outrages of the
commonest moralities. Everywhere else, the task of copying them was one
lightened by no clear confidence in their love, and by no happy
consciousness of our own. But for us, the love revealed is the perfect
law, and the love evoked is the fulfilling of the law.

And this is the might and nobleness of the Christian love to God; that
it is no idle emotion or lazy rapture, no vague sentiment, but the root
of all practical goodness, of all strenuous effort, of all virtue, and
of all praise. That strong tide is meant to drive the busy wheels of
life and to bear precious freightage on its bosom; not to flow away in
profitless foam. Love is the fruitful mother of bright children, as our
great moralist-poet learned when he painted her in the House of
Holiness:

'A multitude of babes about her hung,
Playing their sport that joyed her to behold.'

Her sons are Strength and Justice, and Self-control and Firmness, and
Courage and Patience, and many more besides; and her daughters are Pity
with her sad eyes, and Gentleness with her silvery voice, and Mercy
whose sweet face makes sunshine in the shade of death, and Humility all
unconscious of her loveliness; and linked hand in hand with these, all
the radiant band of sisters that men call Virtues and Graces. These will
dwell in our hearts, if Love their mighty mother be there. If we are
without her, we shall be without them.

There is discord between man and God which can only be removed by the
sweet commerce of love, established between earth and heaven. God's love
has come to us. When ours springs responsive to Him, then the schism is
ended, and the wandering child forgets his rebellion, as he lays his
aching head on the father's bosom, and feels the beating of the father's
heart. Our souls by reason of sin are 'like sweet bells jangled, out of
tune and harsh.' Love's master hand laid upon them restores to them
their part in 'the fair music that all creatures make to their great
Lord,' and brings us into such accord with God that

'We on earth with undiscording voice
May rightly answer'

even the awful harmonies of His lips. The essential of religion is
concord with God, and the power which makes that concord is love to God.

But this text leads to a still further consideration, namely, the
dominion of love to God in our hearts arises from faith.

We thus reach the last link, or rather the staple, of the chain from