The Charity of the Spirit

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believe ing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” — ROoMANS xv. 13.

5 S) YStND so the abounding in hope is a power of the Spirit, and evidence of advancement in the divine life. There are some who seem to think that the sign of spiritual advancement is the narrowing of hope. They look upon charity as something which the bad ought to have for those in the same condemnation. Yet Paul himself does not appeal to the bad as those most likely to hope for the fallen; he says, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore.” He knew well that only the springtime can yield the prophetic song of the swallows. He knew well that only the upper dawn can promise the illumination of the valleys. He had no belief whatever that winter would hope for summer, or that night would predict the meridian of the coming day. It was to the day itself that he looked for a disclosure of the possibilities of heat and sunshine; the abounding hope in humanity was to be reached only through the power of the Holy Ghost.

God of hope, whose freedom from all impurity is the absence of all despair, I shall only reach the perfect charity when I come to Thee. Thou alone of all this universe hopest unto the end. We follow our prodigals afar off, and pursue their footsteps for a long time, but when they touch the country of the Gadarenes we lose sight of them and let them go, But Thou never losest sight of Thy prodigals — not even amongst the swine. There is no limit to Thy hope because there is no limit to Thy love. It is the limit to our love that makes us despair. When our brother becomes dead in trespasses and in sin, we put him out of our hope because we turn him out of our hearts. But Thou hopest even for Thy dead. Thy love is stronger than death. Thou goest down into the graves and sittest among the dry bones and criest ‘‘ Awake thou that sleepest.” Thou rollest away the stone that covers the sepulchre of poor humanity, and callest in Thy tenderest tones ‘‘ Believe and live.” Thou enterest where man draweth back; Thou searchest where man abandoneth; Thou strivest where man slumbereth; Thou redeemest where man destroyeth. Thou findest germs in the grave; Thou discoverest sparks in the snow; Thou lightest stars in the night; Thou hearest songs in the silence. Thy love is evergreen, therefore Thy hope is eternal. ‘