out this the most orthodox faith, the most confident hope in the divine mercy and the merits of the Saviour, and the most zealous and scrupulous attendance on Christian institutions will prove but vanity and delusion.

Further, it is natural to ask, what benevolent or humane 'motive can induce so many persons in this enlightened age not only to reject Christianity themselves, but to labour to undermine its credit and influence among their fellow creatures? Do they seriously wish to extirpate a religion, whose whole aim is to promote mutual love, usefulness, and happiness among men upon principles and motives, which alone can effectu ally attain and permanently secure them?

To conclude, let us survey our own characters in the light of this subject. Let us ask our consciences, whether we possess that love to our neighbour, to every person within our reach, which is ready to treat him as another self, to seek and rejoice in his happiness, to feel and relieve his distresses, as if they were our own? Have we that virtuous benevolence, which renders us uniformly amiable and useful actors in every station and relation in the family, the church, and the state? And is the whole system of our social virtues built upon and supported by supreme love to God, and a cordial faith in his Son? These are the grand questions, which must decide our fate. All other accomplishments, short of love, prophecies, knowledge, tongues, yea, faith and hope shall vanish away.

That there is a principle in good men, which answers to this description, or which seeks and rests in the good of others, as its ultimate end, is proclaimed by the united voice of experience, of reason, and Scripture. But though this disinterested affection be an eminent branch of the Christian temper, yet it does not (as some

have maintained) constitute the whole definition of virtue, or comprise all the parts of an excellent human character. As it does not extinguish the other innocent feelings of human nature, so neither does it entirely change or sublimate them into itself. There is no inconsistency, either in theory or in fact, between a subordinate regard to our own interest and a benevolent affection to the general good, any more than between the private attraction of cohesion and the public law of gravitation in the natural world; but as the former guards the existence and welfare of individual bodies, while the latter makes all these individuals conspire to the general order and utility of the whole; so in the breast of the good man private self-love superintends and promotes his personal welfare, while public benevolence seeks the general good of his fellow beings. While a virtuous love of others unites his heart to their interest, and makes it his own, self-love, as a secondary principle, prompts him to seek it as a mean of his own gratification and enjoyment; for self-love necessarily desires and pursues whatever it finds conducive to personal happiness, and therefore often has a concomitant and harmless influence even in the most general beneficent actions.

I need not remind you, that you will presently have an opportunity to give a practical answer to these questions, to determine whether your religion consists in a mere ceremonious observance of pious institutions, or whether it unites mercy with sacrifice; whether the character of any of you, like that of the hypocritical Pharisees of old, combines an unfeeling, covetous, and barbarous disposition towards man with the parade of devotion and sanctity towards God, or like that of the good Centurion, sends up the united fragrance of pray

ers and alms, of fervent piety and liberal charity, as an acceptable memorial before God.

Let us solemnly remember, that all other accomplishments, short of love to God and man, whether prophecies, knowledge, tongues, yea, faith and hope shall vanish away. But charity never faileth; it forms the spirit, employment, and bliss of perfect and happy immortals. Well therefore might the apostle conclude his encomium upon this excellent grace with those memorable words; "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Sermon VI.

On Christian Charity.

1 COR. xiii. 13.

-The greatest of these is charity.

THE apostle in this chapter delivers a fervent and

sublime encomium on charity, and ranks it far above the most splendid gifts, which can adorn either men, or angels.

There seems to have been an invidious emulation among the Corinthians on account of their miraculous spiritual gifts, and a proud ostentation in the exercise of them. Hence, at the close of the preceding chapter, after enumerating and commending some of the most distinguished of these gifts, and exhorting the Christians at Corinth to "covet them," yea, to "covet them earnestly," the apostle adds, that he would yet "shew them a more excellent way;" that is, something, which had a better claim to their zeal and pursuit, and which would contribute more to their honour, usefulness, and joy.

But what is this "more excellent way ?" It is charity. or Christian love; which is here opposed and preferred, not only to extraordinary knowledge and eloquence, to prophetic and miraculous powers, but to the greatest exploits of apparent benevolence and religious zeal; such as devoting all our goods to the relief of the poor, and even our bodies to the flame in the cause of truth and holiness; the first of which has the appearance of uncommon love to men, and the last, of extraordinary love

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to God. Yet if these are only appearances; if the inward principles producing them are pride, vain-glory, natural fortitude or obstinacy of temper, or some similar motive, without any sincere respect to the glory of God, or the happiness of man; in this case, the life and substance of charity are wanting, and these plausible actions are but a hollow, deceitful, and unprofitable show.

The apostle further tells us, that these shining accomplishments and appearances will soon forever cease; but that true charity never faileth.

In the last verse of the chapter, he prefers love to other Christian graces, as he had before preferred it to extraordinary gifts. "And now abideth faith, hope, charity; these three; but the greatest of these is charity:" q. d. now, or during the present imperfect and militant state of the church, each of these three graces is useful and necessary, and therefore must abide in the church at large, and in the bosom of each of its sincere members. Yet still charity is the greatest of the three, both in its nature and duration.

In further discoursing on the subject, we will more fully describe the virtue of charity, and then show its pre-eminence above all other duties and graces as well, as above the most illustrious and even supernatural gifts.

In explaining the nature of charity, it is proper to observe, that the original word precisely signifies love. It therefore denotes something far more noble and extensive, than mere acts of mercy and liberality to the needy, or sentiments of candour and catholicism towards our fellow Christians. The former of these often flow from. a kind of mechanical benevolence, or occasional sympathy; while the latter in many cases imply and protect a spirit of indifference to all religious principles and duties. When this is the case, our disposition to succour the wretched is rather an amiable instinct, than a