eyes of God; for it was evident that they did not love one another, which is a proof that they did not love God; and consequently, that they had not true religion. Having, by his advices and directions, corrected many abuses, and having shown them how in outward things they should walk so as to please God, he now shows them the spirit, temper, and disposition in which this should be done, and without which all the rest must be ineffectual. of charity, or love. ridiculous to look to the Greek verb pay for its derivation. Having said so much about the word love, we should say something of the word charity, which is supposed to be improper in this place. Charity comes to us immediately from the French charité, who borrowed it from the Latin charitas, which is probably borrowed from the Greek yapıç, signifying grace or favour, or xapa, joy, as a benefit bestowed is a faBefore I proceed to the consideration of the differ-vour that inspires him who receives it with joy; and ent parts of this chapter, it may be necessary to examine whether the word ayanŋ be best translated by charity or love. Wiclif, translating from the Vulgate, has the word charity; and him our authorised version follows. But Coverdale, Matthews, Cranmer, and the Geneva Bible, have love; which is adopted by recent translators and commentators in general; among whom the chief are Dodd, Pearce, Purver, Wakefield, and Wesley; all these strenuously contend that the word charity, which is now confined to almsgiving, is utterly improper; and that the word love, alone expresses the apostle's sense. As the word charity seems now to express little else than almsgiving, which, performed even to the uttermost of a man's power, is nothing if he lack what the apostle terms ayarn, and which we here translate charity; it is best to omit the use of a word in this place which, taken in its ordinary signification, makes the apostle contradict himself; see ver. 3: Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profith me nothing. That is: "Though I have the utmost charity, and act in every respect according to its dictates, yet, if I have not charity, my utmost charity is unprofitable." Therefore, to shun this contradiction, and the probable misapplication of the term, Love had better be substituted for CHARITY. The word ayann, love, I have already considered at large in the note on Matt. xxii. 37; and to that As Christians in general acknowledge that this place I beg leave to refer the reader for its derivation chapter is the most important in the whole New and import. Our English word love we have from the Testament, I shall give here the first translation of it Teutonic leben, to live, because love is the means, dis-into the English language which is known to exist, penser, and preserver of life; and without it life would have nothing desirable, nor indeed any thing even supportable: or it may be taken immediately from the Anglo-Saxon lofa and lufa, love, from luran and lupian, to desire, to love, to favour. It would be so far contributes to his happiness. The proper meaning of the word CHARUS, is dear, costly; and CHARITAS, is dearth, scarcity, a high price, or dearness. Hence, as in times of dearth or scarcity, many, especially the poor, must be in want, and the benevolent will be excited to relieve them; the term which expressed the cause of this want was applied to the disposition which was excited in behalf of the sufferer. Now, as he who relieves a person in distress, and preserves his life by communicating a portion of his property to him, will feel a sort of interest in the person thus preserved; hence he is said to be dear to him: i. e. he has cost him something; and he values him in proportion to the trouble or expense he has cost him. Thus charity properly expresses that affectionate attachment we may feel to a person whose wants we have been enabled to relieve; but originally it signified that want of the necessaries of life which produced dearth or dearness of those necessaries; and brought the poor man into that state in which he stood so much in need of the active benevolence of his richer neighbour. If the word be applied to God's benevolence towards man, it comes in with all propriety and force: we are dear to God, for we have not been purchased with silver or gold, but with the precious (rup aiμarı, costly) blood of Christ, who so loved us as to give his life a ransom for ours. extracted from an ancient and noble MS. in my own possession, which seems to exhibit both a text and language, if not prior to the time of Wiclif, yet certainly not posterior to his days. The reader will please to observe that there are no divisions of verses in the MS. The XIII. chapter of I. Corinthians, from an ancient MS. Gyf E speke with tungis of men and aungels sotheli E have not charitee: I am maad as brasse sounynge, or a symbale tynking. And gif E schal habe prophecie and have knowen alle mysteries and alle kunynge or science. and gif E schal have al feith so that E over bere hillis fro oo place to an other. forsothe gif E schal not have charite : E am nougt. And gif E schal deperte al my goodis into metis of pore men. And gif E schal bítake my body so that E brenne forsothe gif E schal not have charite it profitith to me no thing. Charite is pacient or suffringe. Et is benyngne or of good wille. Charite envyeth not. Et doth not gyle, it is not inblowen with pride it is not ambyciouse or coveitouse of wirschippis. It seckyth not the thingis that ben her owne. Et is not stirid to wrath it The nature and properties A. M. 4060. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. of a prophecy, and understand mountains, and have not charity, ledge; and though I have all a Ch. xii. 8, 9, 10, 28. xiv. 1, &c. See Matt. vii. 22. A.M. 4060. A. D. 56. b Matt. xvii. 20. Mark xi. 23. Luke xvii. 6.- Matt. vi. 1, 2. thinkith not yvel. it joyeth not on wickidnesse forsothe it joyeth to gydre to treuthe. Et suffreth alle thingis. it bileeveth alle thingis. Et hopith alle thingis it susteeneth alle thingis. Charite fallith not doun. Whether prophecies schuln be voide eyther langagis schuln ceese : eyther science schal be distruyed. Forsothe of party we han knowen: and of partye prophecien. Forsothe whenne that schal cum to that is perfit: that thing that is of partye schal be avoydid. Whenne X was a litil chiilde: E spake as a litil chiilde. E understode as a litil chiilde: E thougte as a litil chiild. Forsothe whenn E was maad a man: E avoydid the thingis that weren of a litil chiild. Forsothe we seen now bi a miror in dercnesse: thanne forsothe face to face. Nowe E know of partye: thanne forsothe E schal know and as E am knowen. Nowe forsothe dwellen feith hoope charite. These three: forsothe the more of hem is charite. This is the whole of the chapter as it exists in the MS., with all its peculiar orthography, points, and lines. The words with lines under may be considered the translator's marginal readings; for, though incorporated with the text, they are distinguished from it by those lines. I had thought once of giving a literal translation of the whole chapter from all the ancient Versions. This would be both curious and useful; but the reader might think it would take up too much of his time, and the writer has none to spare. The tongues of men] All human languages, with all the cloquence of the most accomplished orator. And of angels] i. e. Though a man knew the language of the eternal world so well that he could hold conversation with its inhabitants, and find out the secrets of their kingdom. Or, probably, the apostle refers to a notion that was common among the Jews, that there was a language by which angels might be invoked, adjured, collected, and dispersed; and by the means of which many secrets might be found out, and curious arts and sciences known. There is much of this kind to be found in their cabalistical books, and in the books of many called Christians. Cornelius Agrippa's occult philosophy abounds in this; and it was the main object of Dr. Dee's actions with spirits to get a complete vocabulary of this language. See what has been published of his work by Dr. Casaubon; and the remaining manuscript parts in the Sloane Library, in the British Museum. In Bava Bathra, fol. 134, mention is made of a famous rabbin, Jochanan ben Zaccai, who understood the language of devils, trees, and angels. Some think that the apostle means only the most splendid eloquence; as we sometimes apply the word angelic to signify any thing sublime, grand, beautiful, &c.; but it is more likely that he speaks here after the manner of his countrymen, who imagined that there was an angelic language which was the key to many mysteries; a language which might be acquired, and which, they say, had been learned by several. Sounding brass] Xaλkoç пxwv That is, like a trumpet made of brass; for although xaλkoç signifies brass, and æs signifies the same, yet we know the latter is often employed to signify the trumpet, because generally made of this metal. Thus Virgil, when he represents Misenus endeavouring to fright away the harpies with the sound of his trumpet: Ergo, ubi delapsæ sonitum per curva dedere Eneid, lib. iii., ver. 238. The metal of which the instrument was made is used again for the instrument itself, in that fine passage of the same poet, Eneid, lib. ix., ver. 503, where he represents the Trojans rushing to battle against the Volscians: At tuba terribilem sonitum procul ære canoro The nature and properties A.M. 4060. CHAP. XIII. b of charity, or love. and though I give my body to is kind; charity envieth not; A. M. 4060. nis Cæs. 3. violently down a hill: it makes a great noise, because there is nothing in it." Verse 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy] Though I should have received from God the knowledge of future events, so that I could correctly foretel what is coming to pass in the world and in the And again, in his Battle of the Bees, Geor., lib. iv., church ;— ver. 70: namque morantes Martius ille æris rauci canor increpat, et vox With shouts the cowards' courage they excite, Dryden. Examples of the same figure might be multiplied; but these are sufficient. Tinkling cymbal.] "The cymbal was a concavoconvex plate of brass, the concave side of which being struck against another plate of the same kind, produced a tinkling, inharmonious sound." We may understand the apostle thus: "Though I possessed the knowledge of all languages, and could deliver even the truth of God in them in the most eloquent manner, and had not a heart full of love to God and man, producing piety and obedience to the ONE, and benevolence and beneficence to the other, doing unto all as I would wish them to do to me were our situations reversed, my religion is no more to my salvation, than the sounds emitted by the brazen trum- | pet or the jingling of the cymbals could contribute intellectual pleasure to the instruments which produce them; and, in the sight of God, I am of no more moral worth than those sounds are. I have, it is true, a profession; but, destitute of a heart filled with love to God and man, producing meekness, gentleness, long-suffering, &c., I am without the soul and essence of religion.” I have quoted several passages from heathens of the most cultivated minds in Greece and Rome to illustrate passages of the sacred writers. I shall now quote one from an illiterate collier of Paulton, in Somerset; and, as I have named Homer, Horace, Virgil, and others, I will quote Josiah Gregory, whose mind might be compared to a diamond of the first water, whose native splendour broke in various places through its incrustations, but whose brilliancy was not brought out for want of the hand of the lapidary. Among various energetic sayings of this great, unlettered man, I remember to have heard the following: "People of little religion are always noisy; he who has not the love of God and man filling his heart is like an empty waggon coming And understand all mysteries] The meaning of all the types and figures in the Old Testament, and all the unexplored secrets of nature; and all knowledgeevery human art and science; and though I have all faith-such miraculous faith as would enable me even to remove mountains; or had such powerful discernment in sacred things that I could solve the greatest difficulties, see the note on Matt. xxi. 21, and have not charity-this love to God and man, as the principle and motive of all my conduct, the characteristics of which are given in the following verses; i am nothing—nothing in myself, nothing in the sight of God, nothing in the church, and good for nothing to mankind. Balaam, and several others not under the influence of this love of God, prophesied; and we daily see many men, who are profound scholars, and well skilled in arts and sciences, and yet not only careless about religion but downright infidels! It does not require the tongue of the inspired to say that these men, in the sight of God, are nothing; no can their literary or scientific acquisitions give then. a passport to glory. Verse 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor] This is a proof that charity, in our sens‹ of the word, is not what the apostle means; for surely almsgiving can go no farther than to give up all tha: a man possesses in order to relieve the wants of others. The word wiw, which we translate to feed the poor, signifies to divide into morsels, and put into the mouth; which implies carefulness and tenderness in applying the bounty thus freely given. And though I give my body to be burned] Iva Kavoŋowμaι Mr. Wakefield renders this clause thus: And though I give up my body so as to have cause boasting: in vindication of which he, first, refers t› Dan. iii. 28; Acts xv. 26; Rom. viii. 32; Phil. i. 20. 2. He says that there is no such word as kav¤ŋowμai. 3. That xavxnowμar, that I may boast, is the readin,, of the Ethiopic and Coptic, and he might have added of the Codex Alexandrinus; several Greek and Latin MSS. referred to by St. Jerome; of Ephraim; and ( St. Jerome himself, who translates the passage thus. Si tradidero corpus meum ut glorier: i, e. “If I de.... liver up my body that I may glory, or have cause boasting." 4. He adds that burning, though a con. mon punishment in after times, was not prevalen when this Epistle was written. Some of the foreign critics, particularly Schulziu The nature and properties A. M. 4060. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Nero. nis Cæs. 3. I. CORINTHIANS. seemly, a seeketh not her own, b с of charity, or love. but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 e Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, endureth all things. a Ch. x. 24. Phil. ii. 4.—Ps. x. 3. Rom. i. 32. c2 John 4. translate it thus: Si traderem corpus, ut mihi stigma "We may observe," says Dr. Lightfoot, "in those instances which are compared with charity, and are as good as nothing if charity be absent, that the apostle mentions those which were of the noblest esteem in the Jewish nation; and also that the most precious things that could be named by them were compared with this more precious, and were of no account in comparison of it. d Or, with the truth. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. Le Rom. xv. 1. Gal. vi. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 24. 4. The moving or rooting up of mountains, which among them signified the removing of the greatest difficulties, especially from the sacred text, they considered also a high and glorious attainment: see the note on Matt. xxi. 21. And of his salvation, who had it, they could not have formed the slightest doubt. But the apostle says, a man might have and enjoy all those gifts, &c., and be nothing in himself, and be nothing profited by them." The reader will consider that the charity or love, concerning which the apostle speaks, is that which is described from ver. 4 to 7, inclusive: it is not left to the conjectures of men to find it out. What the apostle means is generally allowed to be true religion; but if he had not described it, this true religion would have been as various as the parties are who suppose they have it. Let the reader also observe that, not only the things which are in the highest repute among the Jews, but the things which are in the highest repute among Christians and Gentiles are those which the apostle shows to be of no use, if the love hereafter described be wanting. And yet, who can suppose that the man already described can be destitute of true religion, as he must be under an especial influence of God; else, How, 1st. could he speak all the languages of men? for this was allowed to be one of the extraordinary gifts of God's Spirit. 2. He must have divine teaching to know the language of angels, and thus to get acquainted with the economy of the invisible world. 3. Without immediate influence from God he could not be a prophet, and predict future events. 4. Without this he could not understand all the mysteries of the divine word, nor those of Providence. 5. All knowledge, suppose this to be confined to human arts and sciences, could not be acquired without especial assistance. 6. And without the most powerful and extraordinary assistance, he could not have a faith that could remove mountains, or miraculous faith of any kind: and the apostle supposes that a man might have all these six things, and not possess that religion which could save "3. To know all mysteries and all knowledge was his soul! And may we not say that, if all these not only prized but affected by them. Of Hillel, the could not avail for salvation, a thousand times less elder, they say he had eighty disciples: thirty who surely cannot. How blindly, therefore, are multitudes were worthy to have the Holy Spirit dwell upon of persons trusting in that which is almost infinitely them, as it did upon Moses; thirty who were worthy | less than that which the apostle says would profit them that the sun should stop his course for them, as it did | nothing! "1. To speak with the tongues of men, among the Jewish interpreters, means, to speak the languages of the seventy nations. To the praise of Mordecai, they say that he understood all those languages; and they require that the fathers of the Sanhedrin should be skilled in many languages that they may not be obliged to hear any thing by an interpreter. Maim. in Sanh., c. 2. “2. To speak with the tongues of angels they thought to be not only an excellent gift, but to be possible; and highly extol Jochanan ben Zaccai because he understood them: see the note on ver. 1. for Joshua; and there were twenty between both. The charity or love which God recommends the The greatest of all was Jonathan ben Uzziel; the | apostle describes in sixteen particulars, which are the least was Jochanan ben Zaccai. He omitted not (i.e. following:perfectly understood) the Scripture, the Mishna, the Verse 4. (1.) Charity suffereth long] Maкpolvμe, The nature and properties A. M. 4060. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cas. 3. a 8 Charity never faileth: but | whether there be knowledge, it whether there be prophecies, shall vanish away. they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; Ch. xii. 31. Phil. i. 9-11. 2 Pet. i. 19. Rev. xxii. 4, 5. Has a long mind; to the end of which neither trials, adversities, persecutions, nor provocations, can reach. The love of God, and of our neighbour for God's sake, is patient towards all men: it suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; and all the malice and wickedness of the children of this world; and all this, not merely for a time, but long, without end; for it is still a mind or disposition, to the end of which trials, difficulties, &c., can never reach. It also waits God's time of accomplishing his gracious or providential purposes, without murmuring or repining; and bears its own infirmities, as well as those of others, with humble submission to the will of God. (2.) I8 kind] XpηOTEVETAL It is tender and compassionate in itself, and kind and obliging to others; it is mild, gentle, and benign; and, if called to suffer, inspires the sufferer with the most amiable sweetness, and the most tender affection. It is also submissive to all the dispensations of God; and creates trouble to no one. (3.) Charity envieth not] Ov nλor Is not grieved because another possesses a greater portion of earthly, intelectual, or spiritual blessings. Those who have this pure love rejoice as much at the happiness, the honour, and comfort of others, as they can do in their own. They are ever willing that others should be prefered before them. (4) Charity vaunteth not itself] Ov TEрTEρEVETα This word is variously translated; acteth not rashly, insolently; is not inconstant, &c. It is not agreed by learned men whether it be Greek, Latin, or Arabic. Bishop Pearce derived it from the latter language; and translates it, is not inconstant. There is a phrase in our own language that expresses what I think to be the meaning of the original, does not set itself forward-does not desire to be noticed or applauded; but wishes that God may be all in all. (5.) Is not puffed up] Ov qvolovrai Is not inflated with a sense of its own importance; for it knows it has nothing but what it has received; and that it deserves nothing that it has got. Every man, whose heart is full of the love of God, is full of humility; for there is no man so humble as he whose heart is cleansed from all sin. It has been said that indwelling sin humbles us; never was there a greater falsity: PRIDE is the very essence of sin; he who has sin has pride, and pride too in proportion to his sa: this is a mere popish doctrine; and, strange to tell, the doctrine in which their doctrine of merit is founded! They say, God leaves concupiscence in the heart of every Christian, that, in striving with and overcoming it from time to time, he may have an accumulation of meritorious acts. Certain protestants say, it is a true sign of a very gracious state b 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; b Ch. viii. 2. John xvi. 13. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. when a man feels and deplores his inbred corruptions. How near do these come to the papists, whose doctrine they profess to detest and abhor! The truth is, it is no sign of grace whatever; it only argues, as they use it, that the man has got light to show him his corruptions; but he has not yet got grace to destroy them. He is convinced that he should have the mind of Christ, but he feels that he has the mind of Satan; he deplores it; and, if his bad doctrine do not prevent him, he will not rest till he feels the blood of Christ cleansing him from all sin. True humility arises from a sense of the fulness of God in the soul; abasement from a sense of corruption is a widely different thing; but this has been put in the place of humility, and even called grace: many, very many, verify the saying of the poet: "Proud I am my wants to see; I Verse 5. (6.) Doth not behave itself unseemly] OUR ασχημονεί, from a, negative, and oxnμa, figure, mien; love never acts out of its place or character; observes due decorum and good manners; is never rude, bearish, or brutish; and is ever willing to become all things to all men, that it may please them for their good to edification. No ill-bred man, or what is termed rude or unmannerly, is a Christian. A man may have a natural bluntness, or be a clown, and yet there be nothing boarish or hoggish in his manner. must apologise for using such words; they best express the evil against which I wish both powerfully and successfully to declaim. I never wish to meet with those who affect to be called "blunt, honest men;" who feel themselves above all the forms of respect and civility, and care not how many they put to pain, or how many they displease. But let me not be misunderstood; I do not contend for ridiculous ceremonies, and hollow compliments; there is surely a medium: and a sensible Christian man will not be long at a loss to find it out. Even that people who profess to be above all worldly forms, and are generally stiff enough, yet are rarely found to be rude, uncivil, or ill-bred. (7.) Seeketh not her own] Ov Entei ta kavrns' Is not desirous of her own spiritual welfare only, but of her neighbour's also: for the writers of the Old and New Testament do, almost every where, agrecably to their Hebrew idiom, express a preference given to one thing before another by an affirmation of that which is preferred, and a negative of that which is contrary to it. See Bishop Pearce, and see the notes on chap. i. 17, and chap. x. 24, 33. Love is never satisfied but in the welfare, comfort, and salvation of all. That man is no Christian who is |