_ALL GIFTS, HOW EXCELLENT SOEVER, ARE NOTHING WORTH WITHOUT LOVE; THE PRAISES THEREOF, AND PREFERENCE TO FAITH AND HOPE._ _Anno Domini 57._ THAT the Corinthians might be persuaded to lay aside their emulations and strifes, and be contented each with his own gifts and office in the church, the Apo... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH I SPEAK, &C.— St. Paul having told the Corinthians, in the last words of the preceding chapter, that he _would shew them a more excellent way_ than the emulous producing of their gifts in the assembly, he informs them in the present admirable chapter, that this _more excellent way_ is _love,_... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL MYSTERIES, AND ALL KNOWLEDGE— Any predictions relating to our Saviour or his doctrine, or the times of the Gospel contained in the Old Testament, in types, or figurative and obscure expressions, not understood before his coming, and being then revealed to the world, St. Paul calls _mysteries,_ s... [ Continue Reading ]
CHARITY SUFFERETH LONG— The Apostle here proceeds to give us sixteen characters of _divine love;_—upon which, if the compass of our work allowed, it would be well worth time to expatiate. 1st, _Love suffereth long,_—is long-suffering or patient towards all men: it suffers all the weakness, ignorance... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH NOT BEHAVE ITSELF UNSEEMLY— This is the sixth character, and implies that love is not _rude,_ or willingly offensive to any. It renders _to all their due; fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour;_ courtesy, civility, humanity, to all the world, in their several degrees honouring all men. Good... [ Continue Reading ]
REJOICETH NOT IN INIQUITY— This is the 10th character of love, that it _rejoiceth not in iniquity_—common as it is even for _those_ to do so who bear the name of Christ. The true Christian, however, is so far from this, that he laments over either the sin or folly of an enemy; takes no pleasure in h... [ Continue Reading ]
BEARETH ALL THINGS, &C.— The twelfth character of love is, that παντα στεγει, it _coveteth all things,_ as the word should undoubtedly be translated; for otherwise this character would be the very same with the last in this verse, παντα υπομενει, _endureth all things._ See 1 Peter 4:8.—Because the m... [ Continue Reading ]
CHARITY NEVER FAILETH— This is the sixteenth and last character of love: _It never faileth._ It accompanies and adorns the faithful to all eternity, and makes a very essential part of their preparation for the heavenly world: in which it has an apparent advantage over many of those gifts which some... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE KNOW IN PART, &C.— The wisest of men have here but short, narrow, imperfect conceptions even of the things round about them; and much more of the deep things of God: and even the prophesies which men deliver from God, are far from taking in the whole of future events, or of that wisdom and kn... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I WAS A CHILD— "The future shall indeed be like a state of adult age, when compared with that of feeble infancy; just as _when I was a child, I spake as a child_ would naturally do, a few imperfect words, hardly at first articulate and intelligible, and often in themselves unmeaning. _I wasaffe... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY— _For now we see in an ambiguous manner, by means of a mirror;_ δι εσοπτρου. The LXX. use this word for the women's looking-glasses, or mirrors of metal, out of which Moses made the laver, Exodus 38:8. It is well known that the use of _dioptric_ glasses in teles... [ Continue Reading ]
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: na... [ Continue Reading ]