Though perfect eloquence adorned my sweet persuading tongue, Though I could speak in higher strains than ever angel sung; | Though prophecy my soul inspired, and made all myst’ries plain: Yet, were I void of Christian love, these gifts were all in vain. | Nay, though my faith with boundless pow’r ev’n mountains could remove I still am nothing, if I’m void of charity and love. | Although with lib’ral hand I gave my goods the poor to feed, Nay, gave my body to the flames, still fruitless were the deed. | Love suffers long; love envies not; but love is ever kind; She never boasteth of herself, nor proudly lifts the mind. | Love harbours no suspicious thought, is patient to the bad; Grieved when she hears of sins and crimes, and in the truth is glad. | Love no unseemly carriage shows, nor selfishly confined; She glows with social tenderness, and feels for all mankind. | Love beareth much, much she believes, and still she hopes the best; Love meekly suffers many a wrong, though sore with hardship pressed. | Love still shall hold an endless reign in earth and heav’n above, When tongues shall cease, and prophets fail, and ev’ry gift but love. | Here all our gifts imperfect are; but better days draw nigh, When perfect light shall pour its rays, and all those shadows fly. | Like children here we speak and think, amused with childish toys; But when our pow’rs their manhood reach, we’ll scorn our present joys. | Now dark and dim, as through a glass, are God and truth beheld; Then shall we see as face to face, and God shall be unvailed. | Faith, Hope, and Love, now dwell on earth, and earth by them is blest; But Faith and Hope must yield to Love, of all the graces best. | 143 Hope shall to full fruition rise, and Faith be sight above: These are the means, but this the end; for saints for ever love. | |