THE ABIDING VIRTUE

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 21 January 1930, Page 6

THE ABIDING VIRTUE

CHURCH OF CHRIST SERMON. At the Chureli of Christ, Wilson Street, Hawera, Mr L. R. H. Beauliiont, of Melbourne, took as his text oil Sunday morning 1 Corinthians, 13, 13. The speaker said' that Raul, in speaking of the many gifts which the Corinthians valued, gave the first place to the gift of love with its qualities of patience, purity, endurance and absence of envy and pride. The precious gifts of the Corinthians, Paul said, would pass aivay. Eloquence and preaching were highly prized virtues, but past centuries showed that they were transient. Thus the preaching that appealed to audiences in Paul’s day, or even in the middle ages, -would not appeal to audiences of today. the message alone making the same definite appeal. Knowledge and science were continually being expressed in new light, j Invention had changed pastoral, agricultural and industrial life, and in-

deed many of the necessary and good factors of life were transient, such as pleasures, recreations, hobbies, riches and fame. Even the desire for these was transient. How often our desires changed! Though this was so, we had to remember that they had a value, and we had to view them only as part of a great life; otherwise our view of life was distorted, “The three abiding virtues of life are faith, hope and love, as Paul indicated. Faith is expressive in every age, vocation and experience of life. Hope keeps us optimistic, while love makes life worth the living. These three virtues, instead of subject to | change, become fuller, more expressive, definite and permanent. They exist in heaven after our earthly life is over. These are the permanent, virtues and those which we should value and cultivate.

“Of these three great virtues, the greatest is love. Faith reciuires love if it. is to be fervent, aspiring, trustful. Hope needs love. Hope for the heavenly life makes us not only long to be with Christ, Irut to be like Him. As the sun lights the planets, so love lights faith and hope. The abiding virtue is love. Heaven’s folk are the ‘love folk.’ ”