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Here our apostle begins a comparison between gifts and graces, and shows how much more excellent and desirable the saving graces of the Spirit are, than all those pompous and miraculous gifts, in which there is no real excellency, and nothing for which we should desire them, but only upon the score of usefulness and serviceableness to the church.
And he instances first in the gifts of tongues: Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels; that is, though I had the gift of tongues, or speaking divers languages in the highest measure and most exalted degree; could I preach and pray like an angel, discourse and talk beyond the rate of any mortal man, and have not the grace of love and charity; alas! what is all this to God, who is not taken with a noisy sound, as children are with a musical instrument!
Behold here, that the tongues of men or angels could have said nothing more plain or emphatical, to show how much more excellent the saving graces of the Spirit are than miraculous gifts, which commend us not to God, render us not like God, nor any ways qualify us for the enjoyment of him, giving him no intrinsic worth, or inherent excellency. They only proclaim God's goodness towards us, but are no ways evidential of any goodness in us towards him. Gifts are like the gold which adorns the temple, but grace is like the altar which sanctifies the gold.