graceandLove beyondgifts. thing, yea,faith the Apofile in this 13 Chap.and .8 verf. Love ( or Charity) never fails ,'but it continues, it is that garment that never waxethold, but Gifts do,and are foon thred-bare: Though thefe Gifts are fine fweet flowers,yet therewithal the Mower fillethnot his hand;a gracious heart canot be fatisfied with Gifts alone,Gifts alone arenot able to fatisfie,Love and Grace doth. But wherein cloth Love work beyond Gifts ? faith the Apollle here, I'le tell you,c.r 3.v.4. Love is not eafily provokAbetter read thus,Love isflow to anger,Parts and Gifts are not fo ; But a man may be flow to anger and yet not kind and bountiful: true,but Love is kind,or bountiful,as the word bears it,Gifts are not fo, (the Apoftle °fpeaks of the effeas of Love in oppofition to Parts and Gifts all along, ) Love (faith he) is flow to anger, and is kindor bountiful : I but though a man be kind or bountiful, yet notwithftanding he may envy at the good of others,true,ifhehaveParts and Gifts onlv;but Love,trueLove,that envies not: I but though a man do not en- vyat the good ofothers,yet he may not confider the wants of others ; true, but Love will,for in the next words, eharity,or Love vaunteth not, fo you read it,but according to the Greek rather,Love is not light,or inconfiderate,but confiders &weigh- eth al things:I but though you do al this,yet notwithftanding a man may be proud when he hath don,true,ifhe have Gifts alone ; but Love is not Puffed up, is not fwel'd, or blown, and fill'd with wind,as the bellows are, at the 5 .verflaith he,Love doth not- behave itfelfunfeemly : This may be underftood two wayes,faith Peter Martyr, Love wil do no unfeemly thing; or Love counts nothing unfeemly for the perfon loved: Our Sa- viour Chrift wafhed his Difeiples feet; orie would think It an unfeemly thing for the Lord &Mailer to do this for the fer- vants,but he loved them,&Love counts nothing unfeemly for the perfon loved. yuda4 comes and betrays his Mailer with a kifs,this was an unfeemly thing; 7udad had Parts &Gifts,but he had not Love,and therfore he did anunfeemly thing:Love doth not behave it felf unfeemly, that is, it cloth no unfeemly thing, and yet counts nothing unfeemly for the perfon loved. Itfeelqnot her own, in the next words,but the good of the per- fon
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=