Love thinks no evil
Love prevents a thousand provocations which would otherwise arise, because it thinks no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5). Indeed the merciful person cannot avoid knowing many things that are evil. He cannot but see them with his own eyes and hear them with his own ears. For love does not put out his eyes, so that it is impossible for him not to see that such things are done. Neither does it take away his understanding, any more than his senses, so that he cannot but know that they are evil. For instance, when he sees a man strike his neighbor, or hears him blaspheme God, he cannot either question the thing done or the words spoken, or doubt that they are evil. Yet the word "thinks" does not refer either to our seeing and hearing, or to the first and involuntary acts of our understanding, but to our willingly thinking what we need not think, our inferring evil where it does not appear, our reasoning about things which we do not see, our supposing what we have neither seen nor heard. This is what true love absolutely destroys. It tears up, root and branch, all imagining of what we have not known. It casts out all jealousies, all evil suspicions, all readiness to believe evil. It is frank, open, unsuspicious, and as it cannot design evil, so neither does it fear it.
1771 text
11. Love prevents a thousand provocations which would otherwise arise, because it thinketh no evil. Indeed the merciful man cannot avoid knowing many things that are evil, he cannot but see them with his own eyes, and hear them with his own ears. For love does not put out his eyes, so that it is impossible for him, not to see that such things are done. Neither does it take away his understanding, any more than his senses, so that he cannot but know that they are evil. For instance: when he sees a man strike his neighbour, or hears him blaspheme God, he cannot either question the thing done or the words spoken, or doubt of their being evil. Yet οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν· The word λογίζεται (thinketh) does not refer, either to our seeing and hearing, or to the first and involuntary acts of our understanding: but to our willingly thinking what we need not: our inferring evil, where it does not appear: to our reasoning concerning things which we do not see; our supposing what we have neither seen nor heard. This is what true love absolutely destroys. It tears up, root and branch, all imagining what we have not known. It casts out all jealousies, all evil surmisings, all readiness to believe evil. It is frank, open, unsuspicious; and as it cannot design, so neither does it fear evil.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 22 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 5:5-7.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.