356 1 Cor. XIII. Charity, or Love, fuffereth long, is kind, envieth not, &c. Sect. 25. make fo high a Pretence, I fhall receive no Advantage by it; but in the Day of final Account, my Judge, instead of applauding and rewarding me, as a Saint and a Martyr, will condemn me, as a wicked and vain-glorious Hypocrite. 3. 4 5 4 Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not; Charity vaunteth not itfelf, is not puffed up, Indeed the Properties of this Love, which I am now recommending, are fuch, that one would imagine the Description of them fhould be enough to charm the whole World to purfue it. Sufficiently must that fhew how happy it renders the Soul, which is under its Influence, as well as how amiable fuch muft be both to GOD and Man. For Love fuffereth long Injuries [and] Provocations, without being tranfported into Rage, or inftigated to Revenge. On the contrary, under all this Ill-ufage, it is gentle and kind. Love envieth not the Advantages, which others enjoy; but rather takes Pleafure in them, and by friendly Participation makes them its own. Love is not infolent and over-bearing (f), does not act with fuch Precipitancy and Rafhnefs, as Pride and Illnature often hurry Men into? but engages us with Tenderness to look round on thofe about us, left we should by any Means harm them before we are aware. Love is not prefently puffed up with arrogant Self-conceit, on Account of any diftinguished Station, or peculiar Endowment, which a Man may poffefs; nor outwardly boafteth of thefe Things, or inwardly overvalueth itself upon them. Love doth not bebave indecently (g), in a Manner unbecoming a Perfon's Station, Age, unfeemly, feeketh not her or Circumstances. Love feeketh not her own Things, own, (f) Is not infolent, &c.] The Greek Word repep, from whence the Verb here ufed is derived, fignifies rafb and inconfiderate; fo that the Word muft here import, " one that acts with "fuch Precipitancy and Inconfideration, as Pride and Ill-nature often hurry People into," which Charity would preferve them from, and induce that Tendernefs and Caution, which engages us to look about us, that we may do ourfelves, and others, no Harm. (g) Does not behave indecently.] I cannot read this Paffage, without thinking of the venerable Mr. Hale's Story of the Lancet concealed in a Spunge, in order to open an impoftumated Part without giving any Alarm to the Patient, who dreaded the Operation. There is great Reafon to believe, that in all this Defcription, the Apostle had in his Mind that Contraft to this beautiful Character, which was fo prevalent among the Corinthians, as is evident from many Paflages in both thefe Epiftles. (b) Know And it is a Grace, which fhall never fail : own, is not eafily provoked, thinketh no Evil, 6 Rejoiceth not in Iniquity, but rejoiceth in the Truth. 7 Beareth all Things, believeth all Things, hopeth all Things, endureth all Things. 8 Charity never faileth: But 5. 357 And farther to recommend this excellent Prin- I the 358 But our prefent Means of Knowledge fhall fail in Heaven: Sect. 25. the heavenly World; in which it hath an appa- But whether there be Prorent Advantage over many of thofe Gifts, which phecies, they fhall fail; whether there be Tongues, 1 Cor. XIII. fome are fo ready to emulate and purfue to the they fhall ceafe; whether Neglect and Injury of Love. But whether Men there be Knowledge, it shall admire Prophecies, it is fit they fhould know, they vanish away. 8. 9 10 fhall be abolished, when the Faith of God's Peo- upon IO But then that which is perfect is come, then that which is in Part shall be done away. (b) Knowledge fhall be abolished.] This cannot refer to all Kind of Knowledge; for the nobleft shall be much improved. Some think it here fignifies, that of Old Teftament Myfteries, which will be fuperfeded in that World, where Scripture fhall be of no farther Ufe; and hence fome have farther argued for that Interpretation of the Word of Knowledge, which was spoken of above, (Chap. xii. 8.) But the Explication given the Paraphrafe, feems more natural and unexceptionable. To trace the gradual Openings of the Chriftian Scheme thro' the various Difpenfations of GOD to the Church, may be an important Part of the celeftial Happiness, For we now fee obfcurely, but then Face to Face. upon the Mind in the moft eafy, clear, and de- Sect. 25. lightful Manner. II. when compared with that of feeble Infancy. Juft pene (i) By Means of a Mirror.] This is the exact Rendering of drops. It is well known, that the Ufe of Dioptrick Glaffes in Tellefcopes, did not prevail till many Ages after the Date of this Epiftle. And the Seventy ufe this Word for the Women's Looking-glaffes, or Mirrors of Metal, out of which Mofes made the Laver. Exod. xxxviii. 8. 360 Reflections on the Apoftle's Defcription of Charity, or Love. 1 Cor. XIII. fingle Glance. 13. And thus upon the whole it appears, and I hope you will remember and confider it; that there now abide these three moft excellent Graces, Faith, Hope, and Love; each of them far to be ferred to the most fhining Gifts, about which you can contend. But the greatest of thefe Graces [is] Love; which moft directly transforms us into the Image of GOD, and which fhall continue to exert all its Influence, when Faith is fuperfeded by Sight, and Hope by Enjoyment. SURE 13 And Faith, Hope, Charity, thefe three; but the greatest of thefe is Charity. IMPROVEMENT. URELY after having attentively furveyed the beautiful Description, which the Apostle gives us of this Divine Grace, Love, it cannot be neceffary that its Caufe fhould be farther pleaded. It fpeaks for itself; speaks to our very Hearts. But oh, who that enters into the Defcription, muft not mourn, that its Angelick Form is fo much a Stranger to Multitudes who bear the Christian Name! So that in many Inftances it can hardly pass uncenfured; while thefe Extreams which moft evidently violate it, are often confecrated under honourable Names, and Men build Ver. 4, &c. much of their Hopes of Heaven, or breathing what is indeed the Temper of Hell. How many that ftile themfelves Chriftians, can endure no Provocations, can cover no Faults of their Brethren, can keep themselves within no Bounds, can believe nothing to their Advantage, against whom, on Party-principles, they have entertained Prejudices! They vaunt themfelves, they are puffed up with the Conceit of their own Wisdom, they behave unfeemly, they feek only their own Reputation and Profit, they believe the worst they can hear of others, and fufpect more than they hear; they envy thofe whofe Endowments and Stations are fuperior to their own, and inftead of labouring themfelves to excel, they affect by Calumny and Slander to bring down their Brethren to their own Level, or rather, as far as poffible, below it. Alas, that the Dictates of our Divine Mafter, and the Genius of our Religion, are fo little understood, are no more regarded! and that we fo entirely forget the Precepts of Chriftianity, as not to remember even thofe of common Humanity! Yet furely, if these Precepts are wholly forgotten, it is in vain, that we remember, or contend for any of its Doctrines and Principles. As all |