Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
Yes, he says, I show you a more excellent way to be really great; a
way by which the poorest may be as great as the richest,--the simple
cottager's wife as great as the most accomplished lady; and that is
charity, which comes from the Spirit of God. Pray for that--try
after that; and if you want to know what sort of a spirit it is that
you are to pray for and try after, I will tell you. Charity is the
very opposite of the selfish, covetous, ambitious, proud, grudging
spirit of this world. Charity suffers long, and is kind: charity
does not envy: charity does not boast, is not puffed up: does not
behave itself unseemly; that is, is never rude, or overbearing, or
careless about hurting people's feelings by hard words or looks:
seeketh not its own; that is, is not always looking on its own
rights, and thinking about itself, and trying to help itself; is not
easily provoked: thinketh no evil, that is, is not suspicious,
ready to make out the worst case against every one; rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; that is, is not glad, as too
many are, to see people do wrong, and to laugh and sneer over their
failings: but rejoiceth in the truth, tries to find out the truth
about every one, and judge them honestly, and make fair allowances
for them: covereth all things; that is, tries to hide a neighbour's
sins as far as is right, instead of gossiping over them, and
blazoning them up and down, as too many do: believeth all things;
that is, gives every one credit for meaning well as long as it can:
hopeth all things; that is, never gives any one up as past mending:
endureth all things, keeps its temper, and keeps its tongue; not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but, on the
contrary, blessing; and so overcomes evil with good.
In one word, while the spirit of the world thinks of itself, and
helps itself, Charity, which is the Spirit of God, thinks of other
people, and helps other people. And now:--to be always thinking of
other people's feelings, and always caring for other people's
comfort, what is that but the mark, and the only mark, of a true
gentleman, and a true lady? There is none other, my friends, and
there never will be. But the poorest man or woman can do that; the
poorest man or woman can be courteous and tender, careful not to
pain people, ready and willing to help every one to the best of
their power; and therefore, the poorest man or woman can be a true
gentleman or a true lady in the sight of God, by the inspiration of
the Spirit of God, whose name is Charity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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