Man a Prism of Divine Love
By H. A. St. John
“God is love.” Godliness is God-likeness, to be like God. Godliness is the most profitable thing to obtain in this world. It is great gain, having promise of the life that now is, and also of that never-ending life which is to come. Supreme love to God, and equal love to our fellow men, is godliness. God’s love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, illuminating the mind, and the path of life, will constitute us prisms of divine love. All of the beautiful and blessed characteristics of divine love will be reflected by us upon all around us. This is the light, coming to us from the Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, that will lighten the whole earth, before Jesus comes. This light of love is the light of righteousness, shining in and through His people, with which the Lord will cut short His work in the earth. Sunlight is possessed of all the colors of the rainbow, and all the colors, tints, or hues of all the beautiful flowers of earth. More than thirty thousand different hues of color have been discovered. Likewise the sunlight of God’s love admits of reflection in all the versatile conditions of Christian life. Some of these most prominent characteristics we will consider. 1. PATIENCE.—Patience may be defined and recognized as love waiting to begin. When love is waiting to begin, it is always patient. 2. KINDNESS.—Kindness may be recognized and defined as love in action. When love is busily occupied in doing, it is always kind. 3. GENEROSITY.—Generosity is love in competition. In the works of love among men, the Christian is often brought into competition with others occupied in like manner, in a like work, and then true love will reveal generosity. It “envieth not.” 4. HUMILITY.—Humility is love hiding—not seeking, but rather shrinking from, praise. It “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” 5. COURTESY.—Courtesy is love in etiquette. It does to others as it wishes to be done by. 6. UNSELFISHNESS.—It “seeketh not her own.” In doing business, love sacredly regards the rights of others, even at the sacrifice of convenience. 7. GOOD TEMPER.—“Not easily provoked,” says the apostle. It is love on trial. 8. FAITH.—“Believeth all things”—sincerity, love ever drinking and learning from the Holy Word, the fountain of truth, thus ever sitting at the feet of Jesus, learning of Him. H. A. St. John.