3. It is full of ivise discernment. — Love always distinguishes between the person and his sin, just as a doctor distinguishes between a patient and his disease. He never by any chance identifies them. He fights the disease with a vigour, a continuity, and a relentlessness that knows no cessation and gives no quarter ; but he never confounds the personality of the patient with the pathology of his disease. If you could penetrate to the inner- most sacrarium of even the most depraved man you would find that which would join with you in condemning his sinful courses, and take sides with you against the wrong that he has done. This separability of the sin from the sinner is clear to the eye of love, and this it is that gives hopefulness to the task of rescue and reform.
Warm Beneath the veriest ash, there hides a spark of soul Which, quickened by love's breath, may yet pervade the whole.^
^ G. H. Gilbert, The First Interpreters of Jesus, 14.
^ R. W. Dale, Nine Lectures on Preaching, 208. * Browning.
2 PETER I. 5-7 191
^ I was reading the other day a sensible and appreciative review of Mr. Lucas's new biography of Charles Lamb. The reviewer quoted with cordial praise Mr. Lucas's remark — referring, of course, to the gin-and-water, which casts, I fear, in my own narrow view, something of a sordid shadow over Lamb's otherwise innocent life — " A man must be very secure in his own righteous- ness who would pass condemnatory judgment upon Charles Lamb's only weakness." I do not myself think this a sound criticism. We ought not to abstain from condemning the weakness, we must abstain from condemning Charles Lamb. His beautiful virtues, his tenderness, his extraordinary sweetness and purity of nature, far outweigh this weakness. But what are we to do ? Are we to ignore, to condone, to praise the habit? Are we to think the better of Charles Lamb and love him more because he tippled ? Would he not have been more lovable without it ? ^
4. It is not merely emotional hut also practical. — This love towards men — of men, as men — the entire race, as it exists immediately in the neighbourhood of the Church, or fills " the habitable parts of the earth " in all lands — is not, as a Christian sentiment, to be a bit of barren though beautiful idealism, a vague, philosophic glow of "fraternity," a feeling that utters itself in no deeds of valiant endeavour to better the world, but only in grand, eloquent talk — talk, too, it may be, about anything but men's highest interests, or even in fiat contravention of such. It is not to be this, but a really deep, earnest, intense thing, as to its nature, and a real, effective doer of work, as to its expression.
^ Love, such as Christ's law speaks of, never asks the question, *' Who is my neighbour ? " Love's question, if Love asks questions at all, is, " How can I show myself neighbourly ? " Love does not inquire, " Whom ought I to help ? " — it inquires, " How can I best be a helper ? " It does not look narrowly and grudgingly and fearfully round, trying to find out who the others are who may have claims on it. Its eyes are turned inward upon itself, saying, " What wiU make me more fit to serve ? " ^
Love came to me with a crown, I took it and laid it down.
Love came to me and said, "Wear it upon thy head."
* A. G. Benson, From a College Window, 211. =" R. \Y. Barbour, Thoughts, 104.
192 THE UNFOLDING OF CHARACTER
" 'Tis too heavy, I cannot wear it,
I have not strength enough to bear it."
Then my soul's beloved spake. Saying, " Wear it for my sake," When lo ! the crown of love grew light, And I wore it in all men's sight.^
1 Ella Dietz.
Growth.
JAS-JUDE- 13
Literature.
Bruce (J.), Sermons, 238.
Burrell (D. J.), The Spirit of the Age, 163.
Cooper (A. A.), God's Forget-me-not, 41.
Girdlestone (A. G.), The Way, the Truth, the Life, No. 13.
Hare (A. W.), The Alton Sermons, 31.
Home (C. S.), The Rock of Ages, 27.
Lovell (R. H.), First Types of the Christian Life, 286.
Maclaren (A.), Creed and Conduct, 192.
Magee (W. C), Growth in Grace, 1.
Morgan (G. C.), The Simple Things of the Christian Life, 53.
Murray (W. H.), The Fruits of tJie Spirit, 301.
Pierce (C. C.), The Hunger of the Heart for Faith, 111.
Ryle (J. C), Holiness.
Spurgeon (C. H.), Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, viii. (1862) 1.
Stanley (A. P.), Addresses and Sermons in St. Andreios, 136.
Steel (T. H.), Sermons in Harroio Chapel, 117.
Troup (G. E.), Words to Young Christians, 69.
Williams (T. LI.), Thy Kingdom Come, 42.
Christian World Pulpit, viii. 27 (Beecher) ; xiii. 116 (Skinner); xxviii.
344 (Macdonald) ; xxx. 298 (Beecher) ; xxxiv. 45 (Tymms) ; xlv.
236 (Stewart). Church Pulpit Year Book, ix. (1912) 239. Homiletic Review, li. 222 (Burgwin) ; liii. 380 (Webb-Peploe).
Growth.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.— 2 Pet. iii. i8.
1. Thkoughout the New Testament Christian character is re- garded as a growth. Sometimes the growth is architectural — the growth of the building ; sometimes it is physiological, Christ being the head, and we growing up into Him in all things ; sometimes it is generic growth, as in the case of the vine which brings forth more and more fruit under pruning and culture. The idea of a developing life runs through the whole New Testament, and has every variety of exemplification.