1st. The promise of pardon and full restoration to the favour of our offended Master upon the easiest terms,-" Faith in Jesus Christ and repentance towards God;"* that is, cordially believing that Jesus is the SON OF GOD and the Redeemer of mankind, and a hearty sorrow for, and detestation of, our sins, together with a sincere purpose of amendment. And,

2dly. To enlighten our understandings, and to rectify and support our wills in the prosecution of these virtuous purposes, we have the assistance of the HOLY SPIRIT, always at hand to those who call upon God through the mediation of his Blessed Son.

Which, that we may have the wisdom to use, &c.

*Acts, c. xx. v. 21.

416

THOUGH I SPEAK

SERMON VI.

CHARITY.

1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2, 3.

WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS, AND HAVE NOT CHARITY, I AM BECOME AS SOUNDING BRASS OR A TINKLING CYMBAL.

AND THOUGH I HAVE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY, AND UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES AND ALL KNOWLEDGE; AND THOUGH I HAVE ALL FAITH SO THAT I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS, AND HAVE NOT CHARITY, I AM NOTHING.

AND 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.

The Apostle's admonitions in this chapter afford us a very melancholy and affecting instance of the miserable perversity of human nature. The Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, the Enlightener of the understanding, and the Purifier of the heart, promised to the faithful by our Blessed Redeemer on his leaving the world, never manifested himself by more illustrious marks of the Divine presence than amongst the faithful of the Church of Corinth, to whom this Epistle is addressed; such as the gift of tongues, the interpretation of prophecies,

the working of miracles, the most perfect disinterestedness, and the most intrepid courage in persecution.

Yet some of them, so richly gifted, instead of suffering the Divine Spirit to do His perfect work, in directing all those endowments to the enlargement of the heart by universal benevolence,-the good of mankind being the great scope to which our religion tends (for the end of the commandment is charity;)-instead of this, I say, the too sensible consciousness of so many gifts and graces filled them with spiritual pride, whose property it is not to bear with those who differ from them, and to despise those who are beneath them in spiritual attainments.

Now this unhappy temper, not only rendering all their divine accomplishments vain and fruitless, but in the sense of unbelievers even reflecting dishonour on the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle opposes it with much vigour, in setting out the necessity, the superior advantages, and the natural excellence of charity, above all other Christian graces whatsoever.

Though I speak (says the Apostle) with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal."

He alludes to that miraculous gift with which the first preachers of the Gospel were endowed, in order to render the propagation of it amongst re

mote and barbarous nations more speedy and effectual.

To the tongues of men the Apostle adds and angels; as much as to say, "even though this gift be further dignified with a particular message or revelation from heaven," yet, while unaccompanied with charity, the person so distinguished, as far as regards himself, becomes as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal; alluding to the mysterious Corybantine worship of the Pagans, which was ushered in with the brute sounds of brazen cymbals, and meaning that such a one partakes no more of the efficacy and benefits of the faith in Christ than that clamour is significative of a rational worship.

But my text goes still bigher. still higher. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have not charity, I am nothing. The first quality for the propagation of religion was the gift of tongues, to make himself understood; the next was, a perfect knowledge of that religion he was entrusted to teach; and this consisted in a thorough comprehension of the different natures of the two religions, and of their connection and dependance on one another, called by the Apostle the gift of prophecy, and the understanding all mysteries and all knowledge.

He yet proceeds. "And though I had all faith that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." By faith is meant that supreme degree of Gospel faith that was then at

tended with the power of working miracles, and alluding in the expression to that history in St. Matthew, who, when the disciples were unable to work a certain miracle to which they were called, tells us, that Jesus said, it was because of their unbelief: for, verily I say unto you, had ye faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye should say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Now with all these advantages, which are conceived to exalt human nature to the highest eminence, as most reflecting the image of the Creator in his attributes of wisdom and power, yet the holy Apostle declares, that, without charity, man is still the most insignificant of beings. If I have not charity, says he, I am nothing.

*

But he advances still higher. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor; alluding to the practice of the first Christians; for, as we find it recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, "as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostles' feet."

He goes on. And though I give my body to be burned; that is, though I offer up myself a martyr in attestation of the faith; yet if I have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. For these were esteemed actions of the highest merit; and, when they are the fruits of charity and universal benevolence, certainly are so. But though they are commonly

*Matt. xvii. 20.

+ Acts, iv. 34.