This excerpt from Henry Drummond's "The Greatest Thing in the World" argues that love is the most important value in life, exceeding even faith and charity. Drummond analyzes the nature of love, identifying nine key components: patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guilelessness, and sincerity. He then contrasts love with other highly-valued qualities, like eloquence, prophecy, and knowledge, demonstrating that love is the only truly enduring value. Drummond concludes that love is essential to achieving both a fulfilling life on earth and a joyful eternity.