THE FAMILY ALTAR:

July 8.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love." Galatians 5:22.

"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye

have love one to another," our Savior says, John 13, 35. What is

this love that proves to the world whether a man is a Christian

or not? Our Lord tells us very plainly through His inspired

Apostle Paul : "Love suffereth long and is kind ; love envieth not ;

love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself

unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh

no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth

all things." (1 Cor. 13,4 — 7.) In vain do we look for such un-

selfish, humble, patient love among the children of this world.

They have, it is true, much natural affection for their families

and friends, they also extend charity toward their suffering fellow-

men; but the pure, unselfish, holy affection that marks a true

Christian in all his relations to his fellow-men, in which he stands

ready to help and serve and save even his enemies, — such love

is produced alone by God's Holy Spirit dwelling in a heart that

has accepted the crucified Eedeemer as its own in living faith.

"Behold, how they love one another," the heathen cried in amaze-

ment when they saw the deep, self-sacrificing love the first Chris-

tians had to each other. Such burning affection for our fellow-

redeemed, especially for those who are of the same household of

faith, is growing less and less among us Christians of these last,

evil days. And yet this unselfish, self-sacrificing affection is an

unfailing thermometer marking the true state of our faith. "He

that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love

God whom he hath not seen?" Let us daily kindle our weak and

waning love for our fellow-men, especially for our fellow-Christians,

under the cross of that divine Love that died for us while we

were yet sinners.

Thou sweetest Love, grace on us bestow

Set our hearts with heavenly fire aglow,

That with hearts united we love each other,

Of one mind, in peace with every brother.

Lord, have mercy !