whose lives contradict and disgrace their profession. Though we are forbidden to judge the secrets of men's hearts, and are bound to think as favourably of them, as their visible profession and practice will allow; yet it is no violation of charity to infer the badness of the tree from the corrupt quality of its fruits. It is an eternal maxim both of reason and revelation, "By their fruits ye shall know them." Those men therefore insult both our reason and religion, who lay claim to our Christian charity, and require us to believe and hope well concerning their present character and future wellbeing, or who insist that their hearts are good, when their outward conduct is immoral or impious; or when they habitually and knowingly allow themselves in some one forbidden course, though in other respects they may exhibit a decent and even amiable deport

ment.

This leads me to remark further, that it is a danger ous idea of charity to suppose, that it consists in a silent and courtly indulgence of those around us in all their follies and vices; that it forbids us to give them pain, or to hazard their resentment, by faithfully reproving their transgressions, and labouring to reform them. Christian love does not oblige us to suffer and bear all things in such a sense, as to tolerate and countenance those things, which are evil. The same apostle, who gives us this soft and tender description of charity, was himself a zealous and constant reprover of wickedness. His whole life and ministry were employed in admonishing and converting a sinful world. He tells us, that on a certain occasion he publicly withstood a fellow-apostle to the face, when he found him worthy of blame. In a word, the example of Christ himself, and many express precepts both of the Old Testament and the New, require us to show our Chris

tian love by rebuking offenders, by seeking to recover them to the right path by every effort of faithful and prudent zeal.

In fine, gospel charity has for its principal object the spiritual and immortal interests of mankind. The real Christian, having been deeply penetrated with the evil and danger of sin, with the importance of eternal realities, with the wonders and benefits of redeeming love, will desire above all things that his fellow sinners around him may have the same views, and partake in the same blessings with himself. His heart will echo the generous language of Paul to king Agrippa, "I would to God, that not only thou, but all that hear me, were both almost and altogether such as I am ;" were perfectly acquainted with the divine consolations and hopes of Christianity.

The

Having largely explained the nature, let us now consider the transcendent value of Christian love. apostle in this chapter, and the Bible at large, give charity, or real internal goodness, the preference to all those things, which are most apt to charm and dazzle mankind; such as religious ceremonies, extraordinary gifts, and even the virtues of gospel faith and hope. We will close our present discourse with shewing the suptThis superiority of divine love to ceremonial duties. riority, though not expressed, is fully implied in the passage before us.

The religion, which God prescribed to the Jews, consisted in part of positive institutions, or certain rites, which borrowed all their value and force from the will of the Deity. Gross and superstitious people were perpetually inclined to rest, and even glory in this class of duties, as a cover and compensation for the neglect of inward piety and charity. But their successive prophets, and especially our divine Lord, constantly warned

them of this dangerous error. The prophet Micah in particular, after declaring the insufficiency of mere ceremonies to procure the divine favour, adds, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Here justice, mercy, and practical piety are eminently styled good; that is, intrinsically, immutably, and eternally good, whereas the rites of the Levitical law were good only in an occasional and instrumental sense, or as temporary signs and means of true devotion, righteousness, and charity.

The Pharisees in our Saviour's time were very exact, yea, over scrupulous in observing the ceremonies of the law; yet Christ brands them as vile hypocrites on this very account; that is, because this ritual punctuality was united with, and intended to compound for, the neglect of the weightier matters of the law, judginent, mercy, and the love of God.

The same remarks will apply to the sacraments or positive rites of Christianity. They are only signs and instruments of love to God and man; and if they usurp the place of this, they will defeat, instead of promoting the end and life of religion.

Christian baptism is a very significant and useful rite; but how does it save or profit us? Not by putting away the filth of the flesh, not by washing or cleansing the body, but by the answer or engagement of a good conscience toward God; that is, it conduces to our benefit only, as it binds and urges us to real holiness. If therefore those, who present themselves or their children to this ordinance, do not honestly intend and improve it to this end, they not only destroy

its value, but convict themselves of hypocrisy and perfidy.

The Lord's supper is a most excellent institution; because it is not only a most impressive renewal of our baptismal oath, but when duly observed tends to enkin. dle the warmest gratitude to God and the Redeemer, to unite Christians into one affectionate family, to engage them to a studious imitation of that love, which they celebrate, and thus to improve them in universal goodness.

Christian love and its practical fruits are therefore the end and soul of these sacraments. If we do not sincerely use them, as signs and instruments of this heavenly temper, we and our religious profession are noth ing; we contradict, defeat and disgrace these holy ordinances, and thus pervert appointed means of good into engines of unspeakable guilt and mischief, both to our selves and others. It appears, then, that no relig ious rites have any value compared with, or separate from LOVE.

Sermon vii.

On Christian Charity.

1 COR. xiii. 18.

The greatest of these is charity.

HAVING described the nature of charity, and shown its superiority to ceremonial duties, we proceed secondly to prove, that it is also greater than the most splendid and even miraculous gifts.

The apostle in this chapter enumerates some of the extraordinary powers, which were conferred on the first preachers, and many of the first disciples of our religion such as the gift of tongues, of prophecy, of understanding mysteries, and of working miracles. But these gifts, though more dazzling, are far inferior to the lowest degree of divine love. For the latter is a vital and transforming principle, which imparts to its possessor a new and divine nature, a permanent and excellent character; but the former may be styled adventitious accomplishments, which do not penetrate and sanctify the heart, but when bestowed on a vicious man, leave him as unholy and wicked as before; as in the case of BaJaam, Judas, and others, whose miraculous gifts qualified them to edify others, but did not meliorate their own characters.

The spirit of love is a peculiar mark and seal of God's favourite children, and a sure pledge of future happiness. But the greatest gifts are often dispensed to the heirs of perdition. Agreeably, Christ tells us that