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XX. LOVE OR CHARITY.

BENEVO

LENCE OR DOING GOOD.
PITY. SYMPATHY. MERCY.
PEACE.

LOVE OR CHARITY. Commands to-Characteristics of— Arguments by which enforced-Peculiar excellence of. BENEVOLENCE OR DOING GOOD. The duty-Incitements to it-Advantages.

PITY. To be shewn to the distressed and friendless— God repays kindness done to them.

SYMPATHY. Duty of-To be fulfilled by self-denying

actions.

MERCY. Christ blesses the merciful--They imitate God, honor him, and fulfil his requirement―This Duty extends to animals.

PEACE. Duty and happiness of peacemakers.

1. What is our duty to our neighbours?

Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people: but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. I am the Lord. (19 Lev, 18. and 22 Mt. 39, &c.) 2. Does love fulfil the law to our fellow creatures?

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.-Love worketh no ill to his neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (13 Rom. 8, 10.)

By love serve one another, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (5 Gal. 13, 14.)

3. How does St. Peter enforce this duty?

Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise, blessing. (I. Pet. 3. 8, 9.)

4. How must our love be proved?

See that ye love one another with a pure heart, fervently. (I. Pet. 1. 22.)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed, and in truth. (I. Jn. 3. 18.)

Let love be without dissimulation.-Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, in honor, preferring one another. (12 Rom.9,10.)

5. Must we abound in love?

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ. (1 Phi. 9, 10.)

The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you. (I. Thess. 3, 12.)

6. Does the character of God encourage love?

God is love: and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. (I. Jn. 4. 16.)

7. In what endearing manner does Christ recommend love?

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (13 Jn. 34, 35.)

8. How does St. Paul recommend love and other Christian graces to the Colossians?

Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, bumbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put ou charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (3 Col. 12, 13, 14, 15.)

9. Does Christ command us to love our enemies? * Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. (5 Mt. 44.)

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10. How does St. James speak of this duty?

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. (2 Jas. 8.)

11. Must charity be always in exercise?

Let all your things be done with charity. (I. Cor. 16. 14.)

12. Will charity or love induce us to overlook what might otherwise offend us?

Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (I. Pet. 4. 8.)

13. What is that beautiful summary of Christian love which the Apostle gives to the Corinthians?

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity 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. Charity never faileth.-And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of them is charity. Follow after charity. (I. Cor. 13. 4 to 8, 13. and 14 chap. 1 verse.)

14. What is that important general law which should govern every social relation?

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets. (7 Mt. 12.)

15. What command did God give to the Jews as to the poor?

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates, in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him.-For the poor shall never cease out of the land. (15 Deut. 7, 8, 10, 11.)

16. What claim does God make on our property? Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. (3 Pr. 9.)

17. Will God bless the benevolent?

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. (11 Prov. 24, 25.)

18. How does Christ exhort to good works?

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. (5 Mt. 16.)

19. What was Christ's employment on earth?

Who went about doing good. (10 Acts 38.)

20. Has Christ left the poor to receive our benevolence as his representatives?

Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good, but me ye have not always. (14 Mr. 7.) 21. What description does St. James give of pure religion?

Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (1 Jas. 27.)

22. Can the love of God dwell in an uncharitable heart?

Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (I. Jn. 3. 17.)

23. Of what was Titus commanded to put his hearers in mind?

To be ready to every good work; to speak evil of no man; to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. (3 Tit. 1, 2.)

24. Are we required to stimulate each other to benevolence?

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. (10 Heb. 24.)

25. How did Christ contrast the poor widow's gift of two mites, with the large offerings of the

rich?

Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in of their abundance: but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. (12 Mr. 43, 44.) 26. When St. Paul had laboured with his own hands for his companions, as well as himself, how did he enforce this example on the Ephesians? I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (20 Ac. 35.)

27. Is the grace of Christ, the great incentive to benevolence?

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (II. Cor. 8, 9.)

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