2. Because of the vast importance of this love, without which, tho’ we spake with the tongues of men and angels, tho’ we had the gift of prophecy and understood all mysteries and all knowledge, tho’ we had all faith so as to remove mountains; yea, tho’ we gave all our goods to feed the poor, and our very bodies to be burned, it would profit us nothing: the wisdom of God has given us by the apostle Paul, a full and particular account of it: by considering which we shall most clearly discern, who are the merciful that shall obtain mercy.
3. Charity, or Love (as it were to be wished it had been rendered throughout, being a far plainer and less ambiguous word) the love of our neighbour as Christ hath loved us, suffereth long, is patient toward all men. It suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, infirmities, all the frowardness and littleness of faith, in the children of God; all malice and wickedness of the children of the world. And it suffers all this, not only for a time, for a short season, but to the end: still feeding our enemy when he hungers: if he thirst, still giving him drink: thus continually heaping coals of fire, of melting love, upon his head.
4. And in every step toward this desirable end, the overcoming evil with good, love is kind: (χρηστεύεται· a word not easily translated) it is soft, mild, benign. It stands at the utmost distance from moroseness, from all harshness or sowerness of spirit; and inspires the sufferer at once with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection.
5. Consequently, love envieth not, it is impossible it should, it is directly opposite to that baneful temper. It cannot be, that he who has this tender affection to all, who earnestly wishes all temporal and spiritual blessings, all good things in this world and the world to come, to every soul that God hath made, should be pained at his bestowing any good gift, on any child of man. If he has himself received the same, he does not grieve but rejoice, that another partakes of the common benefit. If he has not, he blesses God, that his brother at least has, and is herein happier than himself. And the greater his love, the more does he rejoice, in the blessings of all mankind: the farther is he removed from every kind and degree of envy toward any creature.
6. Love οὐ περπερεύεται· Not vaunteth not itself, which co-incides with the very next words, but rather (as the word likewise properly imports) is not rash or hasty in judging. It will not hastily condemn any one. It does not pass a severe sentence, on a slight or sudden view of things. Itfirst weighs all the evidence, particularly that which is brought in favour of the accused. A true lover of his neighbour, is not like the generality of men, who even in cases of the nicest nature, “see a little, presume a great deal, and so jump to the conclusion.” No: he proceeds with wariness and circumspection, taking heed to every step: willingly subscribing to that rule of the ancient Heathen, (O where will the modern Christian appear!) “I am so far from lightly believing what one man says against another, that I will not easily believe what a man says against himself. I will always allow him second thoughts, and many times council too.”
7. It follows, love is not puffed up. It does not incline or suffer any man to think more highly of himself than he ought to think: but rather to think soberly. Yea, it humbles the soul unto the dust. It destroys all high conceits engendering pride, and makes us rejoice to be as nothing, to be little and vile, the lowest of all, the servant of all. They who are kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, cannot but in honour prefer one another. Those who having the same love are of one accord, do in lowliness of mind each esteem other better than themselves.
8. It doth not behave itself unseemly. It is not rude, or willingly offensive to any. It renders to all their due; fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour: courtesy, civility, humanity to all the world; in their several degrees honouringall men. A late writer defines good-breeding, nay, the highest degree of it, politeness, “a continual desire to please, appearing in all the behaviour.” But if so, there is none so well-bred as a Christian, a lover of all mankind. For he cannot but desire to please all men, for their good, to edification. And this desire cannot be hid: it will necessarily appear in all his intercourse with men. For his love is without dissimulation; it will appear in all his actions and conversation: yea, and will constrain him, tho’ without guile, to become all things to all men, if by any means he may save some.
9. And in becoming all things to all men, love seeketh not her own. In striving to please all men, the lover of mankind has no eye at all to his own temporal advantage. He covets no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel: he desires nothing, but the salvation of their souls. Yea, in some sense he maybe be said, not to seek his own spiritual, any more than temporal advantage. For while he is on the full stretch to save their souls from death, he, as it were forgets himself. He does not think of himself, so long as that zeal for the glory of God swallows him up. Nay, at some times, he may almost seem, through an excess of love, to give up himself, both his soul and his body: while he cries out with Moses, [56]Oh! this people have sinned a great sin. Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin. Andif not, blot me out of the book which thou hast written! Or with St. Paul, [57]I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh!
10. No marvel that such love is not provoked: οὐ παροξύνεται· Let it be observed, the word easily, strangely inserted in the translation, is not in the original. St. Paul’s words are absolute. Love is not provoked: it is not provoked to unkindness, toward any one. Occasions indeed will frequently occur; outward provocations of various kinds: but love does not yield to provocation. It triumphs over all. In all trials it looketh unto Jesus, and is more than conqueror in his love.
’Tis not improbable, that our translators inserted that word, as it were to excuse the apostle; who, as they supposed, might otherwise appear to be wanting, in the very love which he so beautifully describes. They seem to have supposed this from a phrase in the Acts of the apostles: which is likewise very inaccurately translated. When Paul and Barnabas disagreed concerning John, the translation runs thus, [58]And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder. This naturally induces the reader to suppose, that they were equally sharp therein: that St. Paul, who was undoubtedly right, with regard to the point in question (it being quite improper to take John with them again, whohad deserted them before) was as much provoked as Barnabas, who gave such a proof of his anger, as to leave the work for which he had been set apart by the Holy Ghost. But the original imports no such thing; nor does it affirm, that St. Paul was provoked at all. It simply says καὶ ἐγένετο παροξυσμός· And there was a sharpness, a paroxism of anger: in consequence of which Barnabas left St. Paul, took John and went his own way. Paul then chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren to the grace of God; (which is not said concerning Barnabas) and he went through Syria and Cilicia, as he had proposed, confirming the churches. But to return.