But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:

All they that hate me love death.-Prov. viii. 32-36.

XXV. Christian charity or love is absolutely necessary.

*

Covet earnestly the best gifts:† and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.

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. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.-1 Cor. xii. 31, and xiii. 1-3.

The gifts mentioned in
The word in the

*Desire earnestly. the 28th and 29th verses. original means properly, love, as it is in many other places translated. ? A trumpet made of brass.A. Clarke.

XXVI. The excellence of Christian charity or love.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth* not itself, is not

*Boasteth.

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.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; § whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.-1 Cor. xiii. 4-8.

* With rudeness and roughness. + Is ready to believe the best of every one. + Suffereth persecution and trials calmly. ? Literally, "shall cease to be exercised."

XXVII. Christ taking the nature of man.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.* Wherefore in all things it behoved † him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour || them that are tempted.Heb. ii. 16-18.

*He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold, Margin. + It was proper 2 Atonement. || Help.

for.

+ Relating.

XXVIII. As Christ is our High Priest, we must be stedfast and prayerful.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,* that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. -Heb. iv. 14-16.

*See Heb. x. 19-22.

XXIX. The promise and oath of God. Men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability *of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail:§ whither the forerunner

* Unchangeableness. + His promise and his oath. The object of hope, Christ. See Numb. XXXV. 11-15. The vail was the most holy place in the temple, and hence a figure of heaven.

is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.* -Heb. vi. 17-20.

*See Heb. vii.

XXX. The reward of the righteous and the wicked.

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him:

For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: For the reward of his hands shall be given him. ---Isa. iii. 10, 11.

XXXI. No peace for the wicked.

The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest,

Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. -Isa. lvii. 20, 21.

XXXII. Prayer for Scripture teaching. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end.

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments;

For therein do I delight.-Psa. cxix. 33—35.

XXXIII. Abstain from fleshly lusts. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.— 1 Pet. ii. 11, 12.

* Your course of conduct fair and honourable. + Or, wherein, Margin. When the gospel is preached, and salvation offered.-Doddridge.

XXXIV. God's word preserves from sin. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

That I might not sin against thee.-Psa. cxix. 9-11.

XXXV. The value of the Scriptures in affliction.
Before I was afflicted I went astray:

But now have I kept thy word. ***
It is good for me that I have been afflicted;
That I might learn thy statutes.

The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.-Psa. cxix. 67, 71, 72.