Christ forgave you, so also do ye; and, above all these things, put on 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."

CHARITY.

AGAPE, A NEW WORD ITS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS -ITS PRACTICAL

SPHERE HINDRANCES TO THIS LOVE THE METHODS FOR ITS

DEVELOPMENT.

N

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS.

Lexicographers confirm what Trench says as to the peculiarly scriptural use of this word. A few examples will suffice. Αγάπη. "This word occurs only in the Bible and in Christian writers." (Rost und Palm.) The verb ayaлáw, frequent in classic writers, differs from φιλεῖν as implying regard or affection rather than passion, and is rarely used of sexual love." (Liddell and Scott.) Xenophon in his "Memorabilia" makes Socrates advise Aristarchus upon the treatment of poor relatives: "If you take them under your direction, so that they may be mployed, you will love them, when you see that they are serviceable to you, and they will grow attached to you, when they find that you feel satisfaction in their society.' (Mem. 2, 7, 9.) When Aristarchus had given to his female relations honourable and becoming employments in his household, Xenophon adds, They loved Aristarchus as their protector, and he loved them as being of use to him." (Mem. 2, 12.) This chaste affection or mutual regard as distinguished from a merely amorous or dishonourable attachment, was expressed by the verb ayaráw; but there was no corresponding substantive in classic Greek.

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CHARITY.

And to brotherly kindness CHARITY.--2 PETER i. 7.

AND what is charity? Not almsgiving merely, nor benefactions to objects of public utility, however frequent and liberal; for "though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Shall we, then, take charity in the broader sense of love? This is warranted by old English usage, and in substituting the word charity in this verse for the word love found in the older versions, no doubt our translators meant to convey by it the same idea. Charity means primarily dearness, as denoting the high price or value of an object;1 and hence the

1 Caritas annona, dearness of provisions, is a frequent expression in Latin authors. The high price of fruit, grain, wine, oil, etc., is expressed by caritas.

word denotes metaphorically a high regard or esteem for any one, -a love produced by a sense of value or a principle of esteem. Milton speaks of the natural affections between members of the same family as charities. The idea of kindness to the poor, which common usage has attached to the word, is but a secondary meaning. It stands in the text as the representative of a wider thought; add to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

But love has so many forms and applications, that this also needs to be defined, in order that we may get at its precise signification as a Christian grace. The love here enjoined differs from that brotherly love already expounded, since this must be added to that; and for the same reason it must differ from that love toward God which godliness implies, and that love to Christ which faith implies. It is an affection definite in its nature and specific in its object, to be added to all the rest. Rightly to comprehend it, we must study the Christian interpretation of those duties between man and man which are comprised in the second table of the law.

Christ summed up the law in two commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great