LECTURE II.

CHARITY MORE EXCELLENT THAN THE EXTRAOR

DINARY GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

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Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."-1 Cor. xiii. 1,2.

HAVING in the last lecture shown, that all the virtue in the saints which is distinguishing and saving, may be summed up in Christian love, I would now consider what things are compared with it in the text, and to which of the two the preference is given.

The things compared together, in the text, are of two kinds: on the one hand, the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Spirit, such as the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy, &c., which were frequent in that age, and particularly in the church at Corinth.

and on the other hand, the effect of the ordinary influences of the same Spirit, in true Christians, viz. charity, or divine love.

That was an age of miracles. It was not then, as it had been of old among the Jews, when two or three, or at most a very few in the whole nation had the gift of prophecy: it rather seemed as if Moses' wish, recorded in Num. xi. 29, had become in a great measure fulfilled: "Would to God all the Lord's people were prophets." Not only some certain persons of great eminence were endowed with such gifts, but they were common to all sorts, old and young, men and women; according to the prophecy of the prophet Joel, who, preaching of those days, foretold beforehand that great event: "And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God), I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants, and on my handmaidens. I will pour out, in those days, of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." Especially the church of Corinth was very eminent for such gifts. All sorts of miraculous gifts were, as is apparent from this Epistle, bestowed on that

church, and the number who enjoyed these gifts was not small. "To one," says the Apostle, "is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit: to another faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit to another working of miracles: to another prophecy, &c. &c." "But all these worketh that one, and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." And so some had one gift, and some another. "But," says the Apostle, "covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet show I unto you a more excellent way," i. e., something more excellent than all these gifts put together, yea, something of so great importance, that all these gifts without it are nothing. For "though I speak with the tongues of men," as they did on the day of Pentecost, yea, "and of angels" too, "and have not charity, I am become" an empty worthless thing, "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have" not only one, but all the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit; and can not only speak with tongues, but "have the gift of all prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge," to see into all the deep things of God by immediate

inspiration; "and though I have all faith,' to work all sorts of miracles, yea, even "so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Charity, then, which is the fruit of the ordinary sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, is preferred, as being more excellent than any, yea, than all the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, even Christian love, which, as has been shown, is the sum of all saving grace. Yea, so very much is it preferred, that all the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, without it, are nothing, and can profit nothing. The doctrine taught, then, is: THAT THE ORDINARY INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, WORKING THE GRACE OF CHARITY IN THE HEART, IS A MORE EXCELLENT BLESSING THAN ANY OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. Here I would endeavor to show, first, what is meant by the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit; secondly, that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are indeed great privileges; and yet, thirdly, that the ordinary influence of the Spirit working the grace of charity or love in the heart is a more excellent blessing.

I. I would briefly explain what is meant by the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit; for the gifts and operations of the

Spirit of God are by divines distinguished intc common and saving, and into ordinary and extraordinary.

1. The gifts and operations of the Spirit of God are distinguished into those that are common, and those that are saving. By common gifts of the Spirit are meant, such as are common both to the godly and to the ungodly. There are certain ways in which the Spirit of God influences the minds of natural men, as well as the minds of the godly. Thus there are common convictions of sin, i. e., such convictions as ungodly men may have as well as godly. So there are common illuminations, or enlightenings, i. e., such as are common to both godly and ungodly. So there are common religious affections,-common gratitude,

-common sorrow, and the like. But there are other gifts of the Spirit, which are peculiar to the godly, such as saving faith and love, and all the other saving graces of the Spirit.

2. Ordinary and extraordinary.—The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, such as the gift of tongues, of miracles, of prophecy, &c., are called extraordinary, because they are such as are not given in the ordinary course of