The nature and properties A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. 1. CORINTHIANS. b of charity, or love. 10 But when that which is spake as a child, I understood "perfect is come, then that which as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, II put away childish things. a Hebr. vii. 28. Rev. xxi. 1. solicitous for his own happiness alone; and cares not how the world goes, so that himself be comfortable. (8.) Is not easily provoked] Ov naρožνveraι Is not provoked, is not irritated, is not made sour or bitter. How the word easily got into our translation it is hard to say; but, however it got in, it is utterly improper, and has nothing in the original to countenance it. By the transcript from my old MS., which certainly contains the first translation ever made in English, we find that the word did not exist there: the conscientious translator rendering it thus :-Et is not stirid to wrath. The New Testament, printed in 1547, 4to., the first year of Edward VI., in English and Latin, has simply, is not provokeed to angre. The edition published in English in the following year, 1548, has the same rendering, but the orthography better: is not provoked to anger. The Bible in folio, with notes, published the next year, 1549, by Edmund Becke, preserves nearly the same reading, is not provoketh to anger. The large folio printed by Richard Cardmarden, at Rouen, 1566, has the same reading. The translation made and printed by the command of King James I., fol., 1611, &c., departs from all these, and improperly inserts the word easily, which might have been his majesty's own; and yet this translation was not followed by some subsequent editions; for the 4to. Bible printed at London four years after, 1615, not only retains this original and correct reading, it is not provoked to anger, but has the word love every where in this chapter instead of charity, in which all the preceding versions and editions agree. In short, this is the reading of Coverdale, Matthews, Cranmer, the Geneva, and others; and our own authorised version is the only one which I have seen where this false reading appears. As to the ancient versions, they all, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, Æthiopic, Coptic, and Itala, strictly follow the Greek text; and supply no word that tends to abate the signification of the apostle's ov Taρožνveraι, is not provoked; nor is there a various reading here in all the numerous MSS. It is of importance to make these observations, because the common version of this place destroys the meaning of the apostle, and makes him speak very improperly. If love is provoked at all, it then ceases to be love; and if it be not easily provoked, this grants, as almost all the commentators say, that in special cases it may be provoked; and this they instance in the case of Paul and Barnabas, Acts xv. 39; but I have sufficiently vindicated this passage in my note on that place, and given at large the meaning of the word πapožvvw; and to that place I beg leave to refer the reader. The apostle's own words in ver. 7 are a sufficient proof that the love of which he speaks can never be pro b Or, reasoned. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Nero nis Cæs. 3. voked. When the man who possesses this love gives way to provocation, he loses the balance of his soul, and grieves the Spirit of God. In that instant he ceases from loving God with all his soul, mind, and strength; and surely if he get embittered against his neighbour, he does not love him as himself. It is generally said that, though a man may feel himself highly irritated against the sin, he may feel tender concern for the sinner. Irritation of any kind is inconsistent with self-government, and consequently with internal peace and communion with God. However favourably we may think of our own state, and however industrious we may be to find out excuses for sallies of passion, &c., still the testimony of God is, Love is not provoked; and if I have not such a love, whatever else I may possess, it profiteth me nothing. (9.) Thinketh no evil] Ov Xoyıletai to kakov“ “Believes no evil where no evil seems." Never supposes that a good action may have a bad motive; gives every man credit for his profession of religion, uprightness, godly zeal, &c., while nothing is seen in his conduct or in his spirit inconsistent with this profession. His heart is so governed and influenced by the love of God, that he cannot think of evil but where it appears. The original implies that he does not invent or devise any evil; or, does not reason on any particular act or word so as to infer evil from it; for this would destroy his love to his brother; it would be ruinous to charity and benevolence. Verse 6. (10.) Rejoiceth not in iniquity] Ov xaipei Eni Ty adikią Rejoiceth not in falsehood, but on the contrary, rejoiceth in the truth: this meaning axia has in different parts of the scriptures. At first view, this character of love seems to say but little in its favour; for who can rejoice in unrighteousness of falsity? But is it not a frequent case that persons, who have received any kind of injury, and have forborne to avenge themselves, but perhaps have left it to God; when evil falls upon the sinner do console themselves with what appears to them an evidence that God has avenged their quarrels; and do at least secretly rejoice that the man is suffering for his misdeeds? Is not this, in some sort, rejoicing in iniquity? Again: is it not common for interested persons to rejoice in the successes of an unjust and sanguinary war, in the sackage and burning of cities and towns; and is not the joy always in proportion to the slaughter that has been made of the enemy? And do these call themselves Christians? Then we may expect that Moloch and his sub-devils are not so far behind this description of Christians as to render their case utterly desperate. If such Christians can be saved, demons need not despair! (11.) But rejoiceth in the truth] Anduq Every The nature and properties A. M. 4060. A. D. 56. A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. 12 For b now we see through | even as also I am known. a glass, darkly; but then 13 And now abideth faith, face to face: now I know hope, charity, these three; but in part; but then shall I know the "greatest of these is charity. 2 Cor. iii. 18. v. 7. Phil. iii. 12.-b Gr. in a riddle.- Matt. thing that is opposite to falsehood and irreligion. Those who are filled with the love of God and man rejoice in the propagation and extension of divine truth-in the spread of true religion, by which alone peace and goodwill can be diffused throughout the earth. And because they rejoice in the truth, therefore they do not persecute or hinder true religion, but help it forward with all their might and power. Verse 7. (12.) Beareth all things] Пavra σrεyε. This word is also variously interpreted; to endure, lear, sustain, cover, conceal, contain. Bishop Pearce contends that it should be translated covereth all things, and produces several plausible reasons for this translation; the most forcible of which is, that the common translation confounds it with endureth all things, in the same verse. We well know that it is a and and distinguishing property of love to cover and conceal the fault of another; and it is certainly better to consider the passage in this light than in that which our common version holds out; and this perfectly agrees with what St. Peter says of charity, 1 Pet. iv. 8: It shall cover the multitude of sins; but there is not sufficient evidence that the original will fally bear this sense; and perhaps it would be better to take it in the sense of contain, keep in, as a vessel does liquor; thus Plato compared the souls of foolish men to a sieve, and not able, oreyɛiv dia aTIOτia Te kai dņšŋy, to contain any thing through unfaithfulness and forgetfulness. See Parkhurst and Wetstein. Some of the Versions have σrepyɛ, loveth, or is warmly affectioned to all things or persons. But the true import must be found either in cover or contain. Love conceals every thing that should be concealed; betrays no secret; retains the grace given; and goes on to continual increase. A person under the influence of this love never makes the sins, follies, faults, or imperfections of any man, the subject either of censure or conversation. He covers them as far as he can; and if alone privy to them, he retains the knowledge of them in his own bosom as far as be ought. (13.) Believeth all things] Пavтa LOTEVEL Is ever ready to believe the best of every person, and will credit no evil of any but on the most positive evidence; gladly receives whatever may tend to the antage of any person whose character may have suffered from obloquy and detraction; or even justly, because of his misconduct. (14.) Hopeth all things] Пlavra EXTIEL When there is no place left for believing good of a person, then love comes in with its hope, where it could not work by its faith; and begins immediately to make allowances and excuses, as far as a good conscience can permit; and farther, anticipates the repentance of the transgressor, and his restoration to the good xviii. 10. 1 John iii. 2. A. M. 4060. A. D. 56 A. U. C. 809. Anno Imp. Neronis Cæs. 3. Ch. xv. 19. Rom. xiii. 8-10. opinion of society and his place in the church of God, from which he had fallen. (15.) Endureth all things.] Ilavra vпoμɛvεĽ Bears up under all persecutions and maltreatment from open enemies and professed friends; bears adversities with an even mind, as it submits with perfect resignation to every dispensation of the providence of God; and never says of any trial, affliction, or insult, this cannot be endured. Verse 8. (16.) Charity never faileth] 'Hayaяη ovdεTOTE EKTITTEĽ This love never falleth off, because it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things; and while it does so it cannot fail; it is the means of preserving all other graces; indeed, properly speaking, it includes them all; and all receive their perfection from it. Love to God and man can never be dispensed with. It is essential to social and religious life; without it no communion can be kept up with God; nor can any man have a preparation for eternal glory whose heart and soul are not deeply imbued with it. Without it there never was true religion, nor ever can be ; and it not only is necessary through life, but will exist throughout eternity. What were a state of blessedness if it did not comprehend love to God and human spirits in the most exquisite, refined, and perfect degrees? Prophecies-shall fail] Whether the word imply predicting future events, or teaching the truths of religion to men, all such shall soon be rendered useless. Though the accurate prophet and the eloquent, persuasive preacher be useful in their day, they shall not be always so; nor shall their gifts fit them for glory; nothing short of the love above described can fit a soul for the kingdom of God. Tongues-shall cease] The miraculous gift of different languages, that also shall cease, as being unnecessary. Knowledge-shall vanish away.] All human arts and sciences, as being utterly useless in the eternal world, though so highly extolled and useful here. Verse 9. For we know in part] We have here but little knowledge even of earthly, and much less of heavenly, things. He that knows most knows little in comparison of what is known by angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. And as we know so very little, how deficient must we be if we have not much love! Angels may wonder at the imperfection of our knowledge; and separate spirits may wonder at the perfection of their own, having obtained so much more in consequence of being separated from the body, than they could conceive to be possible while in that body. When Sir Isaac Newton had made such astonishing discoveries in the laws of nature, far surpassing any thing that had been done by all his predecessors in science from the days of The nature and properties I. CORINTHIANS. of charity, or love. Solomon; one of our poets, considering the scanti- | flector, from us, into, and оrтоμαι, I look; and ness of human knowledge when compared with that among the ancients mirrors were certainly made of which is possessed by the inhabitants of heaven, fine polished metal. The word here may signify any reduced his meditations on the subject to the follow-thing by which the image of a person is reflected, as ing nervous and expressive epigram: Superior beings, when of late they saw These fine lines are a paraphrase from a saying of Plato, from whom our poet borrows without acknowledging the debt. The words are these: avрwwv ὁ σοφώτατος προς θεον πίθηκος φανείται "The wisest of mortals will appear but an ape in the estimation of God." Vid. Hipp. Maj., vol. xi., p. 21. Edit. Bipont. We prophesy in part] Even the sublimest prophets have been able to say but little of the heavenly state; in our looking, or look in glass. The word is not used for a glass to look through; nor would such an image have suited with the apostle's design. The σоπтрov, or mirror, is mentioned by some of the most ancient Greek writers; so Anacreon, Ode xi., ver. 1: Λεγουσιν αἱ γυναίκες, Λαβων ΕΣΟΠΤΡΟΝ αθρεί The women tell me, and the best preachers have left the Spirit of God And again, in Ode xx., ver. 5: Εγω δ' εσοπτρον είην, I wish I were a mirror That thou mightst always look into me. In Exod. xxxviii. 8, we meet with the term looking-glasses; but the original is ♫ maroth, and should be translated mirrors; as out of those very articles, which we absurdly translate looking-GLASSES, the brazen laver was made! In the Greek version the word oоTTрov is not found but twice, and that in the apocryphal books. very much to supply. And had we no more religious knowledge than we can derive from men and books, and had we no farther instruction in the knowledge of God and ourselves than we derive from preaching, our religious experience would be low indeed. Yet it is our duty to acquire all the knowledge we possibly can; and as preaching is the ordinary means by which God is pleased to instruct and convert the soul, we should diligently and thankfully use it. For we have neither reason nor scripture to suppose that God will give us that immediately from himself which he has promised to convey only by the use of means. Even this his blessing makes effectual; and, after all, his Spirit supplies In the book of the wisdom of Solomon, chap. vii. much that man cannot teach. Every preacher should 26, speaking of wisdom the author says: "She is take care to inculcate this on the hearts of his hearers. the brightness of the everlasting light, aι 160πTрov When you have learned all you can from your minis-aknλidwтov, and the unspotted mirror of the power ters, remember you have much to learn from God; and for this you should diligently wait on him by the reading of his word, and by incessant prayer. Verse 10. But when that which is perfect] The state of eternal blessedness; then that which is in part-that which is imperfect, shall be done away; the imperfect as well as the probationary state shall ccase for ever. of God, and the image of his goodness." In Ecclus. xii. 11, exhorting to put no trust in an enemy, he says: "Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou shalt be unto him, we exμEμαɣWG εσоπтрOV, as if thou hadst wiped a looking-glass (mirror), and thou shalt know that his rust hath not altogether been wiped away." All these passages must be understood of polished metal, not of glass, which, though it existed among the Romans and others, yet was brought to very little perfection; and as to grinding and silvering of glass, they are modern inventions. Verse 11. When I was a child] This future state of blessedness is as far beyond the utmost perfection that can be attained in this world as our adult state of Christianity is above our state of natural infancy, in which we understand only as children understand; speak only a few broken articulate words, and reason only as children reason; having few ideas, little knowledge but what may be called mere instinct, and that much less perfect than the instinct of the brute creation; and having no experience. But when we became men-adults, having gained much know-were reflected, and not to any diaphanous and magledge of men and things, we spoke and reasoned more correctly, having left off all the manners and habits of our childhood. Verse 12. Now we see through a glass, darkly] A o e aiyuari. Of these words some literal explanation is necessary. The word εσожTроv, which we translate a glass, literally signifies a mirror or re Some have thought that the apostle refers to something of the telescopic kind, by which distant and small objects become visible, although their surfaces become dim in proportion to the quantum of the magnifying power; but this is too refined; he appears simply to refer to a mirror by which images nifying powers, through which objects were perceived. Possibly the true meaning of the words δι' εσόπτρου Ev aviypari, through a glass durkly, may be found among the Jewish writers, who use a similar term to express nearly the same thing to which the apostle refers. A revelation of the will of God, in clear and Observations on CHAP. XIII. faith, hope, and love. express terms, is called by them ¬¬ aspecu- | Charity or love, by which we show forth the virtues laria maira, a clear or lucid glass, or specular; in of the grace which we receive by faith, in living a reference specularibus lapidibus, to the diaphanous, life of obedience to God, and of good-will and usefulpolished stones, used by the ancients for windows instead of glass. An obscure prophecy they termed xo x97 *tipoon ɑspecularia dela naharia, “A specular which is not clear." ness to man. But the greatest of these is charity.] Without faith it is impossible to please God; and without it, we cannot partake of the grace of our Lord Jesus: without hope we could not endure, as seeing him who is invisible; nor have any adequate notion of the eternal world; nor bear up under the afflictions and difficulties of life: but great and useful and indispensably necessary as these are, yet charity or love is greater: LOVE is the fulfilling of the law; but this is On Ezek. i. 4, 5, And I looked, and behold a whirl- | never said of faith or hope. It may be necessary to enter more particularly into a consideration of the conclusion of this very important chapter. From a great variety of examples produced by 1. Love is properly the image of God in the soul; Schoettgen it appears that the rabbins make a great for God is LOVE. By faith we receive from our Maker; deal of difference between seeing through the lucid by hope we expect a future and eternal good; but by glass or specular, and seeing through the obscure one. love we resemble God; and by it alone are we qualiThe first is attributed only to Moses, who conversed fied to enjoy heaven, and be one with him throughout with God face to face, i. e. through the lucid specular; eternity. Faith, says one, is the foundation of the and between the other prophets, who saw him in Christian life, and of good works; hope rears the dreams and visions, i. e. through the obscure specular. superstructure; but love finishes, completes, and In these distinctions and sayings of the ancient Jews crowns it in a blessed eternity. Faith and hope rewe must seek for that to which the apostle alludes.spect ourselves alone; love takes in both God and See Schoettgen. The word anypari, which we render darkly, will help us to the true meaning of the place. The following is Mr. Parkhurst's definition of the term and of the thing: "Aviyua, from gviypai, the perfect paarire of avirrw, to hint, intimate, signify with some degree of obscurity; an enigma, in which one thing Gnavery or stands in correspondence to, or as the representative of, another, which is in some respects imilar to it; occurs chap. xiii. 12: Now-in this life, we see by means of a mirror reflecting the images of heavenly and spiritual things, ev aypari, in an enigmatical manner, invisible things being represented by visible, spiritual by natural, eternal by temporal; but then-in the eternal world, face to face, every thing being seen in itself, and not by means of a representative or similitude." Now I know in part] Though I have an immediate revelation from God concerning his great design in the dispensation of the gospel, yet there are lengths, breadths, depths, and heights of this design, which even that revelation has not discovered; nor can they be known and apprehended in the present perfect state. Eternity alone can unfold the whole scheme of the gospel. A-I am known.] In the same manner in which sembodied spirits know and understand. Verse 13. And now [in this present life] abideth faith, hope, charity] These three supply the place of that direct vision which no human embodied spirit can have; these abide or remain for the present state. Faith, by which we apprehend spiritual blessings, and walk with God. Hope, by which we view and expect eternal blessedness, and pass through things temporal so as not to lose those which are eternal. MAN. Faith helps, and hope sustains us; but love to God and man makes us obedient and useful. This one consideration is sufficient to show that love is greater than either faith or hope. 2. Some say love is the greatest because it remains throughout eternity, whereas faith and hope proceed only through life; hence we say that there faith is lost in sight, and hope in fruition. But does the apostle say so? Or does any man inspired by God say so? I believe not. Faith and hope will as necessarily enter into eternal glory as love will. The perfections of God are absolute in their nature, infinite in number, and eternal in their duration. However high, glorious, or sublime the soul may be in that eternal state, it will ever, in respect to God, be limited in its powers, and must be improved and expanded by the communications of the Supreme Being. Hence it will have infinite glories in the nature of God to apprehend by faith, to anticipate by hope, and enjoy by love. 3. From the nature of the divine perfections there must be infinite glories in them which must be objects of faith to disembodied spirits; because it is impossible that they should be experimentally or possessively known by any creature. Even in the heaven of heavens we shall, in reference to the infinite and eternal excellencies of God, walk by faith, and not by sight. We shall credit the existence of infinite and illimitable glories in him, which, from their absolute and infinite nature, must be incommunicable. And as the very nature of the soul shows it to be capable of eternal growth and improvement; so the communications from the Deity, which are to produce this growth, and effect this improvement, must be objects of faith to the pure spirit; and, if objects of faith, Observations on I. CORINTHIANS. faith, hope, and love. consequently objects of hope; for as hope is "the ex- | infinite, they are capable of being eternally manifested, pectation of future good," it is inseparable from the and, after all manifestations, there must be an infininature of the soul, to know of the existence of any tude of perfections still to be brought to view. 9. attainable good without making it immediately the As every soul that has any just notion of God must object of desire or hope. And is it not this that shall know that he is possessed of all possible perfections, constitute the eternal and progressive happiness of so these perfections, being objects of knowledge, must the immortal spirit; viz. knowing, from what it has be objects of faith. 10. Every holy spirit feels itself received, that there is infinitely more to be received; possessed of unlimited desires for the enjoyment of and desiring to be put in possession of every commu- spiritual good, and faith in the infinite goodness of nicable good which it knows to exist? God necessarily implies that he will satisfy every desire he has excited. 11. The power to gratify, in the Divine Being, and the capacity to be gratified, in the immortal spirit, will necessarily excite continual desires, which desires, on the evidence of faith, will as necessarily produce hope, which is the expectation of future good. 12. All possible perfections in God are the objects of faith; and the communication of all possible blessedness, the object of hope. 13. Faith goes forward to apprehend, and hope to anticipate, as God continues to discover his unbounded glories and perfections. 14. Thus discovered and desired, their influences become communicated, love possesses them, and is excited and increased by the communication. 15. With respect to those which are communicated, faith and hope cease, and go forward to new apprehensions and anticipations, while love continues to retain and enjoy the whole. 16. Thus an eternal interest is kept up, and infinite blessings, in endless succession, apprehended, anticipated, and enjoyed. 4. As faith goes forward to view, so hope goes forward to desire; and God continues to communicate; every communication making way for another, by preparing the soul for greater enjoyment, and this enjoyment must produce love. To say that the soul can have neither faith nor hope in a future state is to say that, as soon as it enters heaven, it is as happy as it can possibly be; and this goes to exclude all growth in the eternal state, and all progressive manifestations and communications of God; and consequently to fix a spirit, which is a composition of infinite desires, in a state of eternal sameness, in which it must be greatly changed in its constitution to find endless gratification. 5. To sum up the reasoning on this subject I think it necessary to observe, 1. That the term faith is here to be taken in the general sense of the word, for that belief which a soul has of the infinite sufficiency and goodness of God, in consequence of the discoveries he has made of himself and his designs, either by revelation, or immediately by his Spirit. Now we know that God has revealed himself, not only in reference to this world, but in reference to eternity; and much of our faith is employed in things pertaining to the eternal world, and the enjoyments in that state. 2. That hope is to be taken in its common acceptation, the expectation of future good; which expectation is necessarily founded on faith, as faith is founded on knowledge. God gives a revelation which concerns both worlds, containing exceeding great and precious promises relative to both. We believe what he has said on his own veracity; and we hope to enjoy the promised blessings in both worlds, because he is faithful who has promised. 3. As the promises stand in reference to both worlds, so also must the faith and hope to which these promises stand as objects. 4. The enjoyments in the eternal world are all spiritual, and must proceed immediately from God himself. 5. God, in the plenitude of his excellencies, is as incomprehensible to a glorified spirit, as he is to a spirit resident in flesh and blood. 6. Every created, intellectual nature, is capable of eternal improvement. 7. If seeing God as he is be essential to the eternal happiness of beatified spirits, then the discoveries which he makes of himself must be gradual; forasmuch as it is impossible that an infinite, eternal nature can be manifested to a created and limited nature in any other way. 8. As the perfections of God are 6. My opinion, that faith, and hope, as well as love, will continue in a future state, will no doubt appear singular to many who have generally considered the two former as necessarily terminating in. this lower world; but this arises from an improper notion of the beatified state, and from inattention to the state and capacity of the soul. If it have the same faculties there which it has here, howsoever improved they may be, it must acquire its happiness from the Supreme Being in the way of communication, and this communication must necessarily be gradual for the reasons already alleged; and if gradual, then there must be (if in that state we have any knowledge at all of the Divine Nature) faith that such things exist. and may be communicated; desire to possess them because they are good; and hope that these good things shall be communicated. 7. I conclude therefore, from these and a multitudo of other reasonings which might be brought to bear on this subject, that faith and hope will exist in the eternal world as well as love; and that there, as well as here, it may endlessly be said, The greatest of these is love. With great propriety therefore does the apostle exhort, Follow after love, it being so essential to our comfort and happiness here, and to ou beatification in the eternal world; and how necessary faith and hope are to the same end we have already seen. |