a ver. 3, 4. b Col. ii. 8, 16—19.
the Calvinist and Arminian, the Churchman and Dissenter, as if there were no common bond of union for them in Christ Jesus. This is cast in our teeth by the Papist, from whom we have separated: and it lays a stumbling-block before the Jew; who, with some shadow of justice, says to us, " Call not on me to embrace your religion, till you are yourselves agreed what that religion is."]
But the proper end of the Gospel is charity —
[" The commandment" of which the text speaks, is, by some, supposed to mean the law; and, by others, the particular injunction given by St. Paul to Timothy. But its connexion with " the pure heart, and good conscience, and unfeigned faith," from which " the charity, which is its end," proceeds, clearly shews, in my judgment, that it must be understood of the Gospel0.
Now the end of the Gospel is love ; its chief object being to bring man back again to the state in which he was originally formed, and to renew him after the image of God, whose name and nature is loved. Fallen man possesses it not: he is by nature altogether selfish; and whatever stands in the way of self-gratification and self-advancement, he hates. Hence man universally opposes his fellow-man, as soon as ever a prospect opens to him of promoting his own interests, though at the expense of his neighbour's welfare. In nations, whether civi- lized or uncivilized, this universally appears. The same is found in rival societies ; yea, to such a degree does this ma- lignant spirit operate, that it is a miracle if even a single family be found altogether united in love. But these malignant pas- sions are mortified and subdued by the Gospel ; according to that prediction of the Prophet Isaiah : " The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead theme." In confirmation of this truth, we need only look to the day of Pentecost, and see what a change was wrought on the most malignant characters that ever disgraced our fallen nature : three thousand of them, who had but a few hours before concurred in shedding the Saviour's blood, became all of one heart and one mind, and gladly surrendered all that they possessed, with a view to the welfare of the whole bodyf. Not that the Gospel will prevent all difference of sentiment amongst men ; for, constituted as the human mind is, and different as are the degrees of man's
c The use of the expression Iva. 7rapayyei\yg in ver. 3. by no means determines the import of rfjg TrapayyeXiag in ver. 5 : such a change in the use of the same word being quite common with St. Paul.
d 1 John. iv. 8, 10. e Isai. xi. C— 9. f Acts ii. 44, 45.