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vestigating his reasons for claiming for it a superiority over faith and hope. I perhaps cannot put this in a way more intelligible to my hearers, than by considering successively the different characteristics the apostle has given us of charity, and endeavouring (as far as my ability will admit) to explain his meaning.

The first part of the subject to which I should wish to call your attention, is the declaration of the holy writer in the third verse, "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." There we have a distinct intimation that the charity St. Paul estimates so highly, is totally different from that ostentatious and indiscriminate liberality which is too often allowed to usurp its name; not that the apostle means to insinuate that almsgiving is not an essential christian duty, but he means to assert that a right motive must direct the giver, that glory to God, and good will towards men must be the springs of his bounty: again, when he speaks of giving his body to be burned, which is generally understood to signify that martyrdom at the

stake which the best of christians, both in earlier and later times, have been called upon to submit tó, he does not mean to undervalue the constancy of those who underwent this fiery trial of their faith, but merely suggests that a due regard tó the benefits likely to result to their fellow-creatures from such a display of the power of faith, must have prompted them to the sacrifice, to render it acceptable in the penetrating eye of him to whom all hearts are open. Superstition and obstinacy may lead men to submit to martyrdom, as well as faith and constancy.

Having thus shown what charity does not consist in, he next proceeds to define in what it does consist. Charity, in the apostle's sense of the word, has been well defined by a modern divine, as "that virtue by which we love God for his own sake, and man for God's sake." Another eminent

writer has aptly described it as

"the doing good

to men, conformably to the will of God, and for the sake of eternal happiness;" and this is certainly a most just and true idea of it, which represents the good of mankind as the object, the will of God as the rule, and eternal happiness the motive

of christian charity. But nothing can explain St. Paul's meaning so well as his own words: we will therefore take them in order, and make such comments on each definition of charity, as may tend most plainly to familiarize and bring home to every one the true sense of the passage. "Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not. Unlike the fierce and fiery temper, which

startles at every fancied insult, and eagerly rushes to revenge the slightest provocation, this amiable virtue inclines us meekly to bear with the infirmity of those around us, and "as far as in us lies to live peaceably with all men;" unlike that restless and fretful disposition which looks with the jaundiced eye of jealousy on the prosperity of its neighbour, charity bids us “ rejoice with those that rejoice," and whatever trials Almighty wisdom may subject us to, feel grateful that those around us are not partners of our misery. herself; is not puffed up."

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Charity vaunteth not

Slow to perceive, and

slower to proclaim the superior qualifications he may possess, the charitable man, not by his words, but by his actions, declares to the world how admirable and how virtuous is the even tenor of his benevolent life; he will not "behave himself un

seemly," by ridiculing the weakness or imperfections of his neighbour; "he seeketh not his own with too covetous a spirit; he will not seek to raise his own credit, or his own fortune, on the ruin of another man's reputation or livelihood. He "is not easily provoked" to depart from the usual friendly habits of intercourse in which he lives with his neighbours; he "thinketh no evil," because he means none; free from guile himself, he is willing to think all men as fond of upright dealings as he is; and it is with reluctance he perceives the contrary.

Again, says the apostle, charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Perfectly dissimilar from the speculating worldlings, who think infinite talent and ingenuity are displayed in overreaching those with whom they have to deal, the charitable man rejoiceth not in such iniquity. Truth, that fairest ornament of the character, that great basis of social intercourse, without which virtue is but a name, and superior acquirements but the dangerous weapons of dishonesty. Truth is the delight of his heart; he knows that without a sacred adherence to her, his

innocence and his purity must be soiled. He knows a day will come when every deviation from her shall be remembered and recounted by that righteous being who, we are told, "abhorreth a lie." In the following verse it is said that charity "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things," which passage I may be allowed thus to enlarge upon. Founding her great principles of action on a firm belief in the particular providence of an all-wise and allmerciful being, charity is not dismayed at the sometimes apparently strange dispensations which form parts of the magnificent scheme of Almighty government, but humbly hopeth that it will seem good to the great ruler of the universe to bring some striking blessing out of each seeming evil; and therefore with pious resignation "endureth all things," which his omniscient eye may perceive to be necessary for the accomplishment of his grand purpose.

Thus having briefly endeavoured to explain the apostle's meaning in each definition he has given us of charity, I next proceed to show why he gives it so decided a preference over faith and