hey are admitted, sometimes
give sourness to the temper, and bitterness to the behaviour.

Charity _vaunteth not itself_--+ou perpereuetai+; it is not rash or over
hasty; it is not overbearing, positive, and peremptory, in language or
manner; _is not puffed up_--+ou physioutai+; is not inflated with an
opinion of its own worth or consequence; and, that being the case, it
doth not behave itself unseemly--+ouk aschemonei+; it does not treat
other men with disdain and superciliousness.

Charity _seeketh not her own_--+ou zetei ta heautes+--that is, she is not
_selfish_. Charity neglects not altogether her own concerns, or her own
interests, but does not attend to them exclusively; does not _so_ attend
to them, as to be unmindful of, or inattentive to, the interests and
welfare of others.

Charity is not easily provoked--+ou paroxynetai+. Nothing more
disturbs the peace and comfort of society than the being easily
provoked. When a man is touchy and waspish, he is always looking out
for, and catching at, occasions of offence.

Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; it does
not take pleasure in hearing of misdoings and evil conduct, but
delights in accounts of praiseworthy actions, and in the spread of sound
religious principles.

Charity _beareth all things, believeth all thing, hopeth all things,
endureth all things_; +panta stegei, panta pisteuei, panta elpizei, panta
hypomenei+.

I will not, my dear nephew, lengthen a long letter, by endeavouring to
point out the precise meaning of these expressions. You may understand
from them, that charity is patient of ill-usage; that instead of being
suspicious and disposed to cavil and carp at every thing, it is open and
ingenuous, ready to give men credit for speaking the truth, when there
is no good reason to think otherwise; and that it is disposed to hope
the best, to think as favourably as it can of those with whom it comes
in contact; and if it cannot actually think well of them at present, to
_hope_ for their amendment and reformation.

I think you will agree with me, that a man influenced by this spirit
would be an acceptable man in society, and that the best practical
Christian would be the best gentleman[26:1].

I remain,
Your affectionate Uncle.

FOOTNOTES:

[14:1] Prov. x. 7.

[20:1] See Numbers 72, 74, and 98, of the Rambler.

[22:1] See Village Sermons.

[26:1] See Jones's Letters from a Tutor to his Pupils.

LETT