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and Truth, to propagate universal holiness, "is but as the sounding Brass, and tinkling Cymbal."

Alms-giving, Mortifications, Zeal for Doctrines, or Zeal against them, sanctimonious appearances, the most consummate knowledge-all of them are dead and unprofitable, if not accompanied with the unfeigned Love of God and our Neighbour. Nay, even the divine virtues of Faith and Hope are fruitless, unless Productive of Charity, which is greater than they!

But although this vast pre-eminence is given to Charity over Faith and Hope, let us not think that St. Paul meant to derogate from the latter. On the contrary, he every where magnifies them, in order that Charity, on the comparison, may appear the more illustrious. And in this very place, he paints before us, in the strongest colours, the Faith and Hope of Abraham, of Moses, the Patriarchs, and first Martyrs; shewing that, by these divine Graces, they were led to persevere in Love and Obedience through all the trials of life.

Would we truly know the Apostle's distinction on this head, methinks it may be rendered obvious in a few words, however needlessly perplexed it hath been.

Faith and Hope with him are indeed ever made the foundations of true Religion. But Love is the superstructure; or it is Religion itself, in all its perfection and glory. Faith, in his comprehensive language, is the "Substance of Things Hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,"-That is to say-a strong belief in the adorable perfections of God, and in the worth and reality of invisible things--a belief

that as his veracity hath never failed us in the past, so neither will it fail in the accomplishment of those glorious future things which he hath promised, although they may be too high and mighty for our present comprehension. And thus those future invisible things become evidenced to us, and presented before us, as if already enjoyed in substance and reality; leading us to lay hold of Christ as offered to us in the Gospel; all which is connected with, or necessarily productive of, the next divine grace and virtue, stiled by our Apostle HOPE, or "the Hope of Righteousness by Faith”----a firm and joyous confidence, that our sincere, though imperfect, services will be accepted through Him, instead of that unsinning obedience required by the strict tenor of the law; and that we shall be justified, sanctified, and finally saved by coming to God, in this "new and living way."

Now, can such views of God's goodness as these, be without Love; or would these views be of any use at all, but for leading us to that Love, which begets obedience and conformity, to what is so lovely and venerable?

Justly, therefore, is this living Faith stiled the foundation of that Evangelic Religion, whose essence is Love. For surely we cannot have Love to Him in whom we have not Hope; nor have Hope in Him in whom we have not Believed. But still, if our Faith and Hope were to stop short of Love and Obedience, they would be of no value; for Love and Obedience are their end; and are the only perfections that can assimilate us to angels, or in any wise make

us fit for that heavenly communion, where Love is to constitute our eternal felicity.

Thus, my brethren, I have endeavoured, as briefly as I could, to state St. Paul's great argument for the pre-eminence given to Charity. And, I trust, what hath been said, will not be deemed a deviation from my subject. For it was my express purpose, by taking a text from both Testaments, to shew how infinitely more powerful are the motives to Love and Beneficence, under the New than the Old Covenant; and that, therefore, if we do not shine superior in all acts of Love and Mercy, under so loving and merciful a dispensation; even the men of Nineveh, and the Queen of the South, shall rise in judgment against us--seeing neither Jew nor Gentile, before the coming of Christ, had those gracious and tender calls to Love, which the Gospel is now constantly sounding in our ear!

Ye Sages! ye Rabbi's! ye vencrable names of antiquity! we honour you for your lessons of benevolence; and rather blush for ourselves that you proceeded so far, than wonder that your progress was no greater.

Yet say! O thou Jew, whoever thou wert, in ancient times, whose heart was made to glow for thy species, on the principles of thine own Law-say, what would have been thy raptures of benevolence, hadst thou known the true Messiah, and been tutored in his mild and evangelic doctrines of Love!

Say also, thou Gentile-Sage! whoever thou wert, that by considering God only as the common Creator, and all men as the work of his hands, couldst from

thence infer the duties of Mutual Love among the whole species-say further, whoever thou wert, that by beholding His stars in the firmament mix their friendly rays in aid of each other, couldst from thence conclude, that all his creatures here below ought to mingle in like friendly offices-say, to whatsoever of these classes you may have belonged, what would have been your transports, how would your soul have been enflamed with love towards God and towards Man, had any star, in your catalogues, any true conclusion of your Religious or Moral speculations, pointed or led you to Christ the power of God, dying in an act of Love for you-nay, setting Love before you, as his last great command, and the sum total of everlasting bliss?

But here your perspective was limited-where (blessed be God) ours is infinitely extended; for Charity (to crown our Apostle's eulogium on it) never faileth, but endureth forever. It hath a place among the perfections of God, which neither Faith nor Hope can have; since, where all is pure Vision, there can be no exercise for Faith; nor, where all is perfect Fruition, can there be room for Hope. Our Faith and Hope can give us no resemblance of God; but our Charity makes us, in some sort, what He himself is in a superlative manner-the helpers of the helpless, and partakers of his own joy in beholding a happy world! Our Faith and Hope may serve us as the hand-maids of Love here below; but leaving them behind us, as of no further use, our Love is all that we shall carry hence with us, as our dowery from earth to heaven!

As yonder majestic Delaware* is fed and supported in its course, by tributary rills and springs flowing from each mountain's side, till at length it comes to mix its waters with its parent ocean, where it no longer stands in need of their scanty supplies; so Faith and Hope are the nourishing springs of our Love in our journey Heavenwards; but when once arrived there, we shall no longer stand in need of their Aid. "When "that which is perfect is come, that which is in part "shall be done away." Our Faith shall be swallowed up in Vision, and our Hope in Fruition; but our Charity and Love shall remain forever, mixing and blending in the unbounded ocean of Parental and Eternal Love!

We see, then, my brethren, that Gospel-charity, thus explained, includes in it almost unspeakable things; its shortest character, to sum up all in a few words, being no less than this

"An ardent and seraphic Love of God, grafted in a stedfast belief of his adorable attributes; a firm reliance on the goodness and justice of his moral government; a rapturous and comprehensive view of his scheme of Providence; a heart thoroughly touched and melted with that astonishing plan of Love manifested in Christ, and a mind darting forward to those everlasting scenes of bliss promised through him, in a well grounded and triumphant expectation of their sure accomplishment! Now the true Love of God, founded on such exalted principles as these, cannot but be accompanied with the second

• One of the largest rivers in North-America, on which the city of Philadelphia stands.

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