1 Peter 4:8

DISCOURSE: 2407
THE DUTY AND OFFICE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

1 Peter 4:8. Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

THE divine authority of our religion is fully established. Its external evidences demonstrate God to be its author; nor are its internal evidences less convincing. The tendency of Christianity is to assimilate us to God. All other religions have countenanced a vindictive spirit; but the religion of Jesus inculcates universal love. The New Testament lays the greatest stress upon this duty.
The injunction in the text proposes to our view,

I. The duty inculcated—

The term “charity” is to be understood of Christian love—
[Many confine the sense of this term to almsgiving; but almsgiving is a very small part of what is implied in it. Charity includes the whole of our duty towards our neighbours [Note: Romans 13:9.]

This charity or love is our indispensable duty—
[Though an old commandment, it is enjoined as a new one [Note: 1 John 2:7.]. Obedience to it is a sure test of our conversion [Note: 1 John 4:7.]: it is a good evidence of conversion to ourselves [Note: 1 John 3:14. former part.]; it is a satisfactory proof to others also [Note: John 13:35.]. A want of love manifests us to be in an unregenerate state [Note: 1 John 3:14. latter part.]

It ought to be cordial and “fervent”—
[Worldly courtesy is but a faint image of Christian love. Love, if pure, and subordinate to God, cannot be too fervent. Our love of ourselves is the rule of love to others: our Lord’s love to us is the pattern also of this duty [Note: 1 John 3:16.]

We should “above all things” cultivate this disposition—
[Love is the greatest of all Christian graces [Note: 1 Corinthians 13:13.]. If we attain to it, we fulfil the law of Christ [Note: Romans 13:8; Romans 13:10.]. But if we be destitute of it, nothing else will profit us [Note: 1 Corinthians 13:1.]

The children of God should maintain it “among themselves”—
[Benevolence is due even to our enemies. But there is an especial obligation in the saints to love each other [Note: Galatians 6:10.]; their union with Christ, and with each other, demands it [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:25.]

To promote a more uniform attention to this duty, we will consider,

II.

The argument with which it is enforced—

The Apostle’s words may be considered as relating to,

1. The sins of others—

[“To cover the sins” of others (extenuating what we cannot approve; concealing what we cannot but condemn; and throwing a veil over, not errors only, but “sins,” yea, even “a multitude” of sins,) is the proper office of love [Note: 1 Corinthians 13:7. The duty of love does not, however, preclude ministers from censuring, or magistrates from punishing, the sins of men: they perform those acts officially; and in performing them, they obey, instead of violating, the law of love. But to men in their individual capacity, the text prescribes an invariable rule of duty. See Matthew 18:22.]. From this office we should not depart, unless (as in the exercise of the ministerial or magisterial office) the honour of God, and the good of society, require it. A just regard to the great duty of love is of incalculable importance: first, to ourselves; for how can we expect to have forbearance exercised towards us, if we refuse it to others? Next, to the church; for how can the church be edified, if its members do not walk together in love? And lastly, to the enemies of the church, who will not fail to harden themselves in their iniquities, if evil reports in the church, and consequent dissensions and animosities, afford them any occasion. But mutual forbearance will never be exercised as it ought, without a deeply-rooted principle of love [Note: When we hate a person, we are ready on all occasions to speak of his faults; but this is not the way in which we treat those whom we tenderly love.]. Therefore we should cultivate this principle in order to maintain a becoming conduct [Note: Proverbs 10:12. in our translation seems to countenance, and almost to establish, this sense of the text; because it appears to have been cited by St. Peter. But the Apostles generally cited rather the Septuagint translation of the Scriptures: and in that the two passages do not at all correspond. The LXX. translate it thus: Μῖσος ἐγείρει νεῖκος: πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύψει φιλία. So that the apparent parallelism will not enable us to determine, with certainty, the sense of the text.]

2. Our own sins—

[We must not, for one moment, think that our love, however fervent, can merit the pardon of our sins. Yet our pardon may be, and certainly is, suspended on the exercise of this divine principle. To this the whole Scriptures bear witness [Note: Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:14 and Proverbs 16:6. See also Galatians 6:7 and 1 Timothy 6:18. contrasted with James 2:13. Daniel even goes so far as to counsel Nebuchadnezzar λυτρώσαιτὰς ἁμαρτίας ἰν ἐλεημοσύναις.]; and the words in the original most naturally bear this sense [Note: Καλύψειἁμαρτίαν means to cover sins from the sight of God, so that they shall not be noticed in the final judgment. See Psalms 32:1 and Nehemiah 4:5. In James 5:20, they will also bear that sense: and if we could divest ourselves of prejudice, we should more readily put that construction upon them in that passage; since it is not the converting of souls merely, but the love exercised in seeking to convert them, that entails this blessing on us. If we put a different construction upon them, we make them a mere tautology: but in the sense here affixed to them, they afford a strong additional motive for exertion.]. This sense of them also exactly accords with our Lord’s description of the day of judgment [Note: Matthew 25:34. “Come, &c. For, &c.”—“Depart, &c. For, &c.”]. Moreover, in this view the Apostle’s argument is far stronger than on the other construction of his words. Let it then operate as a strong incentive to mutual love; for “with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again [Note: Matthew 7:2.]

Infer—
1.

How justly reprehensible are the generality of Christians!

[There is a proneness in all to receive and propagate reports; but none are willing to have their own reputation blasted. Yet there are few who do not scatter defamation. Let us all be ashamed of and resist this sinful propensity; let us watch against every temptation or desire to indulge it; let us regulate our conduct by the law of love; let us study the Apostle’s description of charity [Note: 1 Corinthians 13:4.]; and let us attend to the exhortation of St. John [Note: 1 John 3:18.]—.]

2. How worthy of acceptation is the Gospel of Christ!

[A sense of Christ’s love to us produces love to him. When we love Christ aright, we shall love all his members [Note: 1 John 5:1.]. This is the invariable effect wherever the Gospel prevails. The knowledge of our own sins will make us tender towards others. The forgiveness we have received will incline us to forgive others. The extent of Christ’s love to us will be the ground of our love to our fellow-sinners [Note: John 13:34.]. Let the Gospel then bring forth this fruit in our hearts and lives; we shall then experience the truth of that Divine assertion [Note: Psalms 133:1.]—. In the exercise of love is the foretaste of heaven itself.]