Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

⁸ What then does it profit us to learn? “That I am meek,” says He, “and lowly in heart.” He engrafts charity, and that most genuine charity, without confusion, without inflation, without elation, without deceit; this does He engraft, who says, “Learn of Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart.” How can one proud and puffed up have any genuine charity? He must needs be envious. And perhaps one who is envious, loves, and we are mistaken? God forbid that any one should be so mistaken, as to say that an envious man has charity. And so what says the Apostle? “Charity envies not.” Why does it not envy? “It is not puffed up;” he immediately annexed the cause for which he took away envying from charity. Because it is not puffed up, it envies not. It is true, he said first, “Charity envies not;” but as though you asked, “Why does it not envy?” he added, It is not puffed up. If then it envies because it is puffed up; if it be not puffed up, it envies not. If charity is not puffed up, and therefore envies not; then does He engraft charity who says, “Learn of Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart.”