addresses-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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

can　take　nothing　greater；　you　need　take　nothing　less。　　You　may

take　every　accomplishment；　you　may　be　braced　for　every　sacrifice；

but　if　you　give　your　body　to　be　burned；　and　have　not　Love；　it　will

profit　you　and　the　cause　of　Christ　NOTHING。





II。　　The　Analysis





After　contrasting　Love　with　these　things；　Paul；　in　three　verses；

very　short；　gives　us　an　amazing　analysis　of　what　this　supreme　thing

is。



I　ask　you　to　look　at　it。　　It　is　a　compound　thing；　he　tells　us。　　It

is　like　light。　　As　you　have　seen　a　man　of　science　take　a　beam　of

light　and　pass　it　through　a　crystal　prism；　as　you　have　seen　it　come

out　on　the　other　side　of　the　prism　broken　up　into　its　component

colorsred；　and　blue；　and　yellow；　and　violet；　and　orange；　and　all

the　colors　of　the　rainbowso　Paul　passes　this　thing；　Love；　through

the　magnificent　prism　of　his　inspired　intellect；　and　it　comes　out

on　the　other　side　broken　up　into　its　elements。



In　these　few　words　we　have　what　one　might　call





The　spectrum　of　Love；





the　analysis　of　love。　　Will　you　observe　what　its　elements　are？

Will　you　notice　that　they　have　common　names；　that　they　are　virtues

which　we　hear　about　every　day；　that　they　are　things　which　can

be　practised　by　every　man　in　every　place　in　life；　and　how；　by　a

multitude　of　small　things　and　ordinary　virtues；　the　supreme　thing；

the　〃summum　bonum；〃　is　made　up？



The　Spectrum　of　Love　has　nine　ingredients：





Patience　。　。　。　。　。　〃Love　suffereth　long。〃

Kindness　。　。　。　。　。　〃And　is　kind。〃

Generosity　。　。　。　。　〃Love　envieth　not。〃

Humility　。　。　。　。　。　〃Love　vaunteth　not　itself；　is　not　puffed　up。〃

Courtesy　。　。　。　。　。　〃Doth　not　behave　itself　unseemly。〃

Unselfishness　　。　。　〃Seeketh　not　its　own。〃

Good　temper　　。　。　。　〃Is　not　provoked。〃

Guilelessness　　。　。　〃Taketh　not　account　of　evil。〃

Sincerity　　。　。　。　。　〃Rejoiceth　not　in　unrighteousness；　but　rejoiceth

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　with　the　truth。〃





Patience；　kindness；　generosity；　humility；　courtesy；　unselfishness；

good　temper；　guilelessness；　sinceritythese　make　up　the　supreme

gift；　the　stature　of　the　perfect　man。



You　will　observe　that　all　are　in　relation　to　men；　in　relation　to

life；　in　relation　to　the　known　to…day　and　the　near　to…morrow；　and

not　to　the　unknown　eternity。　　We　hear　much　of　love　to　God；　Christ

spoke　much　of　love　to　man。　　We　make　a　great　deal　of　peace　with　heaven；

Christ　made　much　of　peace　on　earth。　　Religion　is　not　a　strange　or

added　thing；　but　the　inspiration　of　the　secular　life；　the　breathing

of　an　eternal　spirit　through　this　temporal　world。　　The　supreme

thing；　in　short；　is　not　a　thing　at　all；　but　the　giving　of　a　further

finish　to　the　multitudinous　words　and　acts　which　make　up　the　sum

of　every　common　day。



PATIENCE。　　This　is　the　normal　attitude　of　love；　Love　passive；　love

waiting　to　begin；　not　in　a　hurry；　calm；　ready　to　do　its　work　when

the　summons　comes；　but　meantime　wearing　the　ornament　of　a　meek　and

quiet　spirit。　　Love　suffers　long；　beareth　all　things；　believeth

all　things；　hopeth　all　things。　　For　Love　understands；　and　therefore

waits。



KINDNESS。　　Love　active。　　Have　you　ever　noticed　how　much　of　Christ's

life　was　spent　in　doing　kind　thingsin　MERELY　doing　kind　things？

Run　over　it　with　that　in　view；　and　you　will　find　that　He　spent　a

great　proportion　of　His　time　simply　in　making　people　happy；　in





Doing　good　turns





to　people。　　There　is　only　one　thing　greater　than　happiness　in　the

world；　and　that　is　holiness；　and　it　is　not　in　our　keeping；　but

what　God　HAS　put　in　our　power　is　the　happiness　of　those　about　us；

and　that　is　largely　to　be　secured　by　our　being　kind　to　them。



〃The　greatest　thing；〃　says　some　one；　〃a　man　can　do　for　his　Heavenly

Father　is　to　be　kind　to　some　of　His　other　children。〃　　I　wonder　why

it　is　that　we　are　not　all　kinder　than　we　are？　　How　much　the　world

needs　it！　　How　easily　it　is　done！　　How　instantaneously　it　acts！　　How

infallibly　it　is　remembered！　　How　superabundantly　it　pays　itself

backfor　there　is　no　debtor　in　the　world　so　honorable；　so　superbly

honorable；　as　Love。　　〃Love　never　faileth。〃　　Love　is　success；　Love

is　happiness；　Love　is　life。　　〃Love；〃　I　say　with　Browning；　〃is　energy

of　life。〃





〃For　life；　with　all　it　yields　of　joy　or　woe

　And　hope　and　fear；

　Is　just　our　chance　o'　the　prize　of　learning　love；

　How　love　might　be；　hath　been　indeed；　and　is。〃





Where　Love　is；　God　is。　　He　that　dwelleth　in　Love　dwelleth　in

God。　　God　is　Love。　　Therefore　LOVE。　　Without　distinction；　without

calculation；　without　procrastination；　love。　　Lavish　it　upon　the

poor；　where　it　is　very　easy；　especially　upon　the　rich；　who　often　need

it　most；　most　of　all　upon　our　equals；　where　it　is　very　difficult；

and　for　whom　perhaps　we　each　do　least　of　all。　　There　is　a　difference

between　TRYING　TO　PLEASE　and　GIVING　PLEASURE。　　Give　pleasure。

Lose　no　chance　of　giving　pleasure；　for　that　is　the　ceaseless　and

anonymous　triumph　of　a　truly　loving　spirit。　　〃I　shall　pass　through

this　world　but　once。　　Any　good　thing；　therefore；　that　I　can　do；　or

any　kindness　that　I　can　show　to　any　human　being；　let　me　do　it　now。

Let　me　not　defer　it　or　neglect　it；　for　I　shall　not　pass　this　way

again。〃



GENEROSITY。　　〃Love　envieth　not。〃　　This　is　love　in　competition　with

others。　　Whenever　you　attempt　a　good　work　you　will　find　other　men

doing　the　same　kind　of　work；　and　probably　doing　it　better。　　Envy

them　not。　　Envy　is　a　feeling　of　ill…will　to　those　who　are　in　the

same　line　as　ourselves；　a　spirit　of　covetousness　and　detraction。

How　little　Christian　work　even　is　a　protection　against　un…Christian

feeling！　　That　most　despicable　of　all　the　unworthy　moods　which

cloud　a　Christian's　soul　assuredly　waits　for　us　on　the　threshold　of

every　work；　unless　we　are　fortified　with　this　grace　of　magnanimity。

Only　one　thing　truly　need　the　Christian　envythe　large；　rich；

generous　soul　which　〃envieth　not。〃



And　then；　after　having　learned　all　that；　you　　have　to　learn　this

further　thing；　HUMILITYto　put　a　seal　upon　your　lips　and　forget

what　you　have　done。　　After　you　have　been　kind；　after　Love　has　stolen

forth　into　the　world　and　done　its　beautiful　work；　go　back　into　the

shade　again　and　say　nothing　about　it。　　Love　hides　even　from　itself。

Love　waives　even　self…satisfaction。　　〃Love　vaunteth　not　itself；　is

not　puffed　up。〃　　Humilitylove　hiding。



The　fifth　ingredient　is　a　somewhat　strange　one　to　find　in　this　〃summum

bonum：〃　　COURTESY。　　This　is　Love　in　society；　Love　in　relation　to

etiquette。　　〃Love　doe　not　behave　itself　unseemly。〃



Politeness　has　been　defined　as　love　in　trifles。　　Courtesy　is　said

to　be　love　in　little　things。　　And　the　one　secret　of　politeness　is

to　love。



Love　CANNOT　behave　itself　unseemly。　　You　can　put　the　most　untutored

persons　into　the　highest　society；　and　if　they　have　a　reservoir

of　Love　in　their　hearty　they　will　not　behave　themselves　unseemly。

They　simply　cannot　do　it。　　Carlisle　said　of　Robert　Burns　that　there

was　no　truer　gentleman　in　Europe　than　the　ploughman…poet。　　It　was

because　he　loved　everythingthe　mouse；　and　the　daisy；　and　all　the

things；　great　and　small；　that　God　had　made。　　So　with　this　simple

passport　he　could　mingle　with　any　society；　and　enter　courts　and

palaces　from　his　little　cottage　on　the　banks　of　the　Ayr。



You　know　the　meaning　of　the　word　〃gentleman。〃　　It　means　a　gentle

mana　man　who　does　things　gently；　with　love。　　That　is　the　whole　art

and　mystery　of　it。　　The　gentle　man　cannot　in　the　nature　of　things

do　an　ungentle；　an　ungentlemanly　thing。　　The　ungentle　soul；　the

inconsiderate；　unsympathetic　nature；　cannot　do　anything　else。　　〃Love

doth　not　behave　itself　unseemly。〃



UNSELFISHNESS。　　〃Love　seeketh　not　her　own。〃　　Observe：　　Seeketh　not

even　that　which　is　her　own。　　In　Britain　the　Englishman　is　devoted；

and　rightly；　to　his　rights。　　But　there　come　times　when　a　man　may

exercise　even





The　higher　right





of　giving　up　his　rights。



Yet　Paul　does　not　summon　us　to　give　up　our　rights。　　Love　strikes

much　deeper。　　It　would　have　us　not　seek　them　at　all；　ignore　them；

eliminate　the　personal　element　altogether　from　our　calculations。



It　is　not　hard　to　give　up　our　rights。　　They　are　often　eternal。　　The

difficult　thing　is　to　give　up　OURSELVES。　　The　more　difficult　thing

still　is　not　to　seek　things　for　ourselves　at　all。　　After　we　have

sought　them；　bought　them；　won　them；　deserved　them；　we　have　taken

the　cream　off　them　for　ourselves　already。　　Little　cross　then　to

give　them　up。　　But　not　to　seek　them；　to　look　every　man　not　on　his

own　things；　but　on　the　things　of　othersthat　is　the　difficulty。

〃Seekest　thou　great　things　for　thyself？〃　said　the　prophet；　〃SEEK

THEM　NOT。〃　　Why？　　Because　there　is　no　greatness　in　THINGS。　　Things

cannot　be　great。　　The　only　greatness　is　unselfish　love。　　Even

self…denial　in　itself　is　nothing；　is　almost　a　mistake。　　Only　a

great　purpose　or　a　mightier　love　can　justify　the　waste。



It　is　mo