4. That they had attained all this through the influence of the Holy Spirit —
[Faith itself cannot exist in the heart, till the Spirit of God has wrought it in us : he must overcome our reluctance, and make us willing to obey the truth1". Neither can our hearts be purified but by the same almighty power. Faith indeed is the instrument whereby our sanctification is effected ; but the Holy Spirit is the agent. Every progressive step of it must be wrought by him1. Our love can flow from no other source ; whatever be the grace that is exercised by us, He must be acknowledged as the author of it; " it is the same Spirit that worketh all in allV]
If what is here taken for granted be really found in us, nothing will be more acceptable than,
II. The exhortation grounded upon it —
" The end of the commandment," says the Apostle, " is charity ;" and our profession as Christians sup- poses that it exists, and operates, in our hearts. But care must be taken that it be exercised,
1. With sincerity —
[There is a politeness and civility which is only a counter- feit of Christian love : but it is not this which the text incul- cates. We are indeed commanded in other parts of Scripture to " be courteous ;" and it would be well if some professors of religion paid more attention to this command. But the love enjoined in the text, is an " unfeigned" love to all the saints, arising from a view of their relation to God, and to ourselves. It must be an abiding principle in our hearts, operating uni- formly in the whole of our conduct towards them. It must lead us to exercise meekness, forbearance, and forgiveness, and to seek both their temporal and spiritual welfare, as occasion may serve1. In short, our love must be without dissimulation1"; it must be not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth11.]
2. With purity—
[Even where there is a portion of Christian love, there may be a considerable alloy mixed with it. We may be influ- enced too much by selfish considerations. We may be seeking our own interest or honour, while we imagine that we are giving a testimony of Christian love. Yea, our love which was pure at first, may easily degenerate into mere carnal affec- tion. The greatest caution is necessary, especially among
h Ps. ex. 3. j Rom. viii. 13. k 1 Cor. xii. 7 — 11.
1 1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 7. m Rom. xii. 9. n 1 John iii. 18.