such a thing." Oh, it is very Divine. The devil can put on a garb of
light when it answers his purpose. Oh, the fair reputations that this
slime of the serpent has trailed over! Oh, the influence for good
that this venom of the devil has poisoned and ruined, for it has
been, truly said, "There is no virtue so white that back-wounding
calumny will not strike"--even in God's perfect man, those who are
watching and seeking to betray can find something on which to ground
their accusations.

I say, mind which Charity you have got True Charity, rejoiceth not
in iniquity. Are you conscious in your soul of a feeling of triumph
when anybody that you don't like happens to fall on some evil thing?
If you have, look out--the devil has got hold of you. Do you rejoice
in iniquity when it happens to an enemy? If so, woe be to you, unless
you get that venom out. God won't have it in Heaven. _One man with
that venom in him would damn Paradise_, "Love your enemies"--love
them; "bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye
may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven." Now, my
brother, my sister, try yourself. "We shall meet again, and you will
find that these are no imaginary vagaries that I have been talking
of; they are realities--though these great realities of our Christianity
are seldom preached in these days; but they are _here_, and there is no
truth in you if you have not got the Charity which hates evil as evil,
and which will reprove it, and root it out, and have it _cured_!"

Here, again, false Charity is the very antipodes of the Divine. It
does not care much about righteousness. Quietness is its beau ideal
of all that is lovely and excellent. It says, "Let us be quiet; you
must not disturb the peace of the church." It cries, "Peace, peace!"