"Faith which worketh by love." Gal. 5:6

  "I take the words to mean that there are things for which love is itself the evidence. There is a familiar saying, "Seeing is believing." But it is equally true that "feeling is believing." There are some in this world who love because they believe, but I think there are a still larger number who believe because they love.  

I have seen two children, each animated by perfect trust in an earthly father, but each for a different reason. The one virtually said, "I trust him because he loves me"; the other said in effect, "I trust because I love him." Now, I think the larger number of the human race belong to the latter class. The amount of faith we put in others is quite disproportionate to our knowledge of them.

You will see two girls in the course of a few hours becoming mutual confidants. Why is this? It is because they have taken a liking for one another. There faith in each other has had nothing to work upon but love. There has not been time for experience. Love is the anticipation of experience. Love pays in advance; it gives the money before it receives the thing.

Divine love is no exception. God pays man in advance for services not yet rendered. I suppose that is what the prophet means when he cries, "Behold! His reward is with Him and His work before Him!" Love gives its confidence in advance. It waits not for proof. It lingers not for corroboration. It suspends not its trust till its object is weighed in the balance. It surrenders its faith unpaid for.

  My brother, be this thy faith in thy fellow man! Do not wait till thou hast proved him! Thou lookest abroad upon the lapsed masses; thou seest no beauty to be desired in them. Wilt thou then let them go? Is thy faith to be dependent on sight? Not if thou lovest. If thou lovest thy lapsed brother thou wilt hope all things for him. Love gives the benefit of the doubt to those who seem unpromising. Love imputes its own righteousness to those who are still in shadow. Love believes in tomorrow for those in a dark to-day. My brother, if thou lovest, thou shalt believe that all things are possible for man. Though as yet thou seest no rainbow; though as yet thou hearest no bells across the snow, though as yet there has come from the waters not even an olive branch of peace, still thou shalt believe. Love itself shall be thy rainbow; love itself shall be thy bell of hope; love itself shall be thy message from the flood. Humanity is still climbing the Dolorous Way -- fainting beneath her crosses, groaning amid her thorns. Wait not till she has conquered; wait not till she is crowned! Go out to own her in her rags! Take up her bitter cross and call it thine! And if men say to thee, "Why darest thou to hope for these withered leaves?" lay thy hand upon thy heart and say," Love believeth all things!"

George Matheson.