important to the well-being of His universe to maintain the harmony
of love in Heaven than to save those spirits who had allowed
selfishness to interfere with it. So our Lord says, "I beheld Satan
as lightning fall from Heaven."

The day is coming when He will behold all the dire progeny of this
first rebellion fall also. Haste, happy day!

But, let us look for a few minutes at this precious, beautiful
Charity. Let us try, first, to define it. What is it?

_First_.--_It is Divine_. It must be shed abroad in the heart by the
Holy Ghost.

In vain do we look for this heavenly plant amongst the unrenewed
children of men--it grows not on the corrupt soil of human nature; it
springs only where the ploughshare of true repentance has broken up
the fallow ground of the heart, and where faith in a crucified
Saviour has purified it, and where the blessed Holy Spirit has taken
permanent possession. It is the love _of_ God--not only love _to_ God,
but _like_ God, _from_ God, and fixed on the same objects and ends which
He loves. It is a Divine implantation by the Holy Ghost. Perhaps some of
you are saying, "Then it is useless for me to try to cultivate it,
because I have not got it,--exactly!" You may cut and prune and water
forever, but you can never cultivate that which is not planted. Your
first work is to get this love shed abroad in your heart. It is one of
the delusions of this age that human nature only wants pruning,
improving, developing, and it come out right. No, no! Every plant which
my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. If you want this
Divine love, you must break up the fallow ground of your hearts, and