paffage before us, it feems not to be confidered in this comprehensive light, but as a simple act, stript of all its adjuncts, and means only a belief in the life and death of Chrift, and the great work of Redemption. This is fometimes called a mere hiftorical faith and if it proceed no farther, it deferves a ftigma. But the Chriftian life, as well as the natural life; must have its firft principle, or beginning; and hiftorical faith, if it must be fo called, is that first principle.

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This feems to be the idea which is adopted in our church creeds. In them we are taught, that the Chriftian's faith confists in believing the circumstances of the life and death of our Saviour, and in the work of Redemption. Christian virtues, no doubt, are fuppofed to follow this faith. All I mean is, that our public creeds fuppofe the faith of a Chriftian to originate from Scriptural evidence.

But we are fometimes told, that faith is the immediate work of God-that it is impreffed inftantaneously by divine inspiration on the heart.

If so, it wants no evidence - Nor was it necef fary, that our bleffed Saviour should inculcate what was fpontaneously given.

Without God's affiftance, every good Chriftian must allow, we can do nothing. We can no more be religious without it, than we can breathe or move without it. But in all these things, our own endeavours must co-operate. He who should fit down with his arms and legs folded, waiting till God should put him in motion, would be ridicu lous; and he, who fhould walk about, and fay, I move without any affiftance from God, would be impious. It is juft fo in faith. He who should fay, my own good works will do nothing for me, faith is all, feems to me an enthufiaft: and he who should fay, my own good works are all I want, is certainly not a Christian.

We conclude therefore from the whole, that although faith is fometimes confidered in an extenfive fenfe, as comprehending all Chriftian virtues, it is fometimes confidered fimply in itself, as grounded merely on evidence, and implying nothing more than a belief in Jefus Chrift. In this fenfe I fuppofe the word faith is confidered in the paffage before us. It cannot be fuppofed to include every virtue, for then it would include charity, from which it is plainly distinguished.

Hope

Hope is the next virtue we examine. Now hope, fimply confidered, is no virtue at all. I defire to obtain an advantage. I use the best means in my power; and I hope they will fucceed. But there is nothing here that denominates hope to be virtuous. It is its connection with heaven that gives hope a religious value.

It is fo in other virtues. Men have only one fet of moral qualities: but they differ in value, according to the end they have in view, and the motive that governs them. I am grateful to my benefactor. The affection is amiable. But when my gratitude looks up to God, it is of a much inore purified and exalted nature. It is grounded on my trust in an invifible Creator. I believe what my friend tells me. There is not much in that. But when I believe what God tells me, my belief becomes religious faith, and God is pleafed to accept it for righteoufnefs.

It is fo in hope. Though there is nothing valuable in my hoping for any earthly good, which I think it probable may arrive; yet when I transfer that hope to heaven, it takes a religious caft, and becomes a virtue. My earthly hope is grounded on nothing perhaps but my own prudence, and

may be refolved into mere selfishness; and if there is no harm in it, there is certainly no good. But my heavenly hope refts on my trust in an invisible God, who has promised me certain bleffings, if I endeavour to perform the conditions required; which promises therefore, on his word, I humbly hope for. Faith and hope are thus immediately connected; and thus connected it is, that hope becomes the anchor of the foul.

We next confider charity. As this virtue is here exalted fo highly, many commentators have conceived, that it is meant to include both the love of God and man. But if St. Paul knew his own meaning, this could not be the cafe; for in the various lights in which charity is placed in the chapter, from which the text is taken, there is not one which does not tend to confine it to our neighbour. By charity therefore, as defcribed by the apostle, we understand, that general affection, which prompts us to avoid every thing that can injure or distress another, and do every thing which can contribute to his happiness. In fhort, it is Chriftian benevolence.

Having

Having thus confidered the meaning, which I humbly conceive the apoftle affixed to the words faith, hope, and charity, let us, fecondly, confider his argument, and fhew why he places charity fo much above the other two.

In the 12th chapter he had been reproving his Corinthian converts for that faulty zeal with which they had exercised their spiritual gifts. At the conclufion he tells them, he would fhew them a way of proceeding much more conformable to the spirit of the Gospel. With this view he spends the whole 13th chapter in explaining the nature of charity, which he confiders, as his argument led, entirely in the light of benevolence to our neighbour. He confiders its nature and its excellence. It must accompany, he tells his converts, all their fpiritual gifts for though, as it appears, they might exercise those spiritual gifts without it *, yet it was impoffible, that gifts fo exercised could either be of value in themselves, or pleafing to God.

* Thus Balaam exercised the functions of a prophet though he was a bad man and we are led to believe, from the tenor of the evangelical writings, that Judas Iscariot wrought miracles, as well as the other apostles.