simply for comfort's sake, charity is worthy of all men to be followed after. But, besides this, and the preceding consideration, that without charity God will on no account approve of us, there remains a third reason to be assigned→ "Charity never faileth.”

Of charity alone hath this been said; and it were difficult to imagine a more satisfactory recommendation. There are many necessary, many praiseworthy, many ennobling objects and virtues set forth, that we should follow after and acquire them. Yet they are generally destined to perish in the using, or not to continue beyond the present scene. We need

not stay to observe the case of mere natural or worldly goods, since the Apostle draws a comparison, on this point, between charity and other spiritual or heavenly gifts and graces. God was imparting to believers, in those days, sundry miraculous powers and faculties, for the spreading abroad and confirmation of the Gospel; they were enabled, for instance, to speak with tongues, i. e. in various languages, without being at pains in learning them; to prophesy, or foretell future events; and to know mysteries, by special revelation: "But," saith Paulafter his declaration, “Charity never faileth”

"whether there be prophecies, they shall "fail; whether there be tongues, they shall

"cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall "vanish away." These, and the like endowments, although conferred by the Spirit of God, and highly advantageous, provided men will use them aright, for the present, shall be withdrawn, he signifies, in the days to come, as we ourselves know them to have been: let them accordingly be held inferior to charity, which shall abide so long as the world endureth. Yea, and even faith and hope, which so long must abide with it for we can no more do without these, which lie at the root of charity, than without charity itself, on the earth-are to be held in a certain respect inferior, since for them there shall be no occasion, as for charity there always shall be, in heaven. In heaven, faith and hope are to have an end, or are to be succeeded by sight and enjoyment. The righteous shall there see Him in whom they are now believing, and enjoy the bliss which they are now hoping for; so that it will not be possible for them only to believe and hope any longer. Still, however, charity, i. e. a love unfeigned of God, and Christ, and of all the children of the resurrection, will survive through endless ages, without material alteration. There will scarcely, perhaps, be found a difference, except in degree, between the charity proper for this world, and that which is

ordained for the next. He, " whom, not having "seen, we love," will probably be loved by us more worthily when we do see Him; and touching the love of our brethren, infirmities of temper will hardly remain to try and check it: but there is no greater change than this to be expected, unless that our love of one another will increase in proportion with our love of God, and with the happiness which we shall then in common possess.

Such, my brethren, are the leading reasons or considerations which should induce us to "follow after charity;" namely, the indispensable necessity of it, in order to the Divine approbation; its comfortable influences in time of adversity; and its never-failing use, hereafter, as well as here, even in that glorious and eternal world which we look for, when the present shall have been destroyed. Let me now, in the second place, propose to your attention the mode or way, by which this grace may probably be attained.

The way, therefore, by which to follow after, and establish ourselves in charity, is, by a course of serious reflection and prayer.

I will here remind you of what was stated in the outset, respecting the word which, in the text, and in some other places, is rendered charity; it is more significantly elsewhere ren

dered love, and ought to be received as desig nating the love of God in Christ, and of our neighbour for His sake. Accordingly, charity is a disposition of the heart, an inward prin ciple or affection; always watchful, it is true, to shew out of an answerable conversation its works in meekness of wisdom, yet, for the most part, of secret growth and culture. Now, of every such hidden grace, reflection and prayer are decidedly, next to the holy Sacraments which Christ hath ordained, the most appropriate and effectual means; or, to speak only of that which is before us, charity being an affection of the heart, by these, namely, by reflection and prayer, the hearts of all who would become truly charitable must be affected. Reflection that is to say, inward and dispassionate thought—may easily be proved both a necessary and a direct way to charity. Our natural propensity is to be, if not positively hateful, or hating God and one another, yet selfish, proud, and irritable, and regardless alike of Him and of our brethren, except when, by the contrary behaviour, we can promote our private interest or gratification. Recollect again the Apostle's particular description of charity, and scarcely any man can be so ignorant of himself as to imagine, that his own nature will prompt him to walk in the way which is there

marked out. Surely then, all have need to reflect, that they may apprehend, and learn to rectify, or at the least to refrain, whatever within them is not conformable to those perfect lines or rules. Also, in addition to this our need of it, for the restraint and correction of the uncharitableness which is born with us, and will hardly be prevented from springing up, a habit of reflecting, or of bethinking ourselves, is one of the most likely to excite unfeeling hearts-such as are not entirely past feeling-and to set at work in them charitable dispositions. If any thing can stir or induce a man to love, the conviction that he hath been dealt lovingly with, notwithstanding great illdesert on his part, may be expected to have such an effect. But of this every Christian, who will reflect, must daily and evermore be convinced. The free grace extended to fallen man, lest he should for ever stick fast in the deep mire of his own native ignorance and corruption; the astonishing mercy, that while we were yet without help, yea, and even actual sinners and enemies, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, of His own and of His Father's will, took our nature, and died for the ungodly, can never long be absent from the thoughts of a believer in the gospel, who is accustomed to think at all: likewise, the longsuffering of God our Sa