b

the Psalmist. "God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ" saith S. Paul,a "our Hope." Yea, there is a deeper, nearer depth. "The Glory of the Mystery of the Gospel," says S. Paul, " is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory." Christ Himself is our Hope, as the only Author of it; Christ is our Hope, as the End of it; and Christ, Who is the Beginning and the End, is our hope also by the way; for he saith, "Christ in you, the Hope of Glory." Each yearning of our hearts, each ray of hope which gleams upon us, each touch which thrills through us, each voice which whispers in our inmost hearts of the good things laid up in store for us, if we will love God, are the Light of Christ enlightening us, the Touch of Christ raising us to new life, the Voice of Christ, "Whoso cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out;" it is "Christ in us, the Hope of Glory," drawing us up by His Spirit Who dwelleth in us, unto Himself, our Hope. For our Hope is not the glory of Heaven, not joy, not peace, not rest from labour, not fulness of our wishes, nor sweet contentment of the whole soul, not understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge, not only a torrent of delight; it is "Christ our God," "the Hope of Glory." Nothing which God could create is what we hope for; nothing which God could give us out of Himself, no created glory, or bliss, or beauty, or majesty, or riches. What we hope for is our Re

but Thee, and there is none upon earth that I would desire in comparison of Thee. My flesh and my heart fainteth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."" S. Bern. Ib. n. 8.

a 1 Tim. i. 1.

b Col. i. 27.

deeming God Himself, His Love, His Bliss, the Joy of our own Lord, Himself Who hath so loved us, to be our Joy and our Portion for ever.

Oh will ye not then say with me, brethren, once for all, "Farewell all vain hopes and desires out of God;" "Whom have I in Heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee." "Thou Thyself art my Hope and my Portion in the land of the living." not be disappointed of my Hope."

"In Thee I shall

SERMON III.

LOVE.

1 COR. xiii. 13.

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is Charity."

"CHARITY," as Holy Scripture speaks of it, "is the love of God for Himself above all things, and of man for God and in God." It shows itself in outward acts of love to man, or, where it may be, in labour for God. But these are only outward forms, wherein the inward life puts itself forth. These shall cease in the world to come, (for where there is no misery, there is no room for works of mercy, nor for labour, where all is everlasting rest), but "Charity never faileth." It is itself deep within, in the heart, ever there, even when not called to act, like hot glowing coals, which dart forth in a quick consuming flame,

a S. Laur. Justin. de charitate c. 1. He adds, "Or Love is life uniting the beloved with the Beloved," also "Love is a virtue whereby we long to see and enjoy God."

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when fuel is laid upon them, but their deep, pure, white heat is within. Acts of love strengthen the inward fire of love; and love, which puts itself not forth in deeds of love, would go out, as fire without fuel; but they do not first light it. Love is the "fire," which our Blessed Lord "came to send upon the earth, and would that it should be kindled." He kindled it by His Own Death and Passion, heaping coals of fire upon our heads,” to melt us into love. He kindled it, by sending His Spirit into our hearts," a Spirit of burning" to burn out what was defiled, enlighten what was dark, make what was cold to glow, melt what was stone, purging away our dross and changing the dull ore into the fine gold. "Love is of God," and "God is Love." In God, Love is Himself, His Very Substance, the very bond of unity of the Co-Equal Trinity." For "God is Love." In Angels and man, Love is the Gift of God, given to man by Him Who is the Gift of God, "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Who is

"For what in that Supreme and Blessed Trinity, maintaineth that supreme and ineffable unity, but love? Love then is a law, a law of the soul, which in a manner holdeth the Trinity in Unity and bindeth It together in the Bond of peace. But let no one think that I here speak of love as a quality or accident. Else (God forbid) I should say that there is in God something which is not God. But I speak of that Divine Substance. And this is nothing new or unwonted, since John saith, God is Love.' Rightly, then, is Love called both God and the Gift of God. So then Love giveth love; Substantial, the accidental. When Love means the Giver, it is the Name of Substance; when the gift, of a quality." S. Bern. Ep. xi. n. 4. See also S. Aug. Hom. 39. in Hom. 14. n. 9. p. 224. Hom.

S. Joann. n. 5. p. 537. Oxf. Tr. 18. n. 4. p. 277. "How much more must the Father, Who is God, and the Son Who is God, be, in the Fountain of Love, One God."

given to us." "Love giveth love." God Who is Love, giveth His Spirit Who is Love, to pour abroad love into our hearts.

Love then is the source and end of all good. "It alone," says a father, "distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil." Without it, nothing avails; with it, thou hast all things. If it were possible that, without it, thou couldest "have all faith, so as to move mountains," the Apostle says, thou wert "nothing." Judas cast out devils, we must suppose; but he was himself a devil. He was nothing, for he had not the life of God; he was but a blot in God's Creation. Without love, all knowledge of Divine things is ignorance; all eloquence, though it were the speech of Angels, "a tinkling cymbal," hollow and empty, for it is not filled by God. Without love, all gifts of a whole substance to the poor, all zeal for the honour of God, yea, to suffer death, if it were possible, for the Name of Jesus, would profit nothing. With love, the cup of cold water, given for Jesus' sake, or the two mites, are rich acceptable gifts, and the mute longing of the soul pleads eloquently for the conversion of sinners; and unlearned and ignorant men speak with the Spirit of Christ; and the weak things of the world overcome the mighty, and children trample on Satan, the prince of this world; and "things which are not, bring to nought things which are," since they are filled and strengthened and ensouled and empowered by Him Who Alone IS and is Love.

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'Love," says a holy man," " is the beginning of all good, because it is from God, and moves to Him. c S. Aug. a S. Laur. Just. 1. c. c. 2.