584. 1CO 13:13. THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHARITY
1Co_13:13. The Pre-Eminence of Charity
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."’971Co_13:13.
The apostle has been largely treating of the various gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, which God had dispensed to the Corinthian Church, ch. 1Co_12:4. He then shows the mutual dependancy of the various members of the church on each other, and the spiritual harmony which should subsist between them. He concludes this statement with an exhortation, that they should covet earnestly the best gifts, but annexes to that advice the most beautiful exhibition of Christian charity, which, he affirms, is yet a more excellent way. The superior excellency of charity is then presented over knowledge, over almsgiving, and over faith, even of the most miraculous description, 1Co_13:2. The sum and conclusion of the whole is given thus:’97"And now abideth," &c. Let us then,
Define its nature.
Show its supreme preeminence. And,
Urge to its acquisition and exercise.
I. Define its nature. I need not say that by charity is meant love, and so the text should have been rendered. Now this charity or love must not be confounded with the emotions of mere animal affection or human sympathy. Nor with natural kindness and generosity. Nor with mere amiableness of spirit and temper. Nor indeed with any characteristic of the human heart which may be evinced by man in his unregenerate condition. It is the sacred fire of celestial love, enkindled in the heart by the Holy Ghost, given unto us. It is the spiritual emotion of the new nature, and as such necessarily involves supreme love to God and delight in him. I need not dwell on the infinite and eternal claims he has on our most ardent affection. "We love him because," &c. But the text doubtless contemplates love chiefly in reference to mankind, and wherever love to God reigns, love to man will also be exhibited. The two are inseparable. Now what does it comprise? Esteem for man as one of our species. Affection for man, as of our kindred. A benevolent sympathy with man, as our fellow-heir of misery, trouble, and death. An intense desire for his well-being, and a generous readiness to help him and do him good. Now this love has many striking attributes and antagonistical principles. Among its attributes the apostle specifies,
1. Kindness. This is its breath. Its language. Its temper. Its conduct.
2. It is longsuffering. Bears and forbears. Not hasty and impetuous. Not easily provoked.
3. It is ingenuous and unsuspecting. Is not given to surmisings. "Thinketh no evil," &c.
4. It weepeth over sin and sinners. "Rejoiceth not in iniquity," &c. It delighteth in goodness wherever it beholds it. Its chief antagonistical principles are,
(1.) Pride. Pride treats men with haughtiness and contempt. "Charity vaunteth not itself," &c. "Doth not behave," &c.
(2.) Selfishness. Selfishness isolates man. Makes him the centre and end of all his actions. "Charity seeketh not her own," &c. Selfishness is the rankest and vilest idolatry of which man can be guilty, and the most malevolent and withering feeling which can curse and blight the soul.
(3.) Prejudice. Prejudging the character or principles of men. How it has separated nations; divided the church; alienated friends; and prevented the free and heavenly flow of gospel charity in the world. Such then is the nature, and such the attributes, and such the antagonistical principles of charity.
II. Show its supreme preeminence. We assert its preeminence over gifts, knowledge, faith, hope, and all other moral elements in the world. Now this is manifest if you consider,
1. It is the essential nature of God. It is not so much a perfection of the Deity as his nature. God is love. Pure, unmixed, infinite, changeless, everlasting love. All we know of God proves it. His name. His works. His providence. His wondrous act of sending forth his Son, &c. Paradise. Even the fallen earth. Heaven. Yea’97hell itself.
2. It is the great bond of all unions in the universe. I begin with the highest and most sublime. (1.) God in our flesh. God in the person of Jesus Christ. Was not this incarnate love? The embodiment of Jehovah’s goodness. (2.) The union of God and the regenerated spirit. "He that dwelleth in God," &c. (3.) The union of all holy, believing souls, with each other. It is this charity which is the bond of perfectness. (4.) The union of angelic hosts with the human family. The love of Christ has secured their friendship, &c. So that burning with the seraphic flame they are all ministering spirits, &c. Now the absence of love has been the great cause of all the divisions, alienations, strifes, &c.
3. Love will introduce and constitute the grandeur of the millennial age. I know it will be a millennium of knowledge,’97of holiness,’97of peace,’97and Divine glory. But its essential grandeur will be, that it will be the golden age of love. Then will be realized the song’97"Glory to God," &c. The law of the world will be the law of love, and nothing shall disturb, or vex, or destroy, in all God’s holy mountain. Every man will reflect the likeness of God, and every man’s heart will overflow with fervent and unfeigned love to his fellow-man.
4. Love is of eternal endurance, and will form the chief bliss of the beatified forever. Names, creeds, and sectarian distinctions, which have been so many denominational niches of exclusiveness, will be swept away forever. The knowledge of the earth will become invisible before the blaze of heaven’s glory, as the radiant stars are seen not when the sun shineth in his splendor. Faith will be ratified in sight and realization, and hope in the fountain of ineffable blessedness;’97but love will still hold her dignified position, and be as essential to the enjoyment of heaven as it was to the happiness of earth. The spark will then not be lost, but become a flame. The drop not absorbed, but swollen and increased to a river; and flow on, and on, and on, to all eternity.
III. Urge to its acquisition and exercise. Now I urge it,
1. For its own sake. It has no compeer in regard to intrinsic excellency. It is the brightest gem in the crown of the Redeemer. It is the light, and joy, and glory of heaven.
2. For your own sake. If you would have the first fruits of heaven on earth, love will impart them. If you want perfect bliss and enduring joy, love will insure them. If you want both the badge and spirit of a Christian, love will confer them. If you would dwell in God and God in you, and thus obtain a perfect meetness for glory, love will infallibly secure it.
3. For the Church’s sake. The church wants higher exhibitions of purity’97more of the spirit of self-denial,’97more of the devotedness of enlarged generosity,’97more of the meekness of the Redeemer’s lovely disposition. But all these would follow if the church were baptized into the spirit of intense and celestial love. Thus she would put on her beautiful garments, and become the joy of the earth and the reflection of heaven.
4. For the world’s sake. "The world which lieth," &c. Oh, what does it want? More light,’97but love will diffuse it. More liberty,’97nothing but love will melt down the fetters and chains of oppression and slavery, and own every man an equal, a friend, a brother. We want the annihilation of crimes, and the restoration of the more debased orders of mankind. Physical, restraints, prisons, tortures, and a scaffold, are almost powerless,’97nothing but love will restore men to the emotions of humanity, goodness, and mercy. We want wars to cease unto the ends of the earth, but love alone shall be the radiant rainbow, spanning in its celestial embrace all the nations of the earth, so that the hellish profession of arms shall be abolished, and men shall not learn war any more. I urge it,
5. For ‘Christ’s sake. All the true followers of Jesus are identified with his cause and concerned for his glory. This world was created by him and for him. He was offered a sacrifice for its guilt, and he is to exercise his sway of grace over it from the rivers to the ends of the earth. "He shall see of the travail of his soul," &c. But he will accomplish this by the agency of men, and the instrumentality of means. But love alone will provide the men, fit them for their work, and render the agency of heaven, under the Holy Spirit, successful. Read with me, 2Co_5:13-15. Love is the great qualification of the preacher at home, and the missionary abroad,’97of the tract distributer, and especially of the Sabbath-school teacher. Love will thrust men into the vineyard, and sustain them in their toils. Nothing is wanted but a pure church, burning with love to evangelize the world, and hasten the period when the jubilee anthem shall be sung. Halleluia, &c. for the kingdom of this world, &c.
Application
1. Have we this love in our hearts? Does it live, and glow, and burn within us? Is it influential on our hearts, spirits, conversation, lives? Is it evident to men, and does it reflect the image of the ever-blessed God?
2. All our duties and obligations should be moved by this power. All other motives are necessarily inferior, and should be subordinate.
3. It is the duty, interest, and happiness of the sinner to receive and love the Lord Jesus. Finally, let the genuine fruit of love be seen in our liberality on this interesting and momentous occasion, &c. Love to the dear children who are the germs of the next generation. To be blessings or curses to society. The friends or the enemies of Jesus. The ornaments or adversaries of the Christian church.
Autor: JABEZ BURNS