CHAPTER XXVIII. Be Loving

Be Loving

It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.” (1 John 4:7). When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation. It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary. It will not yield to bribes or threats, cannot be burnt by fire, submerged by billows or restrained by castle bars, but shines in patriotism, bleeds in sacrifice and dies in atonement.

To define love is impossible. It cannot be framed in sentences. Language is inadequate to express the feelings prompted by it. No philosopher can explain its whens, whys and wherefores. No geologist can unearth its footprints. No rhetorician can find a fit garb to clothe it. Artists cannot sketch it, scribes cannot pen it, nor can death destroy it.

THE LAW OF LOVE, THE RULE OF LIFE.

Love is a social virtue, “the soul of life.” It is the underlying principle of voluntary associations and is the governing force of action. In its relation to etiquette it is courtesy, “Love doth not behave itself unseemly.” (1 Cor. 13:5). Politeness has been defined as love in trifles, courtesy as love in little things. In social standing it is another word for a real gentleman. “Gentleman” has been defined as a man who does things gently, with love. In its relation to God it is self-sacrifice. “To be great-hearted, for the love we bear to our Master, and in imitation of Him, is ideal Christianity, for it is the religion of Him whose life and death were self-sacrifice.” Such love lightens the burdens of other lives, sweetens their toils and imparts music with every step. Such love begets love. It knows no discouragements and what it does is done gratuitously. To love thus is to live. Said Phillips Brooks, “Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.”

When the noted Dr. George Shrady went on a vacation in the mountains he left orders not to be called to do professional work on any account. While resting in a hammock a barefoot boy accompanied by his grandmother came to him. “I could not keep him away, doctor,” said the aged woman, “he heard that you were here, that you were the greatest doctor in the whole world. He said that you could cure him and make him like other boys. I told him he had no money and could not come; that you would not bother with him, but he said he knew you would cure him. So here he is, sir.” The doctor, moved by his simple faith, helplessness, poverty and rags, prescribed for him. He gave him two weeks of careful treatment, at the end of which he was able to romp in the fields strong and well. When Thanksgiving came, the Doctor received by express a rude box. On opening it, he found a large turkey to which a card was attached with the words: “Dear Doctor: Here is a nice fat turkey for you. It’s the best I could send. I love you for your love to me.” The gift and message imparted a new feature in the doctor’s life. He saw rising above honor, riches or reputation, love, the summum bonum, the greatest thing in the world.

WHOM TO LOVE.

By creation and birth, we are members of one common family, and are under obligations to feel and care for each other. This principle is like a cord binding heart to heart. Where it exists it proves itself by the fruit it bears. “They do not love who do not show their love.” Love is often blind to faults and failings. “Love suffereth long and is kind.” (1 Cor. 13:4). While in battle Alexander the Great received a cut in the forehead, which left an ugly scar. Years after an eminent artist was requested to paint his portrait, but did not wish to show the scar. In order to make a perfect likeness and hide the deformity, he sketched the emperor leaning on his elbow, with his forefinger on his brow, thus covering the defect. So love, in tone, word, look and gesture, often “hideth a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20).

Love God. This should be the greatest aim of life. “God is love,” (1 John 4:8), and He commended “His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8). During the reign of terror in France a young man named Loizerolles was condemned to death. His aged father would not allow himself to be separated from his son, but accompanied him to prison. When the jailor a few days later presented himself at the door and called out the names of those who were to be executed, this aged man answered for his son who was asleep, and was led away to the scaffold. As that father gave his life for his son, Jesus gave His life that every boy should have life everlasting. For this consideration, should He not receive our love? Should we not love Him as He demands “with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength?” (Mark 12:30).

Love your parents. Great is the love and many the sacrifices made by them for a child. From early morning till late at night they plan and labor for his welfare. Is it any more than right that he love them in return? To be disrespectful and ungrateful is to invite and incur God’s displeasure, but to be loving and dutiful is to gain heaven’s approval and increased parental affection. Filial reverence is one of the best evidences of a loving heart, and he who loves God loves his parents.

Love your enemies. No counsel need be given to love one’s friends, for friendship indicates love. To love an enemy seems hard, but it can be done, and nothing so changes enmity into friendship as love. Love cannot confine itself to the bosom that cherishes it. It must reveal itself in deeds of kindness. During the Revolutionary War, a Dunkard leader named Miller was grievously insulted by a man named Widman, who was afterwards sentenced to be hung as a British spy. Miller went a long distance to petition Washington to spare his life. The commander-in-chief said: “I would like to release Widman, because he is your friend; but I cannot, even for that consideration.” “Friend!” cried Miller, “why, he’s my worst enemy, and therefore I want to save him.”

“Love makes excuses where she might condemn; Reviled by those that hate her, love prays for them; Suspicion lurks not in her artless breast. The worst suggested, she believes the best. Not soon provoked, however stung and teased, And, if perhaps made angry, soon appeased. She rather waives than will dispute her right, And, injured, makes forgiveness her delight.”

Love everybody. “Beloved,” said John, “if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11). It is not a question of color, education or social position, but the relationship God has made between us. “And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” (Acts 17:26). One of the hieroglyphics of Egypt represents a child with a heart in his hand giving honey to a bee that has no wings with which to fly from flower to flower in quest of honey. The child represents the humility of love, the heart cheerfulness of love, and the giving of honey to the wingless bee the helplessness and worthiness of the object of love. The opportunity to exemplify love in its various forms comes often. Go, my boy, through life scattering flowers in everyone’s pathway. Encourage the struggling, anoint the suffering, assist the needy, and you will break open barred hearts, melt into moral pliability iron wills and lead souls to Christ.

DID I DO MY BEST?

Years ago at Evanston a young man was preparing for the ministry. He was the room-mate of the eloquent Dr. Spencer of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a frail lad, but a good swimmer. It was his delight to give exhibitions of his skill in the boisterous lake. One night, ten miles out, a steamer with four hundred passengers was wrecked. Next morning all was excitement in the village. Two hundred men volunteered for service, among them this young man. A rope was put around his waist, that his frail body might be recovered should he be killed by the floating pieces of wreckage. Backward and forward he went for six hours, helping to save human life. Through his great familiarity with the surf he was enabled to do more than all the rest together. Out of four hundred passengers, only thirty came through the breakers alive, and of these, seventeen were saved by this youth. Between his journeys he stood before a blazing fire, covered with blankets. But each time an unfortunate one came near the breakers, he threw off his incumbrances and plunged again into the water. At first he wore the rope around his arm, but, coming to a piece of debris to which a drowning person was clinging, the wreckage struck him in the face. The crowd on shore, alarmed for his safety, commenced pulling in the line prematurely, before he had laid hold of the drowning person. Throwing off the rope, he clutched the man and brought him safely ashore. Walking up the beach, he saw a gentleman sitting in an elegant carriage, who had evidently come to the beach with his coachman from his suburban home, and going to him said: “These people have almost killed me and another accident may take my life without my having done my work. Will you consent to manage the rope, not allowing the people to pull until I give the signal? If you do this, you shall have half of the credit for anything I may be able to do.” The gentleman consented, and for five hours managed the rope. The last person saved that day was a man who was coming ashore in a difficult part of the surf, where the bank was high and precipitous. Those who came to this part of the surf were absolutely lost, as it seemed more than a man’s life was worth to save them. This youth saw this man clinging to a piece of wreck while with the other he held a bundle.

A sudden lift of the waves brought the man and the raft into full view, and there streamed out from the bundle a tress of hair. “Cost what it may, I will save that man or die in the attempt,” said he, “he is trying to save his wife.” He ran down the beach, following the retreating wave, kept down as closely as possible to the sand, and let the return wave pound him. When next seen, he was far out in the water. He swam to the piece of raft to which the two were clinging. When within six or eight feet of them, the man cried out: “Save my wife! save my wife!” The brave swimmer said: “Yes, I’ll save your wife and you also.” Fastening his hands in their clothing at the back of their necks, he said: “I can sustain you in the water, but you must swim for your lives and mine. We must push northward to get beyond this dangerous surf, if we are to be saved at all.” To the joy of the spectators, he came safely to shore with both unfortunates, for whom he had so bravely imperilled his life. Into that one day he put the struggle of his life. Finally he collapsed and was put to bed. As his room-mate ministered to him, he looked up and said, “Did I do my best? Did I do my best?” Yes, he did his best as true love always does. There is no journey too long, no effort too hard, no suffering too intense, no sacrifice too great for it to make. As with this youth, so may it be with your—

“impassion’d soul; Not as with many a mere part Of its existence, but the whole; The very life-breath of the heart.”

THE DURATION OF LOVE.

Love is eternal. All else shall fail, but “Love never faileth.” (1 Cor. 13:8). Wendell Phillips sang of a past golden age, and told in silvery eloquence of things now lost. Lost the instruments for lifting the pyramidal stones to their place. Lost the secret of annealing glass, and Tyrian colors undimmed by centuries. Lost the art of making the Damascus blade, whose elasticity would permit the point and hilt to kiss each other. Lost the ancient races of Israel, ancient cities, ancient books, ancient languages, but love still remains.

So great are our mental powers that we can conceive of the time according to scientific enumeration and declaration when the oil wells of the world shall cease, when all the precious metals shall have been dug and coined, when the sun shall have burnt out, yes, and by the transforming power of the coming Christ, the faith of Christians shall be changed into sight and hope blossom into fruition. Then, even then, love shall forever exist.

Cultivate love, my boy. “Men will not bow down to crowned power, or philosophic power, or æsthetic power, but in the presence of a great soul filled with vigor of inspiration and glowing with love man will do obeisance.” Frank Bragg was only fifteen years of age when he lay dying in Paducah hospital. He had fought as one of Birge’s sharpshooters. As the dew of death gathered on his brow, he said, “O, I’m going to die, and there is no one to love me.” The nurse told him that he had many friends and that God loved him. “Yes,” said he, “I am not afraid to die, but I want someone to love me.” “Frank,” said the nurse, “I love you.” She kissed his pale forehead. “Kiss me again,” he said, “that was given so like my sister.”

Did you ever think how many struggling hearts, sinful hearts, disconsolate hearts are saying: “No one loves me?” It remains with you, my boy, to sweeten many a bitter cup, cast sunshine into many a darkened soul, extract the thorn of anguish from many a sad heart, and make life worth living by expressing what John Waterhouse and David Cargill did to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands: “My love to you.” Love in Jesus Christ, for love is the—

“golden charm that binds The happy souls above, And he’s an heir of heaven that finds His bosom glow with love.”