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I. THE SOURCE OF LOVE. "Love is of God." "God is love."

II. ITS EXCELLENCE.

1. It is the life of the soul and of the moral universe.

2. It is the bond that unites all holy intelligences.

3. It is the supreme grace.

4. Its production is the end of Christ's mission and of all religious ordinances.

5. It renders all our services acceptable.

6. Its excellence is manifest in its influence on the heart and life.

(1)  It casts out fear.

(2)  It expels whatever is inconsistent with itself.

(3)  It kindles aspirations after holiness.

(4)  It makes obedience easy.

(5)  It inspires self-sacrifice.

(6)  It makes the soul beautiful.

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE LOVE.

1. It is practical.

2. It embraces God and man.

IV. LOVE TO GOD.

1. God must be loved for His own sake:

2. God must Himself kindle our love to Him.

3. It is capable of being cultivated.

4. It leads to trust in God.

V. LOVE TO THE BRETHREN.

1. The badge of Christ's disciples.

2. Our love must be like Christ's.

3. We must love what is Christlike in them.

4. We must love them on account of what they are to be.

(R. A. Bertram.)

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KJV: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

WEB: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,