The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

from sight, covered over with a hard capsule, and if youwere to put the bud into your mouth, you would find itrather bitter, unpleasant to the taste.Those who have reached the stage of godliness may beexpected in due time to develop the fruit of love, but sofar they have only the beginning of it.The Scottish race of two or three generations ago formedan illustration of the effect of this grace of godliness.These men had great reverence for God, and love forrighteousness. They had what we might call the dutylove,a desire ta obey God's commandments. They were, honest in their business and in all their affairs of life, andwere very strict with their children. They were respectedby everyone, but like the germ in the bud, their love,although it was there, was hidden. It was considered asign of weakness to show their love, or to be demonstrativein any way. The features of these men, as .may be noticedin their portraits,. or in the faces of the few who are stillalive, were hard and stem. These characteristics may tosome extent be natural to the Scottish race, but I believethey were chiefly the result of their Calvinistic training.A man who is sincere, always tries to be like the god whomhe worships, and the Calvinistic god is stern, unlovable.Add to your Godliness, Love of the Brethren.Godliness is a good quality, but it is only the bud-stage,the first or duty-stage of love. Those who come to knowGod better will add to their godliness love of the brethren.This is represented by the blossom.Just as there comes a time when the petals which areforming inside the bud become so large that one .fiwmoming, through the kindly influence of the sun's lightand warmth, they burst the hard capsule and the budbecomes a blossom, so there comes a time in the developmentof the New Creature, who is being conformed to theimage of Christ, when, through the influence of the wisdom