And now abideth faith, &c.— "There are, then, only these three things which last, in opposition to the spiritual gifts before spoken of, which were to be of short continuance in the church. Faith, hope, love, are the sum of perfection on earth; love alone is the sum of perfection in Heaven: nay, it is Heaven itself; for
——In obedience to what Heaven decrees, Knowledge shall fail, and prophesy shall cease; But lasting charity's more ample sway, Not bound by time, nor subject to decay, In happy triumph shall for ever live, And endless good diffuse, and endless praise receive."
See Mr. Prior's paraphrase of the whole chapter.
Inferences.—How ambitious should we be of abounding in every exercise of so amiable a grace, as brotherly Christian love, which results from faith in Christ, and from love to him, and to God through him! What are all miraculous gifts of tongues, of prophesy, of immediate revelations, of working wonders, and of a firm assent to the great truths of the Gospel, whereby we might be fitted for service in the church? And what are all external acts of the most generous liberality to the poor, and suffering martyrdom itself for our profession of Christ's name, without a principle of grace in the heart, and particularly the grace of love, to animate, spiritualize, and improve them for the glory of God, and our own and other's good? They may appear with specious and noisy pomp; but, without love, will be of no saving advantage to us, and will leave us miserable creatures for ever. How admirable is evangelical love in its benevolent temper and behaviour, meekness, patience, humility, and forbearance; in its candour, and willingness to believe and hope the best; in its sympathy, disinterestedness, and generosity; and in its tender, touching, and friendly care, for the welfare of others! And of how much longer duration is this excellent grace in the faithful saints of God, than all spiritual gifts, which may be lost, even here below, and will have their period with this world at farthest, and be useless in the next; and which at best leave us very imperfect in our knowledge, like children in understanding, while we are here! And though faith and hope may abide with us, and are as necessary as love, during our continuance in this world; yet love is the most eminent of these graces, as on many other accounts, so especially, because it will abide, and be consummately perfected in the saints, together with their knowledge of divine things, in Heaven; where, not only all spiritual gifts, but faith and hope themselves, in their present use and exercise, as well as several other graces, that are suited to this state of warfare, shall cease; and they shall have no further occasion for them, to all eternity.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The more excellent way, which the Apostle had been recommending, he here describes; and that is love, which is the greatest of graces, shall endure for ever, when gifts are vanished away; and without which they are nothing worth.
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men, in all the various languages of the globe, or even of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (so inharmonious), and a mere empty noise. Little reason, therefore, had the Corinthians to value themselves upon the gift of tongues, when, through their abuse of that excellent gift, it afforded them too much occasion for pride and contention. And,
2. Though I have the gift of prophesy, can foretel future events, and understand all mysteries, through divine illumination discovering the meaning of the most abstruse prophesies and figures; and have all knowledge, such as never mortal man attained before, and have not love, it signifies nothing to my salvation. Such light would only be sufficient to lead me into eternal darkness.
3. And though I had all faith, to work the most stupendous miracles, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing in God's account, and utterly destitute of the spirit of vital Christianity.
4. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, it would be utterly unprofitable to myself, if divine love was not the principle from which my alms-giving proceeded. Note; Many give largely to the poor, who never did a truly charitable act in their lives.
5. And though I give my body to be burned for my profession of the Gospel, and have not love to God, and to men for his sake, it profiteth me nothing. The affectation of leaving a great name, or the conceit of the meritoriousness of such a sacrifice, may even lead a man to a stake. He may burn for Christ, and yet be disowned by him, if this genuine mark of discipleship be wanting.
2nd, We have the true properties of that most excellent of graces, love.
1. It suffereth long, patiently enduring provocation, unruffled with affronts, passing by offences, and suppressing every motion of resentment which would rise within the soul.
2. It is kind, courteous, affable, benevolent, and opens the lips, the hand, and heart, to every good word and work.
3. Love envieth not the superior gifts, graces, attainments, honours, or affluence, which others enjoy; but takes due pleasure in them as if they were her own.
4. Love vaunteth not itself, is not ostentatious of any excellencies or superior advantages; does not treat inferiors with contempt and insolence, nor rashly or perversely utter any thing to a brother's disadvantage.
5. It is not puffed up, does not fill the mind with vain conceits of man's importance, nor suffer us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.
6. It doth not behave itself unseemly, admits of no conduct unsuitable to the age, station, or circumstances, of the person; suffers nothing mean, indecent, or dishonourable, to enter the mind, or be carried into act.
7. Seeketh not her own, is influenced by no mercenary motives, nor pursues any private ends, inordinately craving honour, gain, or applause; but is generous, noble, and disinterested, sacrificing her own advantage for the good of others.
8. It is not provoked; but, under the most exasperating insults, can preserve a holy serenity; and even be angry, and not sin; displeased at the sin, yet pitying the sinner; always restraining just resentment within bounds, and ready to be reconciled.
9. It thinketh no evil, never seeking to pry into the conduct of others to discover faults, but ever ready to put the best construction on their words and actions; entertains no undue suspicions; and is willing to forget as well as forgive every injury.
10. It rejoiceth not in iniquity, looks not, but with grief and sorrow, on the sins, perverseness, and infirmities of others. But,
11. Rejoiceth in the truth, glad of the success of the Gospel; pleased with beholding its influence, wherever it appears; and ever delighting to bear testimony to the truth, and speaking from the heart.
12. It beareth all things; covers men's faults with the mantle of love; pities their weakness, and suffers without the thought of retaliating their perverseness.
13. It believeth all things; willing to entertain the most favourable opinion of all, averse to every ungrounded suspicion, and candidly disposed to receive the excuse and explanation where any thing may have been mistaken.
14. It hopeth all things; where matters appear dark, and cannot but raise doubts, still Christian love will not despair but that they can yet be cleared up satisfactorily, or, where the evil is evident, that the fault will be repented of and amended.
15. It endureth all things, with unshaken fortitude bearing up under every affliction, temptation, and persecution, and for the sake of Christ and his people ready to undergo any sufferings.
Such is the transcendant grace of love: in the glass of which we should often look, compare our features with this perfect pattern, and daily seek that we may grow more like him whose nature and name is Love.
3rdly, The Apostle proceeds in his commendation of love, not only as superior to all gifts, but as the chief of all graces.
1. Love never faileth. All gifts must quickly have an end; whether there be prophesies, the gift of foretelling future events, or interpreting the Scriptures, they shall fail, and be of no farther use in the eternal world; whether there be tongues, they shall cease, when they have answered their present use of spreading the Gospel through the world; and in Heaven the faithful shall have but one language; whether there be knowledge, the extraordinary insight into divine truth, it shall vanish away; in glory this knowledge will be no longer needed; all will be intuitively clear.
2. All gifts are suited only to a state of imperfection; when we arrive to maturity in glory, we shall be above them. For we know in part, and prophesy in part, our greatest attainments are at present defective; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away; and the nature of the saints of God being exalted to the highest pitch of which it is capable, all imperfection will be swallowed up in the utmost perfection of knowledge and holiness, absolute and everlasting. Our present and future state differ as much as manhood does from infancy. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; and such he insinuates were all their highest present attainments, no better than the poor conceptions and lisping of babes: but when I became a man, I put away childish things; and in the heavenly state so low thoughts shall we entertain of all our present most esteemed acquisitions; we shall despise what in the days of childish folly we valued, and view everything, with a distinctness of spiritual vision as much above our present state, as the thoughts of manhood are superior to the fancies of infancy: for now we see through a glass darkly, the mirror reflecting the object indistinctly, and, like a riddle, the truth is enveloped with obscurity; but then face to face, clearly and fully, by intuition, without any darkening medium. Now know I in part, with all my singular gifts I know but in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known, comprehending heavenly objects with the most distinct knowledge, and in the same way that God who is a Spirit, and his angels, know me.
3. Love is the most excellent of graces, as well as above all gifts. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three cardinal graces, inseparable from the Christian character, and which till death must be in constant exercise, if we be finally saved; but the greatest of these is love, the others being as means to this as the end. And when faith is swallowed up in sight, and hope in the fruition of eternal blessedness, love, the bright image of the Deity, shall glow towards the eternal Three, and towards the celestial hosts, in every bosom of the faithful, and continue to burn, with unextinguished ardour throughout the countless ages of eternity.