Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 273, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1914 — FIRST OF VIRTUES [ARTICLE]

FIRST OF VIRTUES

Faith and Hope Never Quite to Be Recognized Without Presence of Love. “Where are the nine?” There were ten cleansed, ten lifted out of deepest despair; but only one was really cleansed. The other nine were healed of their physical disease, it is true; but they denied themselves the full benefit of Christ’s power. Their gain was a temporary gain, and therf was no assurance of safety in the future. All ten of those men possessed faith of a sort, and all hoped to be healed of their leprosy; but that kind of faith and hope is of the earth earthy, and it belongs to the present only. One turned back in an access of loving gratitude; and, because of love, found both faith.and love raised Into terms of the eternal. The command that they should go show themselves unto the priests strengthened such faith and hope as they possessed, because that was the method of attesting and confirming a cure. The suggestion implied, in an established method of procedure, undoubtedly had much to do with the possibility of the nine being cleansed. It certainly relieved them of any necessity of believing in our Lord as we believe in him, for instance; and the loving * mercy of Christ allowed them to partake of the surface-good, even If they could not receive the deep and abiding quality that was hidden beneath the outward sign and token of his compassion. Aft Empty Without Love. However the order in which the three great Christian virtues be received, faith and hope are never quite faith and hope without love. That which must pass away can never satisfy; for while we enjoy it,- no matter how beautiful it is, the thing which is temporary makes known to us its temporary character; and "full bloom” is inevitably associated with “fade” and "sere.” Spring cannot erase the memory of winter; and as we gather in the fruits of the harvest, care and fear and want lie in the background of joyUnshed tears brighten the loving regard that enfolds our dear ones, for we part at the last from all that has its being in time. Strength and vigor are ours today, but how quickly gone, and we-all unaware till weakness comes and the making of place for others. The fear of poverty sits at the elbow of the rich; and he who has power knows no rest

“All is vanity,” indeed, unless all be quickened by love until faith and hope reach out beyond the world of appearance into the world of things as they are, and'are always to be. The law was given to Moses, graven deep on stone; and through all Israel’s song breaks the note of sadness. Faith there was, and hope; but faith was a present relationship; hope an earthly promise. Fulfillment of the Law. . The law is fulfilled in the person of our Lord, whom we may love with all the full meaning of the word. “If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stone, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious—■’’ as we read in the epistle. The “love” of the Gospels brings us into relationship with the person who is eternal. Faith and hope likewise center about him, when we love him; and the theme of the Christian’s song is triumphant joy; for he reverses the order of nature and the natural man. His pain and sorrow, his trials and tribulations, death and partings—these things shall be no more; and life, joy and love become the ultimate realities. Now the spirit of love is obedience. (“Walk in the spirit, and ye Shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh . . . for if ye be led of the spirit, ye are not under the law . . . the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace 8 . . against such there is no law. That we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love .that which thou dost command.**) And obedience unto what? To a dead law, or to the spirit of life? ° How can we be under the -law tn the world when we have fixed our desires where Christ dwelleth, in the world eternal? When we love him we shall believe and hope also; and believing and hoping we shall lovingly serve, obediently walking In the way of his commandments. —The Living Church.