This excellent form of sound words" contains,-A preface reciting an important article of scriptural instruction- A prayer founded on that recital-A commendation of the blessing for which we pray;-and An earnest enforcement of the request made.

The important article of scriptural instruction, which the preface recites, is taken from St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap. xiii. 1, &c.—a passage which is chosen for the epistle appointed to be used with our collect. Though the penman of this epistle was a man like unto ourselves, yet our collect recognises God as the author of it. It is His instruction which is recited, and is therefore to be depended on as "a faithful saying and worthy of all ac"ceptation." Its truth and importance are equally indisputable. And it may therefore be introduced to the notice of the congregation in the awful style of the prophet, "O earth, earth, "earth, hear the word of the Lord." “Hear all "ye people; hearken, O earth, and let the Lord "God speak, the Lord from His holy temple."

The solemn consideration on which we found our present act of supplication, is this, "That "all our doings without charity are nothing "worth." For the purpose of explaining this weighty subject, it will be requisite to shew, What charity is-That a man may possess very brilliant gifts and endowments, may make a splendid show of benevolence towards men, nay, exhibit in his conduct a striking semblance of piety towards God, and yet be destitute of charity -and that gifts, outward acts of benevolence to man, or of piety to God, are of no value whatever without charity.

A solution of the question, What is charity, is a matter of high importance, for the term is frequently misunderstood; and thousands, through misconceptions of the subject, have been deceived to their eternal ruin. The word charity is synonymous with love. The Greek term used in the New Testament is sometimes rendered charity and sometimes love. It is to be lamented, that the same word has not been always employed by our Translators, as thereby mistakes might have been prevented; and that love, as the more intelligible term to common readers, had not been chosen.

The nature of this grace* will appear from another branch of the standard writings belonging to the church of England, namely, her homilies, one of which is intituled, " A sermon "of Christian love and charity." Now, as the same persons wrote both the homily and the collect, the former being dated but thirteen years after the latter, the meaning of our church in the word cannot be mistaken if we adopt the definition of the homily.

"Of all things that be good to be taught unto Christian people, there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of and daily called upon than charity, as well for that all manner of works of righteousness be contained in it, as also that the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the world, the banishment of virtue and the cause of vice.

• Ναπη εςι διάθεσις ψυχής αγαθή, est animi bonus affectus, quo efficitur ut nihil Deo præferat. Maxim. 1. Centur. Ŝentent. tom. 7. Et Prosper: Charitas est recta voluntas ab omnibus terrenis aversa, et Deo inseparabiliter unita, ab igne quodam Spiritus Sancti incensa.-Quoted by Bp. Davenant in his Exposition of the Epistle to the Colossians; who in another place says, Est virtus divinitus infusa, quâ sincere diligitur propter se Deus, et propter Deum proximus.

And forasmuch as almost every man maketh and frameth to himself charity after his own appetite, and how detestable soever his life be both unto God and man, yet he persuadeth himself still that he hath charity; therefore you shall hear now a true and plain description or setting forth of charity, not of man's imagination, but of the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In which description or setting forth, every man, as it were in a glass, may consider himself and see plainly without error, whether he be in the true charity or not. Charity is love to God with all our heart, all our souls, and all our power and strength. With all our heart: that is to say, that our heart, mind and study be set to believe His word, to trust in Him, and to love Him above all other things that we love best in heaven or in earth. With all our life: that is to say, that our chief joy or delight be set upon Him and His honour, and our whole life given to the service of Him above all things, with Him to live and die, and to forsake all other things rather than Him; for he that loveth his father or mother, son or daughter, house or land, more than me, saith Christ, (Matt. x.) is not worthy to have me. With all our power: that is to say, that with our hands and feet, with our eyes and ears, our mouths and tongues, and with all our parts and powers both of body and soul, we should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of His commandments. This is the first and principal part of charity; but it is not the whole. For charity is also to love every man good and evil, friend and foe; and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary, yet nevertheless to bear good will and heart unto every man, to use

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ourselves well unto them, as well in words and countenances, as in all our outward acts and deeds. For so Christ Himself taught, and so also He performed indeed. Of the love of God He taught on this wise unto a doctor of the law that asked Him which was the chief and great commandment of the law. Love thy Lord God, saith Christ, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And of the love that we ought to have among ourselves, each to other, He teacheth us thus. You have heard it taught in times past, Thou shalt love thy friend, and hate thy foe. But I tell you, love your enemies, speak well of them that defame and speak evil of you, do well to them that hate you, pray for them that vex and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father that is in heaven, &c." "Thus have I set before you what charity is, whereby every man may without error know himself, what state and condition he standeth in, whether he be in charity and so the child of the Father in heaven or not. For although almost every man persuadeth himself to be in charity, yet let him examine none other man, but his own heart, his life and conversation, and he shall not be deceived, but truly discern and judge, whether he be in perfect charity or not. For he that followeth not his own appetite and will, but giveth himself earnestly to God, to do all His will and commandments, he may be sure that he loveth God above all things, and else surely he loveth Him not whatsoever he pretend. As Christ said, If ye love me, keep my commandments; for he that knoweth my commandments and keepeth them, he it is, saith Christ, that loveth me. And again He saith (John xiv.) he that loveth me will

keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will both come to him and dwell with him: And he that loveth me not, will not keep my words. And likewise he that beareth a good heart and mind, and useth well his tongue and deeds unto every man, friend and foe, he may know thereby that he hath charity. And then he is sure that Almighty God taketh him for His dearly beloved son, as St. John saith. (1 John iii.) Hereby manifestly are known the children of God and the children of the devil: for whosoever doth not love his brother, belongeth not unto God."*

It may be necessary to remind the reader, before we proceed, that "most excellent" as "the gift of charity" is, it is not the principle of justification. But as this point is fully proved in the preceding essay, it will be needless to resume the argument. That our most exalted love is imperfect, needs no other demonstration than the prayer which we are taught to use for its increase. And that which is imperfect itself requires forgiveness, instead of justifying the person in whom it is found. The righteousness of Christ is the sole cause of acceptance with God, and faith the exclusive instrument of its application to the heart.

Faith, hope, and charity are however inseparably connected, so that wherever either of these graces is found, the others exist also: and the vigour of the two latter is always proportioned to the vigour of the former. "Faith believes the "revelations of God; hope expects His promises;. charity loves His excellencies and mercies."t

*A new octavo edition of the Homilies has been published at the Clarendon press. It is a pity that it does not find a place in every churchman's library.

+ Taylor.