THE KING’S BUSINESS
1131
sibly mean so here (cf. Prov. 10:12) though the New Testament usage is against it. However, it is true that love is always covering up evil. We are told in 1 Peter 4 :8 that “love covereth a multitude of sins,” but the word translated “covereth” in the passage in Peter is an entirely different one from the one so translated in the verse right before us. It is true, however, that love does not go around telling all the sins it has discovered in men. It hides it. But the words here used mean more than that. They seem to mean that no matter what evil has been done, love “ bears” it without revenge or bitterness or resentment. (13) “Love believeth all things.” How proud we - are of our ability to see through men, and of the impossibility of anyone gulling u s; but that is not Love, it is selfish shrewd ness. Love is far greater than shrewdness. Love is easily gulled. Love would rather be gulled a hundred times than to mis judge once. “Love believeth all things," and when love has been disappointed once, it goes right on believing next time. We have heard it said of some men that they were forever being taken in; well, that is , to their credit rather than to their dis credit, for “love believeth all things.” (14) “Love hopeth all things.” When it gets beyond believing, when one has been proved bad beyond the possibility of doubt and has manifestly deceived us, then love hopes for the future. Love does not look at the bad as they now are, but as they may become by the transforming grace of God. No boy is so bad but that the mother’s love with the eyes of hope sees in him a future angel. When love looks at the drunkard ' it does not see the poor bloated thing that now is; it sees the intelligent, upright, Christlike man that is to be, When love looks at the troublesome Sunday School scholar, it does not see the shiftless, vicious almost idiotic boy that now is, but it sees the obedient, gentlemanly boy that is to be. (IS) “Love endureth all things.” ' When .believing is impossible, when even hoping seems to be out of the question, love still endures. It does not get angry; it does not
give up. It loves on, and works on, and endures on. Let Jesus Himself and Stephen stand as illustrations (Luke 23:24; Acts 7 :60). Examined in the light of Paul’s , fifteen marks of love, have you any. If not, you are “NOTHING,” whatever else you may have. Sunday, December Q. i Corinthians 13:8-10. Having had Love Contrasted and Love . Described, we now have Love-Exalted, and are told of the Peerless Pre-eminence of Love. Prophecies, tongues, knowledge, have their day; love has eternity. “God is love,” and love partakes of His eternal nature. If we want something that will last, there is just one thing to get, that is, love, “Love never faileth.” “Prophecies shall be done away” : there will come a time when prophecies are no longer needed and they shall be done away. This does not mean that the power to prophecy with which God inspired men shall fail, but the need of them shall cease, - so they shall cease. As far as ope can judge upon care ful examination, they have very largely, if not altogether, ceased already: The gift of tongues became a curse instead of a blessing in the church; it became a source of pride and fanaticism and, largely for that reason, it ceased. If it has not already ceased, it certainly will cease. Even “knowl edge shall be torn away,” or rendered imperative. But while all of these things have their day and come to nought, “love never faileth." The reason why our knowl edge^ is “dohe away,” or, rendered impera tive, is because our present knowledge is partial: “we (even the wisest of us) know in part, and we (even the most Spirit- filled of us) prophecy (i.e., speak for God and proclaim God’s truth) in part.” But the time is coming when we shall have perfect knowledge; and then that which is in part, our present knowledge, shall be done away. The imperfect will give place to. the perfect. Monday, December 10. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13'. We are now, the wisest of us, but “chil-
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter