1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 7. Charity svffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed zqi, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her otvn, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in imquity, hut rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
OF all the subjects proposed to us in the Holy Scriptures, there is not one that deserves a deeper
attention than that before us. If only we consider what is said of charity in the preceding verses, and reflect on the indispensable necessity of it to our ac- ceptance with God, we shall be led to inquire diligently into its characteristic features, and its inseparable properties : we shall not satisfy ourselves with any specious appearances, or outward acts ; but shall examine, whether, and how far, this divine principle exists in our hearts. To assist you in this inquiry, we shall enter minutely into the description here given of it ; and endeavour to hold up a mirror, in which every one may behold his own face. It is but too common, when subjects of this kind are discussed, to apply them to others, rather than ourselves : but, if we would hear with profit, we must think of our- selves only; and implore of God the influences of his Spirit, that " the word may come, not in word only, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," to our souls.
There are here no less than fifteen particulars by which the principle of charity is distinguished. But we apprehend, that the two first are designed to give a general view of the subject ; and that those which follow are the particulars comprehended under it.
The suffering patiently all kinds of evil, and doing cheerfully all kinds of good, are the constituent parts of true charity: and these are expressed by those two words, " Charity sufFereth long, and is kind :" and St. Paul elsewhere sums up the whole of charity in these two things ; " Be not overcome of evil ; but overcome evil with goodV
In fact, it is by these two terms that charity is depicted as existing and operating in the bosom of God himself: " Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Here the words "goodness and long- suffering" are, in the original, the very same with those in the beginning of our text, " Charity siffereth
* Rom. xii. "21.