"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love, therefore, is the
fulfilment of the law."
38. The Ten Commandments forbid doing evil to our neighbor--"Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery," etc. The apostle,
employing similar phraseology, says that love observes all these
commands, injuring none. Not only that; it effects good for all. It is
practically doing evil to permit our neighbor to remain in peril when
we can relieve him, even though we may not have been instrumental in
placing him where he is. If he is hungry and we do not feed him when
it is in our power to do so, we practically permit him to die of
hunger. We should take this view concerning any perilous condition,
any adverse circumstance, with our neighbors. How love is the
fulfilment of the Law, we have now heard.
_Fifth Sunday After Epiphany_
Text: Colossians 3, 12-17.
12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of
compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13
forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a
complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of
perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to
the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let
the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do,
in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.