The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 197

Vers. 8-11.-The persecuted Christian reminded of the help of brotherly love "Above all things have fervent love among yourselves." You will remember how this expression, "above all things," corresponds with other Scripture. Paul says "Now abideth faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love." "Now the end of the commandment is love unfeigned." James calls this" the royal law;" and our Lord himself says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have iove one to another." The introduction of this theme in addressing the persecuted Church is very natural. Next to the support of the sympathy and help of God in trial, is the grasp of a brother's hand of whose heart we are sure. Love sustains individual weakness; it unites the Church, and makes it impregnable to the common foe. This is one end of Church-fellowship; no life can be so strong as it might that stands alone, or, even if it would, a.lone it can do nothing (as it ought) to shelter the weakness of others. Strength comes with union, therefore let there be union. But the union is only a name, Church- fellowship is only a mockery, and its promise of strength a deception, unless it be the union and fellowship of sacred love. L THE DEMA.ll'D FOB FEBVElo.'T LOVE IN THE CHURCH. we sometimes excuse our- selves for not feeling as we should towards the brethren by saying we cannot make ourselves love. But that cannot be right, for our very text lays on us the responsibility of having fervent love, and everywhere it is the subject of command. What, then, can we do to this end? There are three duties we can fulfil which tend to it. 1. 'l.'he cultivation of what would fosur brotherly love. Love of the brethren springs from love t.o the Father. Natural love is born in ns, spiritual love is not. That comes with the new birth, and is fostered and developed only by fellowship with God. Know God, dwell in God, love God, and the Scripture says brotherly love will be the result. Cherish love to God, and we shall find ourselves, without setting out to do it, loving those he loves for his sake. 2. Watchfulness against what would hinder brotherly love. If certain evils are allowed to spring up in a Church, farewell to a spirit of love then. One great danger of these evils is that they are subtle and dwell mostly out or sight. The Church as a Church, therefore, cannot deal with them; its safety depends on its individual members jealously watching their approach, and unsparingly destroying them at the moment or contact. A disputatious spirit is one of these evils. Same minds are never known to agree with anything; there is always something to criticize adversely every- where. '!'hat spirit is contagious, and kills love. There is also a jealous spirit; half the troubles of Church-life are due to jealousy, which often bas no ground but that of 1mspicion. '!'here is a tale-bearing spirit. If you see a man or woman going from ear to ear with some mischief-making story, some gossip which tends to wound or discredit another, suspect that person's own character, regard him as an emissary of Satan. There is also a self-assertive spirit which forgets the claims of others, We arc all terribly apt to be overcome by that spirit, and love falls a speedy victim to it. Every spirit in the Church that is hostile to love we must destroy. 3. .A refusal to be repulsed by a laclc vf love. An unloving Christian can only harm himself if others refuse to be influenced by him. There; are two ways of treating such-either as he treats you, which makeB two wrong-tloers instead of one; or to refuse to be overcome of evil, .nnd to overcomo evil with good. It is impossible that fervent love can long widely exist in a community, unless there be a general individual determination, in the strength of God, first, not to provoke, tben if provoked, not to" render evil for evil, . . . but contrariwis(' blessing." II. THE MANIFESTATION OF CIIRISTIAN LOVE. 1. It expresses itself in different ways. Love speaks evil of no man, and thinketh no evil. Love is the" ad vacate of tho absenL." Love gives; the homes of the persecuted were but slenderly stocked, they had often to 011. 1v. 1-19.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 183