to emphasise the
importance of love and its progress. Love is intended to grow and not to
remain stationary. Just as life makes progress, so must its result
similarly develop in love. The motto for the Christian is "more and more."
This is why there is so much in the New Testament about growth, for just
as it is with natural life so it must be with spiritual. Constant
increase, development, progress, extension, expansion must mark it at
every step.

(4) He prayed for discerning love; "that your love may abound yet more and
more in knowledge and all discernment" (R.V.). The two words "knowledge"
and "discernment" are particularly noteworthy. One expresses the
principle, the other the application. Again we observe this word
"knowledge" as a characteristic expression of the Apostle in these
prison-epistles. "Full knowledge" (Greek) is one of the marks of a
growing Christian life, and is proved by spiritual perception, spiritual
feeling, spiritual discernment. There is a world of difference between
intellectual ability and spiritual insight. Many people are clever, but
not spiritual, while many people are often truly spiritual without being
possessed of much intellectual capacity. Much is said in Scripture about
_sight_ in regard to things spiritual. "Except a man be born again, he
cannot _see_" (John iii. 3). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall _see_ God" (Matt. v. 8). There are many people in our congregations
of average intellect, and perhaps with mental powers decidedly below the
average, who are nevertheless full of profound spiritual wisdom because
love to Christ has given them keenness of vision and depth of insight.

2. THE IMMEDIATE PURPOSE.

This constant progress and abundance of love was intended for a very
practical purpose; "so that ye may approve the things that are excellent"
(ver. 10, R.V.). The discernment already mentioned was intended for
spiritual discrimination. They were to be enabled to distinguish, to
prove, and thereby to approve. As Lightfoot points out, "love imparts a
sensitiveness of touch, a keen edge to the discriminating faculty in
things moral and spiritual." In things spiritual at least love is not
blind, but keen-sighted. It is endowed with a spiritual discernment which
is able to distinguish not only between good and bad, but between good and
better, between better and best, and between best and excellent. The
words, "approve the things that are excellent," occur also in R