obey and to pleaſe him in what we do. it Roots and Principles of all thoſe works which are truly good,
vith reference to oureternal happineſs.
lſed up p.
we you diſcourſe of ? Or how ſhall we know if we have ir? The
move mountains f, and have not charity, I am no-ÞY** «fore thar be evide
n? f. = Pu been before ſhewed, that the G:#t of Prophecy ſignifi-
ether as to future contingencies,or things which ſhould afterwards] rejoyceth in all ecuth,
[Leſt the Corinthians ſhould ſay to the Apoſtle, What is this
poſtle here gives thirteen notes of a charitable perſon. By Love Charity he either meaneth a_ charitable perſon, a Soul poſleſſed that love, which he had been commending : Or if we take the m plainly, to ſignifie the habit it ſelf; the meaning 15,1t 15 an bit or power in the Soul, enabling and inclining it to do theſe ag: To ſuffer long, not to betoo quick and teachy with bre- en that may offend or diſpleaſe us; the charitable man will thhold and reſtrain his wrath, not be raſh in the expreſſions of and haſty to revenge. » And :s kind, it diſpoſeth a man to lire todeſerve well of all, and to do good to all as he hath OC- on and opportunity ; ſo as it is impoſſiblethere ſhould be in a1 any thing more oppoſite to this Grace, than a curriſh, chur- temper, with a ſtudy and deſire todo others miſchief. » Tho' titable perſon ſeeth othersin an higher and more proſperous dition than himſelf, yet it doth nor trouble him, bur heis lat yo preferment, good, and proſperity of _ ——
It fareth with himſelf. Every envious man, that 15d1ipleal- , ndangry at others faring mg an uncharitable man, there | {hall I know, even as I am alſo known 5.
violation of Charity ; for the man that hath a 7 . rrue Jove to h _— though he may believeevilof his brother, and change im with evil, when ic evidently appearsto him that he is guilty ;
cop fachhingeof hin nor fulpeth, 205mg
the truth wy. u He doth not rejoyce in the ſinful falls of others.
nocency and righreouſneſs.
all — endureth all things z,
x The charitable man beareth all injuries wi i
believeth all things that are good of Th ER far is he po being credulous to his prejudice, z He endurerh all things tha a good man ought to endure, thatis, any evils done to himſelf. In the ſame ſenſe Solomon ſaith, Prov. 10, 12. Love covereth all ſins.
8 Charity never faileth 4 : but whether there be propheſies, they ſhall fail ; whether :here be tongues they ſhall ceaſe 5 ; whether rhere be knowledge, it (hall vaniſh away c,
a The Apoſtle, from another Argument, commendeth the Gras of Love, wiz. its never failing, it ſhall go with us into another World, and have its uſe and exerciſe there ; þ where there will be no propheſying, no ſpeaking with divers Tongues, bur there the Saints ſhall love God. And this makethir evident, that by Cha- rity or Love (before mentioned) the Apoſtle doth not ſingly mean bounty or beneficence to thoſe thar itand in need of thole good things of this Life, in which we can help them. c By Knowledge here, ſome underſtand rhe communicating of knowledge to the Church by preaching : others, the means we now have by medita-
gof his Ways, and that by the ſharpeſt and moſt cruel ſort of ting in, and ſtudy of che Scriptures: others berter, of the im-
perfe& degrees of our knowledge, or the way of our procuring it; the following verſes would incline us tointerpret it of the for- mer, though it be true alſo of the latter.
9 For we know in part 4, and we propheſie in
Þ me, as to my eternal Salyation and Happineſs. From whence| Part e. The highelt aQs of beneficence or
d It was truly faid, as to things humane, That the greateſt part of thoſz things that we know, is the leaſt part of thoſe things which we are ignorant of. A great meaſure of Divine
dr of ſaving Grace in the Soul. 2. Thar che greateſt ſufferings| things is alſo unknown to us, and the knowledge of them reſerved ir 20d in the Cauſe of Religion, may be ſeparated from a true| for the Reſurre&ion and Day of Judgment, John 14. 20. e Nor loot and Principle of ſaving Grace. 3. That no aQtions, no ſuf- | can the communication of our kaowledge of thar, be larger than ings, are ſufficienc to entitle any foul ro Heaven, further than | what we by prophecy communicate, we having our ſelves but a key proceed from a Principle of true Love to God, and a defire | ſhort and imperte&t communication of Divine things, we can Faith and Love muſt be | communicate but an imperfe& degree of knowledge to others.
10 But when that which 1s perfect 15 come, then
id 2cceptableto God, and which will be of any profit or avail to| that which is in part ſhall be done away fi
f But when we come to Heaven, we ſhall be in ſuch a ſtate, as
* Chari fereth lone 1, and is kind mz: charity | 29thing ſhall or can be added ro us; then our partial and imper- kn —_— _ » Sa ev nor i = fe&t knowledge ſhall be ſwallowed up in a knowledge perfe& and
complear.
11 When I was a child, I ſpake as a child, I under-
became a man, I put away childiſh things g.
2 The Apoſtle compareth the ſtate of Believers in this life, compared with their ſtatein another life, to the ſtate of a child, compared with that of a man. Look as one, when he is achild, knoweth things imperfe&ly, and diſcourſeth of them in the ſtile, and according to the knowledge of a child; But when he isgrown up, he diſcourſeth of them at another rate, according tothe de- greeof knowledge which he hath acquired by Inſtruction of 0+ thers, or his own Experience and Obſervation, So it is with all of us, in this life we, like children, have a poor, low, imperfe& ; knowledge of ſpiritual things, and accordingly difcourſe of rhem : Bur when we come to Heaven, we ſhall know them, and diſcourſe of them in a more perfe& manner.
DNdddd
5 Doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly q, * ſeeketh *
1| 20 her own 7, js not eaſily provoked 5, thinketh no 19: 24- Phil. 2-4»
6 * Rejoyceth not in iniquity #, but * rejoyceth in*
[2 For * now we ſee through a glaſs - darkly, but then * face to face : now I know in part, but then®
b The
Chap. XIII-
Chap.
P(al. 16.
3 Et 0 w But he Rom. 1. | ana the Iuccels and proſperity of truch in 32 the World, or in the manifeſtation of any perſon's ruth, or in» *Jon
7 Beareth all things x, believeth all things z, hopeth 0: wich
the truth.
ſtood as a child, I || thought as a child : but when I g,, -:- loned,
*2 Cor. 5 18.& 5.7.
s:dat-.,
1Jvn 3-5
hil 3.12.
F (xr. ins
— ——— —
(Chip, 12.
FF
*Num.11.
25, 29,
+ Or,
hrcar: G h,
' ſpeaketh myſteries g
Chap. IV. CTCORINTATAENS