SERMON X. THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. 1 COR. xiii. 1. 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. PRACTICAL righteousness is summed up by our blessed Lord under two commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." These two commandments (on which "hang all the law and the prophets") are indeed not only alike, but almost identical, and in practice at least inseparably united. Hence they are both comprised in the language of the New Testament under one common title, Charity or Love. It is bowever more of love to our neighbour that St. Paul is speaking, in that memorable chapter from it continually with a spirit of obedience. More especially he insists upon faith in Christ as one of the first of God's commandments, and upon love to man as inseparable from a true love to Godb. Let us strive then even if we have not the love of God as we could wish in our hearts, at least to shew forth the acts of it in our lives. If we do the one, and accompany our endeavours by prayer and faith, God will doubtless give us the other. The error of many Christians is, that they expect to love God, without any efforts on their parts to live as if they loved Him: others again despair of success, because they find all their endeavours in this way unavailing. The one trust to God presumptuously, for what he has not promised; the other neglect to seek what his goodness offers to them. Let our prayers be accompanied by exertion, and our exertions by prayer. For it is the express promise of the Gospel, that we shall be enabled by the Holy Spirit to know the Lord. May we be preserved alike from indolence and from want of faith; and may "the Lord," even the Holy Ghost, "direct our hearts into the love of God," that we may "not be weary of well 1 John ii. 3. iii. 23. iv. 20. Heb. viii. 11. ན་ doing," but may continue in it, with patient perseverance, waiting for the coming of Christ, who will give to those that love God the crown of lifee. SERMON X. THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. 1 COR. xiii. 1. 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. PRACTICAL righteousness is summed up by our blessed Lord under two commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." These two commandments (on which "hang all the law and the prophets") are indeed not only alike, but almost identical, and in practice at least inseparably united. Hence they are both comprised in the language of the New Testament under one common title, Charity or Love. It is however more of love to our neighbour that St. Paul is speaking, in that memorable chapter from |