True Christian Love or Christian Charity
James Dodson
“Wilt thou say mass in my ear?”—Jenny Geddes displays Christian charity on behalf of the congregation of God’s people.
TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE OR CHRISTIAN CHARITY HOMEPAGE.
“Love...will dispose our hearts to submission to the will of God, for we are more willing that the will of those we love should be done, than of others....Love will dispose to contentment in the spheres in which God hath placed us, without coveting any things that our neighbor possesses, or envying him on account of any good thing that he has. It will dispose men to meekness and gentleness in their carriage toward their neighbors, and not to treat them with passion, or violence, or heat of spirit, but with moderation, and calmness, and kindness. It will check and restrain everything like a bitter spirit; for love has no bitterness in it, but is a gentle and sweet disposition and affection of the soul.”—Jonathan Edwards, Charity and its Fruits.([1738] 1851).
WORKS ON TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE OR CHRISTIAN CHARITY:
The Case of the Poor Considered, and Charity to Them Recommended.-1800-John Reid II.-This is a 1800 sermon by John Reid that challenges societal judgments about wealth and poverty, arguing that God has chosen the poor of this world to be “rich in faith” and heirs of His kingdom. Reid explains that temporal poverty serves divine purposes: it displays God's sovereignty, detaches believers from worldly attachments, teaches contentment, and exposes the folly of trusting in riches. He defines being “rich in faith” as possessing the precious treasure of spiritual grace, realizing promised blessings, finding satisfaction in God rather than material wealth, and ultimately inheriting eternal life. The sermon concludes with practical applications: urging charitable giving to the poor, encouraging patience in suffering, and emphasizing that faith—not worldly status—is what determines one's eternal inheritance.
The Law of Love.-1873-David Steele.-In this article, Mr. Steele rescues the Christian concept of love from being dissolved into sentimentality. He also defends the doctrine of good and necessary consequence and its use in framing the faith and practice of the Protestant church.
