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assimilate us to God. All other religions have countenanced a vindictive spirit; but the religion of Jesus inculcates universal love. The New Testament lays the greatest stress upon this duty.

The injunction in the text proposes to our view, I. The duty inculcated

The term "charity" is to be understood of Christian love

[Many confine the sense of this term to almsgiving; but almsgiving is a very small part of what is implied in it. Charity includes the whole of our duty towards our neighbours.]

This charity or love is our indispensable duty

[Though an old commandment, it is enjoined as a new one". Obedience to it is a sure test of our conversion: it is a good evidence of conversion to ourselves; it is a satisfactory proof to others also. A want of love manifests us to be in an unregenerate state'.]

It ought to be cordial and "fervent"

[Worldly courtesy is but a faint image of Christian love. Love, if pure, and subordinate to God, cannot be too fervent. Our love of ourselves is the rule of love to others: our Lord's love to us is the pattern also of this duty ".]

We should "above all things" cultivate this disposition

[Love is the greatest of all Christian graces 1. If we attain to it, we fulfil the law of Christ. But if we be destitute of it, nothing else will profit us*.]

The children of God should maintain it " themselves "

among

[Benevolence is due even to our enemies. But there is an especial obligation in the saints to love each other1; their union with Christ, and with each other, demands it".]

To promote a more uniform attention to this duty, we will consider,

II. The argument with which it is enforced

a Rom. xiii. 9.
d 1 John iii. 14.
f 1 John iii. 14.
h 1 Cor. xiii. 14.
1 Gal. vi. 10.

b 1 John ii. 7, 8.

former part.
latter part.

i Rom. xiii. 8, 10.
m 1 Cor. xii. 25.

c 1 John iv. 7, 8.

e John xiii. 35.

g 1 John iii. 16.
k 1 Cor. xiii. 1—3.

to,

The Apostle's words may be considered as relating

1. The sins of others

["To cover the sins" of others (extenuating what we cannot approve; concealing what we cannot but condemn; and throwing a veil over, not errors only, but "sins," yea, even "a multitude" of sins,) is the proper office of love". From this office we should not depart, unless (as in the exercise of the ministerial or magisterial office) the honour of God, and the good of society, require it. A just regard to the great duty of love is of incalculable importance: first, to ourselves; for how can we expect to have forbearance exercised towards us, if we refuse it to others? Next, to the church; for how can the church be edified, if its members do not walk together in love? And lastly, to the enemies of the church, who will not fail to harden themselves in their iniquities, if evil reports in the church, and consequent dissensions and animosities, afford them any occasion. But mutual forbearance will never be exercised as it ought, without a deeply-rooted principle of love. Therefore we should cultivate this principle in order to maintain a becoming conduct P.]

2. Our own sins

[We must not, for one moment, think that our love, however fervent, can merit the pardon of our sins. Yet our pardon may be, and certainly is, suspended on the exercise of this divine principle. To this the whole Scriptures bear witness1;

n 1 Cor. xiii. 7. The duty of love does not, however, preclude ministers from censuring, or magistrates from punishing, the sins of men: they perform those acts officially; and in performing them, they obey, instead of violating, the law of love. But to men in their individual capacity, the text prescribes an invariable rule of duty. See Matt. xviii. 22.

When we hate a person, we are ready on all occasions to speak of his faults; but this is not the way in which we treat those whom we tenderly love.

p Prov. x. 12. in our translation seems to countenance, and almost to establish, this sense of the text; because it appears to have been cited by St. Peter. But the Apostles generally cited rather the Septuagint translation of the Scriptures: and in that the two passages do not at all correspond. The LXX. translate it thus: Mioos Eyεipel νεῖκος πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύψει φιλία. So that the apparent parallelism will not enable us to determine, with certainty, the sense of the text.

a Matt. v. 7. and vi. 14, 15. and Prov. xvi. 6. See also Gal. vi. 7, 8. and 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19. contrasted with Jam. ii. 13. Daniel even goes so far as to counsel Nebuchadnezzar λυτρώσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις.

and the words in the original most naturally bear this sense'. This sense of them also exactly accords with our Lord's description of the day of judgments. Moreover, in this view the Apostle's argument is far stronger than on the other construction of his words. Let it then operate as a strong incentive to mutual love; for "with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again'.]

INFER

1. How justly reprehensible are the generality of Christians!

[There is a proneness in all to receive and propagate reports; but none are willing to have their own reputation blasted. Yet there are few who do not scatter defamation. Let us all be ashamed of and resist this sinful propensity; let us watch against every temptation or desire to indulge it; let us regulate our conduct by the law of love; let us study the Apostle's description of charity"; and let us attend to the exhortation of St. John-.]

2. How worthy of acceptation is the Gospel of Christ!

[A sense of Christ's love to us produces love to him. When we love Christ aright, we shall love all his members. This is the invariable effect wherever the Gospel prevails. The knowledge of our own sins will make us tender towards others. The forgiveness we have received will incline us to forgive others. The extent of Christ's love to us will be the ground of our love to our fellow-sinners. Let the Gospel then bring forth this fruit in our hearts and lives; we shall then experience the truth of that Divine assertion. In the exercise of love is the foretaste of heaven itself.]

• Kalve åμapriav means to cover sins from the sight of God, so that they shall not be noticed in the final judgment. See Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. and Neh. iv. 5. In Jam. v. 20, they will also bear that sense: and if we could divest ourselves of prejudice, we should more readily put that construction upon them in that passage; since it is not the converting of souls merely, but the love exercised in seeking to convert them, that entails this blessing on us. If we put a different construction upon them, we make them a mere tautology: but in the sense here affixed to them, they afford a strong additional motive for exertion.

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MMCCCCVIII.

PERSECUTION FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.

1 Pet. iv. 12-16. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busy-body in other men's matters. Yet, if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

THE quiet and repose which Christians enjoy at this day, may seem to render a discourse on the subject of persecution quite uninteresting. But the whole New Testament abounds with warnings to expect it, encouragements to endure it, and directions how to conduct ourselves under it: nor is there any intimation given that this state of things was to be confined to the first ages, when Christianity was new in the world; or that "the offence of the cross should ever cease." On the contrary, we are taught to expect, that "they who are born after the flesh only, will hate those who are born after the Spirit ;" and that "all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." The circumstance of Christianity having become the national religion, may justly be supposed to have abated somewhat of the fury of persecutors; whilst the protection afforded by the laws of the land keeps within bounds their hostility against those whom they hate for righteousness' sake. But I am not sure that much of our repose may not be ascribed to the low state of religion amongst us and I cannot but think, that, if God were to pour out his Spirit upon us as he did on the primitive Church, and our light were to burn as bright as theirs, there would yet be found much the

same rancour in the hearts of men against vital godliness now, as there was in former days: for there are not wanting at this hour many proofs of what men would do to suppress real piety, if the toleration accorded to us by the laws did not restrain them. At all events, we know not what trials we ourselves personally may be called to endure, even though the Church at large should still continue to enjoy tranquillity and for these we ought to be prepared. The words before us are admirably calculated to fortify our minds against all that at any time may come upon us; since, whilst they teach us to expect persecution for righteousness' sake, they shew us,

I. In what light we should view it—

"We should not think it strange, as though some strange thing happened unto us"

[God has seen fit to ordain that his people should be subjected to "fiery trials," not only for the discovery of their graces, but also for the improvement of them. To them he has given a new nature, altogether different from that which they brought into the world with them,-a nature, which for its excellence may be compared to gold: but there still remains in them much dross, which must be purged away: and, as gold is both ascertained and purified by the action of fire, so must these be tried and purified in the furnace of affliction. Of course, their persecutors have no such object in view: they seek only to suppress the piety that offends them: but God has other, and very opposite, ends to accomplish: He seeks their advancement in the divine life, and will suffer no heavier trial to assault them than what he has strengthened them to bear, and will overrule for their eternal welfare. True it is that, notwithstanding he has taught us to expect these things, we are ready to account them strange: we think it strange that such trials should come upon us, and from such quarters, and on us who have done so little to deserve them. But we should remember, that "the same trials are accomplished also in our brethren who are in the worlda;" and that " none have come upon us but what are common to man, nor any which God will not enable us to sustain":" and under this conviction we should receive them as our appointed lot, and submit to them as dispensations ordained by God for our eternal good.]

a 1 Pet. v. 9.

b 1 Cor. x. 13.

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