　Love；　and　there　may　even　be；　and　there　is；

a　great　deal　of　charity　without　Love。　　It　is　a　very　easy　thing

to　toss　a　copper　to　a　beggar　on　the　street；　it　is　generally　an

easier　thing　than　not　to　do　it。　　Yet　Love　is　just　as　often　in　the

withholding。　　We　purchase　relief　from　the　sympathetic　feelings

roused　by　the　spectacle　of　misery；　at　the　copper's　cost。　　It　is　too

cheaptoo　cheap　for　us；　and　often　too　dear　for　the　beggar。　　If　we

really　loved　him　we　would　either　do　more　for　him；　or　less。　　Hence；

〃If　I　bestow　all　my　goods　to　feed　the　poor；　but　have　not　love　it

profiteth　me　nothing。〃



Then　Paul　contrasts　it　with　SACRIFICE　and　martyrdom：　　〃If　I　give

my　body　to　be　burned；　but　have　not　love；　it　profiteth　me　nothing。〃

Missionaries　can　take　nothing　greater　to　the　heathen　world　than　the

impress　and　reflection　of　the　Love　of　God　upon　their　own　character。

That　is　the　universal　language。　　It　will　take　them　years　to　speak

in　Chinese；　or　in　the　dialects　of　India。　　From　the　day　they　land；

that　language　of　Love；　understood　by　all；　will　be　pouring　forth

its　unconscious　eloquence。



It　is　the　man　who　is　the　missionary；　it　is　not　his　words。　　His

character　is　his　message。　　In　the　heart　of　Africa；　among　the　great

Lakes；　I　have　come　across　black　men　and　women　who　remembered　the

only　white　man　they　ever　saw　beforeDavid　Livingstone；　and　as　you

cross　his　footsteps　in　that　dark　continent；





Men's　faces　light　up





As　they　speak　of　the　kind　doctor　who　passed　there　years　ago。　　They

could　not　understand　him；　but　they　felt　the　love　that　beat　in　his

heart。　　They　knew　that　it　was　love；　although　he　spoke　no　word。



Take　into　your　sphere　of　labor；　where　you　also　mean　to　lay　down

your　life；　that　simple　charm；　and　your　lifework　must　succeed。　　You

can　take　nothing　greater；　you　n