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By a beautiful personification, the apostle has described this grace under the figure of an interesting female, who, like an angel of light, lifts her cherubic form amid the children of men; shedding, as she passes along, a healing influence on the wounds of society, hushing the notes of discord, driving before her the spirits of mischief, bringing the graces in her train, and converting earth into a resemblance of heaven. "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

385. There are other manifestations or operations of love, beside those which are here specified-such, for instance, as justice, and chastity; for it is impossible to love mankind, and violate the rules of either of these duties the specification is here restricted to those properties of love which are comprehended in the word temper—a subject that has been treated in the chapter on Happiness.

:

386. It embraces the meekness of love, the kindness of love, the contentment of love, the humility of love, the decorum of love, the disinterestedness of love, the unsuspiciousness of love, the joy of love, the candor of love, and the self-denial of love.

Each of these properties will be briefly considered.

384. What description of love to our neighbor is here referred to? 385. Are these the only operations of charity, or love?

386. What properties of temper does this description embrace?

SECTION I.-THE MEEKNESS OF LOVE.

"Charity suffereth long-is not easily provoked."

387. IN reference to the irascible passions, there are three things which love will prevent :

(1.) It will prevent an irritable and petulant disposition: for, it will make us willing to think the best of those with whom we have to do; it will disarm us of that suspicion and mistrust, which make us regard everybody as intending to injure us; will cause us to find out pleas for those who have done us harm, and when this is impossible, will lead us to pity their weakness, or forgive their wickedness.

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The late Dr. Bowditch.

An impressive illustration of these remarks may be derived from an incident in the life of the late Dr. Bowditch, of Salem, Mass., who was as eminent for his great and useful talents, as he was beloved by all who were acquainted with him.

his own.

"Dr. Bowditch had been preparing a plan of Salem, which he intended soon to publish. It had been the fruit of much labor and care. By some means or other, an individual in the town had surreptitiously got possession of it, and had the audacity to issue proposals to publish it as This was too much for Dr. Bowditch to bear. He instantly went to the person, and burst out into the following strain :-'You villain, how dare you do this? If you proceed any further in this business, I will prosecute you to the utmost extent of the law.' The poor fellow cowered before the storm of his indignation, and was silent for the doctor's wrath was terrible. Dr. Bowditch went home and slept on it; and, the next day, hearing from some authentic source that the man was extremely poor, and had probably been driven by the necessities of his family to commit this audacious plagiarism, his feelings were touched, his heart melted away like wax. He went to him again, and said, 'Sir, you did very wrong, and you know it, to appropriate to your own use and benefit, the fruit of my labors. But I understand you are poor, and have a family to support. I feel for you, and will help you. That plan is unfinished, and contains errors that would have disgraced you and me, had it been published in the state in which you found it. I'll tell you what I will do. I will finish the plan; I will correct the errors; and then you shall publish it for your own benefit, and I will head the subscription list with my

name.

What a noble triumph of Christianity over passion, even where the provocation was peculiarly strong; what a triumph of benevolence over even his own just claims! How much greater did he show himself, as a man, than an Alexander or a Cæsar, who, while they triumphed over others, were incompetent to govern their own lawless passions!

(2.) Love prevents immoderate anger; for it cannot allow

InD MEEKNESS OF LOVE.

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itself to indulge those tempers which are unfriendly to the happiness of mankind.

(3.) Love will of course prevent revenge. The volume of history is stained, from the beginning to the end, with the blood which has been shed by the demon of revenge.

388. Too generally, the application of the term revenge is confined to the grosser, more mischievous, and more violent expressions of wrath, such as maiming the person, openly slandering the reputation, or wantonly injuring the property of others.

But there are a thousand petty acts of spite and ill-will, by which a revengeful spirit may operate. If we refuse to speak to another by whom we have been injured, and pass him with silent or manifest scorn; if we take delight in talking of his failings, and in lowering him in the opinion of others; if we show ill-will to his children or relations on his account; all this is as truly the acting of revenge, as if we proceeded to inflict bodily injury. The spirit of revenge simply means doing evil for evil, and taking pleasure in doing so.

389. We are not, however, forbidden to defend our persons, our property, our reputation, from the aggressions of lawless mischief. If an assassin attempt to maim or murder me, am allowed to resist the attack, even to extremity; for this is not avenging an evil, but an effort to prevent one.

390. If our character in society is aspersed, we must endeavor, by peaceful means, to gain an apology and exculpation; and if this cannot be obtained, we are authorized to appeal to the law: for, if calumny were not punished, society could not exist.

To seek the protection of the law, without, at the same time, indulging in malice, this is self-defense, and the defense of society. No person, however, should in any case of difficulty resort to the tribunal of public justice till every other method of adjustment has failed.

391. The revealed law is decidedly opposed to Christians going to law with each other, as we learn from 1 Cor. chap. vi. In cases of difference about property or character, professed Christians are thus required by the divine law, to settle all their disputes by the mediation of their own brethren; and if either party decline such arbitration, he must be accountable for all the scandal thrown

H

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on the Christian profession by the legal measures to which the other may find it necessary to resort for the protection of his rights. Whatever award is made, in the case of private arbitration, both parties should abide by it; nor must the individual against whom the decision is made, feel any ill-will, or cherish any revenge toward his successful competitor.

392. The law of love requires that innumerable minor offenses should be passed over without being noticed, or suffered to disturb our peace of mind. And those which we find it necessary to have explained, require the utmost caution and delicacy. In these cases, love will lead us to the offender in the spirit of meekness, to ask, not to demand an explanation of the injurious treatment. In a great majority of cases, this line of conduct would stifle the animosity while it is yet a spark.

Noble Revenge.

"When I was a small boy, there was a black boy in the neighborhood, by the name of Jim Dick.' Myself and a number of my playfellows were one evening collected together at our usual sports, and began tormenting the poor colored boy, by calling him 'blackamoor,'' niggar,' and other degrading epithets; the poor fellow appeared excessively grieved at our conduct, and soon left us. We soon after made an appointment to go a-skating in the neighborhood, and on the day of the appointment I had the misfortune to break my skates, and I could not go without borrowing a pair of Jim Dick. I went to him and asked him for them. 'O yes, John, you may have them and welcome,' was his answer. When I went to return them, I found Jim sitting by the fire in the kitchen, reading the Bible. I told him I had returned his skates, and was under great obligations to him for his kindness. He looked at me as he took the skates, and, with tears in his eyes, said to me, John, don't never call me a blackamoor again,' and immediately left the room. These words pierced my heart, and I burst into tears, and from that time resolved not to abuse a poor black in future."-SOUTHEY.

387. What three things will love prevent, in reference to the irascible passions here alluded to?

388. What important mistake needs correcting with regard to revenge?

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389. According to this view, are we not forbidden to defend our persons, our property, and our reputation, from the aggressions of lawless mischief?

390. If our character in society be aspersed, what course does love allow or suggest?

391. As it respects the propriety of Christians going to law with each other, what is the testimony of the revealed law?

392. What does the law of love require in regard to minor offenses?

SECTION II.-ON THE KINDNESS OF LOVE.

"Charity is kind."

393. KINDNESs is a disposition to please-an anxiety, manifested by our conduct, to promote the comfort of our species. Pity commiserates their sorrows, mercy relieves their wants and mitigates their woes; but kindness is a general attention to their comfort.

394. (1.) It expresses itself in words that are calculated to please. As not only our words, but the tones of our voice, are indicative of our thoughts and feelings, it is of consequence for us to be careful, both in what we say, and how we say it. Half of the quarrels which disturb the peace of society arise from unkind words, and not a few from unkind tones.

(2.) Kindness extends itself to actions. It is anxious not to give offense by anything which it does: it is most tender in reference to the feelings of its object, and would not, unnecessarily, crush the wing of an insect, much less inflict a wound upon a rational mind.

There are persons who, in a spirit of selfish independence, care not whom they please, or whom they offend; but love is as anxious not to offend, as it is solicitous about its own gratification: its neighbor's comfort is as dear to it as its own: it calculates, deliberates, weighs the tendency of actions; and when, by incaution, or pure misfortune, it has occasioned distress, it hastens, by every practicable means, to heal the wound.

Kindness not only abstains from actual injury, but it is active in conferring benefits; watches for an opportunity to please; is ever ready to afford its assistance when appealed to; and is not satisfied, unless it can do something to increase the general stock of comfort. It accommodates itself to men's habits, partialities, or prejudices; adapts itself, in things indifferent and lawful, to their modes of acting, and does not wantonly oppose their predilections, when such resistance would occasion them distress.