The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 432

the eye is the noblest of the special senses, so learn we, and cot without much patient exertion, and oft-repeated efforts to see God in Christ as made known in bis crospel and providence and Holy Spirit. Yet the mirror trains the eye and prepares it 1o see Uod through no such intervening medium. The promised vision is open, full, immediate. We shall see him "face to face,'' says St. Paul. "We shall be like him; for we shall see him as be is," declares St. John. And then partial knowledge shall expand into perfect knowledge, and we shall know after a new and Divine manner, for nothing less than this is the assurance: Know as we are known. "Glorious hymn to Christian love,'' as Dr. Farrar calls this chapter, what shall be its closing strain? "Antl no1v abidetb" (remains or continues)-the same duration as compared with the evanes:ence of extraordinary gifts being ascribed to the three-" and now abidetb faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love." Who can doubt it after reading this chapter? Here it stands beside the great gifts of the " tongues of men and of angels," and of the prophetic insight, and of miracle-working, and of philanthropy and martyr- dom, and, amid this splendid array, loue is greatest. In what it does, it is greatest. In w)lat it is, it is greatest. Here, finally, it is grouped with faith and hope, and yet the light that irradiates its form and features from the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is a lustre beyond that of the other two, because the" greatest of these is love."-L. • Ver. 1.-" Love." 'l'be word rendered "charity" in the Old. Version, and "love" in the Revised Version of our New Testament, is not a classical substantive. It is emphatically a Christian term. And this need not be wondered at; for as the virtue itself is one, if not crealed, yet de1•eloped by Christianity, it is what might have been expected to find that the thing gave rise to the name. 'l'his chapter bas been called a psalm of love, and is admired both for its elevated thinking ancl its melodious tliction, whilst to such as are imbued with the true Christian spirit it is especially congenial and deligbtiul. I. MISCONCEPTIONS HAVE TO BE REMOVED. E.g.: 1. The use of the word" charity" is ambiguous. It is orten used as equivalent to tolerance, as in the phrase, "the judg- ment of charity;" and orten as synonymous with" almsgiving," as in the sad proverb, "Cold as charity." Neither of these uses meets the re'luirements of the text. 2. "Love'' is also an ambiguous word, being commonly applied to the feeling of attraction and attachment between young people of opposite sexes-a usage which evidently bas no applicability here. II. THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE HAS TO BE EXPLAINED. 1. It is between one human being and another. The question is not of reverent love to God, but of the mutual feelings of those endowed with the same spiritual r;ature. 2. It is a sentiment, and there is no love where there is simply a principle of action, cold and unimpassioned. 3. It is a sentiment which governs conduct, restraining men from injuring or slamler- ini: one another, and impelling them to mutual assistance. III. 'l'HE SOURCE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE HAS TO nr: THAClm. 1. Its true and ultimate origin is in the nature of God, who is love. 2. Its introduction among men is chiefly owing to the Lord Jesus, who was the gift of the Father's love, whose whole ministry to earth was a revelation of love, and whose benevolent conduct and sacrificial death were the fruit of love. 3. Its individual power and social efficacy arc owing to the µresencc and operation of the Spirit of God. Not without significance is love mentioned first in the inventory of the fruits of the Spirit, which are these: love, joy, peace, etc. IV. 'l'HE EXCELLENCY OF CHRISTIAN LOVE HAS TO DE EXllllll'l'ED. This is done iu this chapter, systematically, in several ways. 1. It is superior to the supernatural gifts generously bestowed upon the Church in the first age. 2. It is the motive to dispositions and actions of the highest degree of moral beauty. 3. It will survive all that is most prized by man as intellectually precious and desirable. 4. It is superior even to gifts, or rather graces, so lovely auJ admirable as are faith and bope.-T. Ver. 1.-Love and language. It would seem that, of all gifts, the girt of speech, and especially that variety of it known as the gift or tongues, was most prized_ by the Christians of Corinth. Probably for this reason the apoijtlc puts this in the forefront, when he compares other possessions and vi1tues with the grace of love. I, IN WHA'l' THE Wl'EIU0lllTY 0~' LOVE OVER Sl'l-:ECII C0~SIS'llJ. 1. Jn the fact that 4-!0 T!lE FinSl' EPISTLE TO TIIE COilINTHIAKS. [en. xm. 1-NI.