The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, December 1882: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific CircleChautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Religion
The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, December 1882: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
Do you say men can not have a perfect love for a profession, so that
they can take all and risk all, that they have so poor an ideal that
they can not face the responsibility? Do you say there is no such a
thing as perfect patriotism, perfect love for one’s country? I believe
there is no greater thing than this on earth, that a man lay down his
life for his friends. A few years ago, how many men laid down their
lives for their country. We know there is such a thing as a perfect
love. When that man to-day stands by the side of that woman and gives
her himself, and she gives him herself, it is a slander to say that he
and she do not love each other perfectly. You may say it is imperfect,
to be sure; it is limited by human weakness (we are all earthly and of
the earth), but, as far as human ability goes, it is perfect. Can not
we have a perfect love toward God? We are capable of it on the human
plane; we are capable of it on the divine plane. I think you have laid
aside prejudice against my doctrine, and I speak with frankness, I
think that God demands a perfect consecration, a perfect faith, and a
perfect love, and we are capable of each.
Let us examine the manward relation. It may be stated thus: I think it
embraces three things. First, perfect truth; second, perfect honesty;
third, perfect consecration. The thing we can not abide is a lie. When
a man tells a lie, he is like a horse that slips his halter once, you
buckle it up two or three holes tighter next time, so he shall not
slip it again. If he tells a barefaced lie once, you fail to trust him
again; he loses your respect. God desires truth in the inward parts,
God asks that we shall be true to him, that when we know what is right,
we shall try to do according to our best ability.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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