May 1, 1912 



287 



®W\P [SODOI] 



A. r. Root 



Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of 

 ( iod; and every one that loveth is born of God, and 

 knoweth God. He that loveth not, knovveth not 

 God, for God is love.— I. .John 4 : 7, 8. 



The point I wish to consider in the above 

 text is the expression, "God is love." Some- 

 body has said that "love is God." What is 

 love in the above text? AVe often speak of 

 people being in love— a boy or a girl, a man 

 or a woman. This affection between the 

 sexes shoukl be love; but how often it is a 

 very \K)0t excuse for real love! Our newspa- 

 pers are full of tragedies that come from 

 what is called love. A man says he loves a 

 woman; and because she will not love him 

 or will not marry him, he kills her and then 

 perhaps commits suicide. Is there any real 

 love in such a transaction? Far from it; 

 and when we get right down to it, the love 

 between the sexes is, as a rule, but a poor 

 low kind of selfish love. 



It ynay be, and God intended it should be, 

 one of the highest attributes of the human 

 family. It should be one of the most sacred 

 and ennobling thinjjs that we meet with in 

 this world of ours. It is, in fact, the foun- 

 dation stone in building up the human race 

 an^! Christian character. 



The divorces that are getting to be so pop- 

 ular, and that we hear so much about, are 

 results of this low kind of love, or only a self- 

 ish love. The love mentioned in our text is 

 very holy and sacred — the very opposite of 

 selfishness. God's love is for all humanity 

 — good, bad, and indifferent. The love be- 

 tween the sexes, of which we have been 

 speaking, is oftentimes, as I have said, but 

 selfishness. Real true love, divine love, as 

 spoken of in our text, is sacred and holy, 

 and should result in doing good to every- 

 bodij, lending a helping hand wherever an 

 opportunity offers. 



Some of our leading agricultural papers 

 are doing quite a little lately in disclosing 

 frauds, and they are, without question, help- 

 ing humanity greatly. Our own journal 

 (through your humble servant) as you may 

 be aware has done quite a little along this 

 line, and I have prayed most earnestly that 

 God might help me to do my criticising 

 with "love "in my heart and in a Christian 

 spirit. While having this matter in mind 

 I ran across the following clipping which I 

 make from the Sunday School Times. I 

 wish you would read it over, and then read 

 it again: 



THE POISON OF CRITICISM. 



Critical thoughts and words are usually unlo'^ing. 

 Therefore such criticism is poisonous— always to 

 the one who expresses it, and often to the one who 

 hears it. But it is so popular; Try to live one day 

 without speaking a critical word or thinking a crit- 

 ical thought of any human being, and see if the 

 habit of criticism has not been popular with you. 

 Te«t it as you listen to the conversation of others — 

 but don't crltii Ise them if you find It Is poptilar 

 with them! I.ove them out of it instead. Only love 

 will crowd criticism out of ourselves. And we need 

 to be cleansed and purged of it wholly, completely, 

 and for ever. It is so subtle, so inviting, so spon- 



taneous, so attractive, so devilish, and so deadly 

 Our sin-habituated natures are so shot through and 

 through with this poison that only a miracle of 

 change can help us. Christ will work the change 

 When he Is overwhelming us with his infilling 

 presence, we do not poisonously criticise; we cleans- 

 ingly love. 



The above almost startled me when I first 

 read it. I said mentally, "Thank God for 

 this kindly warning when perhaps I needed 

 it most." God knows there is great need of 

 kindly criticism of the way many men, 

 especially evil-disposed men, are doing bus- 

 iness in this world. I know by experience 

 how hard a matter it is to show up fraud 

 and injustice, and do it always in a Chris- 

 tian frame of mind. The loving and dear 

 Savior said, remember, "Love ye ?/o«r ene- 

 viies, do good to those that hate you." It 

 almost startles me yet when I think of what 

 is implied in those wonderful words. Years 

 ago I told my good old mother that those 

 words came from heaven, and were heaven- 

 ly and not of earth. Let me give you a lit- 

 tle practical illustration. Some days ago I 

 sent to a great seedhouse for some garden 

 seeds. Among other things I ordered some 

 Golden Bantam sweet corn and also a like 

 quantity of black Mexican sweet corn. I 

 planted two rows of the Golden Bantam, 

 and it came up promptly, almost every seed 

 germinating. The third row was planted 

 to the black Mexican, and scarcely a seed 

 germinated. In ordering some more seed a 

 few days later I mentioned my trouble with 

 the black Mexican corn, and suggested that 

 I thought they ought to know about it. No 

 reply came. Some time later I had to men- 

 tion that some of my order had not yet ar- 

 rived, and spoke again of the black Mexican 

 corn that would not germinate, and asked 

 if some sort of reply should not be given 

 me. After waiting a little time, and not 

 hearing a word, I turned to their seed cata- 

 log and found the following note of warn- 

 ing or contract between themselves and the 

 purchaser. 



While we exercise great care to have all seeds, 

 bulbs, and plants pure and reliable, we do not give 

 any warranty, express or implied. If the purchaser 

 does not accept the seeds on these terms and con- 

 ditions, they must be returned at once, and the 

 money that has been paid for the same will be re- 

 turned. We can not afford knowingly to sell seeds 

 doubtful as to vitality or purity. We test our seeds 

 before sending out, and should they prove defective 

 in germination or purity when properly planted 

 and cultivated, we will refill the order free or re- 

 fund the price paid. 



I read it over and felt provoked, and de- 

 cided it would be no more than fair to pre- 

 sent the whole matter in our journal and 

 discuss it in regard to the responsibility of 

 seedsmen. Then I thought of the passage I 

 have quoted horn ih^ Sunday School Times, 

 and asked myself the question, "Is there 

 nothing in my heart but love for these seeds- 

 men, prominent seedsmen, who issue great 

 nice catalogs, and have always enjoyed a 

 good reputation?" Is there nothing but 



