11. Love prevents a thousand provocations which would otherwise arise, because it thinketh no evil. Indeed the merciful man cannot avoid knowing many things that are evil, he cannot but see them with his own eyes, and hear them with his own ears. For love does not put out his eyes, so that it is impossible for him, not to see that such things are done. Neither does it take away his understanding, any more than his senses, so that he cannot but know that they are evil. For instance: when he sees a man strike his neighbour, or hears him blaspheme God, he cannot either question the thing done or the words spoken, or doubt of their being evil. Yet οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν· The word λογίζεται (thinketh) does not refer, either to our seeing and hearing,or to the first and involuntary acts of our understanding: but to our willingly thinking what we need not: our inferring evil, where it does not appear: to our reasoning concerning things which we do not see; our supposing what we have neither seen nor heard. This is what true love absolutely destroys. It tears up, root and branch, all imagining what we have not known. It casts out all jealousies, all evil surmisings, all readiness to believe evil. It is frank, open, unsuspicious; and as it cannot design, so neither does it fear evil.
12. *It rejoiceth not in iniquity: common as this is, even among those who bear the name of Christ; who scruple not to rejoice over their enemy, when he falleth either into affliction or error or sin. Indeed how hardly can they avoid this, who are zealously attached to any party? How difficult is it for them not to be pleased with any fault which they discover in those of the opposite party? With any real or supposed blemish, either in their principles or practice? What warm defender of any cause is clear of these? Yea, who is so calm as to be altogether free? Who does not rejoice when his adversary makes a false step, which he thinks will advantage his own cause? Only a man of love. He alone weeps over either the sin or folly of his enemy, takes no pleasure in hearing or in repeating it, but rather desires that it may be forgotten for ever.
13. *But he rejoiceth in the truth, wheresoever it is found, in the truth which is after Godliness, bringing forth its proper fruit, holiness of heart and holiness of conversation. He rejoices to find, that even those who oppose him, whether with regard to opinions or some points of practice, are nevertheless lovers of God, and in other respects unreprovable. He is glad to hear good of them, and to speak all he can consistently with truth and justice. Indeed, good in general is his glory and joy, wherever diffused through out the race of mankind. As a citizen of the world he claims a share in the happiness of all the inhabitants of it. Because he is a man, he is not unconcerned in the welfare of any man: but enjoys whatsoever brings glory to God, and promotes peace and good-will among men.
14. *This love covereth all things. (So without all doubt πάντα στέγει should be translated: for otherwise it would be the very same with πάντα ὑπομένει. endured all things.) Because the merciful man rejoiceth not in iniquity, neither does he willingly make mention of it. Whatever evil he sees, hears, or knows, he nevertheless conceals, so far as he can, without making himself partaker of other men’s sins. *Wheresoever or with whomsoever he is, if he sees any thing which he approves not, it goes not out of his lips, unless to the person concerned, if haply he may gain his brother. So far is he from making the faults or failings of others the matter ofhis conversation, that of the absent he never does speak at all, unless he can speak well. A talebearer, a backbiter, a whisperer, an evil-speaker, is to him all one as a murderer. He would just as soon cut his neighbour’s throat, as thus murder his reputation. Just as soon would he think of diverting himself by setting fire to his neighbour’s house, as of thus scattering abroad arrows, firebrands and death, and saying, Am I not in sport?
*He makes one only exception. Sometimes he is convinced, that it is for the glory of God, or (which comes to the same) the good of his neighbour, that an evil should not be covered. In this case, for the benefit of the innocent, he is constrained to declare the guilty. But even here, 1. He will not speak at all, ’till love, superior love constrains him. 2. He cannot do it from a general confused view of doing good, or promoting the glory of God, but from a clear sight of some particular end, some determinate good which he pursues. 3. Still he cannot speak, unless he be fully convinced, that this very means is necessary to that end; that the end cannot be answered, at least not so effectually by any other way. 4. He then doth it with the utmost sorrow and reluctance, using it as the last and worst medicine, a desperate remedy in a desperate case, a kind of poison never to be used but to expel poison. Consequently, 5. He uses it as sparingly as possible. And this he does with fearand trembling, least he should transgress the law of love by speaking too much, more than he would have done by not speaking at all.
15. Love believeth all things. It is always willing to think the best; to put the most favourable construction on every thing. It is ever ready to believe whatever may tend to the advantage of any one’s character. It is easily convinced of (what it earnestly desires) the innocence or integrity of any man; or, at least, of the sincerity of his repentance, if he had once erred from the way. It is glad to excuse whatever is amiss; to condemn the offender as little as possible, and to make all the allowance for human weakness, which can be done without betraying the truth of God.
16. *And when it can no longer believe, then love hopeth all things. Is any evil related of any man? Love hopes, that the relation is not true, that the thing related was never done? Is it certain it was?—“But perhaps it was not done with such circumstances as are related; so that allowing the fact, there is room to hope, it was not so ill as it is represented.” Was the action apparently, undeniably evil? Love hopes the intention was not so. Is it clear, the design was evil too?—“Yet might it not spring from the settled temper of the heart: but from a start of passion, or from some vehement temptation, which hurried the man beyond himself.” And even when it cannot be doubted, but all theactions, designs and tempers are equally evil: still love hopes that God will at last make bare his arm, and get himself the victory; and that there shall be joy in heaven over this one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance.
17. *Lastly, It endureth all things. This compleats the character, of him that is truly merciful. He endureth not some, not many things only, not most, but absolutely all things. Whatever the injustice, the malice, the cruelty of men, can inflict, he is able to suffer. He calls nothing intolerable; he never says of any thing, “This is not to be borne.” No; he can, not only do, but suffer all things thro’ Christ which strengtheneth him. And all he suffers does not destroy his love, not impair it in the least. It is proof against all. It is a flame that burns even in the midst of the great deep. Many waters cannot quench his love, neither can the floods drown it. It triumphs over all. It never faileth, either in time or in eternity.
“In obedience to what heaven decrees,
Knowledge shall fail and prophecy shall cease.