SUNDAY READING

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 9

SUNDAY READING

THE QUEEN OF THE GRACES. ’ (■

“And the greatest of these is Charity. —I. Cor. XIH. 13.

(By Rev. A. H. Collins, New Plymouth.) Each of the great religions of the world has ite distinctive quality. Thue the genius of Hinduism is Mysticism; in Buddhism it is aceticrsm; in Parseeit is dualism; in Mohammedism it is fanaticism; in Confucisism it is secretariem; in Judaism it is rghteousness; but the crowning glory of the Christian religion is the ''doctrine of charily. Saint Paul was seeking to heal the discords of the Corinthian Church. Re says that -gifts’’ are bestowed for the “edification” of the general body, and not for the individual alone; and for thia reason the endowments most to be coveted are those that best contribute to the strength of the Church. This naturally led him to name .te graces which most contribute to spiritual growth, and these are “faith, hope and charity,” and he adds “the greatest df these is charity.” By “charity” Saint Paul does not, of course, mean benevolence, the impulse which prompts the jewelled hand of some fair philanthropist to fling a dole to a beggar, out of the lap of plenty. Neither does he mean the spirit of toleration towards those who differs in opinion, though Heaven knows we need more of that Divine temper to soft n the asperities of social and religious discussion. “Charity” is more than benevolence or toleration, as the sun is more than light. For. as the apostle proceeds to say, a man may be devoted to alms-giving, and may even suffer martyrdom, and yet be “nothing” because he is deficient in the grace of charity. THE PRE-EMINENT GRACE. What, then, is this pre-eminent grace which transcends all others? Briefly, it is love, that inner fountain of the heart out of which flows the streams of kindness and mercy. The Revised Version, Dr. Waymouth, Dr. Moffatt, and the Twentieth Century New Testament translate the passage “the greatest of these is love.” Charity is that bright Angel of the Lord who took us in her arms and gave us so warm a welcome at our birth, smiled on our opening faculties, and looked tenderness into our baby face. It is the minister of God who cleared a path for our feet in youth, wiped the lines Of care from the brow of suffering, supports old age in its decrepitude, and whispers Bible promises in the dulling ear of death. It is the bright pelucid stream that flows through the wilderness of life. It is the quiet star that lingers longest on the brow of night. It is the bow of promise that spans the storm-girt sky, and tells of a bright to-morrow. “Charity” is love, the queen of alk the graces. Her throne is the heart of the eternal. "Faith” and “Hope.” “Meekness” and “Faithfulness,” are her maids of honor. Her dwelling is in the “Palace Beautiful,” on the top of “Mount Clear,” which commands a view of “the Delectable Mountains,” and the city of the Great King. Cowper sings her praises in this wise strain-.-

“Pure is her aim. and in her temper mild, Her wisdom seems the weakness of a child; She makes excuses, when she might condemn. Reviled by those who hate, she prays for them. The worst suggested, she believes the best. Suspicion lurka not in her artless breast. Not soon provoked, however stung or teased, And if perchance made angry, soon appeased; She rather waives than will dispute a right, And, injured, makes forgiveness her delight.” PICTURE OF CHARITY. But example is better than definition, and the Bible is full of illustrations of this pure and noble passion. You see it in Rizpah. the lone woman, who stood “oeside seven gibbets, to guard the bodies of her seven sons, and rose not night or day for weeks together, save to scare the vultures or face the wolf that prowled about her sacred dead. In Judah, who offered to wear a brother’s bonds if only Behjamin might go free. In David, when, forgetful of his many crimes, he mourned Absolum’s tragic death in this wild cry of helpless grief: “0 Absolum, my son. would God I» had died for thee!”' In Simon Peter, when

seeing his Lord beset and ready to be bound, took no account of numbers, but rushed on the armed mob, striking for his Master. In Saint Paul, when love’s hand trembled and love’s tears fell on the page that told the doom of the impenitent, and he protested his willingness to 'be “accursed from Christ if Israel might be saved.” In Jesus Christ Himself. when in the act of dying He prayed for His murderers: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” For the heart of Jesus was the world’s Aeolien harp: placed in the open, it mattered not whether summer zephyrs with fairy footsteps danced upon its trembling strings, or winter with its rude, biting blast, shivered its trembling chords with pain, it always gave back music, for the heart of Jesus was the heart of Cod, and “God is Love.”

You will notice with what care of detail the picture of Charity is drawn. “Charity suffereth long and is kind.” There is no bitterness in her spirit. Having found mercy herself, she delights to .:hqw mercy to others. “Charity envieth not.” She neither grudges others their gifts nor parades her own. She gives herself no airs. If the cloud of blessing breaks on her neighbor’s field and leaves her field barren and dry, she still rejoices. “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” She does not speak of herself for she believes that pride and pettiness were born the same day. and that humility and greatness are twin sisters. "Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity. She takes no malign pleasure in seeing human reputations blasted, or human characters besmirched. She puts the best construction on doubtful deeds, and makes large allowance for human frailty. Her chosen motto is this: “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.”

Now, it may be asked why this grace is given such pre-eminence? There is always a danger in exalting one virtue out of proportion to the rest. Virtues become vices by exaggeration. It requires very skilful chemistry to blend the colors ’whim make up a pure white rav of light, and it demands a skilful balancing of Christian graces to produce holiness. But in respect of charity, no bounds are set. A kind of sacred indulgence is granted her. All the graces are glad to give place to charity. It m the figure that gives value to the

cyphers that follow. It is the ligature that binds all the members together. There are rare moments when the glory .of Christ bursts on the soul with blazing brilliance, and the soul is smitten dumb with wonder! At such hours, what would we not give to exchange our lisping, stammering tongue for the voice of angels to speak Emmanuel’s praise! Yet the Apoetle declares that though this were granted and charity withheld, it would profit us nothing. Who that has stood baffled and bewildered in the pres< .ice of life’s problems has not sighed for the mystery-piercing power that would make all things plain? Who that has tried to ehrich men with the treasures of truth, has not coveted the power to peer down into tlie quiet ocean depths, and gaze on the pearls that lie hidden there? Who that has heard the Master say that unbelief means spiritual impotency, has not “longed for the faith that could remove mountains,” and yet St. Paul says that though all these were granted and charity withheld it would profit us nothing. A GREAT SUSTAINER.

Two reasons may be given for this preeminence of charity, which is love's other name. First, the uncharitable soul never sees the angel that stands unveiled in the ’ gospels. “He that loveth not knoweth not God.” But love says: “There- is yet more light and truth to break forth from His holy word.” and straightway proceeds to fit herself for the larger vision. See! What are those thumbed and faded letters locked away in a secret drawer? In the eyes of a stranger they are trash, the moon-struck vapourings of a sentimentalist. But though your hair is grey and your brow is wrinkled, the sight of those letters will make your cheek grow roses! Yes, and truth must be wooed and won like the woman for whose eyes alone those letters were written, when for lovers twain al] the world was spring. This was the secret of Jesus. “Now Jesus loved Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus ” and He loved them into ioving Him. Oh! it is easy to be bitter and cynical, easy to lecture and scold. Any proud Pharisee can gather up his robes and avoid contact with the sinful. But the Most Holy is ever the most merciful, and Divine charity will teach us how not to excuse sin. and yet breathe hope, into the heart of the penitent. The second thing is this, that charity is the great sustainer. Those who have passed under her spell never ask “Must I serve?” Must is changed to may. Tell the lark it must sing, tell the diamond-it must flash, tell the violet it must be sweet, but you need never tell love she must serve, for her one* desire is that she may spend herself for others. C>ne of my fellow students was present in the operating theatre of a London hospital. Chloroform was administered. The surgeon stripped for his task. At a critical moment the patient regained temporary consciousness, and, frenziXi pain, struck the surgeon full in face. Did he resent the ’blow and abandon his work? He calmly finished the operation and retired without a word! There are times when the servant of Christ will be wounded by those he tries to serve, and only Christlike charity will sustain him then. I have spoken of charity as a motive, but it is a product as well. “The fruit of the spirit is love.” and we shall only possess and exhibit it as we live our life in God. To know God is to love God, and to truly love God is to love our neighbour also. . Thus Christina Roasette sings:—

“How can one man, how can all men, . How can we be like Saint Paul, Like Saint John, and like Saint Peter, Like the least of all, Blessed Saints, for we are small? Love can make us like Saint Peter, Love can make us like Saint Paul, Love can make us like The blessed bosom friend of all. Great Saint John, though we are small. Love which clings and trusts and worships, Love which rises from a fall. Love which, prompting glad obedience, Labors most of all. Loves makes great, the great and small.” “And now abideth faith, hope, charity. and the greatest of these is charity.”