may be a very successful lawyer
and have no love for his clients, and yet get on very well. A man may
be a very successful physician and have no love for his patients, and
yet be a very good physician; a man may be a very successful merchant
and have no love for his customers, and yet he may do a good business
and succeed; but no man can be a co-worker with God without love. If
our service is mere profession on our part, the quicker we renounce it
the better. If a man takes up God's work as he would take up any
profession, the sooner he gets out of it the better.

We can not work for God without love. It is the only tree that can
produce fruit on this sin-cursed earth, that is acceptable to God. If
I have no love for God nor for my fellow man, then I can not work
acceptably. I am like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. We are
told that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost." Now, if we have had that love shed abroad in our hearts, we
are ready for God's service; if we have not, we are not ready. It is
so easy to reach a man when you love him; all barriers are broken down
and swept away.

Paul when writing to Titus, second chapter and first verse, tells him
to be sound in faith, in charity, and in patience. Now in this age,
ever since I can remember, the Church has been very jealous about men
being unsound in the faith. If a man becomes unsound in the faith,
they draw their ecclesiastical sword and cut at him; but he may be
ever so unsound in love, and they don't say anything. He may be ever
so defective in patience; he may be irritable and fretful all the
time, but they never deal with him. Now the Bible teaches us, that we
are not only to be sound in the faith, but in charity and in patience.
I believe God can not use many of his servants, because they are full
of irritability and impatience; they are fretting all the time, from
morning until night. God can not use them; their mouths are sealed;
they can not speak for Jesus Christ, and if they have not love, they
can not work for God. I do not mean love for those that love me; it
don't take grace to do that; the rudest Hottentot in the world can do
that; the greatest heathen that ever lived can do that; the vilest man
that ever walked the earth can do that. It don't take any grace at
all. I did that before I ever became a Christian. Love begets love;
hatred begets hatred. If I know a man loves me first, I know my love
will be going out t