THE CANDOR OF LOVE. 191 what is said to its disadvantage! So love is exhibited in the man who believeth all things which are related to the advantage of others. 430. The strongest proof of love in the exercise of belief, is, when it leads us to believe all good reports of an enemy or a rival. Many persons can believe nothing good, but everything bad, of those whom they consider in this light. 431. Prejudice has neither eyes nor ears for good; but is all eye and ear for evil. Its influence on the judgment is prodigious. "Charity hopeth all things." 432. Hope has reference here to the good which is reported to exist in our neighbors. In a report of a doubtful matter, where the evidence is apparently against an individual, love will still hope that something may yet turn up to his advantage; it will not give full credit to present appearances, however indicative they may seem to be of evil, but hope, even against hope, for the best. If the action itself cannot be defended, then love will hope that the motive was not bad; that ignorance, not malice, was the cause of the transaction. Love does not speedily abandon an offender in despondency; does not immediately give him up as incorrigible, nor soon cease to employ the means necessary for his reformation; but is willing to expect that he may yet repent and improve, however discouraging present appearances may be. 433. As reasons for believing and hoping all things for the best, we should, first, consider how common is slander, detraction, and tale-bearing, and not be hasty, therefore, in forming an opinion. We know that every case has two aspects; and we know the folly of deciding till we have heard both sides. Secondly, we are in danger of being misled in our opinion of our neighbor's conduct, by the mischievous propensity of many persons to exaggerate everything they relate. 420. To what vices is the candor of love opposed? 424. In what consists the criminality of detraction? 425. How does the crime of censoriousness differ from those now described? 426. Are we to suppose that all inspection and condemnation of the conduct of others is sin; that all reproof of offenders is a violation of the law of charity? 427. In opposition to slander, detraction, and censoriousness, what is the influence of love upon us in view of the conduct of others? 428. To what evils, then, have we shown love to be opposed? 429. What things are referred to in the proposition-"Charity believeth all things?" 430. Where is seen the strongest proof and power of love, in this mode of its operation? 431. What is the nature and effect of prejudice? 432. To what does the hope spoken of above, refer, and what has love to do with it? 433. What reasons are there, which make it wise, as well as kind, to believe and hope all things for the best? SECTION X.-THE SELF-DENIAL OF LOVE. 434. Love is patient and self-denying in pursuing its design to relieve the wants, assuage the sorrows, reform the vices, and allay the animosities of those whose good it seeks. To do good, it will bear with the infirmities of the meanest, or will brave the scorn and fury of the mightiest. 435. The difficulties, the discouragements, the provocations, which love has to bear, and which it can resist, are the following:: (1.) Sacrifices of ease, of time, of feeling, and of property must all be endured. If we would promote the happiness of our fellow-creatures, it must be by parting with something or other that is dear to us. If we would lay aside revenge when they have injured us, and exercise forgiveness, we must often mortify our own feelings. If we would reconcile the differences of those who are at variance, we must give up our time, and sometimes our comfort. If we would assuage their griefs, we must expend our property. If we would reform their wickedness, we must part with our ease. If we would, in short, do good of any kind, we must be willing to deny ourselves, and bear labor of body, and pain of mind. And love is willing to do this; it braces itself for labor, arms itself for conflict, prepares itself for suffering; it looks difficulties in the face, counts the cost, and heroically exclaims, "None of these things move me, so that I may diminish the evils, and promote the happiness of others." THE SELF-DENIAL OF LOVE. 193 (2.) Misconstruction is another thing that love endures. Love goes about doing good, notwithstanding the ignorant or the malignant perversion of its motives and actions on the part of its enemies. (3.) Envy is another of the evils which love endures without being turned aside by it. To be good, and to do good, are alike the objects of envy with some persons. (4.) Ingratitude is often the hard usage which love has to sustain, and which it patiently endures. Many persons do not know their benefactors, many more will not acknowledge them, and others will not reward them even with the cheap offering of thanks. These things are enough to make us sick of the world; yes, but ought not to make us weary of trying to mend it; for the more ungrateful it is, the more it needs our benevolence. (5.) Derision is often employed to oppose the efforts of love by all the artillery of scorn, especially when love is directed to the advancement of religion and morality. (6.) Want of success, that most discouraging consideration to activity, is not sufficient to drive it from the field; but, in the expectation of the future harvest, it continues to plough and to sow in hope. 436. As instances in which the self-denial of love has been beautifully exhibited, we may contemplate the labors and sufferings of Clarkson in the endeavor to abolish the slave-trade; those of the apostle Paul in propagating the gospel, as recorded in 2 Cor. xi.; but above all, the labors and sufferings of the living personification of love, the Son of God, in accomplishing the work of man's redemption. These are the models that we should ever endeavor to copy. [This chapter has been drawn from John A. James's work on Christian Charity, to which reference may be made for a more full discussion of the topics embraced in it.] 434. What is implied in the self-denial of love? 435. What are the difficulties, discouragements, and provocations, that love must encounter? 436, What instances may be mentioned, in which the self-denial of love has been conspicuously and beautifully exhibited ? I CHAPTER III. LOVE TO MAN VIEWED UNDER CERTAIN GENERAL RELATIONS. 437. MAN may be considered in two points of view: as possessed of a body, which is susceptible of agreeable or disagreeable sensations; and, as endued with a mind, which is capable of endless improvement in knowledge and virtue, and which is destined to an endless existence. In both these respects, love will exert its powers in meliorating the condition, and promoting the enjoyments of mankind. I. Love to our Fellow-men, considered as Sensitive Beings. 438. Man, in regard to his corporeal system, is subject to various sufferings and wants. (1.) He stands in need of food, raiment, comfortable lodging and accommodations, light to cheer, and enable him to prosecute his employments, pure atmospheric air to invigorate his animal system, and water to cleanse and refresh him. (2.) He is exposed to corporeal weakness, and to mental imbecility; to pain and disease; to the loss of one or more of the senses; to the decrepitude of old age. (3.) He is also exposed to the afflictions occasioned by the loss of friends and relatives; to dejection of mind, to remorse of conscience, to doubt, despondency, and despair; to anxieties, vexations, and troubles of various kinds. 439. Love will endeavor to supply these wants, and to assuage and relieve these sorrows. In this respect, every one, however low his situation in life, however limited the range of his knowledge, and however contracted the sphere of his influence may be, has it in his power, in a greater or less degree, to communicate blessings to his brethren of mankind. 440. He can visit the sick bed of an afflicted neighbor; he can supply a cup of cold water to his parched tongue; he can wipe the sweat from his forehead; he can smooth his pillow; he can turn him round on his bed of languish LOVE TO MEN AS SENSITIVE BEINGS. 195 ing, that he may enjoy a more comfortable repose; and he can cheer him by those expressions of tenderness and affection, which have a tendency above all other acts of kindness to revive the downcast spirit. 441. He can assist his neighbor by his strength or by his skill, by his counsel and advice, and by taking a lively interest in his concerns. He can promote his joy by rejoicing in his prosperity and success; by assisting him in his employment; by rescuing him from danger; by forgiving the injuries he may have inflicted, and by listening with patience and complacence to his sentiments, complaints, or grievances. The Widow's Light-house. The island of Rona is a small and very rocky spot of land, lying between the isle Syke and the main land of Applecross, and it is well known to mariners by the rugged and dangerous nature of its coast. There is a famous place of refuge in its southwestern extremity, called the 66 Muckle Harbor," of very difficult access, however, which, strange to say, is easier entered by night than during the day. At the extremity of this hyperborean solitude is the residence of a poor widow, whose lonely cottage is called the light-house, from the fact that she uniformly keeps her lamp burning in her little window at night. By keeping this light, and the entrance of the harbor open, a strange vessel may enter with the greatest safety. During the silent watches of the night, the widow may be seen, like Norma of the Fitful Head, trimming her little lamp with oil, fearful that some frail bark may perish through her neglect; and for this she receives no manner of remuneration; it is pure and unmingled philanthropy. The poor woman's kindness does not even rest here, for she is unhappy until the benumbed and shivering mariner comes ashore to share her little board, and recruit himself at her glowing and cheerful fire, and she can seldom be prevailed upon to accept any reward. She has saved more lives than Davy's lamp, and thousands of pounds to the underwriters. The poor creature, in her younger days, witnessed her husband struggling with, and swallowed up by the billows, "In sight of home and friends that thronged to save." |