some food of a solid and healthful and really nourishing kind to support, refresh, and invigorate the soul.

I have only to say further, that the end of Christian knowledge is not in itself. Its end is to animate and direct us in Christian living. We have received God's Holy Word, not simply as a storehouse of matter for reflection, but to be our daily food in our journey through the world. There is, then, a purpose to which our knowledge is to be applied, and, however laboriously that knowledge is sought, unless it be applied to this purpose with care, instead of being in any sense a blessing to us, it will only increase our guilt and condemnation. What is taken in hunting, if slothfully allowed to rot, not only serves no good use, but becomes a nuisance and a mischief. Even so religious knowledge and religious profession, not followed up by the application of our principles in daily life, are worse than unprofitable. Upon ourselves they bring a heavier condemnation, and to those around us they are an offence and scandal. They give to the scoffer occasion to scoff, and to all earnest men occasion to grieve,—as indeed even to Christ Himself in heaven; for, if by anything His heart can be pierced again, we can well believe that

it is less by the opposition of His avowed ener than by the godlessness and disobedience of pretended friends. Let us remember His words: "If ye know these things, happy are y ye do them."

XV.

CHARITY.

1 CORINTHIANS xiii.-"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

LET us look first at the characteristics of Christian Charity as described by the Apostle in this chapter.

Verse fourth.-"Charity suffereth long, and is kind." Here we have, first, the negative; and, secondly, the positive aspect of charity,-first, the passive; and, secondly, the active side. She "suffereth long;"-that is the passive side, she bears and waits like the patience of God. And "is kind:" -that is the active side,—she occupies herself with deeds of benevolence, seeks to do good and to communicate, shews considerate regard for the welfare, and even the comfort of others,-in short, "is kind;" we know what it means better than we can explain it. They say that the word "kind" comes from the same root with the words "kin" and "kindred." A "kind" man is thus a "kinned" man; one who feels that other men are his kindred, and desires, therefore, to be tender and gentle to all. I do not know whether this is etymologically correct, but if it be, we have, embodied in our Saxon speech, what is at any rate a true Christian idea, namely, that we owe to one another the love of kinsfolk, being, all of us, the children of God, and brethren in Christ Jesus.

Another feature of true charity is, that she "envieth not." It is not a grief to her that others are happy; but she joys with them that joy, as well as weeps with them that weep.

Again, "she vaunteth not herself," neither is "puffed up." She has no desire to exalt herself above her neighbours, whom she loveth as herself, according to the golden rule, and therefore would not hurt by any haughty airs or supercilious treatment. Hence, also, she "doth not behave herself unseemly;" for as she would not hurt them by pride, so neither would she offend them nor cause them to stumble by any behaviour inconsistent with the truth. For her neighbours' sake she is careful of her own conduct, lest peradventure the wicked might scoff or the godly might be grieved. For her neighbours' sake, as well as for her own, and that of her Lord, she seeks to adorn the doctrine of the gospel, and to live before men in all seemliness, and before God in all well pleasing.

But all this is included in what the Apostle says next, and yet more comprehensively;-she "seeketh not her own." She is not wrapped up in her own selfish aims and interests, but, inspired with a higher spirit, she desires and labours to promote the general good. Herein, most eminently of all, does she resemble Him who came from heaven to seek and save the lost, and would not save Himself one pang of that great agony which it behoved Him to endure in bearing the sin of the world.