EXPOSITORY LECTU RES O N ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. SER EMONS ON ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS: DELIVERED AT TRINITY CHAPEL, BRIGHTON BY THN LATE REV. F. W ROBERTSON, M.A., THE INC UMBENT. BOSTON: TICKNOR AND FIE L D S. I DCCC LXVIII. THE CONGREGATION WORSHItPPING IN TRINITY CHAPEL, BRIGHTON, FROMn AuGUST 15, 1847, TO AUGUST 15, 1853, THESE EXPOSITORY LECTURES, DELI VERED BY THEIR LATE PASTOR. ARE DEDI CATED. PREFACE. A FEW months after Mr. Robertson had entered on his ministry at Trinity Chapel, Brighton, he announced his intention of taking one of the Books of Scripture as the subject of Expository' Lectures for the Sunday afternoons. This form of address, he said, gave him greater freedom, both in subject and style, than that of the sermon, with its critical or historical division of some text arbitrarily taken as a prefix. He intended, therefore, to devote each Sunday morning to the sermon; and in the afternoon to go regularly through each chapter of the Book, selected, including in his exposition all the topics contained therein. On this plan he commenced with the First and Second Books of Samuel. In the exposition of these Books many subjects came under review which would not have found a place in an ordinary sermon. He was expounding Hebrew national life, and, incidentally, the experiences of particular individuals of that nation, - in all of which he discerned lessons for the English people, and for the men and women who sat before him. Thus it occurred that topics of national policy, so far as bearing on individuals, -questions of social life — of morals, as they are connected with every-day life, arose naturally, and were treated with unshrinking fhithfulness. The period (1848) was one of great political and social excitement, and these Lectures may V111 PREFACE. emphatically be said to have been " preaching tc the times." Some people were startled at the introduction of what they called "secular subjects" into the pulpit; but the Lecturer, in all his ministrations, refused to recognize the distinction so drawn. He said that the whole life of a Christian was sacred, - that common everyday duties, whether of a trade or a profession, or the minuter details of a woman's household life, were the arenas in which trial and temptation arose; and that, therefore, it became the Christian minister's duty to enter into this familiar working life with his people, and help them to understand its meaning, its trials, and its compensations. It were, perhaps, out of place here to say how greatly the congregation valued this mode of teaching, although it may be properly observed that it was at this period that his marvellous influence with the working classes commenced. Subsequently, Mr. Robertson selected the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Genesis, for his afternoon expositions; after which he commenced those Lectures on the Epistles to the Corinthians, of which this volume is but a very imperfect transcript. The Epistles to the Corinthians were selected by him, because they afforded the largest scope for the consideration of a great variety or questions in Christian casuistry, which he thought it important to be rightly understood. It will be seen that these Lectures were generally expository of the whole range of Christian principles. They are less a scheme of doctrine than Mlr. Robertson's view of St. Paul's ideas on all the subjects included in his Epistles to the Church at Col inth. PREFACE. ix They were the fruit of much study and preparation, and, from examination of his papers, it appears that Mr. Robertson prepared very full notes of all the leading divisions in most of these Lectures, while of the minor divisions, a single word was often all that was written down to guide his thought. Occasionally, at the request of some friends, he wrote his lecture out after its delivery; and these, with short-hand notes of others, taken by different people, and which have been carefully collated, with his own manuscript notes, have been the materials from which this volume has been arranged. It is, therefore, necessarily somewhat fragmentary in its character. Mr. Robertson's custom was to preach from forty to fifty minutes, with a clear, unbroken delivery, in which there was no hesitation, or tautology. Hence it will be evident, from the quantity of matter contained in each of these printed Lectures, that a considerable portion of the spoken Lecture has not been given: and this will explain the brevity of some of the discourses, and the apparent incompleteness with which many of the topics are treated. A few sermons on different texts in the Epistles to the Corinthians have already appeared in the three volumes of Mr. Robertson's Sermons; but it has been considered best to include them in this volume (although they did not form a part of this series), in order that the Lecturer's view of the Epistles might so be rendered more complete. Expositions of two chapters will be found to be omitted altogether; there are no notes of the Lectures on these chapters available for publicacation. After concluding these Lectures, Mr. Robertson preached one more Sunday afternoon, on the Parable X PREFACE. of the Barren Fig-tree, with a solemnity and an earnestness that now seem to have been prophetic. His voice was never afterwards heard from the pulpit of Trinity Chapel. J'ov. 15 1859. CONTENTS. LEOTU RE TEXT PAGR L- (LODIouToaxY)- - Acts xviii. 1... 1. - 1 Corinthians, i 1-3.. 17 IIL,, i. 4-13 21 IV.,, i. 13-22... 25 V.,, i. 23...... 29 VI,, iii. 110.... 82 VIL,, iii. 11-23..... 89 VIIL,, iv. 1-7.. 47 IX,, iv. 7-21.....55 X. -2 Corinthians, ii. 10, 11 63 XL — 1 Corinthians, v. 1-13.. 73 XIL.,, vi. 1-12.....81 XIII.,, vi. 12-20.....89 IV.,, vii. 1-22..... 97 XV.,, vii. 29 -1. 108 XVI.,, viii. 1-7. 120 XVII.,, viii. 8-18.....126 XVIII.,, ix........140 XIX. X. 147 XX.,, i. 1-17 155. XXI,, xi. 18-3 4.....161 xxIL,, xii. 1-31... 165 XXIII.,, xii. 81; xiii 1-8. 170 XXIV.,, xiii. 4-18.... 174 XXV.,, xiv. 1.. 183 XXVI.,, xiv. 2-40 192 XXVII.,, xv. 1-12.....201 XXVIII.,, xv. 13-20 213 XXIX.,, rxv. 21-34..221 XXX.,, xv. 35-45. 230 XXXI.,, xv. 46-58..237 XXXIL,, xvi. 1-9. 245 XXXIII.,, xvi. 10-24..253 [xi] Xii CONTENTS. LECTURE TEXT PAGN XXXIV. -2 Corinthians, i. 1-14.....260 XXXV.,, i. 15-22.... 267 XXXVI.,, i. 23, 24; ii. 1-5. 272 XXXVII.,, ii. 6-11.... 278 XXXVIII.,, ii. 12-17; iii. 1-3. 285 XXXIX.,, iii. 4-18... 292 XL.,, iv. 1-15... 299 XLI.,, iv. 16-18; v. 1-3. 807 XLII.,, v. 4-11.813 XLIII.,, v. 12-17... 820 XLIV.,, v. 14, 16. 327 XLV.,, v. 18-21... 339 XLVI.,, vL 1-10...845 XLVIL,, vi. 11-18. 851 XLVIIi., ii 1...858 XLIX.,, vii. 2-8.... 68 L.,, vii. 9, 10.870 LL,, vii. 11-16.... 877 LIL,, viii. 1-12.. 386 LIIL,, vii. 13-15... 8.94 LI.,, viii. 16-24; ix. 1-15.. 400 LV.,, x. 1-18.... 409 LVL. i 1-21....416 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. JUNE 1, 1851. ACTS, xviii. 1,. -" After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth." IT has been customary with us for more than three vears to devote our Sunday afternoons to the exposition throughout of some one Book of Scripture, and our plan has been to take alternately a Book of the Old and of the New Testament. I have selected for our present exposition the Epistles of the Corinthians, and this for several reasons- amongst others, for variety, our previous work having been entirely historical.* These Epistles are in a different tone altogether; they are eminently practical, rich in Christian casuistry. They contain the answers of an inspired Apostle to many questions which arise in Christian life. There is, too, another reason for this selection. The state of the Corinthian Church resembles, in a remrarkhible degree, the state of the Church of this Town, in the present day. There is the same complicated civilization, the religious quarrels and differences of sect are alike, the same questions agitate society, and the same distinctions of class exist now as then. For * The Book of Genesis. 1 2 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES the heart of Humanityv is the same in all times. The principles, therefore, which St. Paul applied to the Corinthian questions will apply to those of-this time. The Epistles to the Corinthians are a witness that Religion does not confine itself to the inward being of man alone, nor solely to the examination of orthodox opinions. No! Religion is Life, and right instruction in Religion is not the investigation of obsolete and curious doctrines, but the application of spiritual principles to those questions, and modes of action, which concern present existence, in the Market, the Shop, the Study, and the Street. Before we can understand these Epistles, it is plain that we must know to whom, and under what circumstances, they were written, how the writer himself was circumstanced, and how he had been prepared for such a work by previous discipline. We make, therefore, I. Preliminary inquiries respecting Corinth, viewed historically, socially, and morally. II. Respecting the Apostle Paul. I. Inquiry respecting Corinth. We all know that Corinth was a Greek city, but we must not confound the town to which St. Paul wrote with that ancient Corinth which is so celebrated, and with which we are so familiar in Grecian history. That Corinth had been destroyed nearly two centuries before the time of these Epistles, by the Consul Mummius, B. c.. 146. This new city, in which the Apostle labored, had been built upon the ruins of the old by Julius Caesar, not half a century before the Christian Church was formed there. And this rebuilding had taken place under very different circunistances- so different as to constitute a new population. Greece, in the time of the Roman dictators, had lost her vigor. She had become worn out, corrupt, and depopulated. There were not men enough to supply her armies It was necessary, therefore, if Corinth were to rise again, to people it with fresh inhabitants and to re-invigorate her constitution with new blood. TO THE CORINTHIANS. Thiswas done from Rome. Julius Caesar sent to his re-elected city freedmen of Rome, who themselves, or their parents, had been slaves. From this importation there arose at once one peculiar characteristic of the new population. It was Roman, not Greek; it was not aristocratic, but democratic; and it held within it all the vices as well as all the advantages of a democracy. Observe the peculiar bearing of this fact on the Epistles to the Corinthians. It was only in such a city as Corinth that those public meetings could have taken place, in which each one exercised his gifts without order; it was only in such a city that the turbulence, and the interruptions, and the brawls which we read of; and which were so eminently characteristic of a democratic society, could have existed. It was only in such a community that the parties could have been formed which marked the Christian Church there; where private judgment, independence, and general equality existed, out of which parties had to' struggle, by dint of force and vehemence, if they were to have any prominence at all. Thus there were in Corinth the advantages of a democracy; for instance, unshackled thought; but also its vices, when men sprang up crying, " I am of Paul, and I of Apollos." Again, the population was not only democratic, but commercial. This was necessitated by the site of Corinth. The neck of land which connects northern and southern Greece had two ports, Cenchreae on thle east, and Lechseum on the west, and Corinth lay between either seaboard. Thus all merchandise fronm north to south necessarily passed there, and all cormmerce from east to west flowed through it also, for the other way round the Capes Malea and Tsenarunl (Matapan), was both longer and more dangerous for heavily laden ships. Hence it was not by an imperial fiat but by natural circumstances, that Corinth became the emporium of trade. Once rebuilt, the tide of commerce, which had been forced in another direction, 4 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES surged naturally back again, and streamed, as of. old, across the bridge between Europe and Asia. And from this arose another feature of its society. its aristocracy was one not of birth, but of wealth. They were merchants not manufacturers. They had not the calm dignity of ancient lineage, nor the intellectual culture of a manufacturing population. For let us remember that manufactories muwst educate. A nanufacturer may not be a man of learning, but an educated man he must be, by the very necessity of his position. And his intelligence, contrivance, invention, and skill, which are being drawn out continually every hour, spread their influence through his work among the very lowest of his artizans. But, on the other hand, Trade does not necessarily need more than a clear head, a knowledge of accounts, and a certain clever sagacity. It becomes, too, a life of routine at last, which neither, necessarily, teaches one moral truth, nor, necessarily, enlarges the mind. And the danger of a mere trading existence is that it leaves the soul engaged not in producing, but in removing productions from one place to another; it buries the heart in the task of money-getting; and measuring the worthiness of manhood and of all things by what they severally are worth, too often worships Mammon instead of God. Such men were the rich merchants of Corinth. In addition to this adoration of gold, there were also all the demoralizing influences of a trading seaport. Men from all quarters of the globe met in the streets of Corinth, and on the quays of its two harbors. Now, one reason why a population is always demoralized by an influx of strangers continually going and coming is this; a nation shut up in itself may be very narrow, and have its own vices, but it will also have its own growth of native virtues; but when peoples mix, and men see the sanctities of their childhood dispensed with, and other sanctities, which they despise, substituted; when they see the principles of their own country ignored, and all that they have held venerable TO THE CORINTHIANS. made profane and common, the natural consequeri,, is that they begin to look upon the manners, religion, and sanctities of their own birth-place as prejudices. They do not get instead those reverences which belong to other countries. They lose their own holy ties and sanctions, and they obtain nothing in their place. And so men, when they mix together, corrupt each other; each contributes his own vices and his irreverence of the other's good, to destroy every standard of goodness, and each in the contact loses his own excellences. Exactly as our young English men and women on their return from foreign countries learn to sneer at the rigidity of English purity, yet never learn instead even that urbanity and hospitality which foreigners have as a kind of equivalent for the laxity of their morals. Retaining our own haughtiness and rudeness, and misanthropy, we graft, upon our natural vices, sins which are against the very grain of our own nature and temperament. Such as I have described it was the moral state of Corinth. The city was the hot-bed of the world's evil, in which every noxious plant, indigenous or transplanted, rapidly grew and flourished; where luxury and sensuality throve rankly, stimulated by the gambling spirit of commercial life, till Corinth, now in the Apostle's time, as in previous centuries, became a proverbial name for moral corruption. Another element in the city was the Greek population. To understand the nature of this we must make a distinction. I have already said that Greece was tainted to the core. Her ancient patriotism was gone. Her valor was no more. Her statesmen were no longer pure in policy as in eloquence. Her poets had died with her disgrace. She had but the remembrance of what had been. Foreign conquest had broken her spirit. Despair had settled on her energies. Loss of liberty had ended in loss of manhood. Her children felt the Roman Colossus bestriding their once beloved country. The last and most indispensable element of goodness had perished, for hope was 1* 6 LELCTURIES ON THE EPISTLES dead. They buried themselves in stagnancy. But remark that amid this universal degeneracy there were two classes. There were, first, the uncultivated and the poor, to whom the ancient glories of their land were yet dear, to whom the old religion was not merely hereditary, but true and living still; whose imagination still saw the solemn conclave of their ancient deities on Mount Olympus, and still heard Pan, and the Fauns, and the wood gods piping in the groves. Such were they who in Lystria came forth to meet Paul and Barnabas, and believed -them to be Jupiter and Mercury. With such, paganism was still tenaciously believed, just as in England now, the faith in witchcraft, spells, and the magical virtue of baptismal water, banished from the towns, survives and lingers among our rural population. At this period it was with that portion of heathenism alone, that Christianity came in contact, to meet a foe. Very different, however, was the state of the cultivated and the rich. They had lost their religion. Their civilization and their knowledge of the world had destroyed that; and that being lost, they retained no natural vent for the energies of the restless Greek character. Hence out of that high state of intellectual culture there arose-a craving for "Wisdom; " not the wisdom which Solomon spoke of, but wisdom in the sense of intellectual speculation. The energy which had found a safe outlet in War now wasted itself in the Amphitheatre. The enthusiasm which had been stimulated by the noble eloquence of patriotism now preyed on glittering rhetoric. They spent their days in tournaments of speeches, and exulted' in gladiatorial oratory. They would not even listen to a sermon from St. Paul, unless it were clothed in dazzling words and full of brilliant thought. They were in a state not uncommon now with fine intellects whose action is cramped. Religion, instead of being solid food for the soul,- had become an intellectual banquet. That was another difficulty with which Christianity had tc deal. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 7 The next thing we observe as influencing Corinthian society is, that it was the seat of a Roman provincial government. There was there a deputy, that is, a proconsul. i" Gallio was deputy of Achaia." Let it surprise no one if I say that this was an influence favorable to Christianity. The doctrine of Christ had not as yet come into direct antagonism with Heathenism. It is true that throughout the Acts we read of persecution coming from the Greeks, but at the same time we invariably find that it was the Jews who had " stirred up the Greeks." The persecution always arose first on the part of the Jews; and, indeed, until it became evident that in Christianity there was a Power before which all the principalities of evil, all tyranny and wrong, must perish, the Roman magistrates generally defended it, and interposed their authority between the Christians and their fierce enemies. A signal instance of this is related in this chapter. Gallio, the Roman proconsul, dismisses the charge brought against the Christians. " And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, 0 ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters." And his judgment was followed by a similar verdict from the people; for Sosthenes, the ringleader of the accusation, was beaten by the mob bef re the judgment seat. And " Gallio cared for none of these things," that is, he took no notice of them, he would not interfere; he was, perhaps, even glad that a kind of wild, irregular justice was administered to one who had been foremost in bringing an unjust charge. So that instead of Gallio being, as the commentators make him, a sort of type of religious lukewarmness, he is really a specimen of an upright Roman magistrate. But what principally concerns us in the story now is, that it is an example of the way in which the existence of the Roman Government at Corinth was, on the whole, an advantage for the spread of the Gospel. 8 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES The last element in this complex community was the Jews. Every city, Greek or Roman, at this time was rife with them. Then, as now, they had that national peculiarity which scatters them among all nations, while it prevents them from amalgamating with any, which makes them worshippers of Mammon, and yet withal, ready to suffer all things, and even to die for their faith. In their way they were religious; but it was a blind and bigoted adherence to the sensuous side of religion. They had almost ceased to believe in a living God, but they were strenuous believers in the virtue of ordinances. God to them only existed for the benefit of the Jewish nation. To them a Messiah must be a World-Prince. To them a new revelation could only be substantiated by marvels and miracles. To them it could have no self-evident spiritual light; and St. Paul, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, describes the difficulty which this tendency put in the way of the progress of the Gospel among them thu-: "' The Jews require a sign." II. Respecting the Apostle Paul. To this society, so constituted, so complex, so manifold, St. Paul came, assured that he was in possession of a truth which was adapted and addressed to all, " the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." Now, for this work he was peculiarly assisted and prepared. 1. By the fellowship of Aquila and Priscilla. We read that when he came to Corinth he found a certain Jew named Aquila, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome; and that he came to them. St. Paul had a peculiar gift from God, the power of doing without those solaces which ordinary men require. But we should greatly mistake that noble heart and rare nature, if we conceived of it as hard, stern, and incapable of tender human sympathies. Remem TO THE CORINTHIANS. 9 oer how, when anxious about these very Corinthians, "he felt no rest when he found not Titus his brother, at Troas." Recollect his gentle yearnings after the recovery of Epaphroditus. Such an one thrown alone upon a teeming, busy, commercial population, as he was at Corinth, would have felt crushed. Alone he had been left, for he had sent back his usual companions on several missions. His spirit had been pressed within him at Athens when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. But that was not so oppressive as the sight of human masses, crowding, hurrying, driving together, all engaged in the mere business of getting rich, or in the more degrading work of seeking mere sensual enjoyment. Nothing so depresses as that. In this crisis, Providential arrangements had prepared for him the assistance of Priscilla and Aquila. In their house he found a home: in their society, companionship. Altogether with them, he gained that refreshment for his spirit, without which it would have been perilous for him to have entered on his work in Corinth. 2. He was sustained by manual work. He wrought with his friends as a tent-maker. That was his " craft." For by the rabbinical law, all Jews were taught a trade. One rabbi had said, that he who did not teach his son a trade, instructed him to steal. Another had declared that the study of theelogy along with a trade was good for the soul, and without it a temptation from the devil. So, too, it was the custNm of the monastic institutions to compel every brother to work, not only for the purpose of supporting the monastery, but also to prevent the entrance of evil thoughts. A wise lesson! For in a life like that of Corinth, in gaiety, or the merely thoughtful existence, in that state of leisure to which so many minds are exposed, woe and trial to the spirit that has nothing for the hands to do! Misery to him or her who emancipates himself or herself from the universal law, L' In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread." Evil thoughts, despondency, sensual feelings, sin in every shape is before ilim, to beset and madden, often to ruin him. 10 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES 3. By the rich experience he had gained in Athens. There the Apostle had met the philosophers on their own ground. He had shown them that there was a want in Human Nature to which the Gospel was adapted; he had;spoken of their cravings after the Unknown; he had declared that he had to preach to them that which they, unconsciously, desired: he had stripped their worship of its anthropomorphism, and liaa manifested to them that the residuum was the germ of Christianity. And his speech was triumphant as oratory, as logic, and as a specimen of philosophic thought; but in its bearing on conversion, it was unsuccessful. His work at Athens was a failure; Dionysius and a few women are all we read of as converted. There was no church at Athens. Richly taught by this, he came to Corinth and preached no longer to the wise, the learned, or the rich. "Ye see your calling, brethren," he said, " how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." God had chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith. He no longer confronted the philosopher on his own ground, or tried to accommodate the Gospel to his tastes: and then that memorable resolve is recorded, "I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Not the crucifixion of Christ; but Christ, and that Christ crucified.. He preached Christ, though crucified; Christ crucified, though the Greeks might mock and the Jews reject Him with scorn - Christ as Christianity; Christ His own evidence. We know tlie result; the Church of Corinth, the largest and noblest harvest ever given to'ministerial toil. TOd THE CORINTHIANS. 11 LECTURE II. JUNE 8, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, i. 1 - 3.- " Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, - Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints- with all that-in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." OUR discourse last Sunday put us in possession of the state of Corinth when the Apostle entered it. We know what Corinth was intellectually, politically, morally, and socially. We learned that it contained a democratic population. We found it commercial, rich, and immoral from its being a trading seaport. We-spoke of its Roman government, which on the whole acted fairly at that time toward Christianity; of its Greek inhabitants, of whom the richer were sceptics who had lost their religion, and the poorer still full of superstitions, as we discover from the notices of heathen sacrifices which pervade these Epistles. And the last element was the Jewish population, who were devoted to a religion of signs and ordinances. Our subject for to-day comprises the first three verses of this chapter. From these we take three points for investigationI. The designation of the writers. II. The description of the persons addressed. ITI. The benediction. T. The designation of the writers. Paul " an Apostle "- Sosthenes " our brother." An apostle mealls ~' one sent," a missionary to teach the truth committed LECTURES ON rHE EPISTLES to him; and the authority of this apostolic mission St. Paul substantiates in the words " called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God." There was a necessity for this vindication of his Apostleship. At the time of writing this Epistle he was at Ephesus, having left Corinth after a stay of eighteen months. There he was informed of the state of the Church in Achaia by those of the house of Chloe, a Christian lady, and by letters from themselves. From this correspondence he learnt that his authority was questioned; and so St. Paul, unjustly treated and calumniated, opens his Epistle with these words, written partly in self-defence —" Called to be an apostle by the will of God." In the firm conviction of that truth lay all his power. No man felt more strongly than St. Paul his own insignificance. He told his converts again and again that he "was not meet to be called an Apostle; " that he was " the least of all saints," that he was the " chief of sinners." And yet, intensely as he felt all this, more deeply did he feel something above and beyond all this, that he was God's messenger, that his was a true Apostlellip, that he had been truly commissioned by the King; and hence he speaks with courage and with freedom. His words were not his own, but His who had sent him. Imagine that conception dawning on his spirit, imagine, if you can, that light suddenly struck out of his own mind in the midst of his despondency, and then you will no longer wonder at the almost joyful boldness with which he stood firm, as on a rock, against the slander of his enemies, and the doubtfiulness of his friends. Now, unless this is felt by us, our life and work has lost its impulse. If we think of our profession or line of action, simply as arising froml our own independent choice, or from chance, instantly we are paralyzed, and our energies refuse to act vigorously. But what was it which nerved the Apostle's soul to bear reproach and false witness? Was it not this? I have a mission:;"I am called to be an Apostle through the will of God." Well, this TO THE CORINTHIANS. 13 should *be our strength. Called to be a Carpenter, a Politician, a Tradesman, a Physician —he is irreverent who believes that? God sent me here to cut wood, to direct justly, to make shoes, to teach children; - Why should not each and all of us feel that? It is one of the greatest truths on which we can rest our life, and by which we can invigorate our work. But we get rid of it by claiming it exclusively for St. Paul. We say that God called the Apostles, but does not speak to us. We say they were inspired and lifted above ordinary Humanity. But observe the modesty of his apostolic claim. He does not say, "I am infallible," but that the Will of God has sent him as It had sent others. He did not wish that his people should receive his truth because he, the Apostle, had said it, but because it was truth. He did not seek to bind men, as if they were destitute of reasoning, to any acvz, e'gg, as is set up now by Evangelicalism or Popery, but throughout the whole of this Epistle he uses arguments, he appeals to reason and to sense. He convinces them that he was an Apostle, not by declarations that they must believe him, but by appealing to the truth he had taught-" by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight, of God." Further, we see in the fact of St. Paul's joining with himself Sosthenes, and calling him his brother, another proof of his desire to avoid erecting himself as the sole guide of the Church. He sends the Epistle from himself and Sosthenes. Is that like one who desired to be Lord alone over God's heritage? " I am an Apostle - sent by the will of God; but Sosthenes is my brother." Of Sosthenes himself, nothing certain is known. He is supposed by some to be the Sosthenes of Acts xvii., the persecutor, the ringleader of the Jews against the Christians, who was beaten before the judgment seat of Gallio. If so, see what a conqueror St. Paul, or rather, Christianity lad become. Like the Apostle of the Gentiles, Sosthenes now built up the faith which once he destroyed. But, in truth, we know nothing accurately,. except that 2 14 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES he was a Corinthian known to the persons addressed, and now with Paul at Ephesus. The proper reflection from the fact of his being joined with the Apostle, is the humility of St. Paul. He never tried to make a Party or form a Sect; he never even thought of placing himself above them as an infallible and autocratic Pope. II. The persons addressed. "The Church of God which is at Corinth." The Church! What is the Church? That question lies below all. the theological differences of the day. The Church, according to the derivation of the word, means the house of God. It is that Body of men in whom the Spirit of God dwells as the Source of their excellence, and who exist on earth for the purpose of exhibiting the Divine Life and the hidden order of Humanity: to destroy evil and to assimilate Humanity to God, to penetrate and purify the world, and as salt, preserve it from corruption. It has an existence continuous throughout the ages; continuous however, not on the principles of hereditary succession or of human election, as in an ordinary corporation, but on the principle of spiritual similarity of character.* The Apostle Paul asserted this spiritual succession when he said that the seed of Abraham were to be rieckoned, not on his lineal descendants, but as inheritors of his faith.t And Christ, too, meant the same when he told the Jews that out of- the stones before Him God could raise up children unto Abraham. There is, however, a Church visible, and a Church invisible; the latter consists of those spiritual persons who fulfil the notion of the Ideal Church; the former is the Church as it exists in any particular age, embracing within it all who profess Christianity, whether they be proper or improper members of its body. Of the invisible Church, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks; t and St. Paul also alludes to this in the description which he gives of the several churches, * John, i. 13. t Gal. iii. 7. 1 Heb. xii. 23. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 15 to whom he writes in language which certainly far transcended their actual state. As, for instance, in this Epistle, he speaks of them as " called to be saints," as "temples of the Holy Ghost," and then in another place describes them in their actual state, as " carnal, and walking as men." Again, it is of the visible Church he writes, when he reproves their particular errors; and Christ, too, speaks of the same in such parables as that of the net gathering in fishes both good and bad, and the field of wheat which was mingled with tares. An illustration may make this plain. The abstract conception of a river is that of a stream of pure, unmixed water, but the actual river is the Rhine, or the Rhone, or the Thames, muddy and discolored, and charged with'impurity; and the conception of this or that river necessarily contains within it these peculiarities. So of the church of Christ. Abstractedly, and invisibly, it is a kingdom of God in which no evil is; in the concrete, and actually, it is the church of Corinth, of Rome, or of England, tainted with impurity; and yet just as the mudded Rhone is really the Rhone, and not mud and Rhone, so there are not two churches, the church of Corinth and the false church with it, but one visible Church, in which the invisible lies concealed. This principle is taught in the parable, which represents the Church as a Vine. There are not two vines, but one; and the withered branches, which shall be cut off hereafter, are really for the present part and portion of the Vine. So far then, it appears, that in any age, the visible Church is, properly speaking, the Church. But beyond the limits of the Visible, is there no true Church? Are Plato, Socrates, Marcos Antonnius, and such as they, to be reckoned by us as lost? Surely not. The Church exists for the purpose of educating souls for heaven; but it would be a perversion of this purpose were we to think that goodness will not be received by God, because it has not been educated in the Church. Goodness is goodness, find it where we 16 sLECTURES ON THE EPISTLES nmaCy. A vineyard exists for the purpose of nurturing vines, but he would be a strange vine-dresser who denied the reality of grapes because they had ripened under a less genial soil, and beyond the precincts of the vineyard. The truth is, that the Eternal Word has communicated himself to man in the expressed Thought of God, the Life of Christ. That to whom that Light ]las been manifested are Christians. But that $Word has communicated Himself silently to human minds, on which the manifested Light has never shone. Such men lived with God, and were guided by His Spirit. They entered into the Invisible; they lived by Faith. They were beyond their generation. They were not of the world. The Eternal Word dwelt within them. For the Light that shone forth in -a full blaze in Christ, lights also, we are told, " every man that cometh into the world." Instances that lead us to this truth are given in the Scriptures of persons beyond the pale of the Church, who, before their acquaintance with the Jewish nation, had been in the habit of receiving spiritual communications of their own from God: such were Melchisedec, Job, Rahab, and Nebuchadnezzar. But from this digression, let us return to the visible Church of which the Church of Corinth formed a part. It existed as we have said to exhibit what Humanity should be, to represent the Life Divine on earth, and that chiefly in these particulars: — 1. Self-devotion'- To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus." 2. Sanctity -" Called to be saints." 3. Universality-" With all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord." 4. Unity - Of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours; " for Christ was their common centre, and every church felt united into one body when they knew that He belonged to all, that they all had one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father in Jesus Christ. First, then, the Church exists to exhibit self-devotion. They were " sanctified in Christ Jesus." Now TO THE CORINTHIANS. 17 the true meaning of " to sanctify" is to set apart, and hence to consecrate to any work. Thus spoke Christ, " For their sakes I sanctify, set apart, devote Myself." His life was a voluntary devotion of Himself even to the death, as well to save others as to bear witness to the truth. It is this attribute of the Divine nature in Humanity that the Church exists to exhibit now on earth. And then it is a church most truly when it is most plainly devoted. Thus it was in martyr times, when the death and persecuted existence of the saints of God were at once the life-blood of the Church and a testimony to the truth of its Faith. But then it is not, plainly, the Church, where bishops and priests are striving to aggrandize their own power, and seeking to impress men with the idea of the infallibility of their office. When the ecclesiastical dignity makes godliness a means of gain, or when priestcraft exercises lordship over the heritage of God, then it is falsifying its mission, for it is existing to establish, instead of to destroy, selfishness. Secondly, It exists to establish sanctity. The Church of Corinth was formed, as we have said, of peculiar elements. It arose out of a democratic, and therefore a factious, community It sprang out of an extremely corrupt society, where pride, of wealth abounded, and where superstition and scepticism looked one another in the face. It developed itself in the midst of a Judaism which demanded visible proofs of a divine mission. Ancient vices still infected the Christian converts. They carried into the Church the savor of their old life, for the wine-skin will long retain the flavor with which it has once been imbued. We find from these epistles that gross immorality still existed, and was even considered a thing to boast of. We find their old philosophy still coloring their Christianity, for on the foundation of the oriental idea that the body was the source of all sin, they denied a future resurrection. We find the insolence of wealth at the Lord's Supper. We find spiritual gifts abused by being exhibited for the sake of ostentation. Such was the 2* 18 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Church of Corinth! This is the Early Church so boasted of by some! Yet nowhere do we find," IThese are not of the Church; these are of the Church." Rather all are the Church - the profligate brother, the proud rich man, the speculative philosopher, the mere partizan, the superstitious and the seeker after signs, all " are called to be saints." All were temples of the Holy Ghost, though possibly admonished that they might be defiling that temple. "' Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost " — that'" Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? " In the face of this the hypothetical view of Baptism is impossible. Publicans and sinners may be in the Church, and yet they are called God's children, His children, redeemed though not sanctified; His people pardoned and reconciled by right, though the reconciliation and the pardon are not theirs in fact, unless they accept it. For it is possible to open the doors of the prison, anc yet for the prisoner to refuse deliverance; it is possible to forgive an injury, and yet for the injurer to retain his anger, and then reconciliation and friendship, which are things of two sides, are incomplete. Nevertheless, all are designed for holiness, all of the professing Church are " called to be saints." Hence the Church of Christ is a visible body of men providentially elected out of the world to exhibit holiness, some of whom really manifest it in this life, while others do not; and the mission of this society is to put down evil. Thirdly, Its universality. " With all who, in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours." The Corinthian Church was, according to these words of the Apostle, not an exclusive arxovx'os Church, but only a part of the Church universal, as a river is of the sea. He allowed it no proud superiority. He would not permit it to think of itself as more spiritual or as possessing higher dignity than the Church at Jerusalem or Thessalonica. They were called to be saints along with, and on a level with, all who named the Name of Christ. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 19 Is this our idea when we set up Anglicanism against Romanism, and make England the centre of unity instead of Rome? There is no centre of unity but Christ. We go to God with proud notions of our spirituality and our claims. We boast ourselves of our advantages over Dissenters and Romanists. Whereas the same God is "' theirs and ours;" the same Christ is " theirs and ours." Oh! only so far as we feel that God -is our Father not my Father, and Christ our Saviour not my Saviour, do we realize the idea of the Church. " The name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours." What a death blow to Judaism and party spirit in Corinth! Lastly, unity. Christ was theirs and ours. He was the Saviour of all, and the common Supporter of all. Though individual churches might differ, and though sects might divide even those churches, and though each might have a distinct truth, and manifest distinct gifts, yet Christ existed in all. The same one Spirit, His Spirit, pervaded all, and strengthened all, and bound all together into a living and invisible unity. Each in their several ways contributed to build up the same building on the' same Foundation; each in their various ways were distinct members of Christ's Body, performing different offices, yet knit into One under the same Head; and the very variety produced a more perfect and abiding unity. III. The Benediction.' Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." This is, if you will, a formula, but forms like this teach much; they tell of the Spirit from which they originate. The heathen commenced their letters with the salutation, "'Health! " There is a- life of the Flesh, and there is a life of the Spirit - a truer, more real, and a higher Life, and above and beyond all things the Apostle wished them this. He wished them not " Health" nor " Happiness," but" Grace and Peace" from God our Father. And now comes the question, What is 20 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES the use of this benediction? How could grace and peace be given as a blessing to those who rejected grace, and not believing felt no peace? Let me try to illustrate this. When the minister in a representative capacity, in the person of Christ, declares absolution to a sinner, his absolution is not lost if the man rejects it. or cannot receive it; for it returns to him again, and he has done what he could to show that in Christ there is-a full absolution for the sinner, if he will take it. Remember what Christ said -to the seventy: " When ye enter into an house, say, Peace be to this house; and, if the Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it, if not, it shall return to you again.". The validity of St. Paul's blessing depended on its reception by the hearts to whom it was addressed. If they received it, they became in fact what they had been by right all along, sons of God: they "set to their seal that God was true." " Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." For the special revelation of Jesus Christ is, that God is our Father, and when we believe that, not merely with our intellects, but with our hearts, and evidence in our lives that we believe it, and that this relationship is the spring of our motives and actions, then will flow in the Peace which passeth all understanding, and we are blessed indeed with the blessing of God. rO THE CORINTHIANS. 21 LECTURE III. JUNE 15, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, i. 4 - 13. -" I thank my God always on your behalf, fir the Grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; - That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; - Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: - So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: - Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. - God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. - Now I beseech you, Brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. -For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.- Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." OUR work to-day will be from the commencement of the fourth to the end of the thirteenth verses, in which we find two points; first, the Apostolic congratulations from the fourth to the tenth verse; and, after that, the Apostolic warning and rebuke, from the tenth to the end. First, then, the Apostolic congratulation —" I thank my God always on your behalf,'" &c. Let us remark here how, in the heart of St. Paul, the unselfishness of Christianity had turned this world into a perpetual feast. He had almost none of the personal enjoyments of existence. If we want to know what his life was, we have only to turn to the eleventh chapter of the second Epistle: " Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned," &c. That was his daily outward life; yet we shall greatly mistake the life of that glorious Apostle if we suppose it to have been an unhappy one. It was filled with blessedness; the blessedness which arises from that high Christian faculty through which a 22 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES man is able to enjoy the blessings of others as though they were his own. Thus, the Apostle, in all his weariness and persecutions, was, nevertheless, always rejoicing with his Churches; and especially he rejoiced over the gifts and graces given to the Corinthians, of which he here enumerates three: first, Utterance, then Knowledge, and then the grace of that peculiar attitude of Expectation with which they were looking for the Eming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks of the gift of Utterance, and we shall understand his reason for calling it a gift rather than a grace, when we remember that, in his conception, Charity was far above Knowledge. To him a blessing was nothing, unless it could be imparted to others. Knowing a truth is one thing; being able to express it, is quite another thing: and then again, to be able to express a truth is one thing, but to dare to do it is another thing altogether. The Apostle unites both of these in the expression, " utterance: " it is, at the same time, an intellectual gift and a spiritual grace. St. Paul also thanks God for their Knowledge; for utterance without knowledge is worthlless. He did not value these things merely for themselves, but only as they were means to an endchannels for conveying truth to others. The last gift for which the Apostle thanks God in this place was their attitude of Expectation — they were waiting for the coming of the Lord - he says, 1" So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord;" as though that were the highest gift of all; as if that attitude of expectation were the highest posture that can be attained here by the Christian. It implies a patient, humble spirit, one that is waiting for, one that is looking forward to, something higher and better. The Apostle seems by this to tell us that the highest spirit is shown rather in calm expectation, than in disputing how that Kingdom shall come, in believing that it must come, and silently waiting for God's own time for the revealing. St. Paul's congratulation contains a ground of hope for the continuance of those blessings- " God shall confirm you to the end;" and again, " God is TO THE CORINTHIANS. 2e? faithful." He relies not on any stability of human goodness, he knows that he cannot trust to their.inherent firmness or fidelity; his ground of confidence for the future is rather in the character of God. This is our only stay, our only hope, the unchanging faithfulness of God. True it is, that doctrine may be abused, we may rest upon it too much, and so become indifferent and supine; but, nevertheless, it is a most precious truth, and without some conviction of this, I cannot understand how any man dares go forth to his work in the morning, or at evening lay his head on his pillow to sleep. We now pass on, secondly, to consider the Apostle's warning and reproof —Parties had risen in Corinth: let us endeavor briefly to understand what these parties were. You cannot have read the Epistles without perceiving that the Apostles taught very differently - not a different gospel, but each one a different side of the gospel. Contrast the Epistles of St. Paul with those of St. Peter or St. John. These were not contrarieties, but varieties, and so together they made up the unity of the Church of Christ. The first party in Corinth of which we shall speak was that one which called itself by the name of Paul; and the truths which they would chiefly proclaim would doubtless be those of Liberty and Universality. Moreover, St. Paul was not ordained like other teachers, but was called suddenly by special revelation of the Lord. He frequently refers to this, and declares that he was taught- not of man, but of God only. Now, the party calling itself by the name of Paul would doubtless exaggerate this, and teach, instead of liberty, licentiousness; and so with the other peculiarities of his teaching. There was also a party naming itself after Apollos; he had been educated at Alexandria, the university of -the world, and we are told that he was mighty in the Scriptures, and remarkable for eloquence. The difference between Apollos and St. Paul seems to be not so much a difference of views as in the mode of stating those views: the eloquence of St. Paul was rough and burning; it stirred men's hearts, 0 [ LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES kindling in them the living fire of truth: that of Apollos was more refined and polished. There was also tihe party called by the name of Peter. Christianity in his heart had been regularly and slowly developed; he had known Jesus first as the Son of Man; and afterwards as the Son of God. It was long before he realized God's purpose of love to the Gentiles - in his conception the Messiah was to be chiefly King for the Jews; therefore all the Jewish converts, who still clung to very much that was Jewish, preferred to follow St. Peter. Lastly, there was the party calling itself by the name of Christ Himself. History does not inform us what were the special views of this party; but it is not difficult to imagine that they set themselves up as superior to all others. Doubtless, they prided themselves on their spirituality and inward light, and looked down with contempt on those who professed to follow the opinion of any teacher. Perhaps they ignored the apostolic teaching altogether, and proclaimed the doctrines of direct communion with God without the aid of ministry or ordinances; and these, as well as the others, th~ Apostle rebuked. The guilt of these partizans did not lie in holding views differing from each other; it was not so much in saying " this is the truth," as it was in saying " this is not the truth;" the guilt of schism is when each party, instead of expressing fully his own truth, attacks others, and denies that the others are in the Truth at all. Avoid, I pray you, the accursed spirit of sectarianism: suffer not yourselves to be called by any party names; One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren. Let each man strive to work out, bravely and honestly, the truth which God has given to him; and when men oppose us and malign us, let us still, with a love which hopeth all things, strive rather to find good in them - truths special to them - but which as yet they - perhaps unconsciously - falsely represent. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 25 LECTURE IV. JUNE 22, 1861. 1 CORINTItANS, i. 13 - 22. -" Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? - I thank, God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; — Lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name.J - And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. —For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. - For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. - Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?- hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. - For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom." LAST Sunday we endeavored to arrive at a right understanding respecting the different parties in the Church.of Corinth: let us now pass on to consider the argument by which St. Paul met these sectarians. It was an appeal to Baptism, and to understand the force of that appeal, we must endeavor to understand what Christian Baptism is. It contains two things: something on the part of God, and something on the part of man. On God's part it is an authoritative revelation of His Paternity: on man's part it is an acceptance of God's covenant. Now there is a remarkable passage in which we find St. Paul expressing the meaning of Baptism as symbolizing submission, discipleship to any particular teacher: " Moreover, brethren, I would not that. ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea they cut Q 26 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES themselves off for ever from Egypt, so that, figuratively speaking, the Apostle teaches that in that immersion they were baptized unto Moses, for thereby they declared themselves his followers, and left all to go with him. And so, just as the soldier who receives the bounty money is thereby pledged to serve his sovereign, so he who has passed through the Baptismal waters, is pledged to fight under the Redeemer's banner against sin, the world, and the devil. And now the argument of St. Paul becomes plain. He argues thus: To whoml were ye then baptized? To whom did you pledge yourselves in discipleship? If to Christ, why do ye name yourselves by the name of Paul? If all were baptized into that One Name, how is it that a few only have adopted it as their own? Upon this we make two remarks; first, the value and blessedness of the Sacraments. It will be asked, To what purpose are the Sacraments of the Church? if they work no miracle, of what avail are they? Our reply is, Much every way; among others, that they are authoritative signs and symbols. Now there is very much contained in the idea of a recognized authoritative symbol; for instance, in some parts of the country it is the custom to give and receive a ring, in token of betrothal; but that is very different from the marriagering, it being not authoritative, and being without the sanction of the Church. It would have been perfectly possible for man to have invented for himself another symbol of the truth conveyed in Baptism, but then it would not have been authoritative, and consequently it would have been weak and useless. Now, there is another thing, and that is, that these Sacraments are the epitomes of Christian Truth. This is the way in which the Apostle frequently makes use of the Sacraments. From the Epistle to the Romans we find that Antinomianism had crept into the Church, and that there were some who said, that if only they believed, it did not matter that they sinned. How does St. Paul meet this? By an appeal to Baptism? He says, "-God forbid, how shall TO THE CORINTHIANS. 27 we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? " "' Buried with Him by baptism," - in the very form of that Sacrament there was a protest against this Antinomianism. And again, in reference to the Lord's Supper, in the Church of Corinth abuses had crept in; that holy Communion had become a feast of gluttony and a signal of division. This error he endeavors to correct by reference to the institution of the Supper itself, " The bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?" The single loaf, broken into many fragments, contains within it a truth symbolical, that the Church of Christ is one. Here, in the text, St. Paul makes the same appeal: he appeals to Baptism against sectarianism, and so long as we. retain it, it is an everlasting protest against every one who breaks the unity of the Church. The other remark we have to make bears on the peculiar meaning of the Sacrament. We are all aware that there are those in the Church of Christ, whose personal holiness and purity are unquestionable, who yet believe and teach that all children are born into the world children of the devil, and there are those who agree in this belief, though differing as to the remedy; who hold that the special and only instrument for their conversion into God's children is Baptism; and they believe that there is given to the ministers of the Church the power of colnveying in that Sacrament the Holy Spirit, which effects this wondrous change. I know not that I have misrepresented this view: I do not think I have, yet I say at least, that if a minister really believes he has this power, then it is only with fear and trembling that he should approach the font in which he is about to baptize a child. But, let us'try this view by the passage before us: if this view be true, then the Apostle, in saying that he thanked God he had not baptized, thanked God that he had not regenerated any: he rejoices that he had not conveyed the Spirit of God to any one but Crispus and Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. {28 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES And all this merely, lest he should perchance lie under the slander of having made to himself a party! If we reject this hypothesis as impossible, then it is plain that the view we have alluded to rests on no scriptural basis. We pass on, lastly, to consider the compromise which Paul refused to make: he would make none, either with the Jews in their craving after Signs, or with the Greeks in their longing after Wisdom. For fifteen hundred years forms and signs had been the craving of the Jews. St. Peter even had leanings in the same direction. The truth seems to be, that wherever there is life, there will be a form; but wherever a form is, it does not follow that there must be life; St. Paul stood firm - Not Signs, but Christ. Neither would he make any compromise with the craving after an intellectual religion. There was a diametrical contrast between the Jewish and the Grecian spirit: one seemed all body, and the other all mind. The wisdom of which St. Paul speaks, appears to have been of two kinds - speculative philosophy, and wisdom of words — eloquence. Men bow before talent, even if unassociated with goodness, but between these two we must make an everlasting distinction v When once the idolatry of talent enters, then farewell to spirituality; when men ask their teachers, not for that which will make them more humble and God-like, but for the excitement of an intellectual banquet, then farewell to. Christian progress. Here also St. Paul again stood firm - Not Wisdom, but Christ crucified. St. Paul might have complied with these requirements of his converts, and then he would have gained admiration, and love - he would have been the leader of a party, but then he would have been false to his Master -he would have been preferring self to Christ. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 29 nLECTURE V. JUNE 29, 1851. I CORINTIIANS, i. 238.-" But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. IN the course of our exposition of this Epistle, we have learnt the original constitution of Corinthian society, and have- ascertained the state of the religious parties in that city at the time St. Paul wrote. We have seen that the Apostle Paul refused to make a compromise with either of these parties; it remains for us now to consider first the subject which he resolved to dwell upon, and then the results of that teaching on the different classes of his hearers. His subject was -" Christ crucified." The expression, " preaching Christ," is very much misunderstood by many persons. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to endeavor calmly to understanid what the Apostle meant by this. We say, then, that to preach Christ is to preach Christianity, that is, the Doctrines which He taught. In Acts, xv. 21, we read, " Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him." The reading of the Pentateuch was the preaching of Moses. Preaching Christ is setting forth His Doctrines in contra-distinction to those of the World. The World says- Resent an injury; Christ says - Forgive your enemies. If, therefore, we preach Forgiveness, are we not thereby preaching Christ, even though no distinct mention may be made of his Divinity or of the doctrine of the Atonement? In the Sermon on the Mount there is contained no reference to any on3 special doctrine of Christianity, as we should call it; nor in the Epistle of St. James is there found one word respecting the doctrine of the Atonement; but if we take this Sermon or this Epistle, and simply work out the truths therein contained - tell us, are we not there3* 30 1,ECTURIES ON THE EPISTLES by preaching Christ? To preach Goodness, Mercy, Truth, not for the bribe of heaven or from the fear of hell, but in the Name of God the Father, is to preach Christ. Once more, this expression implies preaching Truth in connection with a Person: it is not merely Purity, but the Patre One; not merely Goodness, but the Good One that we worship. Let us observe the twofold advantage of this mode of preaching: first, because it makes religion practical. The Greek teachers were also teaching Purity, Goodness, Truth; they were striving to lead men's.minds -to the First Good, the First Fair. The Jewish Rabbis were also endeavoring to do the same, but it is only in Christ that it becomes possible to do this effectually. The second advantage in preaching Christianity in connection with a Person is, that it gives us something to adore, for we can adore a person, but we cannot adore principles. There is implied in this expression,;" preaching Christ crucified," the Divine nature of Humility. Paul would not preach Christ as a conqueror, although by that he might please the Jews, or yet as a philosopher, in order that he might satisfy the Greeks; he would only preach Him es the humble, crucified Man of Nazareth. We are, in the second place, to consider the results of this teaching on the several classes of his hearers. To the Jew it was a stumbling-block, something over which he could not pass; the Jew could not receive the Gospel, unless accompanied by signs and miracles to prove that it was from God. To the Greeks it was foolishness, for the Apostle spoke to them as an uneducated, uncultivated man; and they missed the sophistry, the logic, and the brilliant eloquence of their professional orators. Neither could they see what advantage his teaching could be to them, for it would not show them how to form a statue, build a temple, or make a fortune, which things they looked upon as the chief glories of life. But there was another class on whom his words made a very different impression. They are those whom the Apostle describes as'" the Called." To them Christ TO THE CORINTHIANS. 31 was the Power and the Wisdom of God. He does not mean to assert here the doctrine of Election or Predestination; on the contrary, he says that this calling was in respect of inward fitness, and not of outward advantages. God prepares the heart of man for the reception of the Gospel - that is God's blessed plan of election. LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE VI. NOVEMBER 2, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, iii. 1 - 10. — " And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. - I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. - For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? - For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? - Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?- I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. - So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.- Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. — For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. - According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." THE two former chapters of this Epistle refer to St. Paul's ministry while at Corinth, where there existed a church made up of very peculiar elements. The first of these was Roman, and composed of freedmen, through whose influence society became democratic. The second element was Greek, refined, intellectual, inquisitive, and commercial, and this rendered the whole body restless, and apt to divide itself into parties. In addition to these was the Jewish element, which at this time had degenerated into little more than a religion of the senses. From all this there arose, first, a craving for an intellectual religion - appealing merely to taste and philosophical perceptions. But St. Paul refused to preach to them eloquently or philosophically, " lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect." St. Paul knew that the human heart often rests in eloquent expression of religious sentiment, instead of carrying it on into re TO TILE CORINTHIANS. 38 ligious action. For strong feelings often evaporate in words. Strong expressions about self-sacrifice or selfdenial, about a life sustained high above the world, often satisfy the heart and prevent it from rising to the grace talked about; whereas Christianity is not a Creed but a Life, and men who listen to a preacher only to find an intellectual amusement, or pictures of an ideal existence, are not thereby advanced one step nearer to the high life of a Christian. Secondly. From the Jewish element there arose a craving for a religion of signs; and St. Paul refused to teach by signs. He would not base Christianity upon miracles, or external proofs; because, truth is its own evidence, and the soul alone must be the judge whether a truth is from God or not. Miracles address the senses, and the appetites of hunger and thirst; and it were preposterous to say that the eye, the ear, or the touch can determine, accurately of Divine truth while the soul cannot; that the lower part of our nature is an unerring judge, while the soul alone is not infallible in its decisions. For " the natural man (understandeth) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are'foolishness unto him." "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, but the wisdom of God, which is hidden in a mystery." A third consequence of this peculiar constitution of Corinthian society was, its Party spirit. This arose out of its democratic character. Faction does not rend a society in which classes are indisputably divided beyond appeal, as is the case in Hindustan. Where superiority is unquestioned between class and class, rivalry will exist only between individuals. But where all are by social position equal, then there will be a struggle for superiority; for in God's world there is not one monotony of plains without hills, nor a human society on one dead level of equality. There is an above, and there is a below. There are angels, principalities, powers, there; and here, orders, degrees, and ranks. And the difficulty in social adjudicature is, to determine who 84 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES oughlt to be the leaders, and who are to be the led; to abolish false aristocracies, and to establish the true. Now, to say that this is what men aim at, is to say that dispute, faction, party spirit, animosity must exist till that real order is established which is called the Kingdom of God on earth; in which each person is in his right place, and they only rule who are fit to rule. To-day, therefore, our subject will relate to this third consequence; and I shall speak of St. Paul's spiritual treatment of the Corinthian Church, in a state of faction. I. His economic management of Truth. I1. His depreciation of the Human in the march of progress, by his manifestation of God in it. I. His economic management of Truth. I use this word, though it may seem pedantic, because I find no other to answer my purpose so well; it is borrowed from the times of the early Christian Church: " Economic," when used in reference to the management of a household, means a frugal. use of provision in opposition to extravagant expenditure. An economist apportions to each department the sum necessary, and no more. And in the spiritual dispensation of Truth, economy means that prudent distribution which does not squander it uselessly away, when it can do no good, but which apportions to each age, and to each capacity, the amount it can turn to good account. It implies a prudent, wise reserve. Now the principle of this we find stated in the second verse, " I have fed you with milk, and not with meat." And, although in its application some errors might be committed by withholding truths which should be granted, and by failing to distribute them at the required time, still the principle is a simrnle and a true one. For different ages, different kinds of food. For childhood, or "' babes in Christ," milk. For them that are of full age, or who have the power of discerning both good and evil, s strong meat." But reverse TO THE CORINTHIANS. 35 this, and the child becomes sick and fevered. And the reason of this is, that what is strength to the man is injury to the child - it cannot bear it. The doctrine which the Apostle calls "strong meat," if taught at first, would deter from further discipleship; and Christ expresses the same thing. " No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out." Now this, remember, wras said immrediately after the disciples of John had aslied, why Jesus had not taught the same severe life (the type of which was fasting) which John had. And so, too, Christ did not preach the Cross to His disciples at first. The first time He did preach it, it shocked them. For it was not until after Peter's memorable acknowledgment of Him in these words, " Thou art the Christ," that He revealed to them His coming death, which, even then, resulted in a kind of revolt against Him, drawing from Peter the exclamation, " This be far from thee, Lord." Such a case of defection actually did occur in the behavior of the young Ruler, who forced, as it were, from Christ a different method of procedure. At first, Jesus would have given him mere moral duty. " Thou knowest the Commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not kill." But not satisfied with this, he asked for Perfection. " What lack I yet?" And then there was nothing left but to say — - If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and come and follow Me." For observe,' strong meat" does not mean high doctrine such as Election, Regeneration, Justification by Faith, but "Perfection:" strong demands on Self, a severe, noble Life. St. Paul taught the Corinthians all the Doctrine lie had to teach, but not all the conceptions of the Blessed Life which lie knew of. He showed them that leaving the principlles of doctrine, they were to keep themselves in the 1o,ve of C1hrist, and be strenlgthened more an(i more Nwith Htis Spirit in the innlzer man, growing up unto Him in all thinlls. But all this by degrees. And so LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES of tlle weak, we must be content to ask honesty: justice, not generosity, not to sell all, but simple. moral teaching. "Thou knowest the Commandments." With a child, we must ask not sublime forgiveness of injuries: that which would be glorious in a man, in a boy would be pusillanimity; but you must content yourself at first with prohibiting tyranny. There is no greater mistake in education than not attending to this principle. Do not ask of your child to sacrifice all enjoyment for the sake of others, butlet him learn first, not to enjoy at Tho expense of the disadvantage or suffering of another. Another reason for not neglecting this is, the danger of familiarizing the mind with high spiritual doctrines, and thus engendering hypocrisy; for instance, Selfsacrifice, Self-denial, are large words, which contain much beauty, and are easily got by heart. But the facility of utterance is soon taken for a spiritual state, and while fluently talcking of these high-sounding words, and of man's or woman's mission and influence, it never occurs to us that as yet we have not power to live them out. Let us avoid such language, and avoid supposing that we have attained such states. It is good to be temperate, but if temperate, do not mistake that for selfdenial nor for self-sacrifice. It is good to be honest, to pay one's debts; but when you are simply doing your duty, do not talk of a noble life; be content to say, "we are unprofitable servants - we have done that which w'as our dutv to do." The danger of extreme demands made on hearts unprel)ared for such is seen in the case of Ananias. These demands were not, as we see, made by the Apostles, for nothing could be wiser than St. Peter's treatment of the case, representing such sacrifice as purely voluntary, and not compelled. " While it remained, was it not thine own; and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? " But public opinion, which had made sacrifice fashio'iable, demanded it. And it was a demand, like strong meat to the weak, for Ananiaswas " unable to bear it." TO THE CORINTHIANS. 37 II. The second remedy in this factious state was to depreciate the part played by man in the great work of progress, and to exhibit the part of God. " Who, then, is Paul, and who is Apollos, but min isters by whom ye believed? " "Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." In all periods of great social activity, when society becomes conscious of itself, and morbidly observant of its own progress, there is a tendency to exalt the instruments, persons, and means 1,y which it progresses. Hence, in turn, kings, statesmen, parliaments: and then education, science, machinery, and the press, have had their hero-worship. Here, at Corinth, was a new phase, " minister-worship." No marvel, in an age when the mere political progress of the Race was felt to be inferior to the spiritual salvation of the Individual, and to the purification of the Society, that ministers, the particular organs by which this was carried on, should assume in men's eyes peculiar importance, and the special gifts of every such minister, Paul or Apollos, be extravagantly honored. No marvel either, that round the more prominent of these, partizans should gather. St. Paul's remedy was simply to point out God's part, " Ye are God's husbandry," we are only laborers - different only from wheels and pivots, in that they do their work unconsciously, we consciously. We execute a plan which we only slightly understand - nay, not at all, till it is completed, like workmen in a tubular bridge, or men employed in Gobelin tapestry, who cannot see the pattern of their work until the whole is executed. Shall the hodman boast? Conceive the laborer saying of some.glorious architecture, Behold my work! or some poet, king, or priest, in view of some progress of the race, See what I have done! Who is Paul, but a servant of Higher plans than he knows? And thus we come to find that we are but parts in a mighty system, the breadth of which we cannot measure. And this is the true inspired remedy for all party spirit, " He that planteth, and he that watereth, are 4 ~38 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES one." Each in his way is indispensable. To see the part played by each individual in God's world, which he alone can play, to do our own share in the acting, and to feel that each is an integral, essential portion of the whole, not interfering with the rest; to know that each church, each sect, each man, is co-operating best in the work when he expresses his own individuality (as Paul and Cephas, and John and Barnabas did), in truths of word and action which others perhaps cannot grasp, that is the only emancipation from partizanship. Again, observe, St. Paul held this sectarianism, or partizanship, to amount virtually to a denial of their Christianity. For as Christians it was their privilege to have direct access to the Father through Christ; they were made independent of all men but the one Mediator Christ Jesus. Whereas this boast of dependence upon men, instead of direct communion with God, was to glory in a forfeiture of their privileges, and to return to the Judaism, or Heathenism, from which they had been freed. He says, " While one saith I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal and walk as men?" So that all sectarianism is slavery and narrowness, for it makes us the followers of such and such a leader. Whereas, says St. Paul, instead of your being that leader's, that leader is yours; your minister, whom you are to use. For " All things are yours;" the whole universe is subservient to your moral being and progress. Be free then, and use them: (lo not be used by them. Remark, therefore, how the truest spiritual freedom and elevation of soul spring out of Christian humility. All this liberty and noble superiority to Life and Death, all this independence of Men, of Paul. or Apollos, or Cephas, as their masters, arises from this, that " ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's; " that ye, as well as they, are servants only of Christ, who came not to do His own will, but the Will of Him who sent Him. r) THE CORINTHIANS..3 LECTURE VII. NOVEMBER 9, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, iii. 11-23. -." For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. - Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; - Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. - If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but be himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.- Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? - If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. - Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be -wise. - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own'craftiness. - And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; - Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world. or life, or death, or things present, or-things to come; all are yours;And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." As the last time we treated of the first ten verses of this chapter, to-day we shall go on to the end, merely recapitulating,.beforehand, the leading subjects we were then led to enlarge upon; which were, first — Paul's treatment of the Corinthian Church when it was in a state of schism, broken up into parties, one party following Apollos, attracted by his eloquence; another Paul, attracted by his doctrine of Christian liberty; another Peter, whom they looked on as the champion of the Judaistic tendency, while another called themselves by the name of Christ. And the schism wlich thus prevailed was no light matter, for it was not only a proof of carnal views, but it amounted also to a denial of Christianity. For men emancipated by Christ, and given direct access to God, to return again to allegiance 4 () LECTURES ON THE EPISTI ES to men, and dependence on them, was voluntarily to forfeit all Christian privileges. It is very interesting to observe the difference in St. Paul's treatment of the Corinthian Church from his treatment of other Churches. He says to them, -" I have fed you with milk, for hitherto ye were not able to bear meat, neither yet are ye able." There is a remarkable difference between this Epistle to the Corinthians and that to the Ephesians. It is not in the former that we find the Apostle speaking of the'breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; nor there do we find him speaking of the beauty and necessity of self-sacrifice. These were subjects too high for them as yet, but instead we find him dealing almost entirely with the hard, stern duties and commandments of every-day life. St. Paul's twofold method of dealing with the Corinthian Church in their state of faction was, - 1. Through an economic reserve of Truth. By, which we understood, that first principles only were distributed to feeble minds, to men who were incapable of the Higher Life; that they were fed with these, in the same way as children, incapable of receiving meat, are nourished with milk. 2. The depreciation of the Human, through the reduction of ministers to their true position; by pointing out that they were only laborers, servants in God's world, only a part of the curidus clockwork of this world of His. Thus each would be a part of one great Wahole, each would be called upon to work, as essential to this, but not to exhibit his own idea; each would best preserve his own individuality, when most acting as a fellow-worker with God. Now observe! Here was a true notion of Christian unity as opposed to schism. " He that planteth, and le that watereth, are one." And this is the idea I have so often given you - unity in variety. St. Paul did nlot say you are wrong, you ought to be all of one way of thinking. No; he said rather, there is one truth, the ritualistic truth, in St. Peter's and St. Jamds's TO THE CORINTHIANS. 41 mind; there is another, the truth of Christian Liberty, which I teach you; there is another, the truth of grace and beauty in Apollos, and all together build up a Church. And he made use of two metaphors, drawn from agriculture and architecture. How foolish it would be to dispute about the respective merits of planting and watering! Could there be a harvest without either? How foolish to talk of the superiority of capital over labor, or labor over capital! Could anything be done without both? And again, who would dream in architecture of a discussion about tlie comparative importance of the foundation and the superstructure! Are not both necessary to,each other's perfection? And so to dispute whether the Gospel according to St. Paul or St. James, is the right Gospel, to call the latter " Straminca Epistola," is to neglect the majestic entireness, and the unity of the truth of God. And observe, St. Paul did not say, as many now would say, you must attain unity by giving up your own views, and each one holding the same. He did not say, Mine are right, and the followers of Apollos and Peter must follow me; but he said that, whatever became of. their particular views, they were to rejoice in this not that they were Christians of a particular kind, but that they had a common Christianity. There was and could be but One Foundation, and he who worked, whether as builder or architect, on this, was one with all the rest. The chapter concludes withI. An address to ministers. II. To congregations. I. To ministers. "Let every man take heed, how he buildeth thereupon; for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." First, then, ministers are to preach as the foundation — Christ. Now, let us protest against all party uses of this expression. The preaching of Christ means simply, the preaching of Christ. Recollect what Paul's own Chris4* 42 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES tianity was. A few facts respecting his Redeemer's life, a few of his Master's precepts, such as, " It is more blessed to give than to receive," out of which he educed all Christian principles, and on which he built that noble superstructure his Epistles. Remember how he sums all up. "That I might know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death." His Life, Death, and Resurrection, working'daily in us, "being made manifest in our body." And- again, "Ever bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." Settle it in your hearts; Christianity is Christ; understand Him, breathe His Spirit, comprehend His mind: Christianity is a Life, a Spirit. Let self die with Christ, and with Him rise to a life of holiness: and then, whether you are a Minister or minis-tered to, you need not care what discussions may arise, nor how men may dispute your Christianity, or deny your share in the Gospel. You stand upon a rock. Next, on this foundation we are to build the superstructure. Christianity is a few living pregnant principles, and on these you may construct various buildings. Thus in doctrine you may on this erect Calvinism, or Arminianism; or in ecclesiastical polity, you may build on this a severe, simple worship, or a highly ritual one, or an imaginative one with a splendid cultus. Or, in life, you may live on this devotionally or actively; you may pursue the life of the hermit of the third century, or of the Christian merchant of the nineteenth. For Christianity is capable of endless application to different circumstances, ages, and intellects. Now, in the words of this twelfth verse, observe that there are not six kinds of superstructure, but two. Gold, silver, and precious stones, which are the materials of the temple; wood, hay, and stubble, with which a cottage is erected; but in these buildings the materials of each are of various degrees of excellence, and in the atter, good, bad, and indifferent. Now, what do these symbolize? As I said before, perhaps doctrines or systems; but more probably they are to make us recollect TO THE CORINTHIANS. 43 that the Church is made up of persons of different kinds of character built up by different ministers. Some of straw, utterly worthless; some of silver, sound, good, but not brilliant men; some of gold, characters in which there seems nothing of base alloy, true to the very centre; some of precious stones, men in whom gifts are so richly mingled with useful qualities, that they are as jewels in the Redeemer's crown. And such was the author of this Epistle. It does our heart good to know that out of our frail Humanity, anything so good and great has arisen as the Apostle of the Gentiles. Now there follows from all this, the doctrine of the rewardableness of Work. All were one, on the one foundation, yet St. Paul modifies this: they were not one, in such a sense that all their work was equally valuable, for " every man shall receive his own reward, according to his labor." It is incredible that the mere theologian defending the outworks, writing a book on the Evidences of Christianity, or elaborating a theological system, shall be as blessed as he, who has hungered and thirsted with Christ, and like Christ, suffered. " To sit on the right hand and on the left of the Father," can be given but to them who have drunk of Christ's cup of Self-sacrifice, and been baptized with His Baptism of Suffering. Nevertheless, each in his own way shall gain the exact recompense of what he has done. Therefore, Christian men, work on-J our work is not in vain. A cup of cold water, given in the name of a disciple, shall not lose its reward. There is also here a distinction between the truth of work and its sincerity. In that day nothing shall stand but what is true; but the sincere worker, even of untrue work, shall be saved; " If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved!; yet so as by fire." Sincerity shall save him in that day, but it cannot accredit his work. But what is thib day? When is this day? Generally speaking, we say that it is Time; but more particularly the Trial day, which every advent is, and especially the last: ill which nothing will endure but what is real. Nothing 44 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES gilded or varnished will rtmain, but only precious stones, gold, silver; and these only so far as they are unmixed; for just as fire burns straw, so must all that is not based on the truth perish. Then the elaborate systems of theology, built by our subtle, restless, overrefined intellects, shall be tried and found worthless. Then many a Church order, elaborately contrived, shall be found something unnecessarily added to the foundation, and overlaying it. And then many a minister, who has prided himself on the number of his listeners, will be stripped of his vain-glory, if the characters, which lihe has produced, be found wanting; if that which seems to be souls won for God, turns out to be only hearts won for self. Yet here a consolation is given to us, " Yet he himself shall be saved, but so as by fire; " and this is the comfort. Sincerity does not verify doctrine, but it saves the man; his person is accepted, though his work perish. Hence we trust that many a persecutor like Paul shall be received at last; that many a bigot like James and John, desiring to call down fire from heaven, shall obtain mercy, because he did it ignorantly. He shall be saved, while all his work shall be destroyed, just as, to use St. Paul's metaphor, a builder escapes from his house which has been burnt over his head, and stands trembling, yet safe, looking on his work in ruins, " saved, yet so as by fire." II. An address to congregations. 1. A warning against all Ministers, who should so teach as to split the Church into divisions. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." Let us consider in what sense the word "holy " is used. The Bible often speaks of things, not as they are actually in themselves, but as they exist in God's Idea. So it declares of Humanity, that it is " very good;" saying it of mnan, but not of men, wno are often very bad. And so also the representation of the Church is a TO THE CORINTHIANS. 45 thing wholly ideal, " without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; " whereas, actual churches are infinitely below this ideal. Now observe that St. Paul calls all in the Corinthian Church " holy," and this, though he knew that some were even incestuous - nay, though he says in the very verse where he calls them holy, that some might be defiled, and some destroyed. And hence it follows that we have no right to divide our congregations into regenerate and unregenerate, worldly and unworldly, Christian and un-Christian. Him who doeth this " shall God'destroy." Woe, fherefore, to that minister, who by arbitrary distinctions respecting worldliness for instance, and unworldliness, so divides the Church of God; making the religious into a party, often making sad hearts which God has not made sad, and nursing a set of Pharisees iAto a delusion that they are a Church of God, because they follow some Paul or some Apollos. 2. A warning against sectarianism, on the ground of Christian liberty. "Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos,.or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours." Man enters this world, finding himself in the midst of mighty Forces, stronger than himself, of which he seems the sport and prey. But soon Christianity reveals to him God's living, personal Will, which makes these things co-operate for his good. And so he learns his own freewill, and uses them as the sailor does the winds, which. as he uses them become his enemies or his friends. Then it is that he is emancipated from the iron bondage to circumstances: then all things are his — this marvellous Life, so full of endless meaning, so pregnant with infinite opportunities. Still more, Death, which seems to come like a tyrant, commanding him when it will. Death is his in Christ, his minister to lead him to Higher Life. Paul is his, to teach him freedom. Apollos his, to animate him with his eloquence. Ceplbas his, to fire him with his courage. Every author his, to impart to him his treasures. 46 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES But remark, that St. Paul refers all this to the universal Law of Sacrifice. All things are ours on this condition -that we are Christ's. The Law which made Christ God's has made us Christ's. All things are yours, that is, serve you: but they only discharge the mission and obey the law involuntarily, that you are called on to discharge and obey voluntarily: the great law, which makes obedience Blessedness, the law to which Christ was subject, for Christ "was God's." So that, when the law of the Cross is the law of our being, when we have learnt to surrender ourselves; then, and then only, we are free from all things: they are ours, not we theirs: we use them, instead of being crushed by them. The Christian is " creation's heir." He may say triumphantly, " The world, the world is mine!" TO THE CORINTHIANS. 47 LECTURE VIII. NOVEMBER 16, 1851. 1 CORINTHLNS, iv. 1 - 7. — " Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. - But with me it is a very small thing that I should bejudged of you, or of man's judgment; yea, I judge not mine own self. - For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. - Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel's of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. - And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. - For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? " THE fourth chapter, like the third, divides itself into two sections. From the first to the seventh verse, an address is given to a congregation. From the seventh to the end of the chapter, St. Paul addresses ministers. To-day our subject, comprised in the first six verses, is the true estimate of the Christian ministry, Now the Christian ministry may be either overglorified or undervalued, and in correction of both these errors, St. Paul says, " Let a man account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteriers of God." We consider then, I. The undue glorification of the Christian ministry. II. The depreciation of the same. I. The Christian minister may be glorified or made an idol of in two ways, by party-worship of the man, 48 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES or by attaching a mystical or supernatural power to the office. 1st, then, by the worship of the man. This was the particular danger of the Corinthians, as we see distinctly stated in the 6th verse of this chapter. In pronouncing his judgment in this verse, St. Paul, with great delicacy, selects himself and Apollos for his instances, because there could be no suspicion of rivalry between them, for Apollos was of the same school or thought as himself. He speaks of his own party, and that of his friend, as worthy of censure, in order not to blame by name other parties, and the sectarian disciples of other teachers in Corinth. And yet how natural! Let us take these cases as specimens of all. Paul and Apollos each taught a truth, that had taken possession of their souls. St. Paul preached one, as we know, which he called " my Gospel," one peculiarly his own. Such is the case, too, with an inferior minister. Each man, each teacher, now as then, reveals to his hearers that truth which has most filled his own soul, and which is his peculiarly because it most agrees with his character. Well, this truth of his commends itself to kindred spirits in his congregation: it expresses their difficulties, it is a flood of light on many a dark passage of their history; no wonder that they view with gratitude, and an enthusiasm bordering on veneration, the messenger of this blessedness. And no wonder that the truth thus taught becomes at last the chief, almost the sole, truth proclaimed by him. First, because every man has but one mind, and must, therefore, repeat himself. And, secondly, because that which has won attachment from his congregation, can scarcely be made subordinate in subsequent teaching without losing that attachment; so that, partly for the sake of apparent consistency, partly to avoid offence, and partly from that conservatism of mental habits, which makes it so difficult to break through systems, ministers and congregations often narrow into a party, and hold one truth especially. And so far they db well; but if they shall go on to hold that trutlh TO THIE CORINTHIANS. 49 to the exclusion of all other truths, so far as they do that, it is not well; and nothing is more remarkable than the bitter and jealous antagonism with which party-men, who have reached this point, watch all other religious factions but their own. And then the sectarian work is done; the minister is at once the idol and the slave of the party, which he rules by flattering its bigotry, and stimulating its religious antipathies. Now St. Paul meets this with his usual delicacy: "These things I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, that ye may learn in us not to think of men more highly than it is written, and that no one of you may be puffed up for one against another." And not for Corinth only, but for all who were, or should be, his brethren in Christ, did St. Paul transfer these things to Apollos and himself- for have I not given you a Home history? -the exact and likeliest history of many an English party, which began with a truth, and then called it the truth; flattering one another, and being "puffed up for one against another," and manifesting that with all their high professions, they were "carnal, and walked as men." But here let us observe the glorious unselfishness of this noble Apostle. Think you, there was no fire of ambition in his heart —that ardent, fiery heart? An Apostle, yes- but not exempt from temptation: with the feelings and passions of a Man! Do you imagine he did not perceive, what is so evident to us, the opportunity within his grasp, of being the great Leader in the Corinthian Church? Think you that he knew nothing -of that which is so dear to many a priest and minister in our day —the power of gaining the confidence of his people, the power of having his every word accepted as infallible? Yet hear this sublime teacher. " I am a minister, a steward only.' Who is Paul? I dare not be a partyleader, for I am the servant of Him who came to make all one. He that watereth, and he that planteth, are all olne- they, even those Judaizing teachers, who 60;LECTURES ON IfE EPISTLES named themselves after Peter, are all servants with me of Christ." 2d. Another mode of undue glorification of the ministry: by attributing supernatural powers and imaginary gifts to the office. Now this mode was quite different, apparently, from the other; so much so, as plainly to mark a party in the opposite extreme; and it was far more necessary to warn some men against this view, for many who would have refused submission to a Man, would have readily yielded it to an Office. Many will refuse obedience to one standing on his personal gifts, or party views; but when one claiming the Power of the Keys, and pretending to the power of miraculous conveyance of the Eternal Spirit in Baptism, or pretending, in shrouded words of mystery, to transform the elements of bread and wine into the very Body and Blood of Christ; or, declaring that he has an especial power to receive confession, and a miraculous right to forgive sins, therefore claims homage from the congregation; then, grave men, who turn contemptuously from the tricks of the mere Preacher, are sometimes subdued before those of the Priest. And yet this is but the same thing in another form, against which St. Paul contended in Corinth; for pride and Vanity can assume different forms, and sometimes appear in the very guise of Humility. Power is dear to man, and for the substance, who would not sacrifice the shadow? Who would not depreciate himself, if by magnifying his office he obtained the power he loved? We have heard of Bernard, who, professing to be unsecular, yet ruled the secular affairs of the world. We have heard of men, who, cut off from human affections, and crushing them relentlessly, have resigned every endearment in life, who nevertheless reigned in their sackcloth with a power which the imperial purple never gave. Affecting to live apart from human policy, and human business, they spread their influence through every department of human thought and life, and government. To appear more than human, to seem a TO THE CORINTHIANS. 51 spiritual being, above their fellow-men; for this, men formerly, as well as now, have parted with all that is best in our humanity, its tenderest affections, its most innocent relaxations, and its most sacred and kindliest enjoyments. History affords innumerable examples of this. II. The depreciation of the Office. There is a way common enough, but not specially alluded to here, in which the Minister of the Church of Christ is viewed simply in connection with an Establishment as a very useful regulation, on a par with the institutions of the Magistracy and the Police. In this light the minister's chief duty is to lecture the poor, and of all the thousand texts which bear on political existence to preach from only two, " Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's," and "' Let every soul be subject to the higher powers," to be the treasurer and regulator of the different charitable institutions in the town and village, and to bless the rich man's banquet. Thus the office is simply considered a profession, and the common term "living" is the truest exposition of the dignity in which it is held. It is- a " living" for the younger branches of noble houses, and an advance for the sons of those of a lower grade who manifest any extraordinary aptness for learning, and who, through the ministry, may rise to a higher position in social life. In this view a degrading compact is made between the Minister and Society. If he will not interfere with abuses, but leave things as they are: if he will lash only the vices of an age that is gone by, and the heresies of other churches: if he will teach, not the truth that is welling up in his own soul, but that which the conventionalism of the world pronounces to be the Truth - then shall there be shown to him a certain consideration; not the awful reverence accorded to. the Priest, nor the affectionate gratitude yielded to the Christian minister, but the half-respectful, condescending patronage which comes from men, who stand by the Church LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES as they would stand by any other old time-honorea Institution; who would think it extremely ill-bred to take God's name in vain in the presence of a clergyman, and extremely unmanly to insult a man whose profession prevents his resenting indignities. Now it is enough to quote the Apostle's view, " Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ," and at once you are in a different atmosphere of thought. These things are not essential to the position, for that may cease to be respectable. Society may annihilate a Church Establishment, but yet that which is essential in the office remains: the minister is still a minister of Christ, a steward of the mysteries of God, whose chief glory consists not in that he is respectable, or well-off, or honored, but in that he serves, like Him, "Who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Lastly, the office may be depreciated by such a view as these Corinthians were tempted to take. The Corinthians measured their teachers by their gifts, and in proportion to their acceptability to them. So now, men seem to look on the Ministry as an Institution intended for their comfort, for their gratification, nay, even for their pastime. In this way the preaching of the Gospel seems to be something like a lecture, professorial or popular; a thing to be freely found fault with, if it has not given comfort, or shown ability, or been striking or original; a free arena for light discussion and flippant criticism; for, of course, if a man had a right to be an admirer of Paul, he had also to be a blamer of Apollos. Now see how St. Paul meets this. "' With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment." He simply refuses to submit his authority to any judgment; and this you will say, perchance, was priestly pride, a characteristic haughtiness. Exactly the reverse, it was profound humility. Not because he was above judgment, not because he was infallible, or teaching truths too grand for them, but because he was to be judged before a tribunal far more TO THE CORINtHIANS. 53 awful than Corinthian society. Not by man would he be judged, because fidelity is the chief excellence in a steward, and fidelity is precisely that which men cannot judge. They can only judge of gifts, whereas the true dignity of the minister consists not in gifts, nor in popularity, nor in success, but simply in having faithfully used his powers, and boldly spoken the truth which was in him. St. Paul refuses even to pass judgment on himself. He says, "I know nothing by myself." In the common reading this passage would seem to mean, Whatever I know is not by myself, but by a Higher Power; but what the translator meant, and as it would even now be understood by our north-countrymen, is this, "' I know nothing against myself," " I am not conscious of untruth, or lack of fidelity." "Yet," he goes on to say, "am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord." Here, then, is what St. Paul appeals to, for another Eye had seen, and He could tell how far the sentence was framed for man's applause; how far the unpleasant truth was softened, not for love's sake, but simply from cowardice. Even the bold unpopularity, that cares not whom it offends, may be, and often is, merely the result of a contentious, warlike spirit, defiant of all around, and proud in a fancied superiority. But God discerns through all this, and sees how far independence is only another name for stubbornness; how even that beautiful avoidance of sectarianism is merely, in many cases, a love of standing alone; a proud resolve not to interfere with any other man's ministry, or to allow any man to interfere with his. In applying this to our daily life, we must, then, 1. Learn not to judge, for we do not know the heart's secrets. We judge men by gifts, or by a correspondence with our own peculiarities; but God judges by fidelity. Many a dull sermon is the result of humble powers, honestly cultivated, whilst many a brilliant discourse LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES arises merely from a love of display. Many a diligent and active ministry proceeds from the love of power. 2. Learn to be neither depressed unduly by blame, nor, on the other side, to be too much exalted by praise. Life's experience should teach us this. Even in war, honors fall as by chance, with cruel and ludicrous injustice; often the hero, whom the populace worship, is only made so by accident. Often the coronet falls on brows that least deserve it. And our own individual experience should teach us how little men know us! How often when we have been most praised and loved,'have we been conscious of another motive actuating, than that which the world has given us credit for; and we have been blamed, perhaps disgraced, when, if all the circumstances were known, we should have been covered with honor. Therefore, let us strive, as much as possible, to be tranquil; smile when men sneer; be humble when they praise; patient when they blame. Their judgment will not last; "man's judgment," literally " man's day," is only for a time, but God's is for Eternity. So, would you be secure alike when the world pours its censure or its applause upon you? feel hourly that God will judge. That will be your safeguard under both. It will be a small thing to you to be judged of any man's judgment, for your cause will be pleaded before the Judge and the Discerner of all secrets. TO- THE CORINTHIANS. hbf LECTURE IX. NOVEMBER 23, 1851. i CORINTHIANS, iv. 7- 21. -" For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not re ceived it? - Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us; and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. - For I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. - We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are stirong; ye. are honorable, but we are despised. - Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place: - And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; - Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. — I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. - For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. - Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. - For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. - Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. - But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. - For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. - What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness " THE fcrmer part of this chapter is addressed to congregations, in order that a right estimate may be formed by them of the ministerial office, which neither on the one hand ought to be depreciated, nor, on the other, to be unduly valued. We have explained how St. Paul's view was ill opposition to all tendencies to worship the man, or to represent the Office as magical or mysterious; and, on the other hand, his view was in direct opposition to all opinions which represent it as a creature and institution of the State, or which value it only as a sphere 56 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES for the exhibition of gifts and talents. And one definition sufficed the Apostle: " Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." And in reference to that right, so liberally assumed, of passing judgment, of awarding praise and blame, of criticizing individual ministers, the Apostle teaches that the same definition excludes this right, because of the impossibility of judgment; for all that a steward can have of merit is fidelity, and fidelity is exactly that which men cannot judge - it is a secret hidden with God. Now this sin of sectarianismwas not imputable to the congregation only. It was also shared by their ministers. There were those who made themselves leaders of parties, those who accepted and gloried in adulation, those who unduly assumed mysterious powers, magnifying their office, that they might personally have that spiritual power which to most men is so grateful. And here, again, is shown the Apostle's singular delicacy. He names none of those leaders, none of those who were vain of their eloquence or gifts. He only speaks of those who were involuntarily raised to the headship of different factions: Christ, the Lord — Cephas - Apollos - and himself. "These things I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes: that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another." That is, these are named for a general, not a specific purpose, that they might learn not to be puffed up for any minister. And just because the accusation is not special, therefore should it be universally applied. We gain nothing from this chapter if we simply learn the historical fact, that in Corinth there were certain parties and sects; and that St. Paul blamed that of Apollos, and that of Cephas, and that likewise which had formed round himself; unless we learn also that there are parties amongst ourselves- one setting up the Church against the Bible, and another the Bible -gamst the Church; one calling itself the " Evangelical" TO THE CORINTHIANS. bT party, par excellence, affixing special terms to the names.of its reviews and magazines, as if no other publications deserved the name of Christian; another party calling itself" Anglo-Catholic," as though true Catholicity was not rather in spirit than in outward form; every party having its organ, its newspapers and reviews, full of faction and bitterness, and each branding the other with opprobrious names. And unless we learn that St. Paul would have blamed us, and taken our party spirit as a proof that we are " carnal, and walk as men," we gain nothing from the delicacy of his abstaining from mentioning names, that he might teach a general principle. Another lesson, however, we gain. This is an anonymous accusation; but of that rare kind, that not the name of the accuser, but of the accused, is suppressed. If all this were anonymous then, surely it should be so with us now. Our accusations should be personal, that is, directed against ourselves, for the Apostle names himself. There should exist a readiness to see our own faults, and those of our own Party or Church; and not onlyv the faults of other Parties or other Churches. However, though St. Paul does not name the men, le does not leave them unrebuked. He addresses them in a way that they would understand, and that all would understand for whom comprehension was necessary; for, in verse 7, he turns to those whom he had all along in mind: "' Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? " And having thus addressed himself particularly to congregations, St. Paul, in conclusion, speaks especially to ministers. The first principle that he lays down is - A warning to those who fostered the personal worship of the ministers - that is, of themselves. Secondly. To those who unduly magnified the office. I. To such as fostered a personal worship of the ministers. 58 LECTURES ON% THE EPISTLES The qualities which are requisite for the higher part of the ministry are -great powers of sympathy; a mind masculine in its power, feminine in its tenderness; humbleness; wisdom to direct; that knowledge of the world which the Bible calls the -wisdom of the serpent; and a knowledge of evil which comes rather from repulsion from it than from personal contact with it. But those qualifications which adapt a man for the merely showy parts of the Christian ministry are of an inferior order: fluency, self-confidence, tact, a certain listrionic power of conceiving feelings, and expressing them. Now it was precisely to this class of qualities that Christianity opened a new field in places such as Corinth. Men who had been unknown in their trades, suddenly found an opportunity for public addresses, for activity, and for leadership. They became fluent and ready talkers; and the more shallow and self-sufficient they were, the more likely it was that they would become the leaders of a faction. And how did the Apostle meet this? He had shown before that Christ was crucified in weakness. Now he shows that the disposition to idolize intellect was directly opposed to this —Christ the crucified was the Power of God. So far, then, as they taught or believed that the power lay in gifts, so far they made the Cross of none effect: " If any man among you seemeth to be wise " (i. e. has the reputation), 1" let him become a fool, that he may be wise." But he alleges two thoughts in verse 7, to check this tendency. Christian dependence: " Who maketh thee to differ?" Christian responsibility: "What hast-thou, that thou didst not receive? " This tendency, which the Apostle rebukes, besets us ever. Even at school, in the earliest stage of boyhood, we see that brilliancy is admired, whilst plodding industry is almost sure to be sneered at. Yet which of these two characters would St. Paul approve? Which shows fidelity? The dull mediocre talent faithfully used, or the bright talent used only for glitter and dis TO THE CORINTHIANS. 59 play? St. Paul, in the verse quoted, crushes v.anity by reminding us of responsibility. His method is the true one, for we cannot meet vanity by denying gifts. If we or our children have beauty of person, have talents and accomplishments, it is in vain we pretend to depreciate, or to shut our eyes to them. St. Paul did not do this, for he acknowledged their worth. lHe said,' Covet earnestly the best gifts." Hie did not sneer at eloquence, nor contemn learning; but lie said, These are your responsibilities. You are a steward: you have received. Beware that you be found faithful. Woe unto you if accomplishments have been the bait for admiration, or if beauty has left the mind empty, or even allured others to evil. Woe, if the gifts and manner, that have made you acceptable, have done no more. In truth, this independence of God is man's fall. Adam tried to be a Cause; to make a Right; to be separate from God; to enjoy without God; to be independent,'having a will of his own: and just as all things are ours, if we be Christ's, so, if we be not Christ's, if the Giver be ignored in our enjoyments and our work, then all things are not ours: but pleasures are enjoyed, and gifts used in the way of robbery. Stolen pleasures; stolen powers; stolen honors; all is stolen when "we glory as if we had not received." II. Warning to those who unduly magnified the office. There were men who prided themselves as being ministers: successors of the Apostles, who exercised lordship, authority, and reigned as kings over the congregations. The Apostle says, "Now ye are full, now ye are rich." Be it so. How comes then the contrast? " But God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." Now place these two verses side by side, and think, first of all, of these teaclers- andmired, flattered, and loaded with presents. 60 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES See them first made rich, and then going on to rule as autocrats, so that when a Corinthian entertained his minister, he entertained his oracle, his infallible guide, still more, his very religion. And then, after having well considered this phrase, turn to contemplate the apostolic life as painted in this last verse. If the one be an Apostle, what is the other? If one be the High life, the Christian life, how can the other be a life to boast of? Remark here the irony: " Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us." And again: " WVe are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ: we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honorable, but we are despised." It is in vain we deny these words are ironical. People who look upon Christianity as a mere meek, passive, strengthless, effeminate thing, must needs be perplexed with passages such as these, and that other passage, too, in Christ's lips: " Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your-own tradition." " Full well!" How terrible the irony to call that well which was most ill! The truth is, that in Christ, - the perfect Human Nature, - the manlier and more vigorous feelings and emotions did not undergo excision. Resentment, indignation, these are to be guided, controlled, not cut out. True it is, that in our practice they are nearly always evil; for does not indignation frequently become spite, and resentment turn to malice? Nevertheless, they are both integral parts of human nature. Oar character is composed of these elements. In Christ they existed, how strongly! But yet when he used them to rebuke living men they are changed at once. HIe blighted Pharisaism with irony and terrible invective. But to the actual, living Pharisee, how tenderly did he express Himself! " Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee." Evil is detestable; and the man wllho mixes himself with it is so far obnoxious to our indignation. But so far as he is a man, he is an object of infinite pity and tenderness. And in St. Paul's irony we remark somewhat of tht: TO THE CORINTHIANS. 61 same characteristics. It becomes even sarcasm if you will, but there is no shadow of a sneer in it. He who has never experienced the affectionate bitterness of love, who has never known how earnest irony, and passionate sarcasm, may be the very language of Love in its deepest, saddest moods, is utterly incapable of even judging this passion. And remark how gracefully it turns with him from loving though angry irony, to loving aspiration: "I would to God ye did reign." They were making this a time for triumph, whereas it was the time for suffering. And -St. Paul says, I would the time for reigning were come indeed, for then we should be blessed together. Ye are making a noble time of it with this playing at kings! Be it so. Would to God that it were not an anachronism! Would to God that the time for triumph were come indeed, that these factions might cease, and we be kings together! See then, here, the true doctrine of the apostolical succession. The apostolical office is one thing; the apostolical character, which includes suffering, is.quite another thing; often they are totally opposed. And just as the true children of Abraham were not his lineal descendants, but the inheritors of his faith, so the true apostolical succession consists not in what these men pride themselves upon - their office, their theological attainments, their ordination, the admiration of their flocks, the costly testimonials of affection, which had made them " rich; " but it consists rather in a life of truth, and in the suffering which inevitably comes as the result of being true. Let bishops, let ministers, let me ever remember this. Nsr, therefore, we can understand the passage with which he ends: " Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me." Only do not misread it. It might sound as if Paul were inviting them to become his followers, instead of following Cephas or'Apollos. But that would be to forget the whole argument. To say that, would have been to have fallen into the very error that he blamed, and to have opposed and contradicted his own depreciation of himself; to have denied every 6 62 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES principle he had been establishing. No: you have here no mere partizan trying to outbid and outvie others; it is not the oratory of- the platform commending one sect or one society above another. Paul is not speaking of doctrine, but of life. He says that the life he had just described was the one for them to follow. In this -" Be ye followers of me," he declares the life of suffering, of hardship in the cause of duty, to be higher than the life of popularity and self-indulgence. He says that the dignity of a minister, and the majesty of a man, consist not in " Most Reverend," or "Most Noble," fixed to his name; not in exempting himself from the common lot, and affecting not to mix with mean occupations and persons; not in affecting that peculiar spirituality which is above human joys, aRd human pleasures, and human needs. But it lies in this, in being not superhuman, but human; in being through and through a man, according to the Divine Idea: a man whose chief privilege it is to be a minister - that is, a servant, a follower of Him who "' came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His Life a ransom for many." 1TO THE CORINTHIANS. (j, LECTURE X. TRE CHRISTIAN IDEA OF ABSOLUTION. AUGUST 1, 1852. 2 (''IrIN h1ANS, ii. 10-11. — " To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive al~o: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. - Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." IN order that we may more fully understand the meaning of the sentence pronounced upon the Corinthian sinners by St. Paul, I have determined to enter on the question of absolution to-day, and have therefore deviated from the direct line of exposition, and taken a text from the Second Epistle, in which the principle of Christian absolution is fully comprised. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians St. Paul refers to a crime which had brought great scandal on their Church; and it seems that, instead of being shocked; the Corinthians rather gloried in their laxity, or, as they called it, liberality. On the offender the' Apostle had demanded that a severe punishment should fall. They were to " put away from themselves that wicked person." But in the interval which had elapsed between the two Epistles a great change had taken place. The Corinthians had obeyed, and that in earnest. Their indignation and zeal had been thoroughly roused, and the terrible treatment of society had wrought a deep remorse in the offenders which was threatening to pass into despair. In this Second Epistle, therefore, he requires forgiveness, he reverses his mode of treatment - ii. 6, 7. In the text lie ratifies that forgiveness. Here, then, we 6t4 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES are brought face to face with the fact of Christian Ab. solution. For, let us clearly understand: this forgiveness was not forgiveness of an offence against the Apostle, or against any man. It was not a debt, nor an insult - it was a crime. And yet though a crime against God, Paul says, "I forgive it, you must forgive it." He did not say, "He must confess to God, perhaps God will forgive." Here there is evidently a sin against God forgiven by man. Here, then, is the fact of Absolution. This is our subject; one which is a battle-ground between Romanists and Protestants. I shall not attempt to steer adroitly a middle course between Romanism and Protestantism, the first asserting an absolving power in tile priesthood, the second denying it in every shape and form to any human being. I shall avoid that via media which, to timid minds, seems safe and judicious because not going into extremes, but which does yet, like all weak things, manage to embrace the evils of both, and the good of neither. But, as on other occasions, I shall try to seize that deep truth which lies at the root of both views, and which alone can explain the difficulties which beset the question. First, then - False conceptions, respecting Absolution. Secondly. The Scripture principle on which it rests. I. The false conceptions. i. The first would be a denial in toto of the existence of such a power in any sense. There are, and were, men who might have objected to St. Paul as the scribes did to his Lord- Who is this that forgiveth sills also? Who can forgive sins but God only?" And observe there was much truth in that objection - Who can forgive sins but God? And if a man may absolve another man, will not sin be committed easily and carelessly? Will not the salutary effect of dread and of uncertainty be done away with-? How dangerous to remove the apprehension of punishment! How fearful to send any one to a brother man instead TO THE CORINTHIANS. 65 of to God alone! These are plausible difficulties, and in great part true. But still remember how Christ replied to that objection. He performed a miracle to show that as He could do the difficult thing — as He could say with power -" Arise, and take up thy bed and walk," so He could do the more difficult —" Thy sins be forgiven thee." Now it is often said that by that miracle He proved His Godhead, that He took them at their word. " No one can forgive sins but God." See, then, I can forgive; therefore I am God. But to read the passage so is utterly to lose the meaning. He did not say that He forgave as God. He expressly said that He forgave as man -" That ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins." He says nothing about the forgiveness by God in heaven. All He speaks of is respecting the power of forgiveness by man on earth. But whatever we may make of that passage, our text is one which cannot be twisted. We say, Christ forgave as the Messiah, not as Man; He did not speak of a power belonging to any son of man, but to the Son of Man. Be it so: but here is a passage which cannot be so gotover. His Apostle Paul, a son of man, uses words identical with His: " To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive." We are driven, then, to the conclusion, that in some sense or other human beings have an absolving power.?. The second error is, that which would confine this power to the Apostles. " St. Paul absolved - yes: but St. Paul was inspired; he could read hearts, and could absolve because he knew when penitence was real; but vou must not extend that to men now." In reply to this observation, take two facts. 1. We have been denying for 300 years that man's forgiveness can be in any sense an assurance of God's. We have fiercely, "6 like good Protestants," opposed any absolving power in man. What has been our success? Surely it has been failure. We have said, " Go to God, He forgives." But men have not gained rest or peace by this. Out of the very ranks of Protestantism men and women are 6* LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES crying-" Absolve me from the weight of sin that I cannot bear alone." Shall we then, in rigid dogmatism, cruelly say, "There is nothing for you beyond this - Go to God," which we have said a thousand times? or shall we say, " It is time to pause and ask ourselves what real truth lies at the bottom of this irrepressible desire. However Rome may have caricatured the trutb, let us not fear to search it out? " Again. Whether you will or not, this power is a fact; for thus runs Christ's commission to His Church: " Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." Say, if you will, that was a peculiar power, limited to the Apostles. Nevertheless, the fact cannot be controverted, that every day and every hour Society - man, exerts this power. For example: There are sins after committing which Society permits a return; there are others in which Society is inexorable. In military life cowardice is branded with irrevocable infamy. Among women, another class of sins admits of no return. You are permitted by the world to defraud your tradesman; debts may be " honorably contracted " which there is no ability of paying: but if a gambler shirks his " debts of honor," he has to fly disgraced. And the results of this are clear. A man may be, in military life, dissipated, which is morally as bad as cowardice; a woman may be selfish or censorious, or kill by bitter words; and yet these are faults not made hopeless by Society: they leave room for other ex'cellences - they do not blight character. But for a coward, or a " daughter of shame," once fallen, there is no return. Down, down, and deeper yet to the deeps of infamy, must one sink on whom Society has set its black mark. Here is a fearful exercise of povWr. The sins which Society has bound on earth are bound; the sins which Society has loosed, are thereby robbed of a portion of their curse. It is a power often wrongly used, but still an incontrovertible, terrific power. Even from unworthy lips these words, "We forgive," have an ab TO THE CORINTHIANS. 67 solving power, like all our other powers, capable of perversion and misuse. And such a possibility the Apostle intimates here: " lest Satan should get an advantage over us." What he meant by this expression is told in the seventh verse. For he well knew how the sentence of Society crushes. He knew how it drives, first, into despondency, and how despondency seeks a temporary refuge in superstition, and how,~that failing, the soul passes into infidelity, desperate and open. That might have been the career of this man. And it would have only proved, that if manl will not recognize or allow his power of absolving, he cannot hinder the effects and working of his power of binding sins upon the character. 3. The third error is, that which monopolizes Absolution for the Priesthood. The Romanist claims this most largely. He does not confine it to the Apostles. He asserts it as the privilege of their successors. He says that the power to bind and loose belongs to the Church now; by a special right delegated to the Priesthood only. They cry out for the power of the keys. The descendants of the Apostles have power, and they alone, to bind and loose. " Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." Well, the question is, In what sense, and by virtue of what power, the Apostles did this? We need no reply beyond the text. If we can find an instance of their doing this, we can understand the nature of the privilege, and to whom it extends. Such an instance we have here. The Aposfle Paul, in ex ercise of the right so delegated, absolves the Corinthian sinner. But observe, in whatever sense he claimed the right for himself, in that sense he also claimed it for the whole Church. He forgave because they did. He asks them to forgive. He says, " for your sakes forgave I it." So if the Apostle Paul absolved, then the whole body also of the Corinthian Church absolved. II. The Principle on which Absolution rests. It rests on the mediatorial character of Humanity. 68 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES "For your sakes I forgave in the person of" (i. e., i. the stead of) "Christ." But understand that the word " mediatorial" is used by us here, not in the theological, but the natural, popular, and simple sense. It means that which is conveyed through a medium. A mediatorial idea is that through the medium of which we apprehend another idea. As, for example, when the inhabitant of the torrid zone is told that ice, which he has never seen, resembles glass, glass is the mediatorial idea through which the other becomes possible to him. A mediatorial dispensation is one which through the medium of things earthly conveys conceptions otherwise unintelligible, as that of the soul's rest in God through the medium of the Sabbath-day. Now, God is knowable by us only through the medium of Humanity. The idea of God is a mediatorial idea. The Love of God would be unintelligible unless we had loving feelings of our own, unless we felt the love of men to us. An orphan who had never seen his parents, nor known any instance of the parental relation, would be shut out from the conception of all those truths which are conveyed in the announcement - God the Father. Another remark in passing. Only a man can be the express image of God's Person. Only through a man can there be a revelation; only through a perfect man a perfect revelation. Here is the principle of the Incarnation. And God's forgiveness is unintelligible, actually incredible, except through the human forgiveness which we see. And if you were to imagine the case of one to whom human beings had, with no one exception, been unrelenting, then to that one I suppose God's forgiveness would be not only incredible, but also inconceivable. Or, to take a less extreme case. Suppose that this Corinthian offender had been met on every side with horror and detestation, had seen nowhere a pitying eye, in every street had been shunned and shuddered at. Is it not certain, by the laws of our Humanity, that this judgment of Society would have seemed to him a reflection of the judgment of God, an assurance of coming wrath,- a knell of. a deeper doom? TO THE CORINTHIANS. 69 On the other hand, would not the forgiveness of the Corinthian society have caused the hope of God's forgiveness to dawn upon his heart, made it seem possible, and by degrees probable, actual, certain? And this in exact proportion, just as the men who so forgave were holy men. The more like God they were, the more would their forgiveness be a type and assurance of God's forgiveness. And also this conviction would become stronger in proportion as this declaration was not the isolated act of one individual, which might seem to be personal partiality, but the act of many, of a society, a body, - of the Church. Let us show this historically. Throughout the ages, God has been declaring Himself, in His character of Absolver, Liberator, Redeemer. For the History of the Past has not been that of Man trying to express his religious instincts in institutions and priesthoods, but of God uttering Himself and His Idea through Humanity. 1. Moses is called a Mediator in the Epistle to the Galatians. How'was this? God sent Moses to deliver his people. " I am come to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians." " I will send thee unto Pha. raoh." And Moses understood his commission. He slew an Egyptian, and he supposed that they would have understood that he was their liberator, that they would have seen in the human deliverer the Divine Arm. God was revealing Himself through Moses as the Avenger and Redeemer. 2. The Judges. - First of these came Joshua, whose name, originally Oshea, or Saviour, had Jah added to it to make this clear, that he was a deliverer in whom was to be seen the Unseen. A "Divine Deliverer," reminding the people that he was but the representative of One whose prerogative it is to break the rod of the oppressor. 3. The Prophets. They developed another kind of deliverance, founded on no prescriptive authority, but only on the authority of Truth. They stood up against king and priest. They witnessed against kingcraft, 70 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES priestcraft, against false social maxims, against siperstitions, against all that was enslaving the Jewish soul. And how did they effect this deliverance? They proclaimed God as He is. Their invariable preface was this, " Thus saith the Lord." They fell back on deep first principles. They said, that "' to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God," was better than praying, and fasting, and sacrifice. They revealed and declared the true Character of God, which had become illcredible to the people through the false glosses it had received. And so the Prophet also was the deliverer of his people, loosing them from, not slavery, nor political oppression, but a worse bondage, the bondage which comes from ecclesiastical and civil institutions when they have ceased to be real. And thus did they once more exhibit to the world the absolving power of Humanity, when it represents accurately the Divine Mind and Character. One step further. There is a slavery worse than all these; the power by which the soul, through ignorance of God, is bound in sin. Now consider what the Scribes had been doing; they had reduced the teaching about sin to a science; they had defined the nature and degrees of sins; they had priced each sin, named the particular penance and cost at which it could be tolerated. And thus they had represented God as One who, for a certain consideration, might be induced to sell forgiveness, might be bribed to change His will, and forgive those whom He had intended to condemn. Therefore was One manifested who represented the Divine Character without flaw; in whom the mediatorial idea was perfect, in whom Humanity was the exact pattern and type of Deity, in whom God appeared as the Deliverer in the highest sense, where every miracle manifested the Power to loose, and every tender word the Will to forgive; who established the true relation between God and man, as being not that between a judge and a culprit, but as between a Father and a son. For once the Love of Man was identical with the Love of God; for once Human for TO THE CORINTHIANS. 71 glreness was exactly commensurate with the Divine forgiveness: therefore is He the one Absolver of the Race; therefore has He, because the Son of Man, " power on earth to forgive sins;" and, therefore, every absolver, so far as he would free consciences and characters from sins, must draw his power out of that same Humanity. He can free only so far as he represents it, or as St. Paul expresses it here, " forgive in the person of Christ;" that is, representatively, for " person" means the character sustained on a stage, which represents, or is a medium through which the one represented is conceived. In conclusion, let us make two applications. i. From the fact that the whole Corinthian Church a]bsolved, learn that the power of absolution belongs to every man as man - as' mrade in the image of God." It belongs in the highest degree to the man who most truly refleQts that image, who most truly stands in the person of Christ. Are you a rigid Protestant, stiffly content with a miserable negative, sturdily satisfied to reiterate forever, "Who can forgive sins but God only?" Well, remember first, that maxim of which you are so proud was used by the Scribes before you; a superficial half-truth it is, in its depths false. Next remember, that, perhaps every act of yours is proving the case against you. If you will not do by Love the absolving work of the Corinthian Church, you may by severity do the terrible, condemning work of the same Church in darkening the light of hope and of God in the souls of the erring. If you represent God as more severe under the Christian than under the' Jewish dispensation, or if you represent Him as the Father of a certain section in consideration of their faith, their church-membership, their baptism, or in consideration of anything, except His own universal Love; or, if chiming in with the false maxims of society, you pass proudly by the sinful and the wandering; then, so far as you have darkened the hope of any soul, though you may be saying loudly, " None can forgive but God;" yet with a voice louder still, you will have demonstrated 2 ILECTURES ON THE EPISTLES that even if you will disclaim your power to loose, you cannot part with your awful power to bind. 2. Inasmuch as St. Paul absolved, let us learn the true principle of ministerial absolution. Humanity is the representative of Deity. The Church is the representative of Humanity, the ideal of Humanity. The minister is the representative of the- Church. When, therefore, the minister reads the absolution, he declares a Fact. It does not depend on his character or his will. It is a true voice of man on earth echoing the Voice of God in heaven. But if the minister forgets his representative character, if he forgets that it is simply in the name of Humanity and God, " in the person of Christ," if by any mysterious language or priestly artifices he fixes men's attention on himself, or his office, as containing in it a supernatural power not shared by other men; then, just so far, he does not absolve or free the soul by declaring God. He binds it again by perplexed and awe-engendering falsehood, and so far, is no priest at all; he has forfeited the priestly power of Christian Humanity, and claimed instead the spurious power of the priesthood of Superstition. TO rHE CORINTHIANS. 73 LECTURE XI. NOVEMBER 30, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, V. 1 -13.-"C It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. *And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. - For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, - In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, - To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. -Your glorifying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? - Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: - Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. -I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: - Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. - But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. - For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." THERE is but one subject in this chapter on which I shall address you to-day -I mean St. Paul's judgment on the scandal which had befallen the Corinthian Church. The same case was treated before you last Sunday. I took the Absolution first, that we might be prepared for a sentence of great severity, and that we should not think that sentence was final. The whole of this chapter is an eloquent, earnest appeal for judgment on the offender. St. Paul's sentence was excommunication. "I have judged," he says, " to deliver such an one unto Satan." This is the form of words used in excommunication. 7 74 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES The presiding bishop used to say, formally, " 1 deliver such an one unto Satan." So that, in fact, St. Paul, when he said this, meant - My sentence is, " Let him be excommunicated." Our subject, then, is Ecclesiastical Excommunication, or rather the grounds upon which human punishment rests. The first ground on which it rests is a representative one. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are. gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ." There is used here, then, precisely the same formula as that in Absolution. "For your sakes forgave I it, in fhe person of Christ." In this place, " person" is a dramatic word. It means the character sustained on the stage by one who represents another. So then, absolving " in the person of Christ," excommunicating "' in the name of Christ," implied that Paul did both in a representative capacity. Remember, then, man is the image of God, man is the medium through which God's absolution and God's punishment are given and inflicted. Man is the mediator, because< he represents God. If man, then, were a perfect image of God, his forgiveness and his condemnation would be a perfect echo of God's. But in respect of his partaking of a fallen nature, his acts, in this sense, are necessarily imperfect. There is but One, He in whom Humanity was completely restored to the Divine Image, whose forgiveness and condemnation are exactly commensurate with God's. Nevertheless, the Church here is the representative of Humanity, of that ideal man which Christ realized, and hence, in a representative capacity, it condemns and forgives. Again, as such, that is, as representative, human punishment is expressive of Divine indignation. Strong words are these, "To deliver unto Satan." Strong, too, are those " Yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!" And St. Paul approved that feeling. Now, I cannot explain such words away. I cannot TO THE CORINTHIANS. 75 say the wrath of God is a figurative expression, nor dare I say the vengeance of the Law is figurative, for it is a mistake to suppose that punishment is only to reform and warn. There is, unquestionably, another truth connected with it; it is the expression on earth of God's indignation in Heaven against sin. St. Paul says of the Civil Magistrate, " For he is the Minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Doubtless, our human passions mingle with that word " vengeance." It is hard to use it, and not conceive of something vindictive and passionate. Yet the Bible uses it, and when our hearts are sound and healthy, and our view of moral evil not morbid and sentimental, we feel it too. We feel that the anger of God is a reality, an awful reality, and that we dare not substitute any other expression. There cannot be such a thing as perfect hatred of wrong, and unmixed love of the wrong-doer. He who has done wrong has identified himself with wrong, and so far is an object of indignation. This, of course, in infinite degrees. In our own day we are accustomed to use strange weak words concerning sin and crime: we say, when a man does wrong, that he has mistaken the way to happiness, and that if a correct notion of real happiness could be given to men, crime would cease. We look on sin as residing, not in a guilty will, but in a mistaken understanding. Thus, the Corinthians looked on at this deed of iniquity, and felt no indignation. They had some soft, feeble way of talking about it. They called it " mental disease," " error," " mistake of judgment," " irresistible passion," or I know not what. St. Paul did feel indignation; and which was the higher nature, think you? If St. Paul had not been indignant, could he have been the man he was? And'this is what we should feel; this it is which, firmly seated in our hearts, would correct our lax ways of viewing injustice, and our lax account of sin. Observe, the indignation of Society is properly re)resentative of the indignation of God. I tried last 76 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Sunday* to show how the absolution of Society looses a man from the weight of sin, by representing and making credible God's forgiveness - how it opens him to hope and the path to a new life. Now, similarly, see how the anger of Society represents and makes credible God's wrath. So long as the Corinthians petted this sinner, conscience slumbered; but when the voice of men was raised in condemnation, and he felt himself everywhere shunned, conscience began to do its dreadful work, and then their anger became a type of coming doom. Remember, therefore, there is a real power lodged in Humanity to bind as well as to loose; and remember, that Man, God's representative, may exercise this fearful power wrongly, too long, and too severely in venial faults, yet there is still a power, a terrible human power, which may make outcasts, and drive men to infamy and ruin. Whosesoever sins we bind on earth, they are bound. Only, therefore, so far as man is Christ-like, can he exercise this power in an entirely true and perfect manner. The world's excommunication or banishment is almost always unijust, and that of the nominal Church more or less so. The second ground on which human punishment rests is the reformation of the offender. "That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Of all the grounds alleged for punishment, that of " an example to others" is the most heartless and the most unchristian. In Scripture I read of two principal objects of punishment: —first, that which has been given already — punishment as an expression of right. eous indignation; the other, the amelioration of the sinner, as is expressed in the above verse. And here the peculiarly merciful character of Christianity comes forth: the Church was never to give over the hope ot recovering the fallen. Punishment then, here, is remedial. If Paul punished, it was " that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." And hence * This subject is also treated of in a Sermon on " Absolution," which is published in the third volume of Mr. Robertson's Sermons. TO rIHE CORINTHIANS. 77 (putting capital punishment out of the present question) to shut the door of repentance upon any sin, to make outcasts for ever, and thus to produce despair, is contrary to the idea of the Church of Christ, and alien from His Spirit. And so far as Society does that now, it is not Christianized, for Christianity never sacrifices, as the world-system does, the individual tothe Society. Christianity has brought out strongly the worth of the single soul. Let us not, however, in treating of this subject, overstate the matter, for it would be too much to say that example is never a part of the object of punishment. Perhaps of the highest Christian idea of punishment it is not. Yet in societies, where, as the spirit of the old world still lingers, Christianity can never be fully carried out, it must be tolerated. For example, the army is a society which is incompatible with the existence of Christianity in its perfection. And here, too, we learn to look with an understanding eye at what else we must blame. When we censure the sanguinary laws of the past, we must remember that they did their work. And even now, the severe judgments and animadversions of Society have their use. Christian they are not, worthy of a Society calling itself Christian they are not; but as the system of a Society only half Christian, such as ours, they have their expediency. Individuals are sacrificed, but Society is kept comparatively pure, for many are deterred from wrong-doing by fear, who would be deterred by no other motive. The third ground is the contagious character of evil. " A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Observe, the evil was not a matter of example, but contagion. Scuh an one as this incestuous man - wicked, impenitent, and unpunished - would infect the rest of the Church. Who does not know how the tone of evil has communicated itself? Worldly minds, irreverent minds, licentious minds, leaven Society. You cannot be long with persons who by innuendo, double meaning, or lax language, show an acquaintance with evil, without feeling in some degree assimilated to them, nor can you easily retain enthusiasm for right amongst those who detract 7* 78 - LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES and scoff at goodness. None but Christ could remain with the impenitent and be untainted; arid even where repentance has been deeply felt, familiarity with some kinds of vice unfits a man for association with his fellowmen. A penitent man should be forgiven; but unless you can insure the removal of the mental taint, it does not follow that he is fit for safe intimacy. Perhaps, never in this world again; and it may be part of his terrible discipline here, which we would fain hope is remedial, not penal, to retain the stamp of past guilt upon his character, causing him to be avoided, though forgiven. The fourth ground was, Because to permit this would be to contradict the true idea of the Church of Christ, " Ye are unleavened." This is the idea of the Church of Christ, a body unleavened with evil, and St. Paul uses a metaphor taken from the Paschal Feast. It was eaten with unleavened bread, and every Jewish family scrupulously removed every crumb of leaven from the house before it began. In like manner, as that feast was eaten with no remnant of the old leaven, so is our Christian jubilee to be kept. All the old life has passed away. We may say, as Paul said of the Corinthians, "Ye are unleavened." A new start, as it were, has been given to you in Christ; you may begin afresh for life. Here, then, is the true conception of the Church: regenerated Humanity, new life without the leaven of old evil. Let us distinguish, however, between the Church visible and invisible. The Church invisible is'"the general assembly and Church of the First-born " spoken of in Hebrews, xii. v. 23. It is that Idea of Humanity which exists in the Mind of God: such as Paul described the Church at Ephesus; such as no Church ever really was; such as only Christ of men has ever been; but such as every Church is potentially and conceivably.* But the Church visible is the actual mnen professing Christ, who exist in this age, or in that: and * See Mr. Robertson's Sermon on " The Victory of Faith," Vol. III. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 79 the Church visible exists, to represent, and at last to realize, the Church invisible. In the first of these senses, tile Apostle describes the Corinthian Church as "unleavened;" i. e. he says, that is the idea of your existence. In the second sense, he describes them as they are, "puffed up, contentious, carnal, walking as men." Now, for want of keeping these two things distinct, two grave errors may bhe committed. 1. Undue severity in the treatment of the lapsed. 2. Wrong purism in the matter of association with the world, its people, its business, and its amusements. Into the first of these the Corinthians afterwards were tempted to fall, refusing reconciliation with the sinner. Into this the Church did fall, for a period, in the third century, when Novatian, laying down the axiom that the actual state of the Church ought to correspond with its ideal - in fact, declaring that the Idea of the Church was its actual state - very consistently with this false definition, demanded the non-restoration of all who had ever lapsed. But the attempt to make the Church entirely pure must fail: it is to be left to a higher tribunal. Such an attempt ever has failed. The parable of the wheat and the tares makes it manifest that we cannot eradicate evil from the Church without the danger of destroying good with it. Only, as a Church visible she must separate from her all visible-evil, she must sever from herself all such foreign elements as bear unmistakable marks of their alien birth. She is not the Church invisible, but she represents it. Her purity must be visible purity, not ideal: representative, not perfect. The second error was a misconception, into which, firom the Apostle's own words, it was easy to fall; an over rigorous purism, or puritanism. The Corinthians were to separate from the immoral; but in a world where all were immoral, how was this practicable? Should they buy no meat because the seller was a heathen? nor accept an invitation from him, nor transact business with him, because he was an idolater? so0) LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Against an extension of this principle he sedulously guards himself, in the ninth and tenth verses. Paul says to them, You are not to go out of the world, only take care that you do not recognize such sinners by associating with them as brothers, or as fulfilling, in any degree, the Christian idea. Indeed, afterwards, he tells them they were free to purchase meat which had been used in heathen sacrifices, and he contemplates the possibility of their accepting invitations to heathen entertainments. Lastly, let us apply the principles we have now gained to practical life as at present existing: let us see the dangerous results of that exclusiveness which affects the society of the religious only. The first result that follows is the habit of judging. For, if we only associate with those whom we think religious, we must decide who are religious, and this becomes a habit. Now, for this judgment, we have absolutely no materials. And the life of Christ, at least, should teach us that the so-called religious party are not always God's religious ones. The publicans and the harlots went into the kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisees. And the second result is censoriousness; for we must judge who are not religious, and then the door is opened for the slander, and the gossip,, and the cruel harshness, which make religious cliques.worse even than worldly ones. And the third result is spiritual pride; for we must judge ourselves, and so say to others," I am holier than thou." And then we fall into the very fault of these Corinthians, who were rejoicing, not that they were Christians, but Christians of a peculiar sort, disciples of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas. Had they been contented to feel that they had a common salvation - that they had been named by the same Name, and redeemed by the same Sacrifice - vanity had been inpossible, for we are only vain of that wherein we differ from others. So we, too often rejoicing in thin distinctions, " they," -and "I we," fall into that sin, almost the most hopeless of all sins,- spiritual pride. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 81 LECTURE XII. DECEMBER 7, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, vi. 1-12. -" Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? - Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? - Know ye not that we -shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? - If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the -church. -I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? - But brother- goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. — Now'therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? - Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.-Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neithefornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, —Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. -And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." THIS Epistle to the Corinthians differs from the other Epistles of St. Paul in this, that instead of being one consecutive argument on connected subjects, it deals with a large variety of isolated questions which the Corinthian Church had put to him on some previous occasion. Hence this Epistle is one of Christian Casuistry, or the application of Christian principles- to the various circumstances and cases of conscience which arise continually in the daily life of a highly civilized, and highly artificial community. This chapter, the sixth, contains the Apostle's judo ment on two such questions. I. The manner of deciding Christian quarrels. 82 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES II. The character of Christian liberty, what is meant by it, and how it is limited. Of the first of these only I shall speak to-day, and the subject ranges from the first to the twelfth verse. I. The manner of deciding Christian quarrels. It appears from this account that questions arose.among the Corinthian Christians which needed litigation: questions of wrongs done to persons or to property. Of the former of these we have already met one in the fifth chapter. These wrongs they carried to the heathen courts of judicature for redress. For this the Apostle reproves them severely, and he assigns two reasons for his rebuke:1. He desired a power in the Church to decide such difficulties for itself. These questions should be tried before " the saints," that is, by Church judicature; and to support this opinion, he reminds them that "' the saints shall judge the world." Let us understand this phrase. Putting aside all speculations, we are all agreed on this, and we are drawn to a recollection of it by this Advent time, that this Earth shall be one day a Kingdom of God. We cannot tell how it may be consummated, whether, as some think, by a Miraculous and Personal Coming, or, as others hold, by the slow evolving, as ages pass, of Christian principles; by the gradual development of the mustard seed into a tree, and of the leaven throughout the meal. But this, unquestionably, is true, Human society shall be thoroughly christianized. " The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ." Legislation shall be Christian legislation. Law shall not then be a different thing from equity. And more, a time is coming when statute law shall cease, and self-government and self-control shall supersede all outward or arbitrary law. That will be the reign of the saints. Let me then pause and examine the principles, as they are declared in Scripture, of this Kingdom which is to be. TO THE CORINTHIA S. 83 "The saints shall judge." The first principle, then, of the kingdom is the Supremacy of Goodness. It is by holiness that the Earth shall be governed hereafter. For the word " judge " in this verse is used in the same sense as it is used of Deborah and Barak, and others who judged or ruled Israel. So here it does not mean that the saints shall be assessors with Christ at the day of Judgment, but that they shall rule the world. Successively have force, hereditary right, talent, wealth, been the aristocracies of the Earth. But then, in that Kingdom to come, goodness shall be the only condition of supremacy. That is implied in this expression, " The saints shall judge." The second principle is, that the best shall rule. "The Apostles shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Now, take that literally, and you have nothing more than a cold barren fact. You lose your time in investigating theories about thrones, and the restoration of the ten tribes, and the future superiority of the Jews. But take it in the spirit of the passage, and it means, and typically expresses, that in that Kingdom the best shall rule. The third principle is, that there each shall have his place according to his capacity. In 1 Cor. xii. 28, this is plainly laid down. Each man took his position in the Church of Christ, not according to his choice, but according to his charism or his gift. A man did not become a prophet, or a teacher, or an apostle, simply because it was his own desire, or because it was convenient for his parents so to bring him up, but because God had placed him there from his capacity for it. Observe here was a new principle. Each man was to do that for which he was most fitted. So in the Kingdom to come we shall not have the anomalies which now prevail. Men are ministers now who are fit only to plough; men are hidden now in professions where there is no scope for their powers; men who might be fit to hold the rod of empire are now weaving cloth. But it shall be altered there. I do not presume to say howlv this is to be brought about. I only say the Bible 84 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES declares it shall be so; and until it is so the Kingdoir of God is only coming, and not come. The Advent ot the Saviour is yet to be expected. These are the things that must be hereafter. And it is only in such a belief that human life becomes tolerable. For a time arrives when our own private schemes have failed, and for us there remains little to b)e either feared or hoped. At that time of life a man begins to cast his eyes on the weltering confusion of this world, its wrongs, its injustices, its cruel anomalies; and if it were not for a firm and deep conviction that there is a better future for the Race, that the Son of God will come to the restitution of all things, who could suffer being here below? But to return to the case before us. St. Paul argues, this is the future destiny of the Church. Are these principles, then, to be altogether in abeyance now? Is this Advent to be only a sickly dream without any conhection with Life, or is it not rather to be the shaping spirit of Life? In the highest spiritual matters the Church shall decide hereafter. Therefore in questions now of earthly matters, such' as in petty squabbles about property, the least esteemed Christian among you should be able to decide. "I speak to your shame;" where are your boasted Christian teachers? Can they not judge in a matter of paltry quarrel about property? Let us not, however, mistake the Apostle. Let us guard against a natural misconception of his meaning. You might think that St. Paul meant to say that the Corinthians should have ecclesiastical instead uf civil courts; and for this reason, that churchmen and clergy will decide rightly by a special promise of guidance, and heathen and laymen wrongly. But this has not to do with the case under consideration. It is not a question here between ecclesiastical and civil courts, but between Law and Equity, between Litigation and Arbitration. No stigma is here affixed, or even implied, on the fairness of the heathen magistracy. The Roman Government was most just and most impartial. St. Paul only means to say that Law is one thing, Equity TO THE CORINTHIANS. 85 another. The principles of heathen law were not Christian, Here we meet with the difficulty, then, how far Christianity deals with questions of property, politics, or those quarrels of daily life which require legal interference. A man asked Christ, " Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me." And the Saviour refused to adjudicate: " Man, who made me a ruler and judge over you? " Yet here St. Paul requires the Christian Church to pronounce a judgment. The Redeemer seems to say, Christianity has nothing to do with deciding quarrels: let them be tried before the appointed judge. St. Paul seems to say Christianity has everything to do with it; go not before the magistrate. Contradictory as these two statements appear, there is no real opposition between them. Christ says, not even the Lord of the Church has power as a Judge to decide questions about earthly property. St. Paul says, the Church has Principles, according to which all such matters may be set at rest. And the difference between the worldly court of justice and the Christian court of arbitration is a difference then of diametrical opposition. Law says you shall have your rights; the spirit of the true Church says, defraud not your neighbor of his rights. Law says you must not be wronged; the Church says, it is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong. We cannot, then, but understand that the difference is one of utter contrariety; for the spirit in the one case is, I will receive no wrong - hi the other, I will scrupulously take care to do none. In application of this principle, the Apostle says: "Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another." As though he had said that state of society is radically wrong in which matters between man and man must be decided by law. In such a state the remedy is, not more elaborate law, nor cheaper law, nor greater facility of law, but more Christianity: less loud cries about "'Rights," more earnest anxiety on both and all sides to do no wrong. For this, you will observe, was in fact the Apostle's ground: "Now there8 86 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES fore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one. with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? - why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." He leaves the whole question of arbitration versus law, and strikes at the root of the matter. "' Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? " Why so? Because to bear wrong, to endure- that is Christianity. Christ expressed this in proverbial form: " If a man smite thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other." " If any man sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." And now consider: Is there, can there be any principle but this which shall at last heal the quarrels of the world? For while one party holds out as a matter of principle, the other appeals to law, and both are well assured of their own rights, what then must be the end? If ye bite and devour one another," says St. Paul, " take heed that ye be not devoured one of another." Whereas, if we were all christianized, if we were all ready to bear and endure injuries, law would be needless -there would be no cry of " my rights, my rights," you will say, perhaps - But if we bear, we shall be wronged. You forget, I say if all felt thus, if the spirit of all were endurance, there would be no wrong. And so, at last, Christianity is finality. The world has no remedy for its miseries but the cure of its selfishness. The Cross of Christ, the spirit of that Sacrifice can alone be the regeneration of the world. The coming Revelation can only be a development of the last, as Christianity was of Judaism. There can be no new Revelation. " Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Men have attempted to produce a peaceful and just state ot society by force, by law, by schemes of socialism; and one after another, all have failed: —all must fail. There remains, then, nothing but the Cross of Christ, the Spirit of the life and death of Him who conquered the world by being the Victim of its sin. TO THE CORINTHEANS. 87 2. The last reason given by the Apostle in rebuking a litigious and quarrelsome disposition in the Corinthian Christians is, that it contradicts the character of the Kingdom of God, of which they were members. A true kingdom of Christ should be altogether free from persons of this character. His argument runs thus: - You ask me how quarrels are to be decided, except by law; how the oppressed are to be freed from gross oppressors, except by an appeal to legal justice; how flagrant crimes — such as that condemned in the fifth chapter- are to be prevented in Christians? I answer, the Church of Christ does not include such persons in the Idea of its existence at all. It only contemplates the normal state; and this is the Idea of the Church of Christ: men " washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." But drunkards, revilers, extortioners, covetous men, gross sensualists, I cannot tell you how to legislate for such, for such ought not to be in your society at all. Regenerate thieves, regenerate libertines, regenerate extortioners! There is a horrible contradiction in the very thought; there is something radically wrong, when such men, remaining in their vices, are imagined as belonging to the true kingdom of God. This is what you were as heathens; this is not what you are to be as Christians. And here you observe, as usual, that the Apostle returns again to the great Idea of the Church of God, the invisible Church, Humanity as it exists, in the Divine Mind; this is the standard he ever puts before them. He says, This you are. If you fall from this, you contradict your nature. And now consider how opposite this, St. Paul's way, is to the common way of insisting on man's depravity. He insists on man's dignity: he does not say to a man, You are fallen, you cannot think a good thought, you are half beast, half devil, sin is alone to be expected of you, it is your nature to sin. But he says rather, it is your nature not to sin.; you are not the child of the devil, but the child of God. 88 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Brother men -between these two systems you must choose. One is the system of St. Paul and of the Church of England, whose baptismal service tells the child that he is a child of God - not that by faith or anything else he can make himself such. The other is a system common enough amongst us, and well known to us, which begins by telling the child he is a child of the devil, to. become, perhaps, the child of God. You must choose: you cannot take both; will you begin from the foundation Adam or the foundation Christ? The one has in it nothing but what is debasing, discouraging, and resting satisfied with low attainments; the other holds within it all that is invigorating, elevating, and full of hope. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 89 LECTURE XIII. DECEMBER 14, 1851. I CORINTULnNS, Vi. 12 -20. "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. - Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. - And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. - Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. -What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. - But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. - Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? - For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." WE have divided this chapter into two branches, the first relating to the right method of deciding Christian quarrels. Our subject last Sunday was the sin of a litigious spirit, and this I endeavored to show in a twofold way: - 1st. As opposed to the power lodged in the Christian Church to settle quarrels by arbitration on the principles of equity and charity, which are principles quite distinct from law; one being the anxiety to get, the other the desire to do right. And in assurance of this power being present with the Church then, St. Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians of the Advent Day when it shall be completewhen " the saints shall judge the world." For the advent of Jesus Christ, —the Kingdom of God, —is but the complete development of powers and principles which are even now at work, changing and moulding the principles of the world. If hereafter the saints 8* 90 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES shall judge the world,'" re ye unworthy now to juage the smallest matters " 2d. The second point of view from which St. Paul regarded the sinfulness of this litigious spirit was the consideration of the Idea of the Church of Christ. Christian quarrels! Disputes between Christian extortioners! The idea of the Church of God admits of no such thought -" Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the spirit of our God." I urged this as the apostolic mode of appeal —to men as redeemed, rather than to men as debased, fallen, reprobate. And I said further, that we must make our choice between these systems - the one, that of modern sectarianism; the other, that of St. Paul, and, as I believe, of the Church of England. We must start from the foundation of Adam's fallen nature, or else from the foundation of Jesus Christ: we are either children of the devil, or we are children of God. St. Paul says to all, " Ye are redeemed." To-day we are to consider another question, What are the limits of Christian rights? We can scarcely conceive that the Religion of Jesus Christ could ever be thought to sanction sin and selfindulgence. But so it was. Men in the Corinthian Church, having heard the Apostle teach the Law of Liberty, pushed that doctrine so far as to make it mean a right to do whatsoever aman wills to do. Accordingly he found himself called on to oppose a system of self-indulgence and sensuality, a gratification of the appetites and the passions taught systematically as the highest Christianity. By these teachers self-gratification was maintained on the ground of two rights. First. The rights of Christian liberty. "All things are lawful for me." Secondly. The rights of nature. "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats," and" God shall destroy. both it and them." First. The rights of Christian liberty. They stiffly TO THE CORINTHIANS. 91 stood on these. Their very watchword was, "All things are lawful." It is easy to understand how this exaggeration came about. Men suddenly finding themselves freed from Jewish law, with its thousand restrictions, naturally went very far in their new principles. For the first crude application of a theory either in politics or religion is always wild. They said, We may eat what we will. We are free from the observance of days. All things are lawful. That which is done by a child of God ceases to be sin. St. Paul met this exaggeration by declaring that Christian liberty is limited, first, by Christian expediency — " All things are lawful" - yes, " but all things are not expedient;" and secondly, by its own nature -- All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." We will consider first the meaning of Christian expediency. It is that which is relatively best — the best attainable. There are two kinds of " best: " the " best " absolutely, and the " best" under present circumstances. It is absolutely best that war should cease throughout the world. Relatively, it is best, under present circumstances, that a country should be'ready to defend itself if attacked. A defensive fleet is expedient, and relatively best, but not the absolutely Christian best. Now that which limits this liberty is, the profit of others. For example, in the northern part of these islands the observance of the Sabbath is much more rigorous than it is here. The best conceivable would be that all over Christendom the free high views of the Apostle Paul should be spread, the doctrine of the sanctification of all time. But so it is not yet. In the North, on Sunday, men will not sound an instrument of music, nor take a walk except to a place of worship. Now, suppose that an English Christian were to find himself in some Highland village, wh it would be his duty? " All things are lawful for " him. By the law o i Christian liberty he is freed from bondage to meats oz drinks, to holidays or Sabbath days; but if his use 92 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES of this Christian liberty should shock his brother Christians, or should become an excuse for the less conscientious among them to follow his example, against the dictates of their own conscience, then it would be his Christian duty to abridge his own liberty, because the use of it would be inexpedient. The second limitation to this liberty arises out of its own nature. In that short sentence, " I will not be brought under the power of any," is contained one of the profoundest views of Christian liberty; I will try to elucidate it. Christian liberty is internal. It resides in the deeps of the soul; a soul freed by faith is safe from superstition. He who fears God will fear nothing else. He who knows moral wrong to be the only evil, will be free from the scrupulosities which torment others. It is that free self-determination which rules all things, which can enjoy or abstain at will. This spirit is expressed in " All things are yours, whether life or death, things present or things to come - all are yours." Hence is clear what St. Paul so often says in his Epistles. This liberty can manifest itself under outward restrictions; for the spirit, exalted above all outward restrictions, no longer feels them to be restrictions. So if a Christian were in slavery he was Christ's freedman, that is, he has a right to be free; but if by circumstances he is obliged to remain a slave, he is not troubled as if guilty of sinl: he can wear a chain or not with equal spiritual freedom. Now, upon this the Apostle makes this subtle and exquisitely fine remark: —To be forced to use liberty is actually a surrender of liberty. If I turn " I may " into " I must," I am in bondage again. "All things are lawful to me." But if I say, Not only lawful, but I must use them, I am brought under their power. For, observe, there are two kinds of bondage. I am not free if I am under sentence of exile, and must leave my country. But also I am not free if I am under arrest, and must not leave it. So, too, if I think I TO THE CORINTHIANS. 93 mist not touch meat on Friday, or that I must not read any but a religious book on a Sunday, I am in bondage. But again, if I am tormented with a scrupulous feeling that I did wrong in fasting, or if I feel that I must read secular books on Sunday to prove my freedom, then my liberty has become slavery again. It is a blessed liberation to know that natural inclinations are not necessarily sinful. But if I say all natural and innocent inclinations must be obeyed at all times, then I enter into bondage once more. Christ proved to St. Peter that He was free from the necessity of paying tribute, the law being unjust as applied to Him. But had He felt Himself bound by conscience not to pay it, He would not have been free. He paid the tribute, and thereby proved his liberty. For he alone is free who can use outward things with conscientious freedom as circumstances vary; who can take off restrictions from himself, or submit to them for good reasons; who can either do without a form or ritual, or can use it. See, then, how rare as well as noble a thing is Christian liberty! Free from superstition, but free also from the rude, inconsiderate spirit which thinks there is no liberty where it is not loudly vindicated: free from the observance of rules, of rites, of ceremonies, free also from the popular prejudices which dare not use forms or observe days, and free from the vulgar outcry which is always protesting against the faith or practice of others. The second plea of the teachers St. Paul is here condemning is, the rights of Nature. There is some difficulty in the exposition of this chapter, because the Apostle mixes together the pleas of his opponents, with his own answers to those pleas — states them himself, in order that he may reply to them. The first part of the thirteenth verse contains two of these pleas; the second part of this verse, with the fourteenth, contains his reply. 1. "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats' -a ratural correspond 94 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES ency. Here are appetites, and things made on purpose to satisfy appetites. " Therefore," said they, "s Nature herself says,' Enjoy!'" 2. The transitoriness of this enjoyment furnishes an argument for the enjoyment. "' God shall bring to an end both it and them." That is, the body will perish, so will the food and the enjoyments —they do not belong to eternity, therefore indulgence is a matter of indifference. It is foolish ignorance to think that these are sins, any more than the appetites of brutes which perish. Now to these two pleas, St. Paul makes two answers. To the argument about correspondency of appetites with the gratifications provided for them - an argument drawn from our nature to excuse gluttony and sensuality -he replies thus, I" The body is not for selfindulgence, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." In other words, he tells of a more exact mutual correspondency. He reveals a true and higher nature. Here, again, we see that St. Paul comes into collision with a common mode of teaching, which says man's nature is utterly vile and corrupt. These Corinthians said that, and St. Paul replied, No! that is a slander upon God. That is not your nature. Your true nature is, the body for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. There is much confusion and dispute about this word'"nature," because it is rather ambiguous. Take an illustration. The nature of a watch is correspondence with the sun, perfect harmony of wheels and balance. But suppose that the regulator was removed, and the mainspring unchecked ran down, throwing all into confusion. Then two things might be said. One might say, It is the nature of that watch to err. But would it not be a higher truth to say, Its nature is to go rightly, and it is just because it has departed from its nature that it errs? So speaks the Apostle. To be governed by the springs of impulse only-your appetites and passionsthis is not your nature. For the nature is the whole TO THE CORINTHIANS. 95 man; the passions are but a part of the man. And therefore our redemption from the lower life must consist, not in a perpetual assertion and dinning reiteration of our vileness, but in a reminder of what we arewhat our true nature is. To the other plea, the transitoriness of the body, he replies, You say the body will perish: " God shall bring it to an end." I say the body will not perish.' God hath raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his power." It is the outward form of the body alone which is transitory. Itself shall be renewed —a nobler, more glorious form, fitted for a higher and spiritual existence. Now here, according to St. Paul, was the importance of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. He taught that the Life which proceeds from faith carries with it the germ of a higher futurity. It will pervade humanity to its full extent until body, soul, and spirit are presented blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus. And hence, too, he drew an awful argument against sin. Some sins are committed without the body; sins of sensuality and animal indulgence are against the body. Our bodies, which are " members of Christ," to be ruled by His Spirit, become by such sins unfit for immortality with Christ. This is an awful truth. Sins committed against the body affect that wondrous tissue which we call the nervous system: the source of all our acutest suffering and intensest blessing, is rendered so susceptible by God, as to be at once our punishment or reward. Sin carries with it its own punishment. There is not a sin of indulgence, gluttony, intemperance, or licentiousness of any form, which does not write its terrible retribution on our bodies. Lax notions repecting self-indulgence are simply false: sinful pleasures are not trifles and indifferent. Irritability, many an hour of isolation, of dark and dreary hopelessness, is the natural result of powers unduly stimulated, unrighteously gratified. 9G 0LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES In conclusion, it follows that nothing is really indifferent. In itself, perhaps, it may be; but under special circumstances duty always lies one way or the other, and nothing presents itself to us in our daily life simply in itself, as unconnected with other considerations. And so Christian love makes all life one great duty. TO THE CORIINTIIIANS. LECTURE XIV. DECEiMBER 21, 1851. CORINTHxIANS, vii. 1- 22. -. Now concerning the things whlereot ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. - Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. - The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. - Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. - But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. - For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. — I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. - But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. - And unto the married, I command, yet not I, but the Lord: Let not the wife depart from her husband. - But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. - But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleasel to dwell with him, let him not put her away.- And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if. he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. — For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean: but now are they holy. - But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. - For what knowest thou, 0 wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, 0 man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? - But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. - Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. - Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. - Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. — Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. - For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is. called, being free, is Christ's servant." THE whole of this seventh chapter of the First 9 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians~- is occupied with some questions of Christian casuistry. In the application of the principles of Christianity to the varying circumstances of life, innumerable difficulties had arisen, and the Corinthians upon these difficulties had put certain questions to the Apostle Paul. We have here the Apostle's answers to many of these questions. There are, however, two great divisions into which these answers generally fall. St. Paul makes a distinction between those things which he speaks by commandment, and those which he speaks only by permission; there is a distinction between what he says as from the Lord, and what only from himself; between that which he speaks to them as being taught of God, and that which he speaks only as a servant, "called of the Lord and faithful." It is manifestly plain that there are many questions in which right and wrong are not variable, but indissoluble and fixed; while there are questions, on the other hand, where these terms are not fixed, but variable, fluctuating, altering, dependent upon circumstances. As, for instance, those in which the Apostle teaches in the present chapter the several duties and advantages of marriage and celibacy. There may be circumstances in which it is the duty of a Christian man to be married, there are others in which it may be his duty to remain unmarried. For instance, in the case of a missionary it may be right to be married rather than unmarried; on the other hand, in the case of a pauper, not having the wherewithal to bring up and maintain a family, it may be proper to remain unmarried. You will observe, however, that no fixed law can be laid down upon this subject. We cannot say marriage is a Christian duty, nor celibacy is a Christian duty; nor that it is in every case the duty of a missionary to be married, or of a pauper to be unmarried. All these things must vary according to circumstances, and the duty must be stated not universally, but with reference to those circumstances. These, therefore, are questions of casuistry, which TO THE CORINTHIANS. 99 depend upon the particular case: from which word the term " casuistry " is derived. On these points the Apostle speaks, not by commandment, but by permission; not as speaking by God's command, but as having the Spirit of God. A distinction has sometimes been drawn with reference to this chapter between that which the Apostle speaks by inspiration, and what he speaks as a man uninspired. The distinction, however, is an altogether false one, and beside the question. For the real distinction is not between inspired and uninspired, but between a decision in matters of Christian duty, and advice in matters of Christian prudence. It is abundantly evident that God cannot give advice; He can only issue a command. God cannot say, " It is better to do this; " his perfections demand something absolute: " Thou shalt do this; thou shalt not do this." Whensoever, therefore, we come to advice there is introduced the human element rather than the divine. In all such cases, therefore, as are dependent upon circumstances, the Apostle speaks not as inspired, but as uninspired; as one whose judgment we have no right to find fault with or to cavil at, who lays down what is a matter of Christian prudence, and not a bounden and universal duty. The matter of the present discourse will take in various verses in this chapter - from the tenth to the twenty-fourth verse - leaving part of the commencemeht and the conclusion for our consideration, if God permit, next Sunday. There are three main questions on which the Apostle here gives his inspired decision. The first decision is concerning the sanctity of the marriage-bond between two Christians. His verdict is given in the tenth verse: " Unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband." He lays down this principle, that the union is an indissoluble one. Upon such a subject, Christian brethren, before a mixed congregation, it is manifestly evident that we can only speak in general terms. It will be sufficient to say that marriage is of all earthly unions almost the only one permitting of no change but 100 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES that of death. It is that engagement in which man exerts his most awful and solemn power - the power of responsibility which belongs to him as one that shall give account — the power of abnegating the right to change - the power of parting with his freedom - the power of doing that which in this world can never be reversed. And yet it is perhaps that relationship which is spoken of most frivolously, and entered into most carelessly and most wantonly..It is not an union merely between'two creatures, it is an union betweeni two spirits; and the intention of that bond is to perfect the nature of both, by supplementing their deficiencies with the force of contrast, giving to each sex those excellencies in which it is naturally deficient; to the one strength of character and firmness of moral will, to the other sympathy, meekness, tenderness. And just so solemn, and just so glorious as these ends are for which the union was contemplated and intended, just so terrible are the consequences if it be perverted and abused. For there is no earthly relationship which has so much power to ennoble and to exalt. Very strong language does the Apostle' use in this chapter respecting it::" What knoweth thou, 0 wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, 0 man, wllether thou shalt save thy wife? " The very power of saving belongs to this relationship. And, on the other hand, there is no, earthly relationship which has so much power to wreck and ruin the soul. For there are two rocks in this world of ours on which the soul must either anchor or be wrecked. The one is God; the other is the sex opposite to itself. The one is the " Rock of Ages," on which if the human soul anchors it lives the blessed life of faith; against which if the soul be dashed and broken, there ensues the wreck of Atheism- the worst ruin of the soul. The other rock is of another character. Blessed is the man, blessed is the woman, whose life-experience has taught a confiding belief in. the excellencies of the sex opposite to their own —a blessedness second only to the blessedness of salvation. And the ruin in the other TO THE CORINTHIANS. 101 case is second only to the ruin of everlasting perdition - the same wreck and ruin of the soul.' These, then, are the two tremendous alternatives: on the one hand the possibility of securing, in all sympathy and tenderness, the laying of that step on which man rises towards his perfection; on the other hand the blight of all sympathy, to be dragged down to earth, and forced to become frivolous and commonplace; to lose all zest and earnestness in life, to have heart and life degraded by mean and perpetually recurring sources of disagreement; these are the two alternatives: and it is the worst of these alternatives which the young risk when they form an inconsiderate union, excusably indeedbecause through inexperience; and it is the worst of these alternatives which parents risk - not excusably, but inexcusably —when they bring up their children with no higher view of what that tie is than the merely prudential one of a rich and honorable marriage. The second decision which the Apostle makes respecting another of the questions proposed to him by the Corinthians, is as to the sanctity of the marriage bond between a Christian and one who is a heathen. When Christianity first entered into our world, and was little understood, it seemed to threaten the dislocation and alteration of all existing relationships. Many difficulties arose; such, for instance, as the one here started. When of two heathen parties only one was converted to Christianity, the question arose, What in this case is the duty of the Christian? Is not the duty separation? Is not the marriage in itself null and. void, as if it were an hnion between one dead and one living? And that perpetual contact with a heathen, and, therefore, an enemy of God - is not that, in a relation so close and intimate, perpetual defilement? The Apostle decides this with his usual inspired -wisdom. He decides that the marriage-bond is sacred still. Diversities of religious opinion, even the farthest and widest diversity, cannot sanction separation. And so he decides, in the 13th verse, " The woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be 9* 102 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him." And,'If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away," verse 12. Now for us, in the present day, the decision on this point is not of so much importance as the reason which is adduced in support of it. The proof which the Apostle gives of the sanctity of the marriage is exceedingly remarkable. Practically it amounts to this: - If. this were no marriage, but an unhallowed alliance, it would follow as a necessary consequence that the offspring could not be reckoned in any sense as the children of God; but, on the other hand, it is the instinctive, unwavering conviction of every Christian parent, united though he or she may be to a heathen, "-My child is a child of God," or, in the Jewish form of expression, "My child is clean." So the Apostle says, " the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now they are holy." For it follows, if the children are holy in the sense of dedicated to God, and are capable of Christian relationship, then the marriage relation was not unhallowed, but sacred and indissoluble. The value of this argument in the present day depends on its relation to baptism. The great question we are deciding in the present day may be reduced to a very few words. This question - the Baptismal question - is this:-Whether we are baptized because we are the children of God, or, whether we are the children of God because we are baptized; whether, in other words, when the Catechism of the Church of England says that by baptism we are "made the children of God," we are to understand thereby that we are made something which we were not before — magically and mysteriously changed; or, whether we are to understand that we are made the children of God by baptism in the same sense that a sovereign is made a sovereign by coronation? Here the Apostle's argument is full, decisive, and unanswerable: He does not say that these children TO TAE CORINTHIANS. 103 were Christian, or clean, because they were baptized, but they were the children of God because they were the children of one Christian parent; nay, more than that, such children could scarcely ever have been baptized, because, if the rite met with opposition fromn one of the parents, it would be an entire and perfect veto to the possibility of baptism. You will observe that the very fundamental idea out of which infant-baptism arises is, that the impression produced upon the mind and character of the child by the Christian parent makes the child one of a Christian community; and, therefore, as Peter argued that Cornelius had received the Holy Ghost, and so was to be baptized, just in the same way, as they are adopted into the Christian family, and receive a Christian impression, the children of Christian parents are also to be baptized. Observe also the important truth which comes out collaterally from this argument - namely, the sacredness of the impression, which arises from the close connection between parent and child. Stronger far than education — going on before education can commence, possibly from the very first moments of consciousness-is the impression we make on our children. Our character, voice, features, qualities- modified, no doubt, by entering into a new human being, and into a different organization are impressed upon our children. Not the inculcation of opinions, but much more, the formation of principles, and of'the tone of character, the derivation of qualities. Physiologists tell us of the derivation of the mental qualities from the father, and of the moral from the mother. But, be this as it may, there is scarcely one here who cannot trace back his present religious character to some impression, in early life, from one or other of his parents- a tot e, a look, a word, a habit, or even, it may be, a bitter, miserable exclamation of remorse. The third decision which the Apostle gives, the third principle which he lays down, is but' the development of the last. Christianity, he says, does not interfere,with existing relationships. First, he lays down the 104 LECTURES )N THE EPISTLES principle, and then unfolds the principle in two ways, ecclesiastically and civilly. The principle he lays down in almost every variety of form. In the 17th verse: " As God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk." In the 20th verse: "' Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." In the 24th verse:; "Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God." This is the principle. Christianity was not to interfere with existing relationships; Christian men were to remain in those relationships in which they were, and in them to develop the inward spirituality of the Christian life. Then he applies this principle in two ways. First of all, ecclesiastically. With respect to the Church, or ecclesiastical affairs, he says — " Is any man called being circumcised. Let him not become uncircumcised. Is any man in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised." In other words, the Jews, after their conversion, were to continue Jews, if they would. Christianity required no change in these outward things, for it was not in these that the depth and reality of the kingdom of Christ consisted. So the Apostle Paul took Timothy and circumcised him; so, also, he used all the Jewish customs with which he was familiar, and performed a vow, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, "having shorn his head in Cenchrea; for he had a vow." It was not his opinion that it was the duty of a Christian to overthrow the Jewish system. He knew that the Jewish system could not last, but what he wanted was to vitalize the system - to throw into it not a Jewish, but a Christian feeling; and so doing, he might continue in it so long as it would hold together. And so it was, no doubt, with all the other Apostles. We have no evidence that, before the destruction of the Jewish polity, there was any attempt made by them to overthrow the Jewish external religion. They kept the Jewish Sabbath, and observed the Jewish ritual. One of them, James, the Christian Bishop of Jerusalem, though a Christian, was even among the Jews remarkable and honorable TO THE CORINTHIANS. 105 for the regularity with which he observed all his Jewish duties.. Now let us apply this to modern duties. The great desire among men now appears to be to alter institutions, to have perfect institutions, as if they would make perfect men. Mark the difference between this feeling and that of the Apostle: "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." We are called to be members of the Church of England — what is our duty now? What would Paul have done. Is this our duty — to put such questions to ourselves as these? " Is there any single, particular sentence in the service of my Church with which I do not entirely agree? Is there any single ceremony with which my whole soul does not go along? If so, then it is my duty to leave it at once?" No, my brethren, all that we have to do is to say, " All our existing institutions are those under which God has placed us, under which we are to mould our lives according to His will." It is our duty to vitalize our forms, to throw into them a holier, deeper meaning. My Christian brethren, surely no man will get true rest, true repose for his soul in these days of controversy, until he has learned the wise significance of these wise words —" Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." He will but gain unrest, he will but disquiet himself, if he says, " I am sinning by continuing in this imperfect system," if he considers it his duty to change his calling if his opinions do not agree in every particular and special point with the system under which God has placed him. Lastly, the Apostle applies this principle civilly. And you will observe he applies it to that civil relationship which, of all others, was the most difficult to harmonize with Christianity - slavery. "Art thou called," he says, " being a servant? Care not for it."' Now, in considering this part of the subject we should carry along with us these two recollections. First, we should recollect that Christianity had made much way among this particular class, the class- of slaves. No wonder that men cursed with slavery embraced with 106 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES iov a religion which was perpetually teaching the worth and dignity of the human soul, and declaring that rich and poor, peer and peasant, master and slave, were equal in the sight of God. And yet,. great as this growth was, it contained within it elements of danger. It was to be feared, lest men, hearing for ever of brotherhood and Christian equality, should be tempted and excited to throw off the yoke by force, and compel their masters and oppressors to do them right. The other fact we are to keep in remembrance is this - that all this occurred in an age in which slavery had reached its worst and most fearful form, an age in which the emperors were accustomed, not unfrequently, to feed their fish with living slaves; when captives were led to fight in-the amphitheatre with wild beasts or with each other, to glut the Roman appetite for blood upon a Roman holiday. And yet, fearful as it was, the Apostle says, "' Care not for it." And, fearful as war wasg in those days, when the soldiers came to John to be baptized, he did-not recommend them to join some " Peace Association," to use the modern term, he simply exhorted them to be content with their wages. And hence we understand the'way in which Christianity was to work. It interferes indirectly, and not directly, with existing institutions. No doubt it willat length abolish war and slavery, but there is not one case where we find Christianity interfering with institutions, as such. Even when Onesimus ran away and came to Paul, the Apostle sent him back to his master Philemon, not dissolving the connection between them. And then, as a consolation to the servant, he told him of a higher feeling- a feeling that would make him tfree, with the chain and shackle upon his arm. And so it was possible for the Christian then, as it is now, to be possessed of the highest liberty even under tyranny. It many times occurred that Christian men found themselves placed under an unjust and tyrannical government, and compelled to pay unjust taxes. The Son ot Man showed his freedom, not by refusing, but by Fayinlg them. His glorious liberty could do so without ally TO THE CORINTHIANS. 107 feeling of degradation; obeying the laws, not because they were right, but because institutions are to be upheld with cordiality. One thing in conclusion we have to observe. It is possible from all this. td draw a most inaccurate conclusion. Some men have spoken of Christianity as if it was entirely indifferent about liberty and all public,luestions - as if with such things as these Christianity -lid not concern itself at all. This indifference is not to be found in the Apostle Paul. While he asserts that inward liberty is the only true liberty, he still goes on to say, " If thou mayest be free, use it rather." For he well knew that although it was possible for a man to be a high and lofty Christian, even though he were a slave, yet it was not probable that he would be so. Outward institutions are necessary partly to make a perfect Christian character; and thus Christianity works from what is internal to what is external. It gave to the slave the feeling of his dignity as a man, at the same.time it gave to the Christian master a new view of his relation to his slave, and taught him to regard him "' not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved." And so by degrees slavery passed into freed servitude, and freed servitude, under God's blessing, may pass into something else. There are two mistakes which are often made upon this subject; one is, the error of supposing that outward institutions are unnecessary for the formation of character, and the other, that of supposing that they are all that is required to form the human soul. If we- understand rightly the, duty of a Christian man, it is this; to make his brethren free inwardly and outwardly: first inwardly, so that they may become masters of themselves, rulers of their passions, having the power of self-rule and self-control; and then outwardly, so that there may be every power and opportunity of developing the inward life; in the language of the prophet, "' To break the rod of the oppressor, and let the oppressed go free." 108 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XV. NOVEMBER 16, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, vii. 29- 31. -' But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none. - And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as thongh they possessed not. - And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." THIS was St. Paul's memorable decision, in reply to certain questions proposed to him by the Church of Corinth, on the subject of Unworldliness. Christianity was a new thing in the world, and circumstances daily arose in which it became a question in what way Christianity was to bme applied to the circumstances of ordinary daily life. Christ had said of his disciples, " They are not of the world." It was a question, therefore, - Can a Christian lawfully enter the married state? Can he remain a slave and be a Christian too? - May he make certain worldly compliances? —Should a Christian wife remain with an unchristian husband? Here was the root of the difficult question - What is Worldliness? Now, observe the large, broad spirit of the Apostle's answer. In effect he says you may do all this - yo i may enter into family relationships, and yet be living itl expectation of Christ's coming. If you are a slave, care not for it. If any that believe not invite you to a iebast, and you are disposed to go, go without fear. I cannot judge for you, you must judge for yourselves. All that I lay down is, you must in spirit live above. and separate from the love of earthly things. Christianity is a spirit- it is a set of principles, and not a set of rules; it is not a mapping out of the chart of life, with every shoal and rock marked, and the ex TO THE CORINTHItANS. 109 act line of the ship's course laid down. It does not say, Do not go to this, or, See that you abstain from that. It gives no definite rules for dress, or for the expenditure *of time or money. A principle is announced; but the application of that principle is left to each man's own conscience. Herein Christianity differed essentially from Judaism. Judaism was the education of the spiritual child, Cl:ristianity that of the spiritual man. You must teacel a child. by rules; and, as he does not know the reason of them, his duty consists in implicit and. exact obedience. But a man who is governed, not by principles, but by maxims and rules, is a pedant, or a slave; he will never be able to depart from the letter of the rule, not even to preserve the spirit of it. Here is one difference between the Law and Gospel. The Law lays down rules -" Do this, and live." The Gospel lays down principles. Thus Judaism said, Forgive seven times — exactly so much; Christianity said, Forgiveness is a boundless spirit -not three times, nor seven. No rule can be laid down but an infinite one, - seventy times seven. It must be left to the heart. So, too, the Law said, - On the Sabbath-day thou shalt do no manner of work." The spirit of this was rest for man, and Pharisaism kept literally to the rule. It would rather that a man should perish than that any work should be done, or any ground travelled over, on the Sabbath-day, in saving him. Pharisaism regarded the day as mysterious and sacred; Christianity proclaimed the day to be nothing, - the spirit, for which the day was set apart, everything. It said, "The Sabbath was made for, man, not man for the Sabbath." It broke the day in the letter, whenever it was necessary in the true spiritual observance of the day toadvanltage the man. Unworldliness, then, does not consist in giving up this or that; but in a certain inward principle. Had St. Paul been one of those ministers who love to be the autocrats of their congregations, who make their own limited conceptions the universal rule of right and 10 110 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES wrong, he would have hailed this opportunity of deciding the question for them. But he walked in the light and liberty of the Gospel himself, and he desired that his converts should-do the same. This, then, is our subject - I. The motives for Christian unworldliness. II. The nature of that unworldliness. The first motive is, the shortness of time.' This 1 say, brethren, the time is short." That mysterious word "' time,"' which is a matter of sensation, dependent on the flight of ideas, may be long to one person and short to another. The span of life granted to a summer butterfly is long compared with that granted to the ephemeron, it is short compared with the duration of a cedar of Lebanon. Relative to experience, an hour is long to a child, yet a year is little to a man. Shortness, therefore, is a term entirely relative to something else. 1. It is relative to the way in which we look on time; whether it be regarded from before or after. Time past is a dream, time to come seems immense; the longest night, which seemed as if it would never drag through, is but a speck of memory when it is gone. At sixty-five, a man has on an average five years to live; yet his imagination obstinately attaches solidity and stability to those five coming years, though the sixty-five seem but a moment. To the young such words as these are often perfectly unmeaning; life to them is an inexhaustible treasure. But ask the old man what he thinks of the time he has had; he feels what the y6ung can scarcely be brought to believe,that time future may seem long, but time past is as nothing. Years glide swiftly, though hours and minutes scarcely seem to move. 2. Time is short in relation to opportunities. Literally these words mean —" The opportunity is compressed, - narrowed in," — that is, every season has its own opportunity, which never comes back. A TO THE CORINTHIANS. 111 chance once gone is lost forever. The autumn sun shines as brightly as that of spring, but the seed of spring cannot be sown in autumn. The work of boyhood cannot be done in manhood. Time is short- it is opportunity narrowed in! The chance will not be given you long. Have you learnt the lesson of yesterday? or the infinite meaning of to-day? It has duties of its own; they cannot be left until to-morrow. To-morrow will bring its own work. There is a solemn feeling in beginning any new work; in the thought, I have begun this to-day, shall I ever complete it? And a voice says, "Work on, for the day of its closing is unknown." The true consciousness of this life is as a tombstone, on which two dates are to be inscribed: the day of birth is engraven at full length, while a blank is left for the day of death. Born on such a day; died ——? The time in which that blank has to be filled up is short. The great idea brought out by Christianity was the eternity of the soul's life. With this idea the Corinthian Church was then struggling. So vast, so absorbing was tliis idea to them, that there was ground for fear lest it should absorb all considerations of the daily life, and duties, which surrounded these converts. The thought arose, -" Oh! in comparison of that great hereafter, this little life shrivels into nothingness! Is it worth while to attempt to do anything? What does it concern us to marry, to work, to rejoice, or to weep?" All deep minds have felt this at some period or other of their career —all earnest souls have had this temptation presented to them in some form or other. It has come perhaps, when we were watching underneath tile quiet, gliding heavens, or perhaps when the ticking of a clock in restless, midnight hours, made us realize tlhe thought that time was speeding on for ever — for this life beating out fast. That strange, awful thing, Time! sliding, gliding, fleeting on —on to the cataract; and then the deep, deep plunge down, bearing with it and swallowing up the world and the ages, until every interest that now seems so great and absorbing is as a 112 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES straw on the mighty bosom of a flood. Let but a man possess his soul with this idea of Time, and then unworldliness will be the native atmosphere he breathes. The second motive given is the changefulness of the external world. "The fashion of this world passeth away." It may be needful here to remark, that the word "fashion " has not here the popular meaning which has been generally assigned to it. It does not refer to those customs and conventionalities which vary in different nations and different ages. All these pass away: but the word refers here to all that is external upon earth, all that has form, and shape, and scenery; all that is visible in contradistinction to that which is invisible. The transitoriness of this world might have been purely a matter of revelation. Instead of gradual and visible decay, God might have arranged his cycles so that change should not have been perceptible within the limits of a lifetime, that dissolution should have come on things suddenly, instead'of by slow and gradual steps. Instead of that, He has mercifully chosen that it should not only be a matter of revelation, but of observation also. This visible world is only a form and an appearance. God has written decay on all around us. On the hills, which are everlasting only in poetry; their outlines changing within the memory of man. On the sea-coast, fringed with shingle. Look at it receding from our white cliffs; its boundaries are not what they were. This law is engraven on our own frames. Even in the infant the progress of dissolution has visibly begun. The principle of development is at work, and development is but the necessary step towards decay. There is a force at work in everything - call it what you will — Life or Death: it is reproduction out of decay. The outward form is in a perpetual flux and change. We stand amidst the ruins of other days, and as they moulder before our eyes they tell us of generations which have mouldered before them, and of nations which have crossed the theatre of life and have dis TO THE CORINTHIANS. 11appeared. We join in the gladness of the baptism, and the years roll on so rapidly that we are almost startled to find ourselves standing at the wedding. But pass on a few years more, and.the young heart for which there was so much gladness in the future has had its springs dried up. He belongs to a generation which has passed, and they among whom he lingers feel as if he had lived too long. And then he drops silently into the grave to make way for others. One of our deepest thinkers - a man of profoundest observation, who thought by means of a boundless heart - has told us, in words trite and familiar to us all, " All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts." Let us look at our own neighborhood. Those with whom we walked in youth are gone, and scattered we know not where, and others have filled their places. We are developing every day new relationships: every day new circumstances are occurring which call upon us to act promptly, manfully, equal to the occasion; for the past is gone. Therefore strive to be unworldly. Be not buried in the present. To-day becomes yesterday so fast. Mourn not over what will so soon be irreparably gone. There is nothing worth it. Again, that " fashion of the world " passes away in us. Our very minds change- nQt merely the objects which make the impression on them. The impressions themselves are fleeting. All except the perpetuallyrepeated sensations of eternity, space, time; all else alters. There is no affliction so sharp, no joy so bright, no shock so severe, - but Time modifies and cures all. The keenest feeling in this world is not eternal. If it remains, it is in an altered form. Our memories are like monumental brasses: the deepest graven inscription becomes at last illegible. Of such a world the Apostle seems to ask, Is this a world for an immortal being to waste itself upon? 10* 114 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES II. The nature of Christian unworldliness. Two points are contained in this last verse. 1st. The spirit or principle of unworldliness; to use this world as not abusing it. 2d. The application of that principle to four cases of life. Domestic relations.- " They that have wives be as though they had none." Joy. - " They that rejoice, a- though they rejoiced not." Sorrow. — " They that weep, as though they wept not." The acquisition of Property. — " They that buy, as though they possessed not." The principle is, to " use this world as not abusing it." Here Christianity stands between the worldly spirit and the narrow religious spirit. The worldly spirit says, " Time is short; take your fill; live while you can." The narrow religious spirit says, " All the pleasure here is a snare and dangerous; keep out of it altogether." In opposition to this narrow spirit, Christianity says, " Use the world," and, in opposition to the worldly spirit, " Do not abuse it. All things are yours. Take them, and use them; but never let them interfere with the higher life which you are called on to lead.' A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesses.' " It is therefore a distinct duty to use life, while we are here. We are citizens of the world, we may not shrink from it. We must share its duties, dangers, sorrows, and joys. Time is short; therefore opportunities are so much the more valuable. There is an infinite value stampe.d upon them. Therefore, use the world. But then it is a duty equally distinct, to live above the world. Unworldliness is the spirit of holding all things as not our own, in the perpetual conviction that they will not last. It is not to put life and God's lovely world aside with self-torturing hand. It is to have the world, and not to let the world have you; to be its master, and not its slave. To have Christ hidden in the heart, calming all, and making all else seem by comparison poor and small. This principle he applies, first, to domestic life.' They that have wives be as though they had none." TO THE CORINTHIANS. 115 The idea was just then beginning to be discussed, which of the two was in itself the higher state, and more according to God's will, the single or the married. In after ages this question was decided in a very disastrous way; for it was taught that celibacy was the only really pure and angelic life. Marriage was regarded as earthly and sensual, unfit for those who were to serve as priests. Now here observe the apostolic wisdom.. He does not say celibacy is the saintly, and marriage the lower and earthlier state. He wisely says, " In whatever state you can most undistractedly serve God, that is the unworldly one to you." This is a very important principle for consideration in the present day. There is a growing tendency to look on a life of contemplation and retirement, of separation from all earthly ties, — in a word, asceticism, - as the higher life. Let us understand that God has so made man, that ordinarily he who lives alone leaves part of his heart uncultivated; for God made man for domestic life. He who would be wiser than his Maker is only wise in appearance. He who cultivates one part of his nature at the expense of the rest, has not produced a perfect man, but an exaggeration. It is easy, in -silence and solitude, for the hermit to be abstracted from all human interests and hopes, to be dead to honor, dead- to pleasure. But, then, the sympathies which make him a man with men — how shall they grow? He is not the highest Christian who lives alone and single, but he who, whether single or married, lives superior to this earth; he who, in the midst of domestic cares, petty annoyances, or daily vexations, can still be calm, and serene, and sweet. That is real unworldliness; and, in comparison with this, the mere hermit's life is easy indeed. The second case is unworldliness in sorrow. 4' They that weep, as though they wept not." Observe, the Apostle does not here recommend apathy, not merely a reason of prudence. He bids them sorrow; but not as they who have no hope. He does not say, " Weep not;' but " weep, as though they wept not." 116 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES This unworldliness consists of two parts:1st. The duty and the right of sorrow. "Weep." Christianity does not sear the human heart; it softens it. They who forbid grief should, to be consistent, go further and forbid affection, for grief is only a state of the affections; if joy be felt in the presence of the loved object, grief must be felt in its absence. Christianity destroys selfishness, makes a man quick and sensitive for others, and alive to every call of affection. Moreover, dealing with infinite things, it imarts something of its own infinitude to every feeling. A Christian is a man whose heart is exquisitely attuned to all utterances of grief. Shall he not feel nor mourn? His Master wept over the grave of friendship. Tears of patriotism fell from His eyes. There is no unmanliness in shedding tears; it is not unchristian to yield to deep feeling. We may admire the stern old Roman heart; but we must not forget that the Roman stoicism is not of the spirit of Christianity. For Christianity says, "' Weep." 2d. Christian unworldliness puts limits to sorrow. " As though they wept not:" that is, as though God had already removed their grief. Else in this world of sorrow and distress, how should we escape despair? Familiarity with eternal things subdaes grief, calms and softens it, gives it a true perspective. Christianity does not say to our hearts, when smarting under the bitter pain of disappointment or loss, " It is nothing!" but it says, "It is less than you had supposed it to be; you will, sooner or later, feel that it is easier to bear'than you expected." This elasticity of heart receives its only true warrant from Christianity. Have you lost a dear relative?'Well, you may weep; but even while weeping, Christ comes to -you and says, " Thy brother shall rise again." The third case is unworldliness in joy. " They that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not." Christ's religion is no grim, ghastly system of gloom. God's world is not like the fabled place of punishment where waters of refreshment rise brimming to the lips, while a stern TO THE CORINTHIANS. 117 prohibition sounds forth, "Touch not, taste not, handle not." You will observe, the joy spoken of here is not spiritual, but earthly joy; for, if it had been spiritual joy, the Apostle could not have put any limitation to it. Therefore, Christians may have earthly joy. And they that rejoice are emphatically the young. Let the young be happy. Health, spirits, youth, society, accomplishments, -let them enjoy these, and thank God with no misgiving. Let there be no half-remorseful sensations, as though they were stolen joys. Christ Lad no sympathy with that tone of mind which scowls on human happiness: His first manifestation of power was at a marriage feast. Who would check the swallow's flight, or silence the gush of happy melody which the thrush pours forth in spring? Look round this beautiful world of God's: ocean dimpled into myriad smiles; the sky a trembling, quivering mass of blue, thrilling hearts with ecstasy; every tint, every form replete with beauty. You cannot, except wilfully, misread its meaning. God says, "Be glad! " Do not force young, happy hearts to an unnatural solemnity, as if to be happy were a crime. Let us hear their loud, merry, ringing laugh, even if sterner hearts can be glad no longer; to see innocent mirth and joy does the heart good. But now, observe, everlasting considerations are to come in, not to sadden joy, but to calm it, to moderate its transports, and make even worldly joy a sublime thing. We are to be calm, cheerful, self-possessed; to sit loose to all these sources of enjoyment, masters of ourselves. The Apostle lays down no rule respecting worldly amusements. He does not say you must avoid this or that, but he lays down broad principles. People often come to ministers, and ask them to draw a boundary line, within which they may safely walk. There is none. It is at our peril that we attempt to define where God has not defined. We cannot say, " This amusement is right, and that is wrong." And herein is the greater responsibility laid upon- all, for we have to live 118 LECTURES ON THE EPISTIES out principles rather than maxims; and the principle here is, Be unworldly. But, remember, if the enjoyments which you permit yourselves are such, that the thought of passing time, and coming eternity, presents itself as an intrusive thought, which has no business there, which is out of place, and incongruous; if you become secularized, excited, and artificial; if there is left behind a craving for excitement which can only be slaked by more and more intense excitement: then it is at your own peril that you say, All is left open to me, and permitted. Unworldly you must become —or die. Dare not to say this is only a matter of opinion; it is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of conscience; and to God you must give account for the way in which you have' been dealing with your soul. The fourth case is unworldliness in the acquisition of property. " They that biy, as though they possessed not." Unworldliness is not measured by what you possess, but by the spirit in which you possess it. It is not said, " Do not buy," but rather " Buy, -possess." You may be a large merchant, an extensive landed proprietor, a thriving tradesman, if only your heart be separate from the love of these earthly things, with God's love paramount there. The amount of property you possess does not affect the question; it is purely a relative consideration. You go into a regal or ducal palace, and perhaps, unaccustomed to the splendor which you see, you say, " All this is worldliness." But the poor man comes to your house; your dress, simple as it is, seems magnificent to him; your day's expenditure would keep his family for half a year. He sees round him expensively bound books, costly furniture, pictures, silver, and china- a profusion certainly beyond what is absolutely necessary; and to him this seems worldliness too. If the monarch is to live as you live, why should not you live as the laborer lives? If what you call the necessaries of life be the measure of the rich man's worldliness, why should not the poor TO THE CORINTHIANS. 119 manll's test gauge yours? No! we must take another test than property as the measure of worldliness. Christianity forbids our condemning others; men may buy and possess. Christianity prescribes no law for dress, its color, its fashion, or its cost; none for expenditure, none for possessions: it fixes great principles, and requires you to be unaffected, unenslaved by earthly things; to possess them as though you possessed them not. The Christian is one who, if a shipwreck or a fire were to take all luxury away, could descend, without being crushed, into the valleys of existence. He wears all this on the outside, carelessly, and could Say, " My all was not laid there." In conclusions let there be no censoriousness. How others live, and what they permit themselves, may be a matter for Christian charity, but it is no matter for Christian severity. To his own master each must stand or fall. Judge not. It is work enough for any one of us to save his own soul. Let there be no self-deception. The way in which I have expounded this subject gives large latitude, and any one may abuse it if he will, - any one may take comfort to himself, and say, " Thank God, there are no hard restrictions in Christianity." Remember, however, that Worldliness is a more decisive test of a man's spiritual state than even Sin. Sin may be sudden, the result of temptation, without premeditation, yet afterwards hated - repented of - repudiated - forsaken. But if a man be at home in the world's pleasure and pursuits, content that his spirit should have no other heaven but in these things, happy if they could but last for ever, is not his state, genealogy, and character clearly stamped? Therefore does St. John draw the distinction —" If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father;" - but " If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 120 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XVI. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHRISTIAN A[ND SECULAR KNOWLEDGE. NOVEMBER 23, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, viii. 1-7 - -" Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. - And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. - But if any man love God, the same is known of him. - As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. -For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many and lords many,) - But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. - Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." THE particular occasion of this chapter was a controversy going on in the Church of Corinth respecting a Christian's right to eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols. Now the question was this: —It was customary, when an animal was sacrificed or consecrated to a heathen god, to reserve one portion for the priest, and another for the worshipper. These were either used in the feasts, or sold like common meat in the shambles. Now among the Corinthian converts some had been Jews and some heathens: those who had been Jews would naturally shrink from eating this meat, their previous training being so strongly opposed to idolatry, while those who had been heathen would be still more apt to shrink from the use of this meat than were the Jews; for it is proverbial that none are so bitter against a system as those who have left it, perhaps for the simple reason, that none know so well as they the errors of the system they have left. There TO THE CORINT HIANS. 121 was another reason which made the heathen converts shrink from eating this meat, and this was, that they were unable to divest themselves of the idea that the deities they had once adored were living entities; they had ceased to bow before them, but long habit had made. them seem living personalities: they looked on them as demons. Hence, the meat of an animal consecrated while living to an idol appeared to them polluted, accursed, contaminated — a thing only fit to be burnt, and utterly unfit for food. This state of feeling may be illustrated by the modern state of belief with reference to apparitions. Science has banished an express faith in their existence, yet we should, probably, be surprised did we know how much credulity on this subject still remains. The statute book is purged from the sentences on witchcraft, and yet a lingering feeling remains that it may still exist in power. Christianity had done the same for the heathen deities. They were dethroned as gods, but they still existed, to the imagination, as beings of a lower order —as demons who were malicious to men and enemies to God. Hence, meat offered to them was regarded as abominable, as unfit for a Christian man to eat; hlie was said to have compromised his Christianity by doing so. On the other hand, there were men of clearer views who maintained in the language quoted by St. Paul - " An idol is nothing in the world " —a nonentity, a name, a phantom of the imagination: it cannot pollute the meat, since it is nothing, and has no reality. Therefore, they derided the scruple of the weaker brethren and said, " We will eat." Now all this gave rise to the enunciation of a great principle by the Apostle Paul. In laying it down, he draws a sharp distinction between Secular and Christian Knowledge, and also unfolds the Law of Christian Conscience. It is to the first of these that I shall claim your attention to-day. A great controversy is going on at the present time in the matter of Education. One party extols the value of instruction, the other insists loudly that secular 11 122 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES education without religion is worse than useless. By secular education is meant instri ction in such branches as arithmetic, geography, grammar, and history, and by religious education, instruction in the Bible and the catechism. But you will see at once that the Knowledge, of which St. Paul spoke slightingly, was much higher than any, or all of these. He spoke of instruction not merely in history, geography, or grammar, but instruction in the Bible, the catechism, and the articles, as worthless, without training in Humility and Charity. This was the secular knowledge he speaks of, for you will perceive that he treats knowledge of very important religious matters as secular, and rates it very low indeed. He said mere knowledge is worth little; but then by knowledge, he meant not merely knowledge without Christian doctrine, but knowledge without Love. Many a person now zealous on this point of education would be content if only the Bible, without note or comment., were taught. But St. Paul would not have been content, he would have calmly looked on and said, This is,also secular knowledge. This, too, is the knowledge which puffeth up; but Christian knowledge is the Charity which alone buildeth up an heavenly spirit. Let me try to describe more fully this secular knowledge. It is Knowledge without Humility. - For it is not so much the department of knowledge, as it is the spirit in which it is acquired, which makes the difference between secular and Christian knowledge. It is not so much the thing known, as the way of knowing it. " If any man think that he knoweth anything, be knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." "' As he he ought to know." That single word "as" is the point of the sentence; for it is not what to know, but how to know, which includes all real knowledge. The greatest of modern philosophers, and the greatest of modern historians, Humboldt and Niebuhr, were both eminently humble men. So, too, you will find the real talent among mechanics is generally united to great TO THE CORINTHIANS. 123 humility. Whereas the persons you would select as puffed up by knowledge are those who have a few religious maxims, and a few shallow religious doctrines. There are two ways, therefore, of knowing all things. Ohe is, that of the man who loves to calculate how far he is advanced beyond others; the other, that of the man who feels how infinite knowledge is, how little he knows, and how deep the darkness of those who know even less than he: who says, not as a cant phrase, lut in unaffected sincerity, " I know nothing, and do go into the grave." That knowledge will never puff up. Again, it is Liberty without Reverence. — These men, to whom the Apostle writes in rebuke, were free from many superstitions. An idol, they said, was nothing in the world. But although freed from the worship of false gods, they had not therefore adored the true God. For it is not merely freedom from superstition which is worship of God, but it is loving dependence on Him; the surrender of self. " If any man love God, the same is known of Him." Observe it is not said,' "he shall know God," but "shall be known of Him;" that is, God shall acknowledge the likeness and the identity of spirit, and. "will come unto him and make His abode with him." There is much of the spirit of these Corinthians existing now. Men throw off what they call the trammels of education, false systems, and superstitions, and then call themselves free: they think it a grand thing to reverence nothing; all seems to them either kingcraft or priestcraft, and to some it is a matter of rejoicing that they have nothing left either to respect or worship. There is a recent work in which the writer has tried to overthrow belief in God, the soul, and immortality, and proclaims this liberty as if it were a gospel for the race! My brother men, this is not high knowledge. It is a great thing to be free from mental slavery, but suppose you are still a slave to your passions? It is a great thing to be emancipated from superstition, but suppose you have no religion? From all these bonds of the spirit Christianity has freed us, says St. Paul, 124 LECTURES ON TUE EPISTLES but then it has not left us merely free firom these, it has bound ils to God. " Though there be gods many, yet to us there is but one God." The true freedom from superstition is free service to religion: the real emancipation from false gods is reverence for the true Godl. For high knowledge is not negative, but positive; it is to be freed from the fear of the Many, in order to adore and love the One. And not merely is this the only real knowledge, but no other knowledge " buildeth up' the soul. It is all well so long as elasticity of youth and health remain. Then the pride of intellect sustains us strongly; but a time comes when we feel terribly that the Tree of Knowledge is not the Tree of Life. Our souls without God and Christ enter deeper and deeper into the fearful sense of the hollowness and darkness, the coldness, and the death, of a spirit separate from love. "He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Separate from love, the more we know, the profounder the mystery of life becomes; the. more dreary and -the more horrible becomes existence. I can conceive of no dying hour more awful than that of one who has aspired to know instead of to love, and finds himself at last amidst a world of barren facts and lifeless theories, loving none and adoring nothing. Again, it is Comprehension without Love to man. You will observe, these Corinthians had got a most clear conception of what Christianity was. "An idol," said they, is " nothing in the world." There is none other God but One, and there is "' but one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him." Well, said the Apostle Paul, and what signifies your profession of that, if you look down with supreme contempt on your ignorant brothers, who cannot reach to these sublime contemplations? What reality is there in your religion, if you look at men struggling in darkness, and are content to congratulate yourselves, that you are in the light? When heathen, they had loved these men; now that they were Christians they despised them! Was their Christianity, then, gain or loss? Did they rise in the scale of manhood or fall? TO THE CORINTHIANS. 125 "Slaves - idolaters - superstitious " —alas! is that all they, or we, have learnt to say? Is that all our Christianity has given us? Some of us have been taught that knowledge such as this is not advance, but retrogression. We have looked on our shelves' laden with theology or philosophy, and have enumerated the systems which have been mastered; and we have felt how immeasurably superior in the sight of God is some benighted Romanist, who believes in transubstantiation and purgatory, but who has gone about doing good, or some ignorant, narrow religionist, who has sacrificed time and property to Christ, to the most correct theologian in whose heart there is no love for his fellow-men. For breadth of view is not breadth of heart; and hence the substance of Christianity is love to God and love to man. Hence, too, the last of the Apostles, when too weak to walk to the assemblies of the Church, was borne there, a feeble old man, by his disciples, and addressing the people as he spread abroad his hands, repeated again and again - " Love one another;" and when asked why he said ever the same thing, replied, "Because there is nothing else; attain that, and you have enough." Hence, too, it is a precious fact, that St. Paul, the Apostle of Liberty, whose burning intellect expounded the whole philosophy of Christianity, should have been the one to say that Knowledge is nothing compared to Charity, nay, worse than nothing without it: should have been the one to declare that " Knowledge shall vanish away, but Love never faileth." 126 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XVII. NOVEMBER 30, 1851. CORINTHrANS, viii. 8 -13. - But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. - But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. - For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; - And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died? - But when ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. - Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." WE have already divided this chapter into two branches — the former portion of it containing the difference between Christian knowledge and secular knowledge, and the second portion containing the apostolic exposition of the law of Christian conscience. The first of these we endeavored to expound last Sunday, but it may be well briefly to recapitulate the principles of that discourse in a somewhat different form. Corinth, as we all know and remember, was a city built on the sea coast, having a large and free communication with all foreign nations; and there was also within it, and going on amongst its inhabitants, a free interchange of thought, and a vivid power of communicating the philosophy and truths of those days to each other. Now it is plain that to a society in such a state, and to minds so educated, the Gospel of Christ must have presented a peculiar attraction, presenting itself to them as it did, as a law of Christian liberty. And so, in Corinth the gospel had " free course and was glorified," and was received with great joy by almost all men, and by minds of all classes and all sects; and a large num TO THE CORINTHIANS. 127 her of these attached themselves to the teaching of the Apostle Paul as the most accredited expounder of Christianity - the " royal law of liberty." But it seems, from what we read in this Epistle, that a large number of these men received Christianity as a thing intellectual, and that alone - and not as a thing which touched the conscience, and swayed and purified the affections. And so, this liberty became to them almost all —they r an into sin or went to extravagance - they rejoiced in their freedom from the superstitions, the ignorances, and the scruples which bound their weaker brethren; but had no charity - none of that intense charity which characterized the Apostle Paul, for those still struggling in the delusions and darkness from which they themselves were free. More than that, they demanded their right, their Christian liberty of expressing their opinions in the church, merely for the sake of exhibiting the Christian graces and spiritual gifts which had been showered upon them so largely; until by degrees those very assemblies became a lamentable exhibition of their own depravity, and led to numerous irregularities, which we find severely rebuked by the Apostle Paul. Their women, rejoicing in the emancipation which had been given to the Christian community, laid aside the old habits of attire which had been consecrated so long by Grecian and Jewish custom, and appeared with their heads uncovered in the Christian community. Still further than that, the Lord's Supper exhibited an absence of all solemnity, and seemed more a meeting for licentious gratification, where " one was hungry, and another was drunken " - a place in which earthly drunkenness, the mere enjoyment of the appetites, had taken the place of Christian charity towards each other. And the same feeling —this love of mere liberty — liberty in itself — manifested itself in many other directions. Holding by this freedom, their philosophy taught that the body, that is, the flesh, was the only cause of sin: that the soul was holy and pure; and that, therefore, to be free from the body would be entire, perfect, Christian emancipation. And so came in that 128 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES strange wrong doctrine, exhibited in Colinth, where immortality was taught separate from and in opposition to the doctrine of the Resurrection. And afterwards they went on with their conclusions about liberty, to maintain that the body, justified by the sacrifice of Christ, was no longer capable of sin, and that, in the evil which was done by the body, the soul had taken no part. And therefore sin was to them but as a name, from which a Christian conscience was-to be freed altogether. So that when one of their number had fallen into grievous sin, and had committed fornication, " such as was not so much as named among the Gentiles," so far from being humbled by it, they were " puffed -up," as if they were exhibiting to the world an enlightened, true, perfect Christianity - separate from all prejudices. To such a society and to such a state of mind the Apostle Paul preached, in all their length, breadth, and fulness, the humbling doctrines of the Cross of Christ. He taught that knowledge was one thing - that charity was another thing; that "knowledge puffeth up, but charity buildeth up." He reminded them that love was the perfection of knowledge. In other words, his teaching came to this: there are two kinds of knowledge; the one the knowledge of the intellect, the other the knowledge of the heart. Intellectually, God never can be known: He must be known by Love - for,'4 if any man love God, the same is known of Him." Here, then, we have arrived, in another way, at precisely the same conclusion at which we arrived last Sunday. Here, are two kinds of knowledge, secular knowledge and Christian knowledge; and Christian knowledge is this - to know by Love. Let us now consider the remainder of the chapter, which treats of the law of Christian conscience. You will observe that it divides itself into two branchesthe first containing an exposition of the law itself, and the second, the Christian applications which flow out of this exposition. 1. The way in which the Apostle expounds the law of Christian conscience is this:- Guilt is contracted TO THE CORINTHIANS. 129 by tile soul, in so far as it sins against and transgresses the law of God, by doing that which it believes to be wrong: not so much what is wrong, as what appears to it to be wrong. This is the doctrine distinctly laid down in the 7th and 8th verses. The Apostle tells the Corinthians — these strong-minded Corinthians - that the superstitions of their weaker brethren were unquestionably wrong. " Meat," he says, " commendeth us not to God; for neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse." He then tells them further, that "there is not in every man that knowledge; for some, with conscience of the -idol, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol." Here, then, is an ignorant, mistaken, ill-informed conscience; and yet he goes on to tell them that this conscience, so ill-informed, yet binds the possessor of it: " and their conscience being weak, is defiled." For example; there could be no harm in eating the flesh of an animal that had been offered to an idol or false god; for a false god is nothing, and it is impossible for it to have contracted positive defilement by being offered to that which is a positive and absolute negation. And yet if any man thought it wrong to eat such flesh, to him it was wrong; for in that act there would be a deliberate act of transgression- a deliberate preference of that which was mere enjoyment, to that which was apparently, though it may be only apparently, sanctioned by the law of God. And so it would carry with it all the disobedience, all the guilt, and all the misery which belongs to the doing of an act altogether wrong; or, as St. Paul expresses it, the conscience would become defiled. Here, then, we arrive at the first distinction - the distinction between absolute and relative right and wrong. Absolute right and absolute' wrong, like absolute truth, can each be but one and unalterable in the sight of God. The one absolute right — the charity of God and the sacrifice of Christ- this, from eternity to eternity must be the sole measure of eternal right. But human right or human wrong, that is, the merit or demerit of any action done by any particular man, must be meas 130 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES ured, not by that absolute standard, but as a matter relative to his particular circumstances, the state of the age in which he lives, and his own knowledge of right and wrong. ]For we come into this world with a moral sense; or, to speak more Christianly, with a conscience. And yet that will tell us but very little distinctly. It tells us broadly that which is right and that which is wrong, so that every child can understand this. Thlat charity and self-denial are right -this we see recognized in almost every nation. But the boundaries of these two — when and how far self-denial is right — what are the bounds of charity —this it is for different circumstances yet to bring out and determine And so, it will be found that there is a different standard among different nations and in different ages. That, for example, which was the standard among the Israelites in the earlier ages, and before their settler ment in Canaan, was very different from the higher and truer standard of right and wrong recognized by the later prophets. And the standard in the third and fourth centuries after Christ, was truly and unquestionably an entirely different one from that recognized in the nineteenth century among ourselves. Let me not be mistaken. I do not say that right and wrong are merely conventional, or merely chronological or geographical, or that they vary with latitude and longitude. I do not say that there ever was or ever can be a nation so utterly blinded and perverted in its moral sense as to acknowledge that which is wrong -seen and known to be wrong — as right; or, on the other hand, to profess that which is seen and understood as right, to be wrong. But what I do say is this: that the form and aspect in which different deeds appear, so vary, that there will be for ever a change and alteration in men's opinions, and that which is really most generous may seem most base, and that which is really most base may appear most generous. So, for example, as I have already said, there are two things universally recognized - recognized as right by every man whose conscience is not absolutely perverted — charity and TO THE CORINTHIANS. 131 self-denial. The charity of God, the sacrifice of Christ — these are the two grand, leading principles of the Gospel; and in some form or other you will find these lying at the roots of every profession and state of feeling in almost every age. But the form in which these appear, will vary with all the gradations which are to be found betwe-en the lowest savage state and the highest and most enlightened Christianity. For example: in ancient Israel the law of love was expounded thus: —" Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." Among the American In-i dians and at the Cape, the only homage perchance given to self-denial was the strange admiration given to that prisoner of war who bore with unflinching fortitude the torture of his country's enemies. In ancient India the same principle was exhibited, but in a more strange and perverted manner. The homage there given to self-denial, self-sacrifice, was this -that the highest form of religion was considered to be that exhibited by the devotee who sat in a tree until the birds had built their nests in his hair - until his nails, like those of the King of Babylon, had grown like birds' talons - until they had grown into his hands - and he became absorbed into the Divinity. We will take another instance, and one'better known. In ancient Sparta it was the custom to teach children to steal. And here. there would seem to be a contradiction to our proposition - here it would seem as if right and wrong were matters merely conventional; for surely stealing can never be anything but wrong. But if we look deeper, we shall see that there is no contradiction here. It was not stealing which was admired; the child was punished if the theft was discovered; but it was the dexterity- which was admired, and that because it was a warlike virtue, necessary, it may be, to a people in continual rivalry with their neighbors. It was not that honesty was despised and dishonesty esteemed, but that honesty and dishonesty were made subordinate to that which appeared to them of bigher imnportance, namely, the duty of concealment. And 132 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES so we come back to the principle which we laid down at first. In every age, among all nations, the same b)road principle remains; but the application of it varies. The conscience may be ill-informed, and in this sense only are right and wrong conventional — varying with latitude and longitude, depending upon Thronology and geography. The principle laid down by the Apostle Paul is this: -A man will be judged, not by the abstract law of God, not by the rule of absolute right, but much rathei by the relative law of conscience. This he states mdst distinctly - looking at the question on both sides. That which seems to a man to be right is, in a certain sense, right to him; and that which seems to a man to be wrong, in a certain sense is wrong to him. For exam. ple: he says, in his Epistle to the Romans (v. 14), that' sin is not imputed when there is no law; " in other words, if a man does not really know a thing to be wrong, there is a sense in which, if not right to him, it ceases to be so wrong as it would otherwise be. With respect to the other of these sides, however, the case is still more distinct and plain. Here, in the judgment which the Apostle delivers in the parallel chaptei of the Epistle to the Romans (the 14th), he says, "I know, and am persuaded of the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." In other words, whatever may be the abstract merits of the question -however in God's jurisprudence any particular act may stand -to you, thinking it to be wrong, it manifestly is wrong, and your conscience will gather round it a stain of guilt if you do it. In order to understand this more fully, let us take a few instances. There is a difference between truth and veracity. Veracity - mere veracity - is a small, poor thing. Truth is something greater and higher. Veracity is merely the correspondence between some particular statement and facts; truth is the correspondence between a man's whole soul and reality. It is possible for a man to say that which, unknown to him is false; and yet he may ro THE CORINTTEIANS. 13' be true; because, if deprived of truth, he is deprived of it unwillingly. It is possible, on the other hand, for a mall to utter veracities, and yet at the very time that he is uttering those veracities to be false to himself, to his brother, and to his God. One of the most signal instances of this is to be seen in the Book of Job. ~Most of what Job's friends said' to him were veracious statements. Much of what Job said himself was unveracious and mistaken. And yet those veracities of theirs were so torn from all connection with fact and truth, that they became falsehoods; and they were, as has been said, nothing more than " orthodox liars " in the sight of God. On the other hand, Job, blundering perpetually, and falling into false doctrine, was vet a true man - searching for and striving after the truth; and if deprived of it for a time, deprived of it with all his heart and soul unwillingly. And, therefore, it was that at last the Lord appeared out of the whirlwind, to confound the men of mere veracity, and to stand by and support the honor of the heartily true. Let us apply the principle further. It is a matter of less importance that a man should state true views, than that he should state views truly. WTe will put this in its strongest form. Unitarianism is false - Trinitarianism is true. But yet, in the sight of God, and with respect to a man's eternal destinies hereafter, it would surely be better for him earnestly, honestly, truly, to hold the doctrines of Unitarianism, than in a cowardly or indifferent spirit, or influenced by authority, or from considerations of interest, or for the sake of lucre, to hold the doctrines of Trinitarianism. For instance: Not many years ago, the Church of Scotland was severed into two great divisions, and gave to this age a marvellous proof that there was still amongst us the power of living faith - when five hundred ministers gave up all that earth holds dear —position in the church they had loved; friendships and affections formed, and consecrated by long fellowship, in its communion and almost their hopes of gaining a livelihood - rather than assert a principle which seemed to them to be a false 12 134 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES one. Now, my brethren, surely the question in such a case for us to consider is not this, merely - whether of the two sections held the abstract right -held tihe principle in its integrity - but surely far rather, this: who on either side was true to the light within, true to God, true to the truth as God had revealed it to his soul. Now, it is precisely upon this principle that we are enabled to indulge a Christian hope that many of those who in ancient times were persecutors, for example, may yet be absolved at the bar of Christ. Nothing can make persecution right-it is wrong, essentially, eternally wrong in the sight of God. And yet, if a man sincerely and assuredly thinks that Christ has laid upon him a command to persecute with fire and sword, it is surely better that he should, in spite of all feelings of tenderness and compassion, cast aside the dearest affections at the supposed command of his Redeemer, than that he should, in mere laxity and tenderness, turn aside from what seems to him to be his duty. At least, this appears to be the opinion of the Apostle Paul.. He tells us, that he was " a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious," that " he did many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth," that " being exceedingly mad against the disciples, he persecuted them even unto strange cities." But he tells us further, that "' for this cause he obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief." Now, take a case precisely opposite. In ancient times the Jews did that by which it appeared to them that they would contract defilement and guilt -they spared the lives of the enemies which they had taken in battle. Brethren, the eternal law is, that charity is right, and that law is eternally right which says,'C Thou shalt love thine enemy." And had the Jews acted upon this principle, they would have done well to spare their enemies: but they did it thinking it to be wrong, transgressing that law which com manded them to slay their idolatrous enemies, not from generosity, but in cupidity —not from charity, but from lax zeal. And doing thus, the act was altogether wrong. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 135 2, Such is the Apostle's exposition of the law of Christian conscience. Let us now, in the second place. consider the applications, both of a personal and of a public nature, which arise out of it. The first application is a personal one. It is this: — Do what seems to you to be right: it is only so that you will at last learn by the grace of God to see clearly what is right. A man thinks within himself that it is (oal's law and God's will that he should act thus and thus. There is nothing possible for us to say-there is no advice for us to give, - but this, " You must so act." He is responsible for the opinions he holds, and still more for the way in which he arrived at themwhether in a slothful and selfish, or in an honest and truth-seeking manner; but being now his soul's convictions, you can give no other law than this-" You must obey your conscience." For no man's conscience gets so seared by doing what is wrong unknowingly, as by doing that which appears to be wrong to his conscience. The Jews' consciences did not get seared by their slaying the Canaanites, but they did become seared by their failing to do what appeared to them to be right. Therefore, woe to you if you do what others think right, instead of obeying the dictates of your own conscience; woe to you if you allow authority, or prescription, or fashion, or influence, or any other human thing, to interfere with that awful and sacred thing - your own responsibility. " Every man," said the Apostle, "must give an account of himself to God." The second application of this principle has reference to others. No doubt, to the large, free, enlightened mind of the Apostle Paul, all these scruples and superstitions must have seemed mean, trivial, and small indeed.- It was a matter to him of far less importance that truth should be established, than that it should be arrived at truly — a matter of far less importance, even,' that right should be done, than that right should be done rightly. Conscience was far more sacred to him than even Liberty —it was to him a prerogative far 1 36 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES more precious to assert the rights of Christian conscience, than to magnify the privileges of Christian liberty. The scruple may be small and foolish, but it may be impossible to uproot the scruple without tearing up the feeling of the sanctity of conscience, and of reverence for the law of God, associated with this scruple. And therefore the Apostle Paul counsels these men to abridge their Christian liberty, and not to eat of those things which had been sacrificed to idols, but to have compassion upon the scruples of their weaker brethren. And this, for two reasons: -The first of these is a mere reason of Christian feeling. It might cause exquisite pain to sensitive minds to see those things which appeared to them to be wrong, done by Christian brethren. Now you may take a parallel case. It may be, if you will, mere superstition to bow at the name of Jesus. It may be, and no doubt is, founded upon a mistaken interpretation of that passage in the Epistle to the Philippians (ii. 10), which says, that " at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow." But there are many congregations in which this has been the long-established rule, and there are many Christians who would feel pained to see such a practice discontinued -as if it implied a declension from the reverence due to' that name which is above every name." Now, what in this case is the Christian duty? Is it this - to stand upon our Christian liberty? Or is it not rather this - to comply with a prejudice which is manifestly a harmless one, rather than give pain to a Christian brother? Take another case. It may be a mistaken scruple, but there is no doubt that it causes much pain to many Christians to see a carriage used on the Lord's day. But you, with higher views of the spirit of Christianity, who know that "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath " — who can enter mlore deeply into the truth taught by our blessed Lord, that every day is to be dedicated to Him and consecrated to His service - upon the high principle of Christian liberty, you can use your carriage -you can exercise your liberty. But if there are Clhristian TO THE CORINTHIANS. 137 brethren to whom this would give pain - then I humbly, but most earnestly, ask you -What is the duty here? Is it not this - to abridge your Christian liberty - and to go through rain, and mud, and snow, rather than give pain to one Christian conscience?. I will give one more instance. The words, and garb, and customs of that sect of Christians called Quakers, may be formal enough; founded no doubt, as in the former case, upon a mistaken interpretation of a passage in the Bible. But thev are at least harmless; and have long been associated with the simplicity, and benevolence, and devout humbleness of this body-of Christians - the followers of one who, three hundred years ago, set out upon the glorious enterprise of making all men friends. Now, would it be Christian, or would it not rather be something more than un-Christian - would it not also be gross rudeness and coarse unfeelingness to treat such words, and habits, and customs, with anything but respect and reverence? Further: the Apostle enjoined this duty of abridging their Christian liberty upon the Corinthian converts, not merely because to indulge it might give pain to others, but also because it might even lead their brethren into sin. For, if any man should eat of the flesh offered to an idol, feeling himself justified by his conscience, it were well: but if any man, overborne by authority or interest, were to do this, not according to conscience, but against it, there would be a distinct and direct act of disobedience- a conflict between his sense of right, and the gratification of his appetites or the po wer of influence; and then his compliance would as much damage his conscience and moral sense as if the act had been wrong in itself. Now, in the personal application of these remarks, there are three things which I have to say. The first is this: - Distinguish, I pray you, between this tenderness for a brother's conscience and mere time-serving. This same Apostle, whom we here see so gracefully giving way upon the ground of expediency when Christian principles were left entire, was the same who stood 12* 138 LECTURES QN THE EPISTLES firm and strong as a rock, when anything was demandea which trenched upon Christian principle. When some required, as a matter of necessity for salvation, that these converts should be circumcised, the Apostle says " To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour!" It was not indifference- it was not cowardice - it was not the mere love of peace, purchased by the sacrifice of principle, that prompted this counsel -but it was Christian love - that delicate and Christian love which dreads to tamper with the sanctities of a brother's conscience. The second thing we have to say is this - that this abridgment of their liberty is a duty more especially incumbent upon all who are possessed of influence. There are some men, happily for themselves we may say, who are so insignificant that they can take their course quietly in the valleys of life, and who can exercise the fullest Christian liberty without giving pain to others. But it is the price which all, who are possessed of influence, must pay- that their acts must be measured, not in themselves, but according to their influence on others. So, my Christian brethren, to bring this matter home to every-day experience and common life, if the landlord uses his authority and influence to induce his tenant to vote against his conscience, it may be he has secured one voice to the principle which is right, or, at all events, to that which seemed to him to be right: but he has gained that single voice at the sacrifice and expense of a brother's soul. Or, againif for the sake of ensuring personal politeness and attention, the rich man puts a gratuity into the hand of a servant of some company which has forbidden him to receive it, he gains the attention, he ensures the politeness, but he gains it at the sacrifice and expense of a man and a Christian brother. The last remark which we have to make is this:How possible is it to mix together the vigor of a masculine and manly intellect with the tenderness and charity which is taught by the gospel of Christ! No man ever breathed so freely, when on earth, the air and TO THE CORINTHIANS. 139 atmosphere of heaven as the Apostle Paul- no man ever soared so high above all prejudices, narrowness, littlenesses, scruples, as he: and yet no man ever bound himself as Paul bound himself to the ignorance, the scruples, the prejudices of his brethren. So that, what in other cases was infirmity, imbecility, and superstition, gathered round it in his case the pure, high spirit of Christian charity and Christian delicacy. And now, olut of the writings, and sayings, and deeds of those who loudly proclaim " the rights of man " and the " rights of liberty," match us if you can with one sentence so sublime, so noble, - one that will so stand at the bar of God hereafter,- as this single glorious sentence of his, in which he asserts the rights of Christian conscience above the claims of Christian liberty -" Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." 140 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XVIII. DECEMBER 7, 1851. I CORINTHIANS, iX. -"Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have 1 not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? - If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. - Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, - Have we not power to eat and to drink? - Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? - Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbearworking? - Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? - Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? - For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? - Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. - If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thin, if we shall reap your carnal things? - If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things,. lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. - Do.ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? - Eveh so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. - But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. - For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.- What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. - For though I be free- from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. - And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; - To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. - To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am TO THE CORINTHIANS. 141 made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. - And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. - Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. - And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. - I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:- But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." THIS last verse is unintelligible, except taken in connection with the preceding part of the chapter. It is commonly quoted in the Calvinistic Controversy, to prove or disprove the possibility of the believer's final fall. It is contended by some that St. Paul was not certain of salvation, and that it was possible, after all his labor in the cause of Christ, he might be a castaway. In reality, the passage has nothing whatever to do with this. The word here translated "' castaway," is literally "reprobate," —that which being tested fails. "Reprobate silver shall men call them:" St. Paul says,' Lest after, when I have preached to others, I myself, when tried by the same standard, should fail." We shall find that this will become more intelligible by the exposition of this chapter. In the last chapter St. Paul had laid down the principle that it was good to avoid all injuries to the scruples and conscientious superstitions of weaker brethren. When Christian liberty permits indulgence —very often Christian love says, "Abstain." As in the sentence, "' Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." Let us, however, understand the Apostle's principle, so as not to misrepresent or exaggerate it. Distinguish this principle of avoiding offence to conscientious scruples, from yielding to all scruples. You are not, in order to avoid hurting another's conscience, to act against your own. Nor are you to yield or concede in a case where his conscience or scruples recommend something wrong.; In this case conscience required 142 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES the Corinthians to do what was evidently harmless; abstaining from eating meats was an act of reverence to God, and was accepted by Him because done in faith. So in the instances alleged in the last lecture - the dress of the Quakers -bowing at the name of Jesus- the abstinence from a cavil in these matters is accepted just as the sacrifices were. For you would be pleased if an ignorant person were to present you with something you did not value, but on which, because he thought you did value it, he had spent time and pains. To you it is worthless intrinsically, but as an evidence of affection it is invaluable. So in the case of fasting - abstinence on certain days is well pleasing to God, if done in faith. And it would be rude and coarse, harsh and unloving, to sneer at such acts, or to tempt men who believe them to be sacred duties, by ridicule or example, to give them up. But if something were done which is not only not commanded, but forbidden, it is no Christian duty to connive. You would bow at the name of Jesus because, where it was universally the custom, you might hurt the feelings of your brethren by refusing to do so: but you would not bow at the passing of the host, because that would imply a belief in a downright falsehood; and, therefore, as you could not avoid insulting a Romish prejudice, you would hold it to be your duty to absent yourself from the most magnificent ceremony, or ftom the sublimest music that ever thrilled through St. Peter's. Again, let us note another exception. Practices which in themselves are harmless may be withstood, because of their consequences at peculiar times. Thus St. Paul was gentle about trifles, whereas the Reformers were stiff. He yielded to Jewish prejudices about sacrifices, because they implied reverence to a truth. They were unyielding in the matter of Romish rites and forms - trifling enough in themselves - because they implied adherence to false and dangerous errors. And so, too,*St. Paul at one time circumcised Timothy because it implied symbolic holiness. At another he TO THE CORINTHIANS. 143 refused to circumcise Titus, because it was then and there reckoned essential to salvation, and for that reason insisted on. This, then, was St. Paul's principle. But to this teaching an objection might be raised. Some may say, It is easy enough to advise: fine doctrine this of conscience and tenderness to weaker brethren- conscientious prejudices. Does the Apostle practise what he preaches? Or is it merely a fine sentiment? Does he preach to others - himself being a castaway - that is, one who being tested is found wanting? The whole of the ninth chapter -bears on tnls question. It is an assertion of his own consistency. He proves that he submitted himself for love's sake to restriction, to which he was not in absolute duty bound. I. The first part of this chapter is occupied in proving his right to certain privileges. II. His salutary abstinence from many of them. I. The privileges to which he had a right were domestic solaces and ministerial maintenance. Have we not power to lead about a sister-wife, that is, a wife who was one of the Christian sisterhood? Have we not, Barnabas and I, power to forbear working? The right to the first of these privileges he proves by the position of the other Apostles. Cephas and others were married men. His right to the second, that of maintenance, he proves by his Apostleship. " Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free?" that is, not compelled to labor. The apostolic or ministerial right, he bases on four arguments. 1. By a principle universally recognized in human practice. A king warring on behalf of a people, wars at their charge - a planter of a vineyard expects to eat of the fruit — a shepherd is entitled to eat of the milk of the flock. All who toil for the good of others derive an equivalent from them. GratL.'cous devotion of life is nowhere considered obligatory 2. By a principle implied in a scriptural particular e- act 144 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES ment, " Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." Did God, in this, take special care for oxen? or was it a great general principle, - human, not confined to a single isolated case, but capable of extension to the plougher and the sower. The ox was provided for, not because it was an ox, but because it was a laborer. 3. By a principle of fairness and reciprocity, as taught in the second verse, great services establish a claim. One who has saved another's life has a right to recompense. It is not merely a matter of option. If they owed to the Apostle their souls, his time had a claim on their gold. 4. By the law of the Temple Service, the priests were supported by a special provision: animals sacrificed to God belonged partly to them. The whole Jewish ritual - the institution of Levites and priests, - implied the principle that there are two kinds of labor -of hand and of brain: and that the toilers with the brain, though not producers, have a claim on the community. They are essential to its well-being, and are not mere drones. By all these arguments he proves his right. Now it is our business at this time to insist on the right. True, the Apostle waived it for himself; but he did this under special circumstances. He felt peculiarly bound, as specially and wonderfully saved. He had a peculiar gift qualifying him for celibacy. He lived in peculiar times, when it was necessary to have unmistakably clean hands, to be above all suspicion of mercenary motives. But what was a duty in his case might be contrary to duty in another; for example, when a family is to be maintained, the forfeiture of the stipend would be distinctly wrong. There is, therefore, no shame in receiving hire: there is no disgrace in toil, no dishonor in receiving wages. It is a false shame and false delicacy to feel that the fee with hire is a stain, or the receiving of it a mercenary act. II. We consider, secondly, his own valiant abstinence from these privileges and indulgences (verses TO'THE CORINTHIANS. 14 12, 15). And, first, his reasons. In order to do his work in a free, princely, and not a slavish spirit, he wasforced to preach the gospel, and for the preaching of it no thanks were due. If he did it against his will, a dispensation of the gospel was committed to him, and "woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" He was bound to do it. But he turned his necessity to glorious gain. That was his " reward," that is, made him rewardable by forfeiting pay he got reward: and in doingfreely what he must do, he became free. When " I must" is changed into "' I will," you are free. And so in a profession you dislike - an alliance which is distasteful -a duty. that must be done — acquiescence in Christian liberty. It is deliverance from the Law. His second reason was to gain others. "' For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." For this was only one instance out of many; his whole life was one great illustration of the principle: free from all, he became the servant of all. He condescended to the mode of looking at life that was' peculiar to the Gentiles with respect to their education and associations: to the Jews also, when form was expressive of a true and reverential spirit. Nor less to the weak and superstitious; he sympathized with their weakness, tried to understand them, and to feel as they felt. Lastly, consider the general principles of our human life. The conditions of this existence are not that you can run as you will - but they are as the conditions of a race: " Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." You cannot go on saying, I have a right to do this, therefore I will do it. You must think how it will appear, not for the sake of mere respectability, or merely to obtain a character for consistency, but for the sake of others. And its conditions are as those of a wrestling match - you must be temperate in all things — that is, abstain from even lawful indulgences. For lie who trained for the amphitheatre abridged himself 13 146 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES of indulgences which, under other circumstances, he might and would have used. Then the Apostle closes his triumphant argument: " I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air;" - not at hazard, but taking it coolly, as if sure of. victory. Remember, no man liveth to himself. The cry, "Am I my brother's keeper? " is met by St. Paul's clear, steadfast answer, "' You are." Herein is opened out to us the exceeding love of the Christian Life. Heathenism, in its highest efforts, contented itself with doing right: Christianity demands that your right shall not lead others wrong,: that it shall do -no violence to that most sacred and delicate thing, a Human Conscience. There is another inference from this chapter, which is entirely incidental. In the first part of the chapter Paul introduces the name of Barnabas as associated with himself as his fellow worker. Now, in earlier life, these two men had quarrelled about Mark, the nephew of Barnabas; and from that time to this, outwardly there had been an estrangement, but now there comes forth this most touching recollection of their past friendship. Let us learn from this what it is that binds men truly together. It is not union in pleasures, for the companions of our pleasures are separated from us, and we look back to them only with pain and shame. That which separated these two men was in one a sterner sense of duty; in the other, a tenderness of love; but that which bound them one for ever was,self-sacrifice. If there were too much tenderness in Barnabas, there was no love of gold, for he, like Paul, preached the Gospel without charge. Union in God through the sacrifice of self- this is alone the indissoluble union; all others are for time. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 147 LE-CTURE XIX. DECEMBER 14, 1851. I CORINTHIANS, X. - " Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; - And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud: and in the sea; - And did all eat the same spiritual meat; - And -did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. - But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. - Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. - Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. -Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. - Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. - Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. - Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.-Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.- Theire hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that yo are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. - Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.- I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? - For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.- Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? — What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered, in saerifice to idols is any thing? - But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. - Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.- Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we 3tronger than he? - All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. - Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no questions for conscience sake:- For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. -. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and 148 LECTURES ON THE ETPISTLES ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. - But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: —Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?- Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. - Give none offence neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. - Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." THIS chapter closes with a return to the subject which had been already discussed in the eighth and ninth chapters. Obviously, the intermediate argument is connected with it, although this connection is not clear at first sight. St. Paul had laid down a principle that Christian liberty is limited by Christian charity: " All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient." Then he had shown that he himself obeyed the same law which he imposed on his converts. He had abridged his own liberty: he had foregone his right to domestic solaces and ministerial support: he had not preached to others, and been himself a castaway. But then this very word " castaway" brought the subject into a more serious light, and the idea contained in it is the hinge on which this chapter turns. There was much "'light and liberty" in Corinth. Large words were there, and a large comprehension of the Gospel scheme. But it was light without warmth or life, and liberty without charity. There were large words without large action, and a faith which worked not by love. And all this gave rise to serious misgivings in the Apostle's mind. This boasted Church of Corinth, with its sharp and restless intellect, would it stand? Were the symptoms it exhibited those of bursting health, or only of active disease? So thought St. Paul, and therefore the key-note of the whole chapter is the twelfth verse: " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Consider, then, I. The danger of the Corinthian Church. TO THE ORINTHIANS. 119 rheir peril lay in their false security: they were tempted to think that all things were safe to do, because all things were lawful. They were ready to rest satisfied with the knowledge that they were God's people, and God's Church. Now the Apostle shakes this sense of their safety by reminding them that the ancient Church of Israel fell, although they had the same privileges: therefore he infers that spiritual privileges are not perfect security. Now the argument by which he proves that the privileges of ancient Israel were similar to theirs, is remarkable. That people had a baptism as well as they, and a spiritual food and drink: " They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink." Baptism is the solemn profession of our Christianity: and the passing through the Red Sea was the Israelites' profession of discipleship to Moses: then they passed the Rubicon, the die was cast, and thenceforward there was no return for them. One solemn step had severed them for ever from Egypt: and the cloud, guidance which then began, kept the memory of this act before them by a constant witness in all their journeyings. So far, then, this is equivalent to baptism, which is discipleship: a sacrament or oath of obedience, the force of which is kept up and recalled by an outward sign. They had another sacrament in the "' rock which followed them." The rock did not literally follow them, as the Rabbins have with dulness dreamed; but go where they would, the wondrous waters from the rock flowed by their path and camp. Figuratively, therefore, it followed, the life of it streamed after them: they were never without its life-giving influence; and, therefore, never destitute of a sacrament: " that rock was Christ." And here observe the Apostle's view of the " sacramental principle." As Christ said of the Bread, " this is my body," so St. Paul declares, " that rock was Christ;" not that the bread was literally transformed into His body, or that the rock was changed into Christ; nor, again, merely that bread represented 13* 150 JLECTURIES ON THE EPISTLES the body of Christ, or that the rock represented Christ; but this - that which is wondrous in the bread and rock, the life-giving power in both, is Christ. The symbol as a material is nothing, the spirit in it —Christ - is everything. Now the mystic and formalist say these signs, ard these only, convey grace: sacraments are miraculous. But St. Paul says to the Corinthians, the Jews had symbols as living as yours. Bread, Wine, Water, C1 )ud; it matters nought what the material is. God's Presence is everything; God's Power, God's Life — wherever these exist, there there is a sacrament. What is the lesson, then, which we learn?. Is it that God's Life, and Love, and Grace are limited to certain materials, such as the Rock, the Bread, or the Wine? is it that we are doing an awful act only when we baptize? or is it not much rather, that all here is sacramental. that we live in a fearful and, a Divine world; that every simple meal, that every gushing stream, every rolling river, and every drifting cloud, is the Symbol of God, and a sacrament to every open heart? And the power of recognizing and feeling this, makes all the difference between the religious and the irreligious spirit. There were those, doubtless, in the wilderness, who saw nothing mysterious or wonderful in the following water. They rationalized upon its origin: it quenched their thirst, and that was all it meant to them. But there were others to whom it was the very Love and Power of God. Having, then, established this parallel, the Apostle draws his conclusion. The Jews had as full privileges as you Corinthians have, and yet they fell;- you have your privileges, but you may see in these examples that privileges are no cause for security, but only for greater heed. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." But according to a common view of the Christian state, it is one of easier requirement than the Jewish, more merciful and more lax- in its commandments and their sanctions. The Jews, it is urged, were severely punished if they sinned, but Christians may TO THE CORINTHIAN S. 151 Sill, and be more mercifully dealt with. You cannot read this Epistle, or that to the Hebrews, and think so. "All these things happened unto them for ensamples, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." And the punishments which their offences met with are specimens of those which we may expect. Four special sins of the Israelites are mentioned by St. Paul as corresponding to the circumstances in which he found the Corinthian Church; i:tolatry, impurity, doubt, and discontent. "Is God among us, or not?" said the people in the wilderness, tempting Jehovah. Think you we shall be less punished than they, if we similarly tempt our God? This chapter gives the answer. Here, then, we meet a very solemn truth: the sacrifice of Christ does not alter God's Will: it does not make sin a trifle: it does not make it safer to commit offences. It does not abrogate, but declares God's law. " He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame!" And these Corinthians were boasting of their privileges, vaunting their liberties, talking of rights instead of doing duties, speaking of Freedom, Brotherhood, and Reason, and all the time the same God who judged the people in the wilderness was ruling them by the same unalterable laws. II. The second thing contained in this chapter is the resumption of the argument on the difficulty about eating meat offered to idols, with further advice respecting it. Let me recall briefly what the difficulty was. If they eat the meat they seemed to sanctify idolatry: if they abstained, they seemed to say that an idol was a real being, and so they gave a sanction to superstition. It was one of those circumstances where a true decision on a duty lay in great obscurity. Now the Apostle admits it to be a difficulty, but he will not allow them to think 152 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES it an inextricable one. There is no excuse here for acting wrong: "' there has no temptation taken you which is not common to man: " there is a way of escape, and by it they may rescue themselves without either guilt or hypocrisy. He had already counselled them to abstain for the sake of Love, lest their example might lead their weaker brethren to sin by violating their conscience: now he takes higher ground: and this is his argument. Every sacrificial feast in all religions is a kind of worship: in the Christian religion there was the Lord's Supper, and all they who participated in that rite were Christians. They communicated with Christ, they declared His character was their standard of life: " the Cup of Blessing which -we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ?" And, further, in the Jewish religion all who ate of the Jewish offerings were Jews; they professed themselves to be such by sharing in the act. Thus, in the same way as all who partook of Christian sacrifices were Christians, and all who took part in Jewish were Jews, so all who sat at meat in idolatrous feasts communicated with idols, and formed one society with idolatrous worshippers. Such acts as these brought confusion into opinion, and the Church: " Ye cannot drink the cup of devils." Here, however, a difficulty arose. Could the Apostle mean this literally? Partaking of Jewish altars, they shared, he said, with God; of Christian, with Christ; of heathen, with idols! Then the idol was a real thing after all? But in answer to this St. Paul explains himself: " What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols anything? " No: but the Gentiles sacrifice their offerings as to a demon. The heathen thought it a sacrifice to a real god, and would reckon any one who ate of it as a fellow-worshipper with them of a demon: hence the Corinthian Church could not do it without conveying a false impression: their presence would be taken as a sanction of heathenism. Thus these religious banquets being not only an injury to the Church, but also to the TO THE CORINTHIANS. 153 heathen, the Apostle, indignant at this wrong, breaks out into forcible language, " Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He? " With St. Paul we infer, in conclusion, two practical truths. 1. The law by which the Lord's Supper binds us to God. " Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils." The term Sacrament has been already discussed: that Feast is now called " Communion:" in it we have fellowship with God and His Church: it is the witness to the communion of saints. To some who attend it the Lord's Supper is a mere form; with others it is a means of some good, they know not what. But, except so far as it keeps us from evil, it is only a fresh cause of guilt: for to go to that table, meaning to sin, to be selfish and worldly, - well, then, you are a traitor to God and His Church. 2. The duty of attending to appearances. Nothing can be more plain than the wise Christian casuistry by which St. Paul taught the Corinthians how to avoid hypocrisy on the one side, and a sanction of idolatry on the other. They were not to torment themselves with unnecessary scruples, else life would be a haunted thing. Live on freely and trustfully, said the Apostle; all things are yours. Enjoy all: but if any man be likely to mistake the act, if he observe on it, or call it inconsistent, eat not. Now we may think this time-serving; but the motive made all the difference: " Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other." Study appearances, therefore, so far as they are likely to be injurious to others. Here, then, is the principle and the rule; we cannot live in this world indifferent to appearances. Year by year we are more and more taught this truth. It is irksome, no doubt, to be under restraint, to have to ask not only, " Does God permit this? " but, " Will it not be misconstrued by others?" and to a free, open, fiery spirit, such as the Apostle of the Gentiles, doubly irksome, and almost intolerable. Nevertheless, it was to him a most solemn consideration: 154 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Why should I make my goodness' and my riglit the occasion of blasphemy? Truly, then, and boldly, and not carelessly, he determined to give no offence to Jews or Gentiles, or to the Church of God, but to please all men. And the measure or restraint of this resolution was, that in carrying it into practice he would seek not his own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved. TO HE CORINTHIANS. 155 LECTURE XX. DECEMBER 21, 1851. I CORINTHIANS, xi. 1 - 17. — " Be ye followers of me, even as I als) am of Christ. - Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. - But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. - Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. - But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. - For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. - For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, ferasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. - For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. -For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. - Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. - For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God.Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? - Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? - But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. — But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. - Now, in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse." As the Gospels declare the principles of Christianity, so the Epistles exhibit those principles in their application to actual life. Specially valuable in this respect is this Epistle to the Corinthians, which might be defined as Christianity'applied to the details of ordinary life. Now large principles, when taken up by ardent and entlhusiastic minds, without the modifications learnt by experience, are almost sure to run into extravagances, and hence the spirit of law is by degrees reduced to rules, and guarded by customs. Of this danger Chris 1L56 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES tianity, which is a set of great principles, partook, a fact well proved by the existent state of the Corinthian Church: and for this reason in actual life it is expressed in rules and customs, such as we find laid down by the Apostle Paul in this Epistle. In this chapter we meet two of those extravagant abuses of Christian truth which arose from its too enthusiastic reception. I. Respecting the conduct and deportment of Christian women. II. Respecting the administration of the Lord's Supper. Of the first I wifl speak to-day. A broad principle laid down by Christianity was human equality: " One- is your Master, even Christ;" and again, "' There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, but ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Observe, not only is the distinction between Jew and Gentile abolished, but. also the equality of man and woman is declared. We all know how fruitful a cause of popular commotion the teaching of equality has been in every age. Yet it is Scripture doctrine. Now similarly, in the Corinthian Church, this doctrine of the abolition of distinctions betw~een the sexes threatened to lead to much social confusion. A claim was made for a right and power in woman to do all that men should do. They demanded that they should teach, preach, and pray in public, and have political privileges of exact equality. Strange, too, as it may seem, a Christian right was claimed to appear unveiled in the public assemblies. Now respecting the first of these claims, the Apostl 3's rule was that laid down in 1 Tim. ii. 12: " But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to'usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Respecting the second, St. Paul in this chapter commands the woman not to affect an attire that was unbecoming to her sex. Let us first take the verses in order which have reference to attire. TO TrHE CORINTHIANS. 157 It is one advantage attending on this our habit of exposition, that in turn every part of the Word of God mnust be expounded. Many passages that are rarely treated force themselves thus upon us; and in honesty we are bound to pass nothing. And this I hold to be true reverence for God's Word, true proof of belief in its inspiration. For many who are vehement upon the doctrine of inspiration never read large portions of the Scriptures all their lives, and confine their attention to certain passages and certain parts of the Bible. Now here are some verses which, left to ourselves, we should certainly have left untouched, because they are difficult to treat in such a way as shall afford no pretext for flippant listeners to smile. And really, if they only concerned a transient fashion of attire, such as then existed in Corinth, they might be omitted, for the Eternal Spirit surely does not condescend to fix unalterable rules of dress. But let us see what principles lie below St. Paul's decision. The first reason of his prohibition is, that it was a rash defiance of those established rules of decorum that were rooted in the feelings of the country. The veiled head in the text is a symbol of dependence, and a token also of modesty; for to pray unveiled was to insult all the conventional feelings of Jew and Gentile. Here let us distinguish between rules and principles: of course there is no eternal rule in this: it cannot be a law for ever that man should appear habited in one way, and woman in another, and it is valuable t( us only so far as a principle is involved. Though in eastern countries reverence was exhibited by taking off the sandal, yet the Holy Ghost has not caused this mode of showing reverence to be imposed on the Church, nor yet this fashion of a veil; but the principle contained in these observances is not temporary, but eternal. If it be true, as it most unquestionably is true, that we know not how much of our English liberty we owe to our attachment to the past, so also is it almost impossible to decide how much of our public morality and private purity is owing to that 14 158 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES same spirit which refuses to overstep the smallest bound of ordinary decorum. Onece more, the use of the veil was a representation and symbol of dependence. It is the doctrine of St. Paul, that as Christ is dependent on God, and man is dependent on Christ, so is woman dependent'on man. St. Paul perceived that the law of Christian equality was quite consistent with the vast system of subordination running through the universe: " But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God;" which two things we see he distinctly unites in verses eleven and twelve when he says, " Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, -either the woman without the man, in, the Lord; for as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God." He asserts subordination in one sense, and denies it in another; and therefore bids the foolish question of'Which is the greater?' to cease for ever: for he distinguishes between inferiority and subordination, that each sex exists in a certain order, not one as greater than the other, but both great and right in being what God intended them to be. The second reason assigned for the Apostle's prohibition is an appeal to natural instincts and perceptions, to natural propriety. "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her as a veil." And this he extends still further in Tim. ii. 12, so far as to forbid public expositions by women altogether; for, inspired with strong feeling, such as accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit in the early ages, the Christian women broke out at the church-gatherings into prophesyings. Observe how the Apostle Paul falls back on Nature. In nothing is the difference greater between fanaticism and Christianity, than in their treatment of natural instincts and affections. Fanaticism defies nature. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 159 Christianity refines it, and respects it. Christianity does not denaturalize, but only sanctifies and refines according to the laws of nature. Christianity does not destroy our natural instincts, but gives them a higher and a nobler direction: —for instance, natural resentment becomes elevated into holy indignation. Christianity does not dry up tears, forbidding their flow; but rather infuses into them a heavenly hope. It does not make Scythian, Barbarian, and "Israelites indeed" all alike; - but retains their peculiar differences. It does not make Peter, Paul, and John mere repetitions of one aspect of hufian character; but draws out into distinctive prominence the courage of one, the selfdenying zeal of another, and the tender love of a third. And just as the white light of heaven does not make all things white, but the intenser it is, so much more intense becomes the green, the blue, or the red; and just as the rain of heaven falling on tree and plant develops the vigor of each- every tree and herb "yielding seed after his kind;" and just as leaven does not change the mass into something new, but makes elastic, and firm, and springy, that which was dull and heavy before: so the Spirit of Christ develops each nation, sex, and individual, according to their own nature, and not the nature of another - making man more manly, and woman more womanly. And thus, in all those questions which belong to equality, the ultimate decision is not by theoretical abstractions, but by an appeal to nature and to fact. But let us not forget that here, too, there are exceptions. Beware of a dead, hard rule. Let each develop himself, according to his own nature. Whatever contradicts feelings which are universally received is questionable, to say the least. Observe, however, there are modifications about this doctrine of liberty. Theoretically all men are equal, and all have equal rights; but when we apply this to daily life, we are clouded in uncertainty. Therefore, the only remedy is that given by St. Paul in this chapter -that the abstract principle shall be modified 7160 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLEF by common sense, human nature, and holy Christian experience. There is also the modification of the right of private judgment. It is a well-known rule, that that which has been held everywhere, and at all times, is to be received as true; this modifies, though it does not destroy the right of private judgment. There have been many instances in which one man standing against the world has been right, and the world wrong —as Elijah, Athanasius, Luther, and others. Therefore these two things must modify each other. But in questions of morality, propriety, decency, when we find ourselves - our own individual desires and private judgment - contradicted by the general experience, habit, and belief of all the purest and the best around us, then most assuredly Christian modesty and the doctrine of this chapter command us to believe that the many are right, and that we are wrong. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 161 LECTURE XXI. DECEMBER 28, 1851. I CORINTHIANS, xi. 18- 34. -" For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. - For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. - When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. - For in eating every one- taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry and another is drunken. - What.? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. - For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same nizht in which he was betrayed took bread:- And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. - After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. - For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. — Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. - But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. - For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. -For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.- For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. - But when we are judged, we ~are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. - Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. - And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come." THE remainder of this chapter treats of an abuse in the administration of the Lord's Supper, as practised in the Church of Corinth. It may be necessary here to go a little into historical investigation. Every Church has a right to introduce new forms and ordinances; and the Church of Corinth, taking advantage of this right, introduced what was called a love-feast, in which the Churches met together previons 14* 1.62 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES to the reception of the Lord's Supper, to partake of a common meal - rich and poor bringing their own provisions. This idea seemed in strict accordance with the original institution of the Lord's Supper, as that certainly was preceded by a common meal. There was a great beauty in this arrangement, because it showed the conviction of the Church of Corinth that differences of birth and rank are not eternal but temporary, and are intended to join by reciprocal bonds the different classes together. Still, beautiful as the idea was, it was liable to great abuse. Thus there arises a perpetual lesson for the Church of Christ; it is never good to mix things religious with things worldly. In the highest conceivable form of the Church of Christ, the two will be identified, for the -kingdoms of the world are to become the kingdoms of God and of His Christ. In order to make these two one, the Christian plan has been to'set apart certain days as holy, that through these all other days may be sanctified: to set apart a certain class of men, through them to sanctify all other men: to set apart one particular meal, that all meals through that one may be dedicated to God. The World's way is rather this: to identify things religious and worldly by throwing the spirit of the week-day into the Sabbath; to make Christian Ministers like other men, by throwing into them its own secular spirit; and to eat and drink of the Lord's Supper in the spirit of a common meal. In order to rectify the abuses which had grown out of these love-feasts, the Apostle recalls to their remembrance the reasons for the original institution of the Lord's Supper, and from them deduces the guilt and responsibility of their desecration of that ordinance. He says that it was meant as a memorial of the Redeemer's sacrifice. There may appear to us something superfluous in this; we should be inclined probably to say, "We need no memorial of that; it is graven on our hearts as on the rock for ever." The Son of Man knew our TO THE CORINTHIANS. 163 nature far too well to trust such a pledge even if it could have been given.' He knew that the remembrance of it would fade without perpetual repetition, and also an appeal to the senses; therefore by touch, by taste, by sight, an appeal is made to the senses, reminding us perpetually that Christianity is not a thing of mere feeling, but a real historical actuality. It sets Jesus Christ forth evidently crucified among uS. Let us draw something practical from this. Memory depends on two things - on repetition, and on the impression being a sensible one, that is, one of which the senses take cognizance. Does any man wish to forget God? Does any man wish to live in sin without being disturbed by the painful thought of Judgment? We can tell him how he may insure that —for a time at least. Let him attempt to be wiser than his Maker: let him say, " I can read my Bible at home, and worship God in the open beauties of Nature, as well as in a church;" let him give up private prayer, and never attend the Lord's table, giving up all that is symbolical in religion. Let him do this, and we will insure him most terrible success; for so " judgment to come " will be to him only a hypothesis, and God's own existence merely a perhaps. The second reason for the institution of the Lord's Supper was to keep in mind Christ's second Advent::" Till He come." When Christ left this world, it was with a promise that he would return again. Ever since that time have the souls of the faithful been preparing and watching for that coming. So, then, there are two feelings which belong to this Supper — abasement and triumph; abasement, because everything that tells of Christ's sacrifice reminds us of human guilt; and triumph, because the idea of His coming again, " without sin unto salvation," is full 6f highest rapture. These two feelings are intended to go hand in hand through life, for that sadness is not Christian but'morbid, which has not in it a sense of triumph, neither is joy Christian which is without some sense of 164 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES sorrow. We dearly love the way in which the Church of England celebrates the Supper of the Lord, with a solemn stillness so well befitting the feelings and the occasion. The next reason for the institution of the Lord's Supper is to teach the communion of saints. The symbolic elements themselves are intended to teach the Church's unity. The feeling of unity in the Church is that which belongs to fellow-countrymen meeting in a foreign land, or to ancient warriors who have fought side by side in the same battle, and meet in recollection of dangers shared together. So is it with us; we are fellow soldiers and fellow pilgrims. This relationship can alone be perpetual: the relation between father and child changes even in this short existence to friendship; even the marriage relationship is only for this life, for in heaven they neither marry nor are given in marriage. While all other ties shall be dissolved, God stamps on this alone something of His own Eternity united in Christ, you are united for ever. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 165 LECTURE XXII. JANUARY 5, 1852. T CORINTHIANS, xii. 1 - 31. -" Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. - Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the 8pirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that:esus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. - Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. - And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. - And there are diversities of Operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. - But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, - For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; - To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; - To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:- But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man-severally as he will. - For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. - For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. -For the body is not one member, but many. - If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? - And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? - If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? - If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? - But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. - And if they were all one member, where were the body? - But now are they many members, yet but one body. - And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I hai-e no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. - Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:- And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. - For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: - That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. - And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member 166 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES be honored, all the members rejoice with it. - Now ye are the body of Christ. and members in particular. - And God hath set some in the church, first Apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. - Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all te.achers? are all workers of miracles? - Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? - But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." IN the course of this exposition, we have often had t3 remind ourselves that this Epistle was addressed to a Church in a state of faction. One cause of rivalry was respecting the merits of their respective teachers; another cause of rivalry was the endowments of various kinds given to the members of the Church. Instead of occupying and spending themselves in the blessed work of using these endowments to the edification of the Church, they spent their time in quarrelling about the precedence which should be given to these different gifts. This was the natural result of great spiritual activity: it is so in politics: whenever there is freedom and earnestness in debate, there will assuredly arise dissensions. Well did St. Paul know that there must be heresies and factions among them; but he would not say that schism was a trifle: it might be that earnestness could not exist without it, but yet he refused to say that schism was right. This chapter teaches two things: In it St. Paul sets himself to discuss spiritual gifts and inspiration. First, the Apostle lays down a broad general principle respecting spiritual inspiration; secondly, he determines the place and value of different degrees of spiritual inspiration. First he lays down the general principle respecting inspiration in the third verse. " No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost!" This made the broad separation between the Christian Church and the Gentile world. This, the great bond of Christians, St. Paul tells us, is far above all distinctions as to the degree of spiritual gifts or inspiration. It is of far more importance to ascertain that a man is a Christian than to find out what sort of Christian he is. This he tells us in the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 1(37 In other words, our Christianity is a fact far above our special and particular endowments. Not that in which we differ from other Christians, but that in which we differ from the world lying in wickedness; in that consists our distinction in the sight of God. In the thirteenth verse he appeals to the sacraments: does baptism teach of a difference between Christians? does it not rather teach that all the baptized are baptized into one body? There are varieties, differences - yes, says the Apostle, but they are all of " the selfsame Spirit." And now, brethren, let us bring this home personally to ourselves: for the teaching of the pulpit loses its force if mere abstract truths are stated without applying them to ourselves, for human nature is the same throughout all ages. What was it that waked vp the energies of these Corinthians most? Was it, that which stimulated the sublime spirit of the Apo, tle at Athens when he saw the city wholly given c Her to idolatry?- or was it not rather the difference b, ttween sect and sect, party and party? My Christian brethren, what is it that wakes up, in all their force, the polemical energies of this day? Is it opposition to sensuality, to pride, to vice, to evil generally? -- or is it opposition to some doctrine held by this or that section of the Christian world? Against whom are all the energies of Christian teachers directed? Is it against the oppressor, the tyrant, the seducer? - or is it against some poor erring Christian, who, it may be, is wrong in doctrine, but is trying with all his heart to live the Life of Christ? Let me bring this more closely home to you, and earnestly entreat the members of this congregation to sever themselves from that bitter spirit of controversy which is tearing asunder Christian society in this town. My Christian brethren, if Christ be your Master, what in this world is your foe? Not Tractarianism nor Dissent, neither Popery nor Evangelism: these may be more or less forms of error; but they who liold them are your brethren, battling against the same evil as you are. Your foe in this world is vice, the devil nature, in you and in me; it is in ourselves 1t8 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES that our foe is; conquer that, spend lalf the energy ir. trampling that down which is spent in religious controversy with Christians, and the Kingdom of God will soon be established in this world: and if you will not, then the Word of God gives this solemn warning, " If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." We pass on, secondly, to consider the place and value assigned by St. Paul to these differences of spiritual gifts. He states the fact of that difference from the eighth to the tenth verses, and the principle of diversities in the seventeeth and eighteenth verses. He begins by stating these as the very conditions of Christian unity. God has given to one man eloquence, to another business-like habits, to some exquisitely fine feelings, to others a more blunted feeling; for,-even that is a gift, without which some duties could not be suitably performed. The anatomist tells us that precisely as we ascend in the scale of being, so do we find greater diversity in our complexity. Thus is it that we have the distinction between a society and an association; artificial association binds man to man on the principle of similarity, natural society binds men together in diversity. The idea of the Church presented in the Bible is that of a family, which certainly is not a union of similarity, for the father differs from the mother, the child from the parent, brother from sister, servant from child, and yet together they form a most blessed type of unity. St. Paul carries on this beautiful principle, and draws out of it special personal duties; he says that gifts are granted to individuals for the sake of the whole Church. As he expresses it in another part: " No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." After this, he carries on the application further, and shows that the principle branches out into a twofold duty: first, the duty of those gifted with the inferior gifts; and after that, the duty of those gifted with the higher powers. The duties of those possessed of inferior gifts he states to be two; not to envy, and not to despond. First, not to envy: — Observe here the difference be TO TIE CORINTHIANS. 169 tween the Christian doctrine of unity and equality, and the world's doctrine by levelling all to one standard, The intention of God with respect to the body is not that the rude hand should have the delicacy of the eye, or the foot have the power of the brain. The intention of God is to proclaim the real equality of each in mutual sympathy and love. The second duty of those with inferior gifts is not to despond. There are few temptations more common to ardent spirits than that which leads them to repine at the lot in which they are cast, believing that in some other situation they could serve God better; and therefore to every such man St. Paul speaks, telling him that it is his duty to try to be himself: simply to try to do his own duty; for here in this world we are nothing apart from the strange and curious clockwork of the world; and if each man had the spirit of Self-surrender, the Spirit of the Cross, it would not matter to him whether he were doing the work of the mainspring, or of one of the inferior parts. Lastly, St. Paul applies this principle to the duty of those gifted with higher powers; this is also a twofold duty, that of humility and sympathy. They were not to despise those who were inferior. As with the natural body, the rudest parts are the most useful, and the delicate parts require most care, so is it with the body politic; the meanest trades are those with which we can least dispense; a nation may exist without an astronomer or philosopher, but the day-laborer is essential to the existence of man. The second duty of the more highly gifted is taught in the twenty-sixth verse. The spirit and the law of the Life of Christ is to be that of every member of the Church, and the law of the Life of Christ is that of sympathy. Until we have learnt something of this spirit, we cannot have a Church at. all. H1ow little, during eighteen hundred years, have the hearts of men been got to beat together! Nor can we say that this is the fault of the capitalists and the masters only; it is the fault of the servants and de)eln lents also. 170 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XXIII. NOVEMBER 16, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, Xii. 31; xiii. 1- 3. - -" But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. - And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. - And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." THE twelfth chapter of this epistle discusses the gifts of the Spirit, the thirteenth contrasts them with the grace of Charity or Love, but the connection between the two is unintelligible unless the last verse of the former be joined to the first of the latter: It is the link between both chapters: " Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." Now the more excellent way is Charity. We will consider, then, the Christian estimate of gifts. I. In themselves. II. In reference to graces. I. The way in which a Christian should esteem gifts. Let me first show that this rule applies to ourselves; for it might be doubted, since the Corinthian gifts were in part what we call miraculous, while ours are natural. But you will find that in all essential particulars the resemblance is complete. The gifts of the Church of Corinth were bestowed according to God's pleasure: they were " divided to every man severally Ias He TO THE CORINTHIANS. 171 willed."' They were profitable to others: " The mlanifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." They were not the highest perfection of human nature, for a man might have them and yet perish. So is it with ours: we have gifts freely granted, capable of profiting others, and yet capable of being separated from personal or saving holiness. Therefore, to all such gifts essentially coinciding with the nature of the Corinthian gifts, the Apostle's rule must apply; and his rule is this: " Covet earnestly the best gifts." First, then, consider what a gift is. It is that in which our main strength lies. One man is remarkable for intellectual, and another for moral qualifications. One is highly sensitive, and another firm- and unimpressionable. One has exquisite taste, and another capacity for business. One nation is inventive, and another, like the English, persevering and able to improve inventions. It is well f6r us to dwell on this, because in our unchristian way of viewing things, we are apt to forget they are gifts, because they seem so simple. But all God's gifts are not sublime. You would all acknowledge prophecy to be a gift, but St Paul says the humblest faculties are also gifts. ThE eye is precious, but the foot, in its way, is no less so. Next, observe that all these are gifts, but sometimes we fancy they are not, because sad and melancholy moralists remind us that these things are vain. Beauty is fleeting, such men cry; strength is soon but labor and sorrow. Sound sense does not save: "Life is thorny, and youth is vain. The path of glory leads but to the grave." A noble name, an honored position, an existence of fame, what are these but dreams? True, all these are transient; and because so, we are forbidden to set our hearts upon them:' the world passeth away, and the lust thereof." But still, in spite of moralizing, men covet them. And the Apostle says it is right: God gave them: do you honor Him by despising them? They are good, but not the higher good. Good so long as they are desired in subservience to the greater good, but evil if they are put in the place of this. 172 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Thirdly, remark that they are to be earnestly culti. vated. There is a mistake into which religious people are apt to fall, but which the Apostle avoids: and this is one of the negative marks of his inspiration. The Apostles were never fanatical; but ordinary men, when strongly influenced, exaggerate. Now the world makes very little of charity; and religious men, perceiving the transcendent excellence of this grace, make very little of talents: nay, some depreciate them as almost worthless. They talk contemptuously of the' mere moral man." They speak of cleverness and gifts of intellect, as in themselves bad and dangerous. They weed the finest works of human genius from their libraries. And hence the religious character has a tendency to become feeble, to lose all breadth of view, and all manly grasp of realities. Now, on the contrary, St. Paul prays that the whole soul, VvZX, the natural man as well as the spirit, may " be preserved blameless till the coming of Christ." And again he allows a distinction- the best gifts." The same Apostle who so earnestly urged contentment with the gifts we have, and forbade contemptuous scorn of others with feeble gifts, bids us yet to aspire. And just as St. Peter said, "Add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance;" so would St. Paul have said, " Add to your nobility of rank, nobleness of mind; to your naturally-strong constitution, health by exercise; to your memory, judgment; to your power of imitating, invention." He permits no dream of fantastic equality, no pretence that all gifts are equal, or all alike precious. He never would have said that the builder who executed was equal to the architect who planned. Be contented, yet aspire: that. should be the faith of all, and the two are. quite compatible. And there arises from such a belief the possibility of generous admiration: all the miserable shutting-up of ourselves in superciliousness is done away. Desirous of reaching something higher, we recognize and love what is above TO THE CORINTHIANS. 173 ourselves; and this is the condition of excellence, for we become that which we admire. II. The estimate of gifts in comparison with graces. They are less excellent than charity. They are not the perfection of our nature. He who treads the brilliant road of the highest accomplishments is, as a man, inferior to him who treads the path of Love. For in the spiritual world a man is measured not by his genius, but by his likeness to God. Intellect is not divine; -Love is the most essential of all the attributes of God. God does not reason, nor remember, but- He loves. Thus, to the Apostle's mind, there was emptiness in eloquence, nothingness in knowledge and even in faith, uselessness in liberality and sacrifice, where Love was not. And none could be better qualified than he to speak. In all these gifts he was pre-eminent; none taught like him the philosophy of Christianity. None had so strong a faith, nor so deep a spirit of self-sacrifice. In no other writings are we so refined and exalted by " the thoughts which breathe and words that burn." And yet, in solitary pre-eminence above all these gifts, he puts the grace of Love. 174 LECTURES ON THE I'ISTLES LECTURE XXIV. APRIL 25, 1852. 1 CORINTHIANS, xiii. 4-13. -" Charity suffereth long, and is kind charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, - Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;- Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but re. joiceth in the truth;- Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. - Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. - For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. - But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. - When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. - For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. -And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." IT is a notable circumstance that the most elaborate description given in Scripture of the grace of Charity is from the pen, not of St. John, who was preeminently the man of Love, but of the Apostle Paul, whose great characteristic was his soaring Faith. To each of the Apostles was given a peculiar work; each had one feature in his character predominant over the rest. If we had been asked what this was in St. Paul, we should have said Faith; for he has assigned to faith that high position which makes it the efficacious instrument in justifying the soul. St. John, on the contrary, was the Apostle of Love. To him we owe the pregnant expressions, " God is love;" "' Little children, love one another;" " He that loveth dwelleth in God, and God in him." And yet it was not to him that the office was assigned of illustrating and expounding his own especial grace, but to one of a very different character -- one in whom the man-like TO THE CORINTHIANS. 175 predominated over tlie woman-like; a man daring, impettious, intellectual; one in whom all the qualities of the man strongly flourished, and who yet emphatically declares all those - faith, great strength, intellect, gifts, manliness — N be inferior to Love. There are some very intelligible reasons for this arrangement in God's providential dealings. If the Apostle Paul had exalted the grace of Faith only, and St. John that of Lo've only, we might have conceived that each magnified especially his own gift, and that his judgment was guided by his peculiarities of temperament. But when the gifted Apostle, at the same time that he acknowledges the worth of talents, counts them as nothing in comparison of Love, no doubt remains. It is as if he would show that the graces of the Christian character may be mixed in different proportions, but must all be found in every one who lives the life of Christ. For no man can conquer the world, except by Faith; no man can resemble God, except by Love. It was by Faith that St. Paul removed mountains of impossibility; it was by Love that he became like God. Our subject, then, is Charity: we will consider two points. I. Its description. II. The reason of its superiority to Gifts. I. The description of this grace is contained in the fourth to the seventh verses. This description is needed, because no single word in any language will express the fulness of the Christian grace here spoken of. Charity is by conventional usage appropriated to one particular form of St. Paul's charity, almsgiving, and we cannot use the term without thinking of this. Love is appropriated to another human feeling, given by God as one of the means whereby we are freed from self, but which, in its highest forms, is too personal and too exclusive to be the Christian grace; in its lowest forms, too earthly. To the Greeks the world was saturated with this earthly 176 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES idea of love, and it needed this elaborate description to purge from their minds the thoughts connected with it Benevolence or Philanthropy is somewhat nearer, but still insufficient to be what St. Paul meant. Benevolence is too often merely passive, too often merely instinctive: a sentiment, and nothing more. Besides, many a man is actively benevolent, charitable among the poor, full of schemes and plans for the benefit of others, and yet utterly deficient in that religious sense which accompanies the Christian grace of Love. Therefore, St. Paul gives this exquisite description of what he means by the word, distinguishing it from almsgiving, passion, sentiment, and philanthropy, while something of them all is contained within it. Upon this description I make two remarks. 1. Observe that many of those qualities which the Apostle names as characteristic of charity are what we should assign to other graces; for example, patience,' she suffereth long, and is kind;" generosity, " she envieth not;" humility, " she vaunteth not herself; " dignified demeanor, " doth not behave itself unseemly;" peaceableness, " she seeketh not her own;" good temper, "she is not easily provoked;" innocence and unsuspiciousness, "she thinketh no evil;" love of realities, " she rejoiceth in the truth." For St. Paul saw down to the root; he saw that it was perfectly possible for any one of these to exist alone, but it was in the co-existence of them all that the real life of the under-root of Love was shown. For example, you may find a man rejoicing in the truth, and generous- -nay, good-tempered too; but there is in his deportment a certain restlessness, a want of ease, and a desire to eclipse others: the Apostle would describe him as behaving himself unseemly. Well, then, he is good tempered, he is generous, but he lacks charity, which pervades every grace, coloring them all, as our life gives hues to the hair, the lips and the eyes. For real love would have made him shrink from giving pain by showing superiority. In his desire to appear better than others, self is uppermost, whereas Love is the abnegation and forgetfulness of self. TO THE CORINTHIAN S. 177 2. I make another remark: for you will observe only general remarks can be made: complete exposition is out of the question; every one of these sentences might furnish matter for a sermon. Besides, to illustrate or improve this description would be " to gild refined gold; " gold thrice refined in the eloquence and heart of St. Paul. The second remark I make is, that the Apostle here describes a Christian gentleman. There is a thing whllich we call high-breeding or courtesy: its name proclaims that it is the manners of the Court, and it is supposed to belong exclusively to persons highly born. There is another thing which we call Christian courtesy; the difference between the two is, that highbreeding gracefully insists upon its own rights; Christian courtesy gracefully remembers the rights of others. In the narrow, limited sense of the word, " gentleman" can only be applicable to persons born in a certain class, and " gentle " is only the old English word, "' genteel," but in the larger, higher meaning, it belongs to those who are gentle in character rather than in blood; and just as "gentle" has been corrupted into " genteel," so the words " gentleman," "courtesy," "politeness," have come to be considered the exclusive property of one class. The Spirit of Christ does really what high-breeding only does outwardly. A high-bred man never forgets himself, controls his temper, does nothing in excess, is urbane, dignified, and that even to persons whom he is inwardly cursing in his heart, or wishing far away. But a Christian is what the' world seems to be. Love gives him a delicate tact which never offends, because it is full of sympathy. It discerns far off what would hurt fastidious feelings, feels with others, and is ever on the watch to anticipate their thoughts. And hence the only true deep refinement - that which lies not on the surface, but goes deep down into the character-comes fromn Christian love. And hence, too, we understand what is meant by elevating and refining the poorer classes. My brethren, 17S LECTURES ON THIE EPISTLES Christianity desires to make them all gentlemen. Do not be alarmed! for it is not in the world's sense of the word, nor in the socialistic, but only in the Christian meaning, that we would see them all refined. And assuredly, if Christian charity were universal, if every man were his brother's teacher, a rude clown, or unmannered peasant, or coarse-minded workman, could not be met with. But these, you say, are only dreams, and that it is absurd to expect or aim at the refinement of the worlking classes. Tell me, then, is it equally absurd to expect that they may become Christian? And if they are Christian, can they be so far unrefined? Only read this description of Christian charity, and conceive it existing in a peasant's breast. Could he be uncourteous, rude, selfish, and inconsiderate of the feelings, opinions, and thoughts of those around him? 1" If he did not behave himself unseemly, if he suffered long and was kind, or was not easily provoked, but bore all things quietly," would he not be a gentleman in heart? II. We come to the reasons for the superiority of Christian love to. the gifts spoken of in the last chapter. 1. Its permanence. "Charity never faileth." In contrast with- this, Paul shows the temporary character of those marvellous gifts, which we find mentioned in the eighth verse: Charity endures, but prophecy, tongues, and knowledge " fail." But let us take them in the modern, and not in the miraculous sense: for what the Corinthians got by miracle we now obtain by the persevering use of our natural faculties. Prophecy means the power of interpreting Scripture. This, doubtless, is a precious gift, but only valuable as means to an end; and when that is attained, the preciousness of the gift immediately ceases. 6 A time will come when they shall not teach every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord, but all shall know HIim, from the least to the greatest." All those quali. fications which go to make up the character of the TO THE CORINTHIANS. 179 expounder of Scripture, such as eloquence, cirtical knowledge, biblical lore, what are they? They are only designed for Time, and soon they shall be obsolete. Tongues also, of which the Apostle here speaks, shall " fail "- that is, pass away. They were then miraculous. What they were we shall explain in the approaching lecture: now, however, they are naturally acquired. It is remarked that this faculty gives more cause for vanity than ally other. He who knows two languages, is able to express his thoughts to two persons: this is very valuable, but it is not necessarily a double means of thought. And yet we see that the expert linguist is generally found more proud of his gifts, and more vain, than the deep thinker and knower: so with the Corinthians, this gift produced more vanity than the more useful ones of prophecy and teaching. And yet suppose a man had known fifty languages in the days of St. Paul, how many —or rather how few - would be of use now? The dialects of I" Parthia, Media, of the Elamite, of Mesopotamia, Judaea, and Cappadocia," they are now all obsolete: "Whether there be tongues, they shall cease." And knowledge also c" shall vanish away," for it is but a temporary state of the human mind. For instance, that of the Physician, which arises out of the existence of disease: were there no disease, his knowledge would disappear. And it is the same with " gifts of healing:" when the time comes in which " they shall hunger no more, and thirst no more," when sickness and death shall cease, this power shall be needless. And so also with the knowledge of the lawyer, which depends on human crime: were there no wrongs done to persons or property, the necessity of legal knowledge would be at an end. All the knowledge hived in centuries by the barrister and the judge will vanish when Christianity reigns upon earth. Again, we see the same with science, which is ever shiftinlg and becomingl obsolete.'The science of St. iPaul's day, the deep philosophy of the Greek, is only 180 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES curious now; for a brighter light has shone, and the geography, the astronomy, and the physics of that age hlave vanished. And this is surely reason enough to make a man humble; for if time so deals with the man of profoundest science, if in a few years his knowledge cannot suffice the schoolboy, what must be the humbleness due from us, who know so little? Therefore, the next time you are inclined to be vain of a few facts, or a little reading, or a smattering of science, pause and think, that all the knowledge of the great and wise men of the Apostle Paul's day, except the knowledge of Christ crucified, is worthless now. All they knew has vanished, all has failed -but this, that they " washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 2. The second reason is the completeness of Christian love. Gifts, knowledge, tongues are only means towards an end. Love remains the completion and perfection of our human being, just as stem, flower, bud, and leaf in the tree are all subservient to the fruit. St. Paul uses two illustrations to make this plain. " When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." In the first, the Apostle evidently considers our human existence as progressive; and just what childhood is to manhood, the most advanced manhood is to our heavenly being. We put away childish things in manhood; we shall put away even manly or human things entirely in the spiritual state. In childhood, there is igilorance which fancies itself knowledge, there is a selfishness which does not own the wants of others, there is a slavery to present impulses: but when age has taught us how little we know, has taught us that if society is to exist at all, we must give up some of our selfishness, and has taught us prudence, then manhood puts away the things of a child. TO TIHE CORINTHIAINS. 181 And so similarly, there are many things now which subserve a high purpose, but do not belong to the highest state. For instance, ambition, the last infirmity of noble minds; what a spur it is to exertion! how deadening to sloth! And if you were to quench it altogether, how few of the present noble works would be done! Again, patriotism is a virtue, but not the highest; you could not dispense with it: our Master felt it when on earth; He was a Jew, and felt deeply for His country. But whenwe enter into that clime, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, then patriotism shall pass away. Consider also friendship, and other particular attachments. But these are no substitutes for the charity which contemplates likeness to Christ, rather than personal affinities. While on earth, Christ had personal attachments: a strong human affection for St. John, firom their mutual similarities of character. But observe His Divine charity: " Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" He said. And then pointing to His disciples - Behold them:'' For, whosoever shall io the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." These things are manly and human now, but will have to be put away then; patriotism, ambition, exclusive friendship will then disappear, and be succeeded by higher impulses. And the last comparison is to imperfect vision as contrasted with perfect: "now we see through a glass darkly." Glass in this place more properly means window, for the ancient windows were made of horn, or talc, or thin metal, through which things were seen, but in a dim, confused, and colorless manner. So, now we see Divine things "darkly." We see God through tle colored glass, as it were, of our own limited human impressions. "The Father" has scarcely even all the poor conceptions we have gained from the earthly relationship from which the name is borrowed. And God, as "Love," is seen by us only as one who loves as we love,- weakly, partially, selfishly. Heaven, also, is but a place erected by our earthly imagination. TQ 16 [82 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES the Indian, a hunting-ground; to the old Norsemall, a battle banquet; to the Mahometan, a place of earthly rapture; to the man of science, a place where Nature shall yield up all her secrets. " We see through a glass darkly: we know but in part." But just what the going out of a room lighted through horn windows into the clear daylight would be to us now, will be the entrance of the purified spirit into God's realities out of this world of shadows - of things half seen -of restless dreams. "It doth not yet appear," says St. John, "what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."' And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." Here, therefore, we bring the subject to a conclusion. All gifts are to be cultivated; let'no Christian despise them. Every accomplishment, every intellectual faculty that can adorn and grace human nature, should be cultivated and polished to its highest capability. Yet these are not the things that bring us nearer God. " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." " If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us." You may have strong, eagle-eyed Faith: well -you will probably be enabled to do great things in life, to work wonders, to trample on impossibilities. You may have sanguine Hope: well — your life will pass brightly, not gloomily. But the vision of God as He is, to see the King in His beauty, is vouchsafed not to science, nor to talent, but only to Purity and Love. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 183 LECTURE XXV. MAY 2, 1852. 1 CORNiqTHANS, Xiv. 1. - -" Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." THE first verse of this chapter contains a resume of all that has been said in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters, and serves as a point from whence the fourteentll chapter begins. And we observe that charity holds the first place, and then spiritual gifts follow in the second. And of spiritual gifts, some for certain reasons, as for instance, prophecy, are preferable to others. And this is exactly the subject of these three last chapters. He says, graces, like charity, are superior to gifts: "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." We will consider why is prophecy preferable? It will be necessary, in order to explain tflls, to define what we mean, and to show the difference between a grace and a gift. A grace does not differ from a gift in this, that the former is from God, and the latter from nature: as a creative power, there is no such thing as nature: all is God's. A grace is that which has in it some moral quality; whereas a gift does not necessarily share in this. Charity implies a certain character; but a gift, as for instance that of tongues, does not. A man may be fluent, learned, skilful, and be a good man likeWise, another may have the same powers, and yet be a bad man -proud, mean, or obstinate. Now this distinction explains at once why graces are preferable. Graces are what the man is; but enumerate his gifts, and you will only know what he has. He is loving: he has eloquence, or medical skill, or legal knowledge, 184 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES or the gift of acquiring languages, or that of healing. You only have to cut out his tongue, or to impair his memory, and the gift is gone. But on the contrary, you must destroy his very being, change him into another man, and obliterate his identity, before he ceases to be a loving man. Therefore you may contemplate the gift separate from the man; and whilst you admire it, you may despise him: as many a gifted man is contemptible through being a slave to low vices or to his own high gifts. But you cannot contemplate the grace separate from the man: he is loveable or admiiable, according as he has charity, faith, or self-control. And, hence, the Apostle bids the Corinthians undervalue gifts in comparison with graces. "Follow after charity." But as to gifts, they are not ourselves, but our accidents, like property, ancestors, birth, or position in the world. But hence also, on the other hand, arises the reason for our due admiration of gifts: " desire spiritual -gifts." Many religious persons go into the contrary extreme: they call gifts dangerous, ignore them, sneer at them, and say they are " of the world." No, says the Apostle, "' desire" them: look them in the face, as goods: not the highest goods, but still desirable, like wealth or health. Only remember, you are not worthy or good because of them. And remember other people are not bound to honor you for them. Admire a Napoleon's genius: do not despise it: but do not let your admiration of that induce you to give honor to the man. Let there be no mere " hero-worship" — that false modern spirit which recognizes the " force that is in a man" as the only thing worthy of homage. The subject of this fourteenth chapter is — not the principle on which graces are preferable to gifts, but the principle on which one gift is preferable to another. " Rather that ye may prophesy." Now the principle of this preference is very briefly stated. Of gifts, St. Paul prefers those which are useful to those that are showy. The gift of prophecy was useful to others, whilst that of tongues TO THE CORINTHIANS. 1815 was only a luxury for self. Now the principle of this preference is stated generally in the twelfth verse;'" Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church." We come, therefore, to-day, to the exposition of a chapter confessedly of extreme difficulty, a chapter on Prophecy and the gift of Tongues. It was from a strange and wild misinterpretation of this chapter, untenable on any sound grounds of interpretation, that the great and gifted Irving fell into such fatal error. For some reasons it might be well to omit this chapter altogether; in simple modesty for one, since I cannot but feel diffident of entering upon ground where so many have slipped and fallen. But this would be contrary to the principle I have laid down, of endeavoring with straightforwardness and simplicity to expound tile whole counsel of God. I must ask you to bear with me while endeavoring to expound this extremely difficult question. There is no minister of the Church of England who can pretend to a power of infallible interpretation. I give you the result of patient study and much thought. Let those who are tempted to despise flippantly, first qualify themselves for an opinion by similar prayerful study. To-day we shall exclusively direct our attention to acquiring a clear view of what the prophecy was which the Apostle preferred to Tongues, as this will of course be necessary, before we can proceed to apply his principle of preference to our own day. I. What was prophecy? In these days, when we use the word prophet, we mean it almost always to signify a predictor of future events. But in the Old Testament it has this meaning only sometimes, whilst in the New Testament generally it has not this interpretation. A prophet was one commissioned to declare the will of God - a revealer of truth; it might be of facts future, or the far highei truth of the meaning of facts present. 16* 186 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Hence, in the third verse, "' He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Here, then, is the essence of the prophet's office, but there is not one word spoken here of predic. tion. We can imagine that it might have been necessary, in order fully to expound a spiritual principle, or a principle of divine politics, to foretell the result of transgression against it; as when the captivity, or the fate of Babylon and Nineveh was predicted; but this was not the essence of the prophet's duty: the essence of his duty was to reveal truth. Again, in the twenty-fourth verse, the exercise of this gift is spoken of as one specially instrumental in the conversion of unbelievers. " If all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all." Observe here, prediction has nothing to do with thematter; for before a prediction could be fulfilled, the unbeliever "falls down, acknowledges God," and reports that " God is in you of a truth." Moreover, the prophecy was something which touched his conscience, read his very soul, interpreted the secrets of his heart: "he is convinced of all." And this surely makes the question sufficiently plain for all practical purposes. Prophecy was a gift eminently useful: it was the power of expounding the Will and the Word of God. And for us to embrace the essence of the matter, it does not signify whether it is, as it was then, a gift miraculous, or, as it is now, a gift slowly improved. The deep insight into truth, the happy faculty of imparting truth; these two endowments together made up that which was essential to the prophet of the early Church. II. We pass on now to a subject much more difficult: what is meant by the gift of tongues. From the account given in the second chapter of Acts, in which " Parthians, Medes, the dwellers in Mesopotamia," and various others, said of those who had the gift of tongues that they spoke so that the mul TO THE CORINTHIANS. 1,87 tltude " heard, every man in his own tongue wherein he was born, the wonderfill works of God;" it is generally taken for granted that it was a miraculous gift of speaking foreign languages, and that the object of such a gift was the conversion of the heathen world. After a long and patient examination of the subject, I humbly doubt this altogether, and I do not think that it seems tenable for ten minutes of fair discussion. I believe that the gift was a far higher one than that of the linguist. And first, for this reason amongst others, that St. Paul prefers prophecy to the gift of " tongues " because of its being more useful, since prophecy edified others, and tongues did not. Now could he have said this, had the gift been the power of speaking foreign languages? Was there no tendency to edification — no profitableness in a gift which would have so marvellously facilitated preaching to the nations of the world? We will proceed to collect the hints given of the effects of the gift, and of the gift itself, which are to be found in this chapter. We gather, first, that the'c tongues" were inarticulate or incoherent: in the second verse it is said, " No man understandeth him." And lest you should say this is just what would be true of foreign languages, observe that the tongues spoken of were rather of the nature of an impassioned utterance of devotional feeling, than of preaching intended to be understood. The man spoke with tongues —:" not unto men, but unto God." And what is this but that rapt, ecstatic outpouring of unutterable feeling, for which language is insufficient and poor, in which a man is not trying to make himself-logically clear to men, but pouring out his soul to God? Again in the fourth verse: "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself." Here we find another characteristic point given: this gift was something internal, a kind of inspired and impassionate soliloquy, or it may be meditation uttered aloud. There was an unconscious need of expressing audibly the feelings arising within; but when so uttered, they merely 188 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES ended, as the Apostle says, in " edifying " the persor. who uttered them. May I, without profaneness, compare these utterances, by way of illustration, to the broken murmur with which a poet full of deep thought might be supposed, in solitude, or in unconsciousness of the presence of others, to put his feelings into incoherent muttered words? What would this be but an exercise of feeling irrepressible, bursting into utterance for relief, and so edifying itself! Once again; in the seventh and eighth verses: "And even things without life, giving Vound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" - where the Apostle proceeds to compare the gift of " tongues " with the unworded and inarticulate sounds of musical instruments. These have a meaning. St. Paul does not say they have none, but he says that not being definite, they are unintelligible except to a person in sympathy with the same mood of feeling as that of him who plays the pipe or trumpet. And although they have a meaning, it is one which is felt rather than measured by the intellect. To the mere understanding musical sounds signify nothing. The mathematician would ask, "What does that prove?" the historian would say, " Tell us what information or fact does it communicate." So also we see that one speaking with " tongues" would leave on most people a vague, indefinite impression, as of a wild, rude melody- the utterance of feelings felt to be infinite, and incapable of being put into words. Have you ever heard the low moanings of hopelessness? or those airs which to us are harsh and tunmelodious, but which to the Swiss mountaineer tell ol home, bringing him back to the scenes of his childhood; speaking to him in a language clearer than the tongue? or have you ever listened to the merry, unmeaning shouts of boyhood, getting rid of exuberance of life, uttering in sound a joy which boyhood only TO THE CORINTHIANS. 189 knows, and for which manhood has no words? Well, in all these you have dim illustrations of the way in which new feelings, deep feelings, irrepressible feelings, found for themselves utterance, in sounds which were called;' Tongues." Again, they are spoken of in another way in the twenty-third verse: " If, therefore, the whole Church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and others come in there that are unlearned and unbelievers, they will not say that ye are mad? Thus the sound of these utterances of strong feeling when unrepressed, and weakly allowed full vent, was like the ravings of insanity. So indeed men did imagine on the day of Pentecost: "' Others mocking, said, These men are full of new wine." Remember it was a great part of the Apostle's object in this chapter to remind the Corinthians that they were bound to control this power; else it would degenerate into mere imbecility, or Fanaticism. Feeling is a precious gift; but when men parade it, exhibit it, and give way to it, it is weakness instead of strength. Lastly, let us consider the eleventh verse. " Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me." Here the gift is compared to a barbarian tongue, to a man speaking what the hearer knew not. Therefore we see that it is not a barbarian tongue itself which is here intended, but merely that the indefinable language uttered is likened to one. Here, however, we arrive at a most important peculiarity in this gift. From the thirteenth verse we learn that it could be interpreted. And without this interpretation the " tongues " were obviously useless. The gift might be a personal indulgence and luxury, but to the world it was valueless: as in the fourteenth verse,' My spirit prayeth, but my understanding remaineth unfruitful." Now, if it had been a foreign language, it would have been simply necessary that the interpreter should be a native of the country where t a, 190 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES language was spoken. But here the power of inter. pretation is reckoned a spiritual gift fiom God as much as the power of tongues: a gift granted in answer to prayer. " Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret." Now this we shall best understand by analogies. It is a great principle that all the deeper feelings can only be comprehended by one who is in the same state of feeling as the person who utters, or attempts to utter them. Sympathy is the only condition for interpretation of feeling. Take the Apostle's own illustration: he compares the gift of tongues to music. Now music needs an interpreter, and the interpretation must be given, not in words, but in corresponding feelings. There must be'" music in the soul " as the condition of understanding harmony: to him who has not this, the language of music is simply unintelligible. None but one of kindred spirit with the sweet singer of Israel could interpret the melodies of David: others who felt not with him, said, as of the prophet of old, "Doth he not speak parables?" Take another instance where the feelings need interpretation. A child is often the subject of feelings which he does not understand: observe how he is affected by the reading of a tale or a moving hymn: he will not say, How touching, how well imagined! but he will hide his face, or he hums, or laughs, or becomes peevish because he does not know what is the matter with him. He is ashamed of sensations which he does not understand. He has no words like a man to express his new feelings. One not understanding him would say it was caprice and ill-behavior. But the grown man can interpret them; and, sympathizing with the'child, he says, " The child cannot contain his feelings." Or take the instance of a physician finding words for physical feelings, because he understands them better than the patient who is unable to express them. In the same way the early Christians, being the subjects ot new, deep, and spiritual feeling, declared their joy, their aspiration, their ecstatic devotion, in inarticulate utter TO THE CORINTHIANS. 191 ances. They felt truths, which were just as true and deep to them as when articulately expressed. But the drawing out of these emotions into words, the explaining what they felt, and what their hurried, huddled words unconsciously meant, that was the office of the interpreter. For example, a stranger might have been at a loss to know what was really meant. "Are you happy or miserable, O Christian, by those wild utterances? Is it madness, or new wine, or inspiration? " And none but a person in the same mood of mind, or one who had passed through that mood and understood it by the unerring tact of sympathy, could say to the stranger, "' This is the overflow of gratefulness: he is blessing in the Spirit: it is a hymn of joy that his heart is singing to itself;" or, " It is a burst of prayer." And therefore St. Paul writes the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth verses; which contain the very points I have mentioned, "praying," " singing," " blessing," and " giving of thanks." It seems to me that the early Christians were the subjects of feelings too d cep to be put into words. 192 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE XXVI. MAX 9, 1851. 1 CORINTIrANS xiv. 2 - 40. -" For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. - But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.- He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. - I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. - Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? - And even things without life giving sound, whether.pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? - For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? - So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. - There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. - Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. - Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. - Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknowa tongue pray that he may interpret. - For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth. but my understanding is unfruitful. - What is it then? - I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. - Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? - For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. - I thank my God, I speak withtongues more than ye all: - Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. - Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. - In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for alr that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. - Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that TO THIE CORINTHIANS. 193 believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? - But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: - And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. - How'is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. -If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. - But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. - Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. - For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.- And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. - For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. - Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. - And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. - What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? - If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. - But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.- Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and. forbid not to speak with tongues. - Let all things be done decently and in order." WE were occupied last Sunday in endeavoring to ascertain merely what the gifts of prophecy and tongues were. Prophecy we found to be in its essence the faculty of comforting, exhorting, &c., by spiritual truths addressed to the understanding. The prophet had the gift of insight, and also the power of explaining the meaning of truth. Collecting the information scattered through the chapter respecting " Tongues," we found that while under their influence men spoke incoherently and unintelligibly, - ver. 2; in a soliloquy edifying self, - ver. 4; they are compared with the sound of inarticulate musical instruments, — ver. 7; to barbarian tongues, ver. 11; to ravings of insanity, - ver. 23; as capable of interpretation by persons spiritually gifted, in spite of their incohereney and inarticulateness, - ver. 13. 17 194 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Putting all this together, we concluded that new in tense feelings from the Holy Spirit were uttered incoherently, not in some foreign language, but in each man's own language, in broken sentences, which were unintelligible to all, except to those who, by sympathy and a corresponding spiritual state, were able to interpret, and say whether they expressed unutterable joy or blessing, or giving thanks, or devotion. In like manner we saw that the sound of the Alpine horn, the awkward attempts of a child, when affected by a moving anecdote, to conceal his feelings, boyish joy intoxicated with happiness, though they may appear to be meaningless, yet have deep significance for those who are in sympathy with them. Or again, thanks uttered by any one overpowered by feeling —how incoherent! yet how much better tihan wordy, fluent sententiousness! Abraham's laugh, for example -it was a strange tongue in which to express happiness: who could fairly interpret that, and say it was intense joy? It was not irreverence or unbelief in David dancing before the Ark. What was it but the human utterance of Divine joy? Consider, again, Elisha's silent sorrow. "Knowest thou," said the sons of the prophets, unable to interpret the apparent apathy of -his silence, " that the Lord will take away-the light of Israel?" Observe how a sympathetic spirit was needed: silence had been better in them. " Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace." His silence had a language of its own; it was a tongue of grief, which needed interpretation from the heart. We will now consider the nature of spiritual gifts, and also some directions for their use. The New Testament speaks much of spiritual gifts. Thus St. Paul says, in his Epistle to the Romans, " I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye. may be established." Let us distinctly understand what a " spiritual gift" is. It means the faculty in each man in which the Holy Spirit reveals Himself. Every man has some such, in which his chief force lies: this is a gift. Well, this, either TO THE CORINTHIANS. 195 then exhibited for the first time in a visible, perceptible effect, or some old power sanctified and elevated, was called a spiritual gift. For it did not matter that it was a natural gift or power; provided only that the spiritual life in the man raised it and ennobled it, it then became a spiritual gift. There are certain epochs in the world's history which may be called creative epochs, when intense, feelings elevate all the powers preternaturally. Such, for example, was the close of the last century, when the revolutionary spirit of the age manifested itself in the creation of almost preternatural abundance of military talent. The first age of Christianity was emphatically such an epoch. The Holy Spirit was poured out largely, and under Its influence mind and body were transfigured - whatever It touched, It vivified: as when a person was healed, and " his ankle-bones received strength.' Thus we learn that the Holy Ghost may mingle with man in three ways -with his body, and then you have what is called a miracle; with his spirit, and then you have that exalted feeling which finds vent in what is called " Tongues;" or with his intellect, and then you have prophecy. In the case of tongues, men felt, and could not logically express feeling, as'" groanings which cannot be uttered," or especial illumination of the uneducated. In the case of prophecy, cultivated minds were themselves able to develop in consecutive words, by the understanding to the understanding, what the Spirit meant. But the essential in all this was the Divine element of Life. The gift was not independent of life: just as when a flood of rain falls on dry and thirsty ground, and the'result is greenness and vigor in the plants-greenness and vigor not being gifts, but simply the outward manifestation of invisible life - so the new life penetrated the whole man, and gave force to every faculty. Consider what this gift of prophecy must have done in developing the Christian Church! Men came into 196 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Christian assemblies for' once, and were astonished by the flood of luminous and irresistible truth which passed from the prophetic lips: it became an instrument ot conversion: but in the " Tongues" the clear understanding vanished into ecstasy: the utterer, unless he controlled them, was carried away by his feelings. For this was not an address, nor an exhortation, nor exactly a prayer: utterly indifferent to the presence of others, the man was occupied only with God and his own soul. Consider St. Paul's ecstasy when he was caught up into the third heaven; yet even this he deprecates as comparatively worthless. That state, if not under control, would have produced " tongues." Hence " tongues " is the plural, for there were different kinds of utterance by different feelings, innumerable phases of feeling, innumerable modes of utterance. In the twenty-ninth verse, St. Paul gives a direction concerning prophecy, from which we learn that private inspiration was always to be judged by the general inspiration-i. e., it was not to be taken for granted because spoken: —had this simple rule been attended to, how much fanaticism would have been prevented! We must remember that inspiration is one thing, infallibility is another. God the Holy Ghost, as a Sanctifying Spirit, dwells in human beings with partial sin; is it inconceivable that God, the Inspiring Spirit, should dwell with partial error? Did he not do so, He could not dwell with man at all. Therefore, St. Paul says that the spirits of the prophets are to be subject to the prophets. Neglect of this has been a fruitful cause of fanaticism. From the thirty-second verse, we learn the responsibility attaching to every possessor of gifts; it is a duty to rule - that is, to control - his gift. For inspiration might be abused: this is the great lessen of the passage; the afflatus was not irresistible: a man was not to be borne away by his gift, but to be master of it, and responsible for it. The prophets were not mere trumnpets,forced to utter rightly what God said. The first direction respecting " tongues " was reo pression of feeling in public. It is plain that what the TO THE CORINTHIANS. 197 Apostle dreaded was self-deception and enthusiasm. This state of ecstasy was so pleasurable, and the admiration awarded to it so easy to be procured, that it became the object of anxious pursuit to numbers, who, instead of steady well-doing, spent life in exhibiting intense feeling or "showing off." Now this, in its essence, is not confined to Christian souls. "Enthusiasm" means "possessed by the god "-a heathen word used of the Pythonesses or frantic devotees; for there is a bad as well as a fine frenzy. And the camp meetings in America, and the convulsions of the Ranters, all bear testimony to the same truth; how uncontrolled religious feeling may overpower reason and sense - mere natural and animal feeling mingling itself with the movements of Divine life. There is great danger in ungoverned feeling. There are persons more highly gifted with fine delicate sensibilities than others: they are not moved to action like others, by convictions of the intellect or by a strong sense of duty: they can do nothing, except through their affections. All this is very precious, no doubt, if well used: but just in proportion as feelings are strong do they require discipline. The temptation is great to indulge from mere pleasure of indulgence, and from the admiration given to feeling. It is easier to gain credit for goodness by a glistening eye, while listening to some story of self-sacrifice, than by patient usefulness. It is easier to get credit for spirituality by thrilling at some impassioned speech on the. platform, or sermon from the pulpit, than by living a life of justice, mercy, and truth. And hence, religious life degenerates into mere indulgence of feeling, the excitement of religious meetings, or the utterance of strong feeling. In this sickly strife, life wastes away, and the man or woman becomes weak instead of strong; for invariably utterance weakens feeling. What a lesson! -These divine high feelings, in the Church of Corinth —to what had they degenerated! Loud, tnmultuous, disorderly cries; such, that a stranger 17* 1 98 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES cowring ill would pronounce of the speakers that they were inad I The second direction respecting tongues is, " Forbid not to speak with tongues." See the inspired wisdom of the Apostle's teaching! A common man would have said, " All this is wild fanaticism: away with it!" St. Paul said, "It is not all fanaticism: part is true, part is error." The true is God's Spirit, the false is the admixture of human emotion, vanity, and turbid,excitement. A similar wise distinction we find in that expression, " Be not drunk with wine,. but be ye filled with the Spirit. He implies there are two kinds of excitement —one pure, one impure; one proceeding from a higher state of being, the other from one lower; which yet resemble each other- intoxication with wine or with spiritual joy; and both are capable of abuse. They are alike in this, that in both the senses and the conscious will may be mastered. The lesson, therefore, from this second requirement, is to learn to sympathize with deep feeling: believe that it has a meaning, though you may not have experienced it. Sympathy is needful in order rightly to understand the higher feelings. There are cold, intellectual men, afraid of enthusiasm, who frown on and forbid every manifestation of feeling: they will talk of the elocution of Isaiah, or the logic of St. Paul, and they think to fathom the meaning of Spiriture by grammatical criticism; whereas only the Spirit can interpret the Spirit. You must get into the same region of feeling in which prophets breathe, and then only can you understand them The third Apostolic direction is to prefer gifts which are useful to others, rather than those which are brilliant and draw admiration to ourselves. And yet we pique and pride ourselves on gifts which make us unapproachable, and raise us above the crowd of men in solitary superiority. For example: it is a great thing to be an astronomer, reading the laws of the universe; yet an astronomer might be cold, heartless, atheistical, looking down with profound scorn on the vulgar herd. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 199 Still, I suppose few would not rather be the astronomer with whose name Europe now rings, than an obscure country surgeon, attending to and soothing the sufferings of peasants; there are few who would not rather be the gifted singer, at whose strains breathless multitudes melt into tears, than some nurse of an hospital soothing pain, or a Dorcas making garments for the poor.' Tell me, which would he have preferred, who, gifted above all other men with inspired wisdom and sublime feelings, yet said, " I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all; yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue? " It is better to be useful than brilliant. You do not think so? Well, then, your heart does not beat to the same music which regulated the pulses of the Apostle Paul. Lastly, I infer the real union of the human race lies in oneness of heart. Consider what this gift was: it was not a gift of foreign languages; a Corinthian Greek might be speaking in the Spirit in the Church, and another Greek might not understand him; but a Roman, or a Mesopotamian, might understand him, though he spoke the Greek language: and this not by a gift of language, but by a gift of sympathy. Had it been a gift of foreign tongues, it would have only perpetuated the Babel confusion; but being a gift of the Spirit, it neutralized.that confusion. The world is craving for unity; this is the distinct conscious longing of our age. It may be that centuries shall pass before this unity comes. Still, it is something to be on the right track; it is something to know what we are to cultivate in order to make it come, and what we are to avoid. Now some expect this by uniformity of customs, ecclesiastical rites and dress: let us, they say, have the same services, the same hours, the same liturgies, and we shall be one. Others expect it through oneness of language. Philosophers speculate on the probability of one language, perhaps the English, predominating. 200 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES They see the vast American and Australian continents -the New Worlds — speaking this, while other languages are only learnt as pcaite accomplishments. Hence they hope that a time is',oming when nations shall understand each other perfectly, and be one. Christianity casts aside all these plans and speculations as utterly insufficient. It does not look to political economy, to ecclesiastical drill, nor to the absorption ot all languages into one; but it looks to the eternal Spirit of God, which proceeds from the eternal Son, the Man Christ Jesus. One heart, and then many languages will be no barrier. One spirit, and man will understand man. As an application, at this time, we will consider one thing only. There are gifts which draw admiration to a man's self, others which solace and soothe him personally, and a third class which benefit others. The World and the Bible are at issue on the comparative worth of these. A gifted singer soon makes a fortune, and men give their guinea and their ten guineas ungrudgingly for a morning's enjoyment. An humble teacher in a school, or a missionary, can often but only just live. Gifts that are showy, and gifts that please - before these the world' yields her homage, while the lowly teachers of the poor and the ignorant are forgotten and unnoticed. Only remember that, in the sight of the Everlasting Eye, the one is creating sounds which perish with the hour that gave them birth, the other is doing a Work that is For Ever - building and forming for the Eternal World an immortal human spirit, TO THE CORINTHIANS. 201 LECTURE XXVII. DECEMBER 7, 1851. I CORINTHI.ANS, XV. 1- 12. -' Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received. and wherein ye stand; - By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; - And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: — And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: -- After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. - After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.- And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. — For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. - But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. - Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. — Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" IN the regular course of our Sunday afternoon Ex positions, we are now arrived at the 15th chapter of St Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. We are al; aware that this is the chapter selected by our Churct to be read at the Funeral Service, and to almost all o0 us every syllable stands associated in our memory with some sad and mournful moment in our lives; when every word, as it fell from the lips of the minister, seemed like the knell of death, to our hearts. This is one reason why the exposition of this chapter is attend ed with some difficulty. For we have been so little accustomed to look upon it as consisting of Argument and Doctrine, and it has been, by long and solemn associations, so hallowed in our memories, that it sounds nore like stately music heard in the stillness of night, than like an argument; and to separate it into parts, 202 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES to break it up into fragments, appears to us to be almost a profanation, even though it be'for the purpose of exposition. The whole of this chapter is occupied with the proof of the doctrine of the Resurrection. On the present occasion, however, we confine ourselves to the first twelve verses. This subject, like almost all the others treated of in this Epistle, had been forced upon the Apostle in consequence of certain errors and heresies which had crept into the Corinthian Church. That Church presented a singular spectacle - that of a Christian body, large numbers of which denied the doctrine of the Resurrection, who, notwithstanding, were still reckoned by St. Paul as not having forfeited their Christianity. The first thing we learn from this is, the great difference made by the Apostle between moral wrong-doing and intellectual error. For we have found in an earlier chapter, when in this same Church, the crime of incest had been committed by one of its members, the Apostle at once commanded that they should separate the guilty person from their communion; but here, although some had fallen into error upon a doctrine which was one of the cardinal doctrines of the Church, the Apostle does not excommunicate them, nor does he hold that they have forfeited their Christian profession. They are wrong, greatly wrong, but still he expostulates with them, and endeavors to set them right. Let us examine this a little further. In the present day disbelief of the doctrine of the Resurrection is almost equivalent to the deepest infidelity. A man who doubts, or openly denies the doctrine of a life to come, is a man we can in no case call a Christian. But there is a vast difference between this doubt as expressed in the time of the Apostle, and as in the present day. In the present day this denial arises out of materialism. That is,' there are men who believe that Life and Soul and Spirit are merely the results and phenomena of the juxtaposition of certain particles of matter. Place these particles in a certain position, TO TIIE CORINTHI. NS. 203 they say, and the result will be Motion, or Electricity - call it what you will; place them in another position, and there will result those phenomena which we call Life, or those which we call Spirit; and then separate those particles, and all the phenomena will cease, and this is the condition which we term Death. Now the unbelief of those distant ages was something very different from this. It was not materialism, but an ultraspiritualism which led the Corinthians into error. They denied the resurrection of the body, because they believed that the materials of which that body was composed were the cause of all evil; and they hailed the Gospel as the brightest boon ever given to man, chiefly because it gave them the hope of being liberated from the flesh with its corrupt desires. They looked upon the resurrection taught by the Apostle as if it were merely a figurative expression. They said, " Just as out of the depth of winter, spring rises into glory, so, figuratively speaking, you may say there is a resurrection. of the soul when it rises above the flesh and the carnal desires of nature. That is the resurrection; beyond it there is none." On examining the Epistles of St. Paul, we find many traces of the prevalence of such doctrine. So, for instance, in one place we find the Apostle speaking in condemnation of some "' who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection was passed already." That is, as we have already said, they thought that the only resurrection was the regeneration of society. And again, in the beginning of his Second Epistle to this same Church we read: " We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." That is, in opposition to this erroneous doctrine, the Apostle taught that that which the Christian doctrine desires is not merely to be separated from the body, or, in their language, to be " unclothed," but something higher far, to be "clothed upon;" not the destruction or transition merely of our desires and appetites, but the enlarging and ennobling these into 204 LECTURES ON'1HE EPISTLES a higher and better life. In this chapter, the Apostle sets himself to controvert this erroneous notion. And he does it by a twofold line of argument; first, by historical proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and after that he proves the truth' of the resurrection by the demonstration of the absurdity of all opposite views. I. In the first place, by historical proofs of the resur.rection of Jesus Christ. These are contained manifestly in the earlier verses, from the fourth to the end of the eighth verse, where he shows that Christ was seen, after His resurrection, by Cephas, then by the twelve; after that, by above five hundred brethren at once; and, last of all, by himself also, "' as of one born out of due time." The first thing here which the Apostle has to do, is to set at rest at once and for ever the question of what was the apostolic doctrine. For these men did not set themselves up against the Apostle's teaching, but they misunderstood what that teaching actually was. For example, there are instances where St. Paul himself applies the term resurrection to the spiritual life, and these passages were taken up by these Corinthians, as if they referred to the only Resurrection. In the eleventh verse, therefore, he tells them, " Whether it were I or they" -i. e. the other Apostles-" so we preached, and so ye believed:" and then he tells them that the Christian doctrine was not merely that there should be an Immortality, but rather this, that there should be a resurrection; not that there should be a mere formless existence, but that there should be an existence in a Form. And he tells them further, that the resurrection was not merely a r'esurrection, but the resurrection; the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ being the substantial pledge of our immortality and our resurrection. By all his earnestness in saying this, the Apostle Paul testifies to the immense value and importance of historical Christianity. Now, brethren, let us understand this matter. There are two forms in which it is conceivable that Chris TO THE CORINTHIANS.' 205 tianity may exist: the one is essential Christianity; the other, historical Christianity. By the first we mean the essentials of the Christian doctrine. If we may suppose, for the sake of argument, that without the aid of Christ, without the intervention of His mediatorial intercession, a man could arrive at all the chief Christian doctrines; for instance, that God is the Father of all the human race, and not of a mere section of it; that all men are His children; that it is a Divine Spirit which is the source of all goodness in man; that the righteousness acceptable in His sight is not ceremonial, but moral, goodness; that the only principle which reconciles the soul to God, making it at one with God, is Self-sacrifice - he would have arrived at the essence of Christianity. And this is not a mere supposition, a simple hypothesis. For history tells us that before the Redeemer's advent there were a few who, by the aid of the Spirit of God, had reached to a knowledge which is marvellous and astonishing to us. And, in deed, the ancient fathers loved to teach of such men, that they, even although heathen, by the Eternal Word within them had been led to the reception of those truths which Christ came to teach: so that as amongst the Gentiles, "they, without the law, did by nature the things contained in the law," so likewise those men, without the knowledge of the actual historical Jesus Christ, had gained the knowledge of truths which came from his Spirit. By historical Christianity, however, we mean not those truths abstractedly considered, but as actually existing in the life of Jesus Christ; not merely the truth that God is our Father, but the belief that though "no man hath seen God at any time," yet " the onlybegotten Son in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him;" not merely the truth of the sonship of our Humanity, but that there is One above all others who, in the highest and truest sense, is the only-begotten Son of God; not merely that goodness and spiritual excellence is the righteousness which is acceptable in God's sight, but that these are not mere dreams and 206 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES aspirations of our Humanity, but that they are actual realities, and have truly existed here below in the life of One - "the man Christ Jesus:" not merely the abstract law of self-sacrifice, but the real Self-sacrifice -the one atoning Sacrifice which has redeemed the whole world. Now, to this historical Christianity the Apostle bears the strongest testimony when he comes to these facts, that Jesus Christ had been seen by Cephas, and the other Apostles, and by the five hundred brethren, and by himself. Brethren, let us understand this fully. The principle we lay down is this: Reverence in persons precedes the belief in truths. We will grant that there have been a few remarkable exceptions in the human race, who, by God's Spirit within them, have reached truth without knowing Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; but this is not the rule. One in ten thousand may have so attained it, but for the remaining nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine the rule is rather, that it is not by our desires or aspirations, or our intellect, that we reach the truth, but it is by believing first in persons who have held the truth. And so, those truths which you hold deepest you have reached, not by the illumination of your own intellect, but you have reached them first by trusting in some great or good one, and then, through him, by obtaining credible evidence of those truths. Take, for instance, the doctrine of the resurrection: sometimes it appears distinct and credible, at others it appears almost incredible. And if we look into ourselves we shall find that the times when it appeared almost incredible were those in which we began to despair of human nature — when some great crime or meanness had taken place which made us almost disgusted with our humanity, and set us wondering why such things should be permitted to live hereafter. And the moments when we believed most strongly and mightily in our resurrection and immortality, were the moments when we felt assured that human perfectibility was no dream., since we saw the evidence of a goodness TO THE CORINTHIANS. 207 mlost like God's, which could not be limited by death. Carry on this principle, and then you have the very spirit of historical Christianity. For, brethren, we do not believe that there shall be a Life to come, merely because there is something within us which craves for it, but because we have believed in the life, and death, and resurrection of the Man of Nazareth; because that glorious life has kindled our lives, and because Humanity through Him has become a noble thing; and all the littleness which we meet with in ourselves and in our fellow-men is but as nothing when balanced against that great, that perfect Humanity. Hence it is that the language often used in our own day about an absolute Christianity, separate from the personality of Jesus Christ, is after all but a dream. Our Christianity is not merely the abstract truths which Christ taught, but Christ Himself, who lived, and died, and rose again for us, our Redeemer and our God. IT. We pass on now to consider the second line of argument by which the Apostle substantiated the truth of the Life to come, and of a Resurrection in Form, which is one of a totally different description. The argument is well known among logicians by the name of the reductio ad absu rdamn, when a man can'show, not so much that his own opinions are true, as that all others which contradict them are false, and end in a monstrous absurdity. This is precisely the line taken by the Apostle Paul in these first twenty verses. And the first monstrous absurdity to which he drives the opponents of the doctrine of the Resurrection is this - " If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen." Now, let us endeavor to understand the absurdity implied here. You will observe the Apostle waives, at once, all those arguments which might arise out of the eternal nature of Jesus Christ, and contemplates Him for a moment simply as a mortal man; and he says it is an absurdity to believe that that Manl perished. Here, when on this earth, the Sbn of Man grounded His pretensions on this, that He should rise again from 2')08 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES the dead. If, then, He did rise from the dead, His testimony was true; if He did not, He was an impos;tor. On this point He joined issue both with the Pharisees and the Sadducees while he was yet in the world. The Sadducees denied the possibility of a resurrection; the Pharisees denied the possibility of His resurrection; and the High Priest laid a seal on His grave, that His disciples might not hold out to the world that He had risen from the dead. Now, if Christ be not risen, argued the Apostle, you are driven to this monstrous supposition, that the Pharisees4 and Sadducees were right, and that the Son of Man was wrong; you are driven to this supposition, that a pure and just and holy life is not a whit more certain of-attaining to God's truth than a false, and selfish, and hypocritical one. Nay, imore: you are driven to this supposition, that when the Son of Man hung upon the cross, and there came across his mind one moment of agonizing doubt, followed by a bright moment of joyful and confiding trust - you are driven to the supposition that the doubt was right, and that the trust was wrong; that when He said, " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," God's reply to that prayer was " Annihilation! " that lie, who had made His life one perpetual act of consecration to His Father's service, received for His reward the same. fate as attended the blaspheming malefactor. Brethren, there may be some who can entertain such belief, but the credulity which receives the most monstrous ~ superstitious is infinitely less than theirs. The mind, which can on such supposition disbelieve the Resurriection, is such a marvellous mixture of credulity and incredulity, as must be almost unparalleled in the history of the human species. 2. Once more: the Apostle drives his opponents to this aus.lirdity — If there be no Resurrection of the (ead, the Christian faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. " If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." Now, what he here implies is, that the Christian faith, in such a case, must have failed in redeeming man from sin. Because he TO THE CORINTHIANS. 209 assunms that, except in the belief of the Resurrection, the quitting of sin, and the rising in mastery over the flesh and its desires, is utterly impossible to'man. "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," is an inevitable conclusion. And you are driven also to this conclusion - that, just as all other religions have failed in redeeming man from sin, the Christian religion has also failed. It has become the fashion in these days to hold that, just in proportion as a belief in the resurrection enters into our motives for right-doing, that right-doing loses its value; and in a very remarkable but very sophistical work, published not many months ago, it is argued, that he alone can be enabled to do any really good spiritual work who disbelieves in a life hereafter, and, for this reason, that he alone does good for its own sake, and not from the hope of reward. It is not for a future life that such a one works, but for posterity: he loves the men around him, knowing all the while that he himself must perish. Brethren, let us examine the depths of this sophistry. In the first place, you will observe that, in removing the hope of the Life to come, you have taken away all value from the present life - all that makes life worth possessing, or mankind worth living for. Why should we live and labor for such a posterity, for beings scarcely higher than the "halfreasoning elephant." And thus, in endeavoring to give worth to human goodness, you have taken away the dignity and value of human existence. Besides, you will observe the sophistry of the argument in this respect, that to do right christianly is not doing so for the sake of happiness in the world to come, but for Life. This it is which is the deep, irrepressible craving of the human soul. "More life and fuller'tis we want." So that the Apostle forces us to the conclusion, that if there be no resurrection from the dead, there is nothing whatever that can save man from sin: and the Gospel, sanctioned as it is by the Cross of Christ itself, turns out to be one fatal, tremendous, awful failure. 3. Again: an absurdity arises from such a supposition as this, that the Apostles would be found false 18* 210 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES witnesses. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not." There is something very touching, Christian brethren, in the manner in which the Apostle writes this monstrous supposition. That he should be a false witness! - a thing to him incredible and monstrous. You will observe, he does not leave room one moment for supposing the possibility of a mistake. There was no mistake. _It was either true, or it was a falsehood. The resurrection of Christ was a matter of fact' James, Cephas, the twelve, the five hundred, eithcr had, or had not, seen the Lord Jesus; Thomas either had, or had not, put his finger into the print of the nails: either the resurrection was a fact, or else it followed with,he certainty of demonstration that the Apostles were intentional false witnesses before God. There may be some, however, to whom this would not seem so monstrous a supposition as it did to the Apostle Paul. Well, let us examine it a little more closely. There is a certain instinct within us generally which enables us to detect when a man is speaking the truth. When you are listening to an advocate, you can generally tell whether he really believes what he says. You may generally see whether he is earnest merely to gain his cause, or because he believes that his client's cause is right. Truth, so to speak, has a certain ring by which it may be known. Now, this chapter rings with truth; every word is, as it were, alive with it; and before you can believe that there is no resurrection of the dead, you must believe that this glorious chapter, with all its earnestness of argument, and all its richness of metaphor and force of illustration, was written by one whowas speaking what was false, and who, moreover, knew at his heart that he was speaking what was false. Another witness to this fact was the Apostle Peter. Brethren, there are two things which rarely go together, courage and falsehood: a brave man is almost always an honest man, and St. Peter was by nature a brave man. Bult let us qualify this assertion. There are cir TO THE CORINTHIANS. 211 cumstamces in which a brave and honest man may be betrayed by the sudden force of temptation into a dereliction from the truth, and such a thing had occurred in the life of St. Peter. In the moment of Christ's apprehension he said that which was not true, and afterwards, as we should have expected from his character, "'he went out and wept bitterly." Now, it was after this bitter repentance, when his whole demeanor was changed, and his trembling hesitation had given way to certainty, that he went forth and stood, as upon a rock, before the kings and councils of the world, protesting that he knew that the Lord was risen. Brethren, there must be a cause given for this. Can we believe that the man who laid his hand on the axe's sharp edge; or he who asked that he might be crucified with his head downwards, as unworthy to die as his Redeemer died — can we believe that he went through all his life falsely? that his life was not only a falsehood, but a systematic and continued falsehood, kept up to the very last; and that the brave-hearted, true man, with his dying lips gave utterance to a lie? 4. Once more: the opponents of this doctrine of the resurrection are driven to the conclusion, that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. Brethren, let us examine that absurdity. And, in the first place, distinguish that monstrous supposition from one which somewhat resembles it. The Apostle does not say that it is impossible that man should perish. It is a favorite argument with many to point to the lofty attainmients and the irrepressible aspirations of the human soul as a pro:f of its immortality. I am free to confess, that argu ments such as these, founded upon the excellence of human nature, have no power with me. For human life, taken in itself and viewed in its common aspects, is a mean and paltry thing, and there are days and hours when it seems to us almost incredible that such things as we are should live again at all. There is nothing which makes annihilation impossible. God, in the superabundance of His power, creates seeds merely to cast them again into annihilation. We do not see why 212 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES. HIe cannot create souls, a'id cast them again into nothingness, as easily as He does seeds. They have lived - they have had their twenty, or forty, or sixty years o. existence - why should they ask for more? This is not St. Paul's argument. He does not speak of the excellence of human nature: it is not from this, that he draws his inference and proof of immortality. It is this, that if there be no resurrection of the dead, then they "c who have fallen asleep in Christ " have perished: in other words, the best, the purest, the noblest of the human race. For even our adversaries will grant us this, that since the days of Christ there have been exhibited to the world a purity, a self-sacrifice, a humility, such as the world never saw before: earth in all its, ages has nothing which can be compared with " the noble army of martyrs." Now, you are called upon to believe that all these have perished everlastingly: that they served God, loved. Him, did His will, and that He sent them down, like the Son of God, into annihilation! You are required to believe, moreover, that as they attained to this goodness, purity, and excellence by believing what was false, namely, the Resurrection, so it is only by believing what is true, that they could arrive at the opposite, that is, the selfish and base character. So that we are driven to this strange paradox that by believing that which is false, we become pure and noble; and by believing that which is true, we become base and selfish! Believe this who can? These are the difficulties of infidelity,- we put them before the infidel triumphantly. And if you are unable to believe his argument, if vou cannot come to his conclusion, then there remains the other and the plain conclusion of the Apostle: " Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." TO THE CORINTHIANS. 213 LECTURE XXVIII. 1 CORINTiANS, XV. 13 - 20, -" But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: -And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.- Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. - For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: - - And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. - Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. - If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. - But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." THE Church of Corinth exhibited in the time of the' Apostle Paul the remarkable spectacle of a Christianity existing together with a disbelief in immortality. The history of the anomaly was this, that when Christianity first came into contact with the then existing philosophy and religion of the world, it partly superseded them, and partly engrafted itself upon them. The result of that engraftation was, that the fruit which arose from the admixture savored partly of the new graft, and partly of the old stock. Among the philosophies of the world then existing, there was an opinion which regarded all evil as belonging to the body -not that which the Apostle speaks of as " the body of sin and death " - but the real material body. It was held, that the cause of sin in the world was the admixture of pure spirit with an inherently corrupt materialism. The result of this opinion was a twofold heresy, which branched into directions totally divergent. According to the first, men believing in the depravity of matter, held that materialism was all evil, that the spirit was itself innocent, and that to the body alone was guilt to be referred. The result of this conception of Christianity was the belief, that the spirit was permitted to act as it chose, for 214 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES to the body was all the sin imputed. This was the origin of that Antinomianism which St. James so forcibly contradicts. The other heresy was in a totally different direction: men believing that the body was the cause of all evil, endeavored to crush and entirely subdue it; and this was the origin of that ascetic system, against which St. Paul sets himself in so many of his Epistles. These-opinions then existing in the world, it was to be expected that when Christianity was preached to such men, the expressions of Christianity should be misunderstood and misinterpreted. For every expression used by the Apostles had already been used by those philosophers; so that when the Apostles spake of Regeneration, "Yes," said these men, "this is the religion we want; we desire the regeneration of society." When they spake of the resurrection of Christ, atid told men to rise above the lusts of the flesh: " Yes," they replied, " this is the resurrection we need; a spiritual not ar literal one: the resurrection is past already, tlhe only grave from which we are to be delivered is the grave of sin." And when, again, the Apostle told of the redemption of the body, "' Yes," said they, " we will cleave to this, for it is the redemption of the body that we want." So that, in the Church of Corinth, the resurrection, plainly as it was preached by the Apostles, had become diluted into a question of the temporal regeneration of society. Now what was remarkable in this form of infidelity was, that it was to some extent spiritual, sublime, and unselfish. Sublime, for it commanded to dispense with all enjoyments of the senses; spiritual and unselfish, because it demanded virtue quite separate from the hope of immortality. And what makes this interesting to us now is, that ours somewhat resembles that old infidelity; there are sounds heard which, widely as they may differ from those Corinthian views in some respects, agree in this, that there is much in them spiritual and sublime. We are told that men die, and that an end then comes upon them; that the hope of immortality is TO THE CORINTHIANS. 215 merely a remnant of our selfishness, and that the only immortality for man is to enter by faith into the kingdom of goodness. Now the way in which the Apostle Paul met these views was with that line of argument which consists in demonstrating the impossibility of such a supposition, by deducing from it all the absurdities in which it clothes itself. For one moment he grants it; there is then no resurrection, no immortality! Let us, therefore, see the consequences: they are so awful and incredible, that no sane mind can possibly receive them. In other words, the Apostle demonstrates that, great as may be the difficulty in believing in immortality, the difficulty in disbelieving it is tenfold greater. We will then endeavor, to-day, to elaborate and draw out the four incredibilities of which the Apostle speaks. The first absurdity of which he speaks, resulting from a denial of the resurrection of Jesus, is, c" we are found false witnesses before God." False witnesses, not nmistaken witnesses. He allows no loophole of escape: the resurrection is a fact, or else a falsehood. And now consider the results of that supposition, - Who are they that are the false witnesses of the resurrection? Among them we find prominently two; with these two the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is chiefly occupied. The first is St. Peter, the other St. Paul. St. Peter goes forth into the world strong in his conviction that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead; for in the early ages of Christianity the doctrine most preached was not the Cross, but the Resurrection. From a mistaken view of the writings of the Apostle Paul, as when he said, " I preach Christ crucified," it has been inferred, that the chief doctrine of his life was the Crucifixion; but it was- the crucified and risen Saviour that he preached, rather than the mere fact of the Crucifixion. In the early ages it was almost unnecessary to speak of the Cross, for the crucifixion of the Redeemer was a thing not:done in a corner: no one thought of denying that. But instead of this, the Apostles went forth, preaching that from which the world recoiled, that Christ had risen. If the Apostle Peter went forth to proclaim the 215 LECTURES ON THE. EPISTLES Gospel to the Jews, even before the Sanhedrim and before all the people, this was his doctrine, " Jesus and the Resurrection." Thus taught the Apostle Peter. His character was well known to be this, brave - fearless, impetuous - exactly that character to which falsehood is impossible. The brave man never is habitually a liar; in moments of fearfulness, as when Peter denied his Lord, he may be untrue; but he will not be so when he has courage in his soul. - Another remark respecting these men being false witnesses is, that St. Paul must have been a false declarer of the truth, and the incredibility of this we are content to rest on the single chapter now before us, namely, the fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. In common life we judge of a witness by his look and actions; so let us judge this chapter. You will observe, that it is not the eloquence of a hired writer, neither is it the eloquence of a priest, concealing and mystifying the doctrine: the denial of the Resurrection had kindled the earnest, glorious nature of the Apostle into one burning, glowing fire; every word, is full of life. We defy you to read the chapter and believe that Paul was doubtful of the truths he there asserted. This is one of the impossibilities; if there be no resurrection of the dead, then these two glorious Apostles were false witnesses! The second incredible thing is this: if there be no resurrection, Christ is not risen. Remark the severe, rigorous logic of St. Paul: he refuses to place the Human race in one category, and Jesus Christ in another. If Jesus rose, then the Human race shall also rise; but if there be no resurrection for man, then the Apostle, holding to his logic, says, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is not risen. Now let us endeavor to understand the results of this conclusion, and what was its bearing. Last Friday we tried to meditate on that death which all men, with varied meanings in their expressions, have agreed to call Divine. We endeavored to meditate on the darkness of that Human Soul, struggling in weakness and TO THE CORINTHIANS. 217 perplexity with the mystery of death. We tried to think on that Love, mightier than death, which even m the hour of insult could calmly excuse the circumstances of that insult, and forgive it. We tried to think of that sentence, as the sentence of God, which promised forgiveness and a place in Paradise to the dying penitent. We meditated on that infinite tenlerness-of human affection, which, in the dying hour, provided for a mother a son, and for a friend a brother; seeming to assure us that these domestic affections shall last beyond the grave. We tried to think, too, of His trust in commending His soul into His Father's hands. And, lastly, we considered that marvellous expression - in the original, one single word —which declared that the Duty and the Life of Christ were only closed together. Now if there be no resurrection of the dead, then that Life was cast aside by God as worthless. It was, and is not: and that pardon which He besought, and which seemed so worthy of God to grant, was not ratified above: and that earthly darkness was but the prelude to that eternal night into which the Soul of the Redeemer was entering; that sublime trust was not accepted by the Father, but sternly and cruelly rejected; Judas forsook Him, and God, like Judas, forsook Him too! The Pharisees conquered, and God stood by and ratified their triumph! And then the disbeliever in immortality asks us to believe in, to trust, and to love that God who treated Jesus so. This is the impossibility, the incredibility, founded on the moral character of God, which we are compelled to receive, if we deny the Resurrection! The third absurdity is, that the Christian faith is then unable to free from sin. The ground upon which the Apostle stood was this, that no faith can save from sin without the belief in immortality. We are then driven to this conclusion, that since every other faith has failed hitherto, the. Christian faith has failed also, since the immortality it professes is vain. Now one objection by which this argument has been met is this:' That goodness," say the objectors, " which rests only 19 218 LECTURES ON THE E'ISTLES on the belief of immortality, is but a form of' selfishness after all." And I do believe that there are men, who reject the doctrine of the Resurrection chiefly on this ground, because they think that only by denying it can they deliver man from selfishness. And, because this view is plausible, and because it contains in it some germ of truth, let us look at it for a moment. If a man does good for the sake of reward, or if he avoids evil on account of the punishment due to it, so far his goodness is but a form of selfishness; and observe, that,the introduction of the element of eternity does not alter the quality of it. But when we come to look at the effect produced upon us in liberating us from sin by the belief in immortality, we shall see that it is not the thought of reward that enters into that conception; when you have got to the lowest depth of your heart, you will find that it is not the mere desire of happiness, but a craving as natural to us as the desire for food - the craving for nobler, higher life. To be with God, to see God, and to understand Him - this is meant by the desire of everlasting life. This is the language of Christianity-: "Ye are the children of light." Ye are stated in the Bible in words, and symbolically in baptism, to be the children of God; ye are the heirs of Immortality; do not live as if ye were only the heirs of Time. Narrow this conception, limi;t that infinite existence to seventy years, and all is inevitably contracted, every hope stunted, high aims become simply impossible. And now, my Christian brethren, we ask, what is the single motive that can be brought forward to liberate a man from selfishness, when you have taken away this belief in immortality? Will you tell him to live for posterity? - what is posterity to him? or for the human race in ages hereafter? - but what is the human race to him, especially when its eternity is taken from it, and you have declared it to be only mortal? The sentence of the Apostle is plain: " Your faith Is vain, ye are yet in your sins." Infidelity must be selfish: if to-morrow we die, then to-day let us eat and TO TaET CORINTHIANS. 219 drink; it is but a matter of taste'how we live. If mata is to die the death of the swine, why may he not live the life of the swine? If there be no immortality, why am I to be the declarer and defender of injured rights? Why am I not to execute vengeance, knowing that if it be not executed now, it never can be? Tell us why, when every passion is craving for gratification, a man is to deny himself the satisfaction, if he is no exalted thing, no heir of immortality, but only a mere sensitive worm, endowed with the questionable good of a consciousness of his own misery? These are the questions which infidelity has to answer. The last incredibility from which the Apostle argues is, that, if there be no resurrection, then they that have -allen asleep in Christ have perished. When the Apostle speaks of those fallen asleep in Christ, he does not necessarily mean only those who have borne the Christian name, but those who have lived with the mind of Christ and died with His Spirit. Those who in the elder dispensation only dimly descried the coming of that purer day, scarcely knowing what it was; who still in that faith lived the high and noble life of the ancient Jew; also those, neither Jew nor Christian, who lived in heathen days, but were yet not disobedient to the Eternal Voice speaking in their hearts; and who by means of that lived above their generations, penetrating into the invisible, and so became heirs of the righteousness which is by faith; all those, therefore, have perished! Now see what these skeptics require us to believe: that all those who have shed a sunshine upon earth, and whose affections were so pure and good that they seemed to tell you of an Eternity, perished utterly, as the selfish and impure! You are required to believe that those who died in the field of battle, bravely giving up their lives for others, died even as the false and the coward dies. You are required to believe that, when there arose a' great cry at midnight, and the Wreck went down, they who passed out of the world with the oath of blasphemy, or the shriek of despair, shared the same fate with those who calmly re 220 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES signed their Departing spirits into their Father's hand, with nothing but an awful silence to greet them, like that which greeted the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel! You are required to believe that the pure and wise of this world have all been wrong, and the selfish and sensual all right. If from this you shrink as from a thing derogatory to God, then there remains but that conclusion to which St. Paul conducts us: " Now is Christ risen from the dead." The spiritual resurrection is but the mere foretaste and pledge of the literal. Let us, brethren, seek to rise with Christ above this world and our own selves, for every act tells on that Eternity, every thought and every word reap an everlasting harvest. " Therefore," says the Apostle, in the conclusion of this chapter, " be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." TO THE CORINTHIANS. 221 LECTURE XXIX. I CORINTIiNS, XV. 21 - 34.- " For sinceby man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. - For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. - But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. - Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. - For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. - The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. - For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. - And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. - Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? - And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? - I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.-If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,. what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die.- Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.-Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." IN following the train of argument contained in this chapter, it must be clearly kept in remembrance that the error combated by St. Paul was not the denial of immortality, but the denial of a resurrection. The ultra-spiritualizers in Corinth did not say, " Man perishes for ever in the grave," but, " The form in which the spirit lived shall never be restored. From the moment death touches earthly life, Man becomes for ever a bodiless spirit." No doubt in this chapter there are passages in which the Apostle speaks of Immortality, but they are only incidental to the general argument, as for example, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." The chief thing, therefore, to lay stress on is, 19$ 222 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES that in the early Church there was not so much a denial of an Immortality, as of a Resurrection. In the earlier part of this chapter St. Paul proved the Resurrection by the fact of the resurrection of Christ, which he treats neither as a doctrine, nor a hope, nor an aspiration of the soul, but as a historical reality which, duly recorded and witnessed, took place actually and visibly upon this earth. Eye-witnesses tell us, said the Apostle, that on numerous occasions openly, and after death, they saw, felt, heard, and talked with Christ. On that fact Christianity rests, and if there is anything in the universe that can be substantiated it is that fact. With this he triumphantly concludes that reductio ad absurdum, which is contained in verses 13-20. "Now is Christ risen from the dead." To-day we consider — I. The results of Christ's resurrection to us. II. Corroborative proofs. I. The first result is thus expressed: " He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep." The expression is Jewish; and to discover what it implies, we must remember the ancient custom. The first-fruits of the harvest were dedicated to God, whereby He put in His claim for the whole, just as shutting up a road once a year puts in a claim of proprietorship to the right of way for ever. It was thus St. Paul understood the ceremony: " for if the first-fruits be holy, the lump is also holy." Thus when the Apostle says that " Christ is the first-fruits of them that slept," he implies that part of the harvest has been claimed for God, and, therefore, that the rest is His too. The resurrection of Christ is a pledge of the resurrection of all who share in His Humanity. Now two questions arise on this. 1. Why does this result take place? 2. When will it take place? 1. The ground on which it rests: -" For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive;" - ver. 22. Two doctrines are given to us in this text TO THE CORINTHIANS. 223 - original sin, and original righteousness; the doctrine of the natural corruption and fault of our nature, and the doctrine of the Divine life which belongs to our higher nature. And first: "In Adam all die." Do not understand this as if the Apostle merely said, "If you sin as Adam sinned, you will die as Adam died." This were mere Pelagianism, and is expressly condemned in the article of our Church on Original Sin. According to the Scriptures we inherit the first man's nature, and that nature has in it the mortal, not the immortal. And yet there are in all of us two natures, that of the animal and that of the spirit, an Adam and a Christ. Let us see what St. Paul meant by being "in Adam." He explains himself: "The first man was of the earth, earthy; and again, "The first man Adam was made a living soul." But here we must recollect that the term " a living soul " means a mere natural man. The soul, as used by St. Paul, is distinguished from the body and the spirit, as that part of our complex humanity which embraces all our natural powers. " A living soul" is, then, the-term used by the Apostle to express the natural man endowed with intellectual powers, with passions, and with those appetites which belong to us in common with the animals. In this our immortality does not reside; and it i.s from fixing our attention on the decay of these that doubt of our immortality begins. It is a dismal and appalling thing to witness the slow failure of living powers: as life goes on to watch the eye.losing its lustre, and the cheek its roundness; to see the limbs it was once such a pure delight to gaze on, becoming feeble and worn; to perceive the memory wander, and the features no longer bright with the light of expression; to mark the. mind relax its grasp; and to ask the dreary question -Are these things immortal? You cannot but disbelieve, if you rest your hope of immortality on their endurance. When you have identified these things with the man, no wonder if a cold and faithless feeling steals over the heart - 224 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES no wonder if the gloomy thought be yours. The end is coining, the long night on which no dawn shall ever break! Now the simple reply to all this is, that the extinction of these powers is no proof against immortality, because they are not the seat of the immortal. They belong to the animal - to the organs of our intercourse with the visible world. And though it may be proved that that eye shall never open again, those limbs never again thrill with life, yet such proof does not touch the truth that the man — the spirit - shall live for evermore. Therefore, it is not in what we inherit from Adam the man, but in what we hold from Christ the Spirit, that our immortality resides. Nay, more: It is in the order of God's providence that the growth of the Christ within us shall be in exact proportion to the decay of the Adam. " Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." And this evidence of our immortality, blessed be God! is perpetually and not uncommonly before us. It is no strange or unknown thing to see the spirit ripening in exact proportion to the decay of the body. Many a sufferer in protracted illness feels each day more deeply the powers of the world to come. Many an aged one there is, who loses one by one all his physical powers, and yet the spiritual in him is mightiest at the last. Who can read that ancient legend of the Apostle John carried into the Christian Church, able only to articulate, " Little children, love one another," without feeling that age and death touch not the Immortal Love? 2. The next question which we proposed was, When will this result take place? This is answered by St. Patl in the twenty-third and following verses: " every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming; then cometh the end." Confessedly this is a mysterious passage; nevertheless, let us see how much is clear. First, that the resurrection cannot be till the Kingdom is complete TO THE CORINTHIANS. 225 Paul does not say that the consciousness of the departed shall not begin till then, but that the Resurrection - that finished condition when Humanity shall be fulfilled- is not to commence till the second coming of Christ. Secondly, that certain hindrances at present prevent the perfect operation of God in our souls..Evil in a thousand forms surrounds us. We are the victims of physical and moral evil, and till this is put down for ever, the completeness of the individual cannot be; for we are bound up with the universe. Talk of the perfect happiness of any unit man while the race still mourns! Why, the evils of the race fall on him every day. Talk of the perfect bliss of any spirit while the spiritual kingdom is incomplete! No, the golden close is yet to come, and the blessing of the individual parts can only be with the blessing of the whole. And so the Apostle speaks of the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain together until now,'" waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Thirdly, that the mediatorial Kingdom of Christ shall be superseded by an immediate one; therefore, the present form in which God has revealed Himself is only temporary. When the object of the present Kingdom of Christ has been attained in the conquest of evil, thlere will be no longer need of a mediator. Then God will be known immediately. We shall know Him, when the mediatorial has merged in the immediatorial, in a way more high, more intimate, more sublime, than even through Christ. Then, when the last hindrance, the last enemy, is removed, which prevents the entire entrance of God into the soul, we shall see Him face to face, know Him even as we are known, awake up satisfied in His likeness, and be transformed into pure recipients of the Divine Glory. That will be tie Resurrection. II. Corroborative proofs. These are.two in number, and both are argumenta. ad hominenz. They are not proofs valid to all men. 226 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES but cogent only to Christians, as these Corinthians were. They assume Christian grounds which would be admitted by all who believed in Christ. They only go to prove, not that a resurrection must be, but that it is the doctrine of Christianity, although a party in the Corinthian Church denied it. The first of these proofs is given in the twentv-ninth verse. It is well known that it is a disputed passage; and, after many years' study of it, I am compelled to come to this conclusion, that no interpretation that has been offered is entirely free from objection. All that I can do is, to put before you the chief interpretations. By some it is supposed to refer to vicarious baptism, a custom which certainly prevailed in later ages of the Church, when a living Christian was baptized in the place of a catechumen who had died before this sacrament could be administered. According to this idea, the Christian work was not so much to convert the living as to baptize for the dead. There is an immense improbability that Paul could have sustained a superstition so abject, even by an allusion. He could not have even spoken of it without anger. It is more probable that the custom arose from an erroneous interpretation of this passage. There is another opinion worth mentioning, namely, that the passage is an elliptical one. When baptized, Christians made a profession of a belief in a resurrection, and St. Paul asks them here, " What, then, was the meaning of their profession? Why were they baptized into the faith of a resurrection, if there were none? " We may learn from this the value of baptism to the Church. Another such instance occurs in the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans: the heresy of Antinomianism had crept in; " Let us sin," said some, " that grace may abound." In refutation of this, St. Paul appeals to baptism. Here he refutes a heresy concerning the resurrection by another appeal to baptisin. Some will say, " If baptism be but a form or an instrument, having not in itself any mysterious power, of what purpose is baptism? " Brethren, I reply, of TO THE CORINTHIANS. 227 nmuch, every way; and if it were only for this, it would be much, that so long as it remains in the Christian Church, there remains a ground of appeal against heresy. The second argument is in the thirtieth verse: "' Why stand we in jeopardy every hour? " If the future life were no Christian doctrine, then the whole apostolic life, nay, the whole Christian life, were a monstrous and senseless folly. For St. Paul's life was one great living death; he was ever on the brink of martyrdom. Figuratively, speaking popularly, "after the manner of men," he had fought as with wild beasts at Ephesus. Grant an immortality, and all this has a meaning; deny it, and it was in him a gratuitous folly. A life ot martyrdom proves, at all events, that men are in earnest, though they may not be true. The value of such a testimony to immortality must be further proved, by considering whether the grounds were such that men could judge of them unmistakably. St. Paul devotes the beginning of this chapter to the proof of the reality of the fact. Afterwards, by- a reductio ad absurdumn, he argues that if Christ be not risen, the whole question of right and wrong is decided in favor of wrong. St. Paul does not say, "We are mistaken," but he says, "' We are found liars." Now in what does the absurdity of this consist? The Apostles must have been either good or bad men. If good, that they should have told this lie is incredible, for Christianity is to make men not false, but better, more holy, more humble, and mnore pure. If bad men, why did they sacrifice themselves for the cause of goodness? In suffering and in death, they witnessed to the truth which they taught; and it is a moral monstrosity that good men should die for what they be-'lieved to be a lie.'It is a gross absurdity that men should bear indignity, woe, and pain, if they did not believe that there would be an eternal life for which all this was a preparation. For if souls be immortal, then Christianity has been an inestimable blessing: spirits have begun a sanctification here which will progress 228 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES for ever: but if souls be not immortal, then it is quite a question whether Christianity has blessed the world or not. We personally may think it has, but if we reject the immortality of man, there is much to be said on the other side. A recent writer has argued very plausibly that Christianity has done nothing. And if inlnlortality be untrue, then we may almost agree with him when we remember the Iersecutions, the prison, and the torture chamber, the religious wars and tyrannies which have been inflicted and carried on in the name of Christ; when we renember that even in this nineteenth century cannibalism and the torture of prisoners are still prevailing. Again, are we quite sure that Christian America, with her slavery, is a great advance on pagan Rome? or Christian England either, with her religious hatreds, and her religious pride? If the Kingdom of God comes only with observation, I am not certain that we can show cause why that life of sublime devotion of St. Paul's was not a noble existence wasted. And again, if the soul be not immortal, Christian life, not merely apostolic devotedness, is " a grand impertinence." "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," was the motto and epitaph of Sardanapalus; and if this life be All, we defy you to disprove the wisdom of such reasoning. How many of the myriads of the human race would do right, for the sake of right, if they were only to live fifty years, and then die for evermore? Go to the sensualist, and tell him that a noble life is better than a base one, even for that time, and he will answer: " I like pleasure better than virtue: you can do as you please; for me, I will wisely enjoy my time. It is merely a matter of taste. By taking away my hope of a resurrection you have dwarfed good and evil, and shortened their consequences. If I am only to live sixty or seventy years, there is no eternal right or wrong. By destroying the thought of immortality, I have lost the sense of the,infinitude of evil, and the eternal nature of good." Besides, with our hopes of immortality gone, the TO THE CORINTHIANS. 229 value of Humanity ceases, and people become not worth living for. We have not got a motive strong enough to keep us from sin. Christianity is to redeem from evil: it loses its power, if the idea of immortal life be taken away. Go, then, to the sensualist, and tell him that, though the theory of a Life to come be a dream, yet that here the pleasure of doing right is a sublimer existence than that of self-indulgence. He will answer you," Yes, but my appetites are strong, and it will cost me much to master them. The struggle will be with pain; and, at last, only a few years will be left. The victory is uncertain, and the present enjoyment is sure, and there is the banquet of life before me, and the wine sparkling in the cup, and passion rising in its might - -.hly should I refrain?" Do y a think you can arrest that with some fine sentiment about nobler and baser being? Why, you have made him out base already. He -dies, you tell him, like a dog; why should he live like an angel? Youi have the angelic tendency, and prefer the higher life. Well, live according to your nature: but he has the baser craving, and prefers the brute life. Why should he not live it? Ye who deny the resurrection to immortality, answer me that i No, my brethren; the instincts of the animal will be more than a match for all the tra cendental reasonings of the philosopher. If there be in us only that which is born of the flesh, only the mortal Adam, and not the immortal Christ, if to-morrow we die, then the conclusion cannot be put aside — " Let us eat and drink, for the Present is our All." 230 LECTURES ON THE' EPISTLES LECTURE XXX. I CORINTHIANS, XV. 35- 45.-" But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? - Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die:- And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:- But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. - All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. - There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terres trial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. - There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another'glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. - So also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: - It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power- It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. - And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." WE have already divided this chapter into three sections. In the first and second sections we spoke of the proofs of the Resurrection; and these we found to be twofold - the reductio ad absurdum, which demonstrated it by showwig the monstrous admissions a denier of the Resurrection was compelled to make; and the historical facts of Christ's resurrection. In the third, we arrived at the truth that His resurrection involved in it ours, and we replied to the questions Why and When. We asked, Why does it imply our resurrection? and the answer given was, that in us there exists a twofold nature - the animal or Adamic, containing in it no germ of immortality; and the Divine or Christ-like, the spirit which we receive from the Eternal Word, and by right of which we are heirs of the Immortal Life. " For as in Auam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." We asked, When shall this resurrection finally take place? and the reply given was, Not till the period which is called the Second TO THE CORINTHIANS. 2-31 Advent. St. Paul, leaving the question of Immortality untouched, pronounces that Resurrection cannot be till the end of all things. For all is moving on to a mighty consummation, and the blessing of an individual part can only be with the blessing of the whole. To-day we shall be engaged on the fourth section - the credibility of a resurrection. St. Paul, in this portion of the chapter, replies to the question of possibility, " H w are the dead raised?" And this he answers by arguments from analogy. As the seed dies before it can be quickened, as there is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon, as the imperfect precedes the perfect, as our natural life is earlier than our spiritual so is the resurrection of the dead. First, then, as to the nature of the argument from analogy. Analogy is probability from a parallel case. We assume that the same law which operates in the sle case will in another, if there be a resemblance between the relations of the two things compared. Thus, when in reply to the disciples, who did not comprehend the necessity of His death, Christ said, " Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit," He was reasoning from analogy. For as in nature life comes through death, so also is it in the world of spirit. The Law of Sacrifice, which accounts for the one fact, will also explain the other. Thus, when St. Paul shows that the life of the seed is continued after apparent death in a higher form, and argues, that in like manner the human spirit may be reunited to form, he reasons from analogy. He assumes that there is a probability of the same law operating in one case as operated in the other. Bu.t we must remember how far this argument is valid, and what is its legitimate force. It does not amount to proof; it only shows that the thing in question is credible. It does not demonstrate that a resurrection must be, it only shows that it may be. For it does not follow that because the Law of Sacrifice is found in the harvest, therefore it shall be found in the 232 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES redemption of the world, and that Christ's death must redeem; but it does follow that this doctrine of Atonement is not'incredible, for it is found to be in harmony with the analogies of nature. The conceivableness of the Atonement follows from the analogies drawn from nature's laws working in the wheat; but the proof of the Atonement is the word of Christ Himself. It does not follow that, because after death the life in a corn of wheat appears again, therefore the life in the human' soul will be continued; but it does follow that the resurrection is quite intelligible and conceivable, and the objector who says it is impossible is silenced. Now, it is in this way that St. Paul concludes his masterly argument. He proves the resurrection from the historical fact, and by the- absurdity which follows from denial of it; and then he shows that, so proved, it is only parallel to a thousand daily facts, by the analogies which he draws from the dying and upspringing corn, and from the diverse glories of the sun, and moon, and stars. Let us distinguish, therefore, between the relative value of these arguments. We live, it is true, in a world filled with wondrous transformations, which suggest to us the likelihood of our immortality. The caterpillar passes into the butterfly, the snowdrop dies to rise again, Spring leaps to life from the arms of Winter, and the world rejoices in its resurrection. God gives us all this merciful assistance to our faith. But it is not on these grounds that our belief rests. These are not our proofs; they are only corroborations and illustrations, for it does not follow with certainty that the body of man shall be restored because the chrysalis, an apparent corpse, still lives. No: we fetch our proofs from the Word of God, and the nature of the human soul: and we fetch our probabilities and illustrations from the suggestive world of types which lies all around us. We pass on now, in the second place, to consider the credibility of the Resurrection; that is, how, according to right reason, we can believe it possible, and that it is not irrational to believe it. Now there are two difficul 'ro THE CORINTHIANS. 2^33 ties afivanced: Firstly, in the question, -" How are the dead raised?" and in that- which is a mere sneer, "' With what body do they come?" The question, How are the dead raised, may be a philosophical one. Let us understand it plainly. We are told that the entire human body undergoes a process of change every certain number of years, so that at the end of that time there is not a single particle which is the same as at first; and then there comes this question, How shall the dead be raised? with which of these bodies do they come? And again, we know that the human body is dissolved in various ways, sometimes in fire'; and then comes the question, How are all these scattered portions to reunite? do we really mean that the sound of the Archangel's trumpet shall bring them all together again? And then those who are wise in such matters tell us, that there is not a single portion of the globe which has not, some time or other, been organic form. The other question is not a philosophical one, but merely a sneer, With what body do they come? It is as if the objector had said, " Let there be nothing vague: tell us all about it —'you who assert you are inspired." Now to these objections the Apostle Paul replies by analogy, and so far shows the credibility of the Resurrection. He discerns in this world three principles: First, that life, even in its lowest form, has the power of assimilating to itself atoms; — he takes the corn of wheat, which, after being apparently destroyed, rises again, appropriating, as it grows, all that has affinity with itself, such as air and moisture: that body with which it is raised may be called its own body, and yet it is a new body. It is raised anew, with stem, and leaves, and fruit, and yet all the while we know that it is no new corn: it is the old life in the seed reappearing, developed in a higher form. It is a marvellous -thing to see the power whereby that which we call the germ grows; how nothing can withstand it: how it creeps, climbs, and pierces even through walls, making for itself a way everywhere. Observe the force of the 20* 234 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES argument that arises from this fact, the argument of analogy. It does not prove the Resurrection, but it shows its probability. The second analogy that St. Paul sees in nature is, the marvellous superabundance of the creative power of God. God has planted illimited and unnumbered things. "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars," and yet there is a difference between them —" one star differeth from another star in glory." There are gradations in all these forms -bodies celestial, and bodies terrestrial -- but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another." Here is an answer to all objections -" With what body do they come?" Are we to believe that God has exhausted His creative power, that He has done all He could have done, and that He could make no new form? Are we to believe that the Wisdom and the Knowledge, which have never been fathomed by the wisest, are expended, and that the power of God should be insufficient to find for the glorified spirit a form fit for it? We simply reply to the objection-" With what body do they come?" — " Look at the creative power of God?" The third principle which St. Paul refers to, is the principle of progress. The law of the universe is not Pharisaism - the law of custom stereotyped, and never to be changed. The law of God's universe is progress; and just as it was in creation —first the lower, and then the higher - so it is throughout, progressive happiness, progressive knowledge, progressive virtue. St. Paul takes one instance: 4" That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural." At first we lead a mere animal life -the life of instinct; then, as we grow older, passion succeeds; and after the era of passion our spirituality comes, if it comes at all — after, Lnd not before. St. Paul draws a probability from this, that what our childhood was to our manhood - something imperfect followed by that which is more perfect — so will it be hereafter: our present humanity, with all its majesty, is nrthing more than human infancy. TO THE CORINTHIANS. 235 Lastly, St. Paul finds that all this coincides with the yearnings of the human heart.' When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." This is the substance of two prophecies, one in Isaiah, the other in Hosea, and expresses the yearnings of the heart for immortality. And we may observe, that these yearnings are in accordance with our own. No man, in a high mood, ever felt that this life was really all. No man ever looked on life and was satisfied. No man ever looked at the world, without hoping that a time is coming when that creation, which is now groaning and travailing in bondage, shall be brought into the glorious liberty of the Son of God. No man ever looked upon our life, and felt that it was to remain always what it now is: he could not, and would not, believe that we are left here till our mortality predominates, and then that the grave is all. And this feeling, felt in a much greater and higher degree, becomes prophecy. Isaiah says, "' Death shall be swallowed up in victory." We find a yearning in our own hearts after immortality, and that not in our lowest, but in our highest moods; and when we look around, instead of finding something which damps our aspirations, we find the external world corroborating them. Then how shall we account for the marvellous coincidence? Shall we believe that these two things point to nothing? Shall we believe, and shall we say, that God our Father has cheated us with a lie? Therefore St. Paul concludes his masterly and striking argument thus: " When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Of course, if there be no Immortality and no Resurrection, it matters not whom you injure, nor what you (lo. If you injure him who has trusted you, of what consequence is it? In a few years all will be past and over. And if there be no Immortality and no Resur 236 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES rection, it matters not what you do to yourself, whether you injure your own soul or not. But if there be a Life to come, then the evil deed you did is not ended by its commission, but it will still go on and on. The evil you have done to others will remain throughout Eternity; the evil you have done to your own soul will spread; as when you throw a stone into a pond the circles go on widening and spreading, so will that sin spread and increase over the sea of Eternity. If there be no Resurrection, then there are deeds of sacrifice which it would be no use to do; but if there be an Immortality and a Resurrection, then whatever good you do shall never be left unrewarded: the act of purity, the act -of self-denial, the act of sacrifice, will ennoble you, making you holier and better. "' Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap;" or, as at the conclusion of this chapter: " Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, forasmuch as ye know that your aL tion, meaning a desire to outstrip individuals, is a perverted feeling; emulation, meaning a desire to reach and pass a standard, is a true feeling - the parent of all progress and of all excellence. Hence set before you high models. Try to live with the most generous, and to observe their deeds. Unquestionably, good men set the standard of life. 3. The last motive alleged is the example of Christ (ver. 9). Here we must observe, first, that Christ is the'reference for everything. To Christ's Life and Christ's Spirit St. Paul refers all questions, both practical and speculative, for a solution. For all our mysterious human life refers itself back to Him. Christ's Life is the measure of the world. Observe, again, it is in spirit, and not in letter, that Christ is our example. The Corinthians were asked to give money for a special object; and Christ is brought forward as their example. But Christ did not give money, He gave Himself. Iis TO THE CORINTHIANS. 393 riches were perfect happiness; His poverty was humiliation; and He humbled Himself, that we, through His poverty, might be made rich. He gave Himself to bless the world. This, then, is the example; and it is the spirit of that example which the Corinthians are urged to imitate. It was giving, it was Love that was the essence of the Sacrifice. The form was a secondary thing. It was Life in His case, it was money in theirs; the one thing needful was a love like His, which was the desire to give, and to bless. 2394 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE LIII. 1853. 2 CORINTHIANS, viii. 18 - 15. "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened;- But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: —As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." THEr eighth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the latter part of which we enter on to-day, concerns a contribution collected by St. Paul from the Gentile Christians for the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem. Part of this we have already expounded, namely, as regards the nature of Christian liberality, and the motives on which St. Paul urged it. But there still remain several points which we had not time to consider in the last lecture, and which are, nevertheless, only a continuation of the same subject. Christian charity, we saw, was a " grace " of God, not merely useful, but also beautiful. We found it a thing whose true value is measured n6t by the amount given, but by the willingness of heart of the giver. We learnt also that it springs up in the soil of poverty, rather than iii that of wealth. We considered, further, two motives on which St. Paul urges it: — 1. Christian completeness. 2. Christian emulation. To-day we take two!Points more: I. The spirit in which he urged Christian liberality. II. The additional motives which he brought to bear. I. The Apostle spoke strongly; not in the way of coercion, but of counsel and persuasion. In the eighth verse he says, " I speak not by commandment; " and again, in the tenth, " And herein I give my advice." Both expressions, taken together, mean simply: " I do not order this, I only advise it." TO THE CORINTHIANS. 395 Now here is a peculiarity which belongs to the teaching of the Apostles. They never spoke as dictators, but only as counsellors. St. Peter says: " Neither as being lords over God's heritage." And St. Paul marks still more strongly the difference between the dictatorial authority of the priest, and the gentle helpfulness of the minister: "'Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy." The Church of Rome practises a different system. There are two offices in that Church, director and confessor. It is the duty of the confessor to deal with guilt, to administer punishment and absolution; and it is the duty of the director to deal with action, to solve cases of difficulty, to prescribe duties, and to arrange the course of life. Rome has reduced this to a system, and a mighty system it is. For when the confessor and director have done their work, the man is wholly, Will and Conscience, bound over to the obedience of the Church. This is the righteousness at which Rome aims, to abrogate the individual will and conscience, and substitute the will and conscience of the Church. But, remember, I select Rome simply because Rome has reduced it to a system. Do not think it is confined to Rome; it belongs to human nature. There is not a minister oi priest who is not exposed to the temptation which allures men to this practice, to try to be a confessor and director to his people, to guide their conscience, to rule their wills, and to direct their charities. But obesrve how entirely alien this was from St. Paul's spirit. He of all men, the Apostle of liberty, could not have desired to bind men even to himself in subjection. He hated slavery: most of all, the slavery of mind and conscience; nay, he consoled the slave, because he was free in heart to Christ (I Cor. vii, 21, 22). According to the Apostle, then, a Christian was one who, perceiving principles, in the free spirit of Jesus Christ, applied these principles for himself. As exam)iles of this, remember the spirit in which he excommu nicated (1 Cor. v. 12, 13) and absolved(2 Cor. ii. 10): 396 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES and remark, in both these cases - where the priestly power would have been put forward, if anywhere - the entire absence of all aim at personal influence or authority. St. Paul would not even command Philemon to receive his slave (Philemon, 8, 9, 13, 14). And in the case before us he would not order the Corinthians to give, even to a charity which he reckoned an important one. He would never have been pleased to have had the naming of all their charities, and the marking out of all their acts. He wanted them to be-men, and not dumb, driven cattle. That pliable, docile, slavish mind, which the priest loves and praises, the Apostle Paul would neither have praised nor loved. II. Observe the spirit in which St. Paul appeals to the example of Christ (ver. 9). He urges the Corinthians to be liberal by the pattern of Christ. He places Him before them for imitation: but observe in what spirit he does it: — 1. Remark the tendency in the mind of St. Paul to refer everything back to Christ. Even when you least expect it; when there seems no similarity, he finds a precedent for every duty in some sentence or some act of Christ. For example, when the Apostle delivered his last charge to the weeping Church of Ephesus, he urged on them the duty of supporting the weak by loving labor, and enforced it thus: "4 I have showed you all things. fHow that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words. of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." So in the case before us he is urging on the Church of Corinth to contribute money; and at once he recurs back to the example of Christ: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." To a Christian mind Christ is all; the measure of all things: the standard and the reference. All things centre in Him. The life and death of Christ got by heart, not by rote, must be the rule for every act. TO TIIE CORINTHIANS. 397' 2. Remark, again, that St. Paul finds the parallel of Christian liberality, not in the literal acts, but in the Spirit of Christ. The liberality asked from the Corinthians, was the giving of money; the liberality of Christ, was the giving of Himself. Literally, there was no resemblance; but the spirit of both acts was the same': sacrifice was the law of both. In the act of giving money out of penury, the eagle eye of St. Paul cl&scerns the same root principle- the spirit of the Cross - which was the essence of the Redeemer's sacrifice. This is the true use of the Life of Christ; it is the spirit of that Life to which we should attain. It is not by saying Christ's words, or by doing Christ's acts, but it is by breathing His spirit, that we become like Him. For "' if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Let us observe the feeling with which St. Paul regarded Jesus, as we find it expressed in the ninth verse of this chapter. We cannot but remark how incompatible it is with the Socinian view of Christ's person. The doctrine taught by Socinianism was, that Christ was a mere man. The early followers of this creed held this doctrine on the authority of Scripture. They said, that the Apostles never taught that he was more, than man; and they explained away all the passages in which the Apostles seemed to hint at the reverse. But here is a passage which defies misconstruction: " Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor. " When was Christ rich? Here on earth, never: lie whose cradle was a manger, and for whom the rich provided a grave! There can be but one interpretation of the text. Christ was rich in that glory which He had with His Father before the world. There can be no mistake about what St. Paul thought. We hold this passage to be decisive as to St. Paul's feeling. Nor can you say that this belief in Christ's Divinity was a dogma separable from St. Paul's Christianity; this belief was his Christianity. For the difference between what he was from the hour when 34 898 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES he saw his Master in the sky, and what he had previously been, was exactly measured by the difference between the feeling with which he regarded Jesus, when he considered Him as an impostor to be crushed, and the feeling in which he devoted all the energies of his glorious nature to Him as his Lord and his God, whom to serve he felt was alone blessedness. 3. Again, in St. Paul's spirit of entreaty, we remark the desire of reciprocity (ver. 13, 14, 15). It might have been supposed that because St. Paul was a Jew, he was therefore anxious for his Jewish brethren; and that inurging the Corinthians to give liberally, even out of their poverty, he forgot the unfairness of the request, and was satisfied so long as only the Jews were relieved - it mattered not at whose expense. But, in answer to such a supposed reproach, the Apostle says, " I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened " -but I desire an equality, I ask that the rich may equalize his possessions with the poor. This is now a remarkable expression, because it is the watchword of Socialists. They cry out for equality in circumstances; and the Apostle says, "Let there be equality of circumstances." It is worth while to think of this. The principle laid down is, that the abundance of the rich is intended for the supply of the poor; and the illustration of the principle is drawn from a miracle in the wilderness: " As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over: and he that had gathered little had no lack." Here, then, in the wilderness, by a miraculous arrangement, if any one through greediness gathered more manna than enough, it bred worms, and became offensive; and if through weakness, or deep sorrow, or pain, any were prevented from collecting enough, still what they had collected was found to be sufficient. In this miracle, St. Paul perceives a great universal principle of human life. God has given to every man a certain capacity and a certain power of enjoyment. Beyond that he cannot find delight. Whatsoever he TO THE CORINTHIANS. 399 heaps or hoards beyond that, is not enjoyment, but disquiet. For example: If a man monopolizes to himself rest which should be shared by others, the result is unrest - the weariness of one on whom time hangs heavily. Again, if a man piles up wealth, all beyond a certain point becomes disquiet. Thus thought St. James: " Your gold and silver is cankered." You cannot escape the stringency of that law; he that gathereth much, hath nothing over. How strangely true is that old miracle! How well life teaches us that whatever is beyond enough breeds worms, and becomes offensive! We can now understand why the Apostle desired equality, and what that equality was which he desired. Equality with him meant reciprocation — the feeling of a true and loving brotherhood; which makes each man feel, " My superabundance is not mine; it is another's: not to be taken by force, or wrung from me by law, but to be given freely by the law of love. Observe, then, how Christianity would soon solve all questions. Take as instances: What are the rights of the poor? What are the duties of the rich? After how much does possession become superabundance? When has a man gathered too much? You cannot answer these questions by any science. Socialism cannot do it. Revolutions will try to do it, but they will only take from the rich and give to the poor; so that the poor become rich, and the rich poor, and we have inequality back again. But give us the Spirit of Christ. Let us all become Christians. Let us love as Christ loved. Give us the spirit of sacrifice which the early Church had, when no man said that ought of the things he possessed was his own; then each man's own heart will decide what is meant by gathering too much, and what is meant by Christian equality. We shall answer all such questions when we comprehend the principle of this appeal: " Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." 400 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE LIV. MARCI, 1853. 2 CORINTHIANS, viii. 16 - 24. — " But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. - For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. - And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;- And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind: - Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: - Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. - And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. - Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.Wherefore show ye to them, and before the churehes, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf." 2 CORINTHIANS, ix. 1 - 15 - II For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is. superfluous for me to write to you:- For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. - Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:- Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. — Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. - But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. - Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. — And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: - (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. - Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits ox your righteousness;) - Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God - For the TO THE CORINTHIANS. 401 administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; — And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." THE ninth chapter continues the subject of the collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, and with it we shall expound the close of the eighth chapter, which we left unfinished in our last lecture. We take three points for consideration - I. The mode of collecting the contribution. II. The measure of the amount. III. The measure of the reward. I. Mode of collection. St. Paul intrusted this task to three messengers: - to Titus, who was himself eager to go; to a Christian brother whom the churches had selected as their almoner; and to another, whose zeal had been tested frequently by St. Paul himself. The reasons for sending these messengers are given in an apologetic explanation. The first was, to give the Corinthians time, in order that the appeal might not come at an inconvenient moment: " I have sent the brethren," writes St. Paul,' lest our boasting of you should be in vain on this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready." Observe the tender wisdom of this proceeding. Every one knows how different is the feeling with which we give when charity is beforehand, from that with which we give when charitable collections come side by side with debts and taxes. The charity which finds us unprepared, is a call as hateful as that of any creditor whom it is hard to pay. St. Paul knlew this well -he knew that if the Corinthians were taken unawares, their feelings would be exasperated towards hin with shame, and also towards the saints at Jerusalem, to whom they were constrained to give.'rherefore, he gave timely notice. 34* 402 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Again, he had sent to tell them of the coming of these messengers, in order to preserve their reputation fqr charity. For, if tile Corinthians were not ready, their inabil:ty to pay would be exhibited before the Macedonian church, and before the messengers; and from this St. Paul wished to save them. Observe here two points: -- First, the just -value which the Apostle set on Christian reputation. For the inability of the Corinthians to meet the demands made on them, would be like insolvency in mercantile phrase, and would damage their character. We all know how insolvency damages the man, how he feels humbled by it in his own ight, and " ashamed" before men. Such a man dire not look the collector or the creditor in the face-; or, if he dare, it is through effrontery contracted by a habit which is hardeied against shame: or, there are mean subterfuges which accustom the mind to the deceit it once hated: or, if there be none of these, or the man be too true or haughty to bend to such things, there are other sights and thoughts which tear a proud heart to pieces. In any way the man is injured by insolvency. Secondly: Observe the delicacy of the mode in which the hint is given: "We (that we say not, ye) may not be ashamed." St. Paul makes it a matter of personal anxiety, as if the shame and fault of nonpayment would be his. In this, there was no subtle policy; there was no attempt to get at their purses by their weak side. St. Paul was above such means. It was natural, instinctive, real delicacy; and yet it was the surest way of obtaining what he wished, and that which the deepest knowledge of the human heart would have counselled. For thereby he appealed not to their selfish, but to their most unselfish feelings: he appealed to their gratitude, their generosity, to everything which was noble or high within them. The Corinthians would feel - We can bear the shame of delinquency ourselves, but we cannot bear that Paul should be disgraced. This is a great principle - one of the deepest you can have for life and action. Appeal to the high TO THE CORINTHIANS. 403 est motives, appeal whether they be there or no, for you make them where you do not find them. Arnold trusted his boys, avowing that he believed what they affirmed, and all attempt at deceiving him ceased forthwith. When Christ appealed to the love in the heart of the sinful woman, that love broke forth pure again. She loved, and IHe trusted that affection, and the lost one was saved. Let men say what they will of human nature's evil, a generous, real, unaffected confidence never fails to elicit the Divine spark. Thirdly: It was in order to preserve his own reputation that St. Paul shielded himself from censure by consulting appearances; for if so large a sum had been intrusted to him alone, an opening would have been left for the suspicion of appropriating a portion to himself. Therefore, in the twentieth and twenty-first verses, he especially " avoids'" this imputation by saying "that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." In this is to be observed St. Paul's wisdom, not only as a man of the world, but as a man of God. He knew that he lived in a censorious age, that he was as a city set on a hill, that the world would scan his every act and his every word, and attribute all conceivable and even inconceivable evil -to what he did in all honor. Now, it was just because of St. Paul's honor and innocence that he was likely to have omitted this prudence. Just because the bare conception of malversation of the funds was impossible to him, we might have expected him to forget that the world would not think it equally impossible. For to the pure all things are pure, to the honest and the innocent suspicion seems impossible. It was just because St. Paul felt no evil himself, that he might have thoughlessly placed himself in an equivocal position. It is to such - men guileless of heart, innocent of even the thought of dishonesty, children in the way of the world - that Christ says, " Be ye wise as serpents." 404 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Consider how defenceless St: Paul would have been had the accusation been made! Who was to prove that the charge of peculation was false? The defence would rest on St. Paul alone. Moreover, though he were to be acquitted as free from guilt, a charge refuted is not as if a charge had never been made. The man once accused goes forth into -society never the same as before; he keeps his position, he practises his profession, his friends know him to be true and honest; but, for years after, the oblivious world, remembering only the accusation, and forgetting the fulness of the refutation, asks, "But were there not some suspicious circumstances? " It is difficult to be for ever cautious, to be always thinking about appearances: it may be carried too far - to a servility for the opinions of men: but in all cases like this of St. Paul, a wise prudence is necessary. Experience teaches this by bitter lessons as life goes on. No innocence will shield, no honor, nor integrity bright as the sun itself, will keep off altogether the biting breath of calumny. Charity thinketh no evil, but charity is rare; and to the world the honor of an Apostle Paul is not above suspicion. Therefore it is that he says: "' Let not your good be evil spoken of." Therefore it is that he, avoiding the possibility of this, sent messengers to collect the money, " providing for things honest in the sight of all men." II. The measure of the amount. The Apostle did not name a sum to the Corinthians: he would not be lord over their desires, or their reluctance; but he gave them a measure according to which he exhorted them to contribute. First, then, he counselled them to be liberal; " As a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness." Secondly, he asked them to give deliberately: " Every man according as he purposeth in his heart." Thirdly, the Apostle exhorted the Corinthians to bestow cheerfully:' Not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." TO THE CORINTHIA NS. 405 It was one aim of St. Paul, in sending beforehand to the Corinthians, that they might be aK`e to give largely, not stintingly or avariciously. Here we may observe that the Apostle did not speak, as we often preach - in an impassioned manner, in order to get a large collection of money, -trying -by rhetoric and popular arts, by appeals to feeling and to personal influence, to gain his end. No: he left the amount to themselves. Yet he plainly told them that a large contribution was what God asked. Remember that the solemnity of this appeal has no parallel now; it was almost a solitary appeal. But now -now, when charities abound, to speak with the same vehemence on every occasion, to invoke the name of God, as if to withhold from this and that charity were guilt, is to misapply St. Paul's precedent. In the multitudinous charities for which you are solicited, remember one thing only- give liberally somewhere, in God's name, and to God's cause. But the cases must depend on yourselves, and should be conscientiously adopted. The second measure of the amount was that it should be deliberate: "' Every man according as he purposeth in his heart." Let us distinguish this deliberate charity from giving through mere impulse. Christian charity is a calm, wise thing; nay, sometimes, it will appear to a superficial observer, a very hard thing - for it has courage to refuse. A Christian man will not give to everything; — he will not give because it is the fashion; he will not give because an appeal is very impassioned, or because it touches his sensibilities. He gives as he "'purposeth in his heart." Here I remark again, that often the truest charity is not giving but. employing. To give indiscriminately now often ruins by producing improvidence. In the days of the Apostle, things were different. The Jew who became a Christian lost all employment. Remember, too, with respect to charitable collections, that charity should be deliberate. Men often come determrd Ad beforehand to give according to the eloquence of the appeal, not according to a calm resolve, 406 LECTtRES ON THE EPISTLES and from a sense of a debt of love to God which rejoices in giving. I do not say that a man is never to give more than he meant, when touched by the speaker; because, generally, men mean to give too little. But I say that it is an unhealthy state of things, when a congregation leave their* charity dependent on their ministerial sympathies. Let men take their responsibilities upon themselves. It is not a clergyman's businless to think for his congregation, but to help them to judge for themselves. Hence, let Christian men dare to refuse as well as dare to give. A congregational collection should not be obtained by that mere force of eloquence which excites the sensibilities, and awakens a sudden and shortlived impulse of giving, but it should rather be to them an opportunity to be complied with " as every man purposeth in his heart." III. The measure of the reward. - The measure of all spiritual rewards is exactly proportioned to the acts done. The law of the spiritual harvest is twofold: — i. A proportion in reference to quantity. 2. A proportion in reference to kind. 1. In reference to quantity: "He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly." Hence may be inferred the principle of degrees of glory hereafter. In the Parable of the Talents, each multiplier of his money received a reward exactly in proportion to the amount he had gained; and each, of course, was rewarded differently. Again: " He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet," — that is, because he was a prophet, -" shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward." " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament " - that is their reward; "and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever" — a reward different from the former. The right hand and left of Christ in His kingdom are given only to those who drink of His cup, and are baptized with His baptism. Thus there is a peculiar and appropriate re TO THE CORINTHIANS. 407 ward for every act; only remember, that the reward is not given for the merit of the act, but follows on it as inevitably in the spiritual kingdom, as wheat springs from its grain, and barley from its grain, in the natural world. Because this law of reward exists, we are given encouragements to labor:' Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Again: "' Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of -the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 2. In reference to kind. The reward of an act of charity is kindred with the act itself. But St. Paul lays down the broad law:'' Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." He reaps, therefore, not something else, but that very thing which he sows. So in the world of nature, a harvest of wheat comes not from sown barley, nor do oak forests arise from beech mast, but each springs from its own kind; the " herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fiuit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind." Thus also is it in the spiritual world. He that soweth to the flesh shall not reap of the spirit, nor shall he who soweth to the spirit reap of the flesh. Now here often a strange fallacy arises. Men sow their carnal things - give their money, for exampleto God; and because they have apparently sown carnal things to God, they expect to reap the same' For instance, in pagan times, fishermen or farmers sacrificed their respective properties, and expected a double fishery or harvest in return. The same pagan principle has come down to us. Some persons give to a Jews' Conversion Society, or to a Church Missionary Society, and confidently hope for a blessing on their worldly affairs as a result. They are liberal to the poor, " lending to the Lord," in order that He may repay them with success in business, or an advance in trade. The fallacy lies in this: the thing sown was not money, but spirit. It only seemed money, it was in reality the feeling with which it was given which was 408 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES sown. For example, the poor widow gave two mites, but God took account of sacrifice. The sinful -woman gave an alabaster box of ointment, valued by a miserable economist at three hundred pence. God valued it as so much love. Both these sowed not what they gave, but spiritual seed: one love, the other sacrifice. Now God is not going to pay these things in coin of this earth: He will not recompense Sacrifice with success in business, nor Love with a legacy or a windfall. Tie will repay them with spiritual coin in kind. In the particular instance now before us, what are the rewards of liberality which St. Paul promises to the Corinthians? They are, first: The Love of God (ver. 7). Secondly: A spirit abounding to every good work (ver. 8). Thirdly: Thanksgiving on their behalf (ver. 11, 12, 13). A noble harvest! but all spiritual. Comprehend the meaning of it well. Give, and you will not get back again. Do not expect your money to be returned, like that of Joseph's brethren, in their sacks' mouths. When you give to God, sacrifice, and know that what you give is sacrificed, and is not to be got again, even in this world; for if you give, expecting it back again, there is no sacrifice: charity is no speculation in the spiritual funds, no wise investment, to be repaid with interest, either in time or eternity! No! the rewards are these: Do right, and God's recompense to you will be the power of doing more right. Gite, and God's reward to you will be the spirit of giving more: a blessed spirit, for it is the Spirit of God himself, whose Life is the blessedness of giving. Love, and God will pay you with the capacity of more love; for love is Heaven- love is God within you. TO THE' CORINTHIANS. 409 LECTURE LV. MARcH 20, 1853. 2 CORINAHLHNS, X. 1- 18. -" Now I Paul myself beseech 3 ou by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: - But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: - (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) - Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; - And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your. obedience is fulfilled. - Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Chrisit's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. - For though' I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: - That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. - For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. - Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. - For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves' with' some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. - But we' will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. - For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:- Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labors; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, - To preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. - But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. - For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." THIE Second Epistle has till now been addressed to those in Corinth who felt either love or admiration for St. Paul, certainly to those who owned his authority. 35 410 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES But with the tenth chapter there begins a new division of the Epistle. Henceforth we have St. Paul's reply to his enemies at Corinth, and his vindication is partly official and partly personal. They denied his apostolic authority and mission, declared that he had not been appointed by Christ, and endeavored to destroy his personal influence in the Church by sneers at his bodily weakness, his inconsistency, and his faithlessness to his promise of coming to Corinth, which they imputed to a fear of his own weakness of character. Powerful enough in letter-writing, said they, but when he comes, his presence, his speech, are weak and contemptible. To these charges St. Paul answers in the remaining chapter. We will consider two subjects: — I. The impugners of his authority. II. His vindication. I. The impugners of his authority. It is necessary to distinguish these into t*o classes, the deceivers and and the deceived; else we could not understand the difference of tone, sometimes meek, and sometimes stern, which pervades the Apostle's vindication. For example, compare the second verse of this chapter with the first, and you must remark the different shades of feeling under which each was written. This change of tone he himself acknowledges in the fifth chapter of this Epistle: "For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause." His enemies had been embittered against him by the deference paid'to him by the rest of the Church. Hence they tried to make him suspected. They charged him with insincerity (2 Cor. i. 12, 13, 18, 19). They said he was ever promising to come, and never meaning it; and that he was only powerful in writing (2 Cor. x. 10). They accused him of mercenary motives, of a lack of apostolic gifts, and of not preaching the Gospel. They charged him with artifices. His Christian prudence and charity were regarded as means whereby he allured and deceived his followers. We must also bear in mind TO THE CORINTHIANS. 411 that it was a party spirit with which the Apostle had to deal: "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." (1 Cor. i. 12). Now, we are informed in this chapter, that of all these parties his chief difficulty lay with that party which called itself Christ's. This was not the school inclined to ritual, which followed St. Peter, nor the Pauline party, which set its face against all Jewish practices, and drove liberty into license; nor yet that which had perhaps a disposition to rationalize, and followed Apollos, who, having been brought up at Alexandria, had most probably spent his youth in the study of literature and philosophy. But it was a party who, throwing off all authority, even though it was apostolic, declared that they received Christ alone as their Head, and that He alone should directly' communicate truth to them. First, then, let us observe, that though these persons called themselves Christ's, they are nevertheless blamed in the same list with others. And yet what could seem to be more right than for men to say, " We will bear no name but Christ's; we throw ourselves on Christ's own words - on the Bible; we throw'aside all intellectual philosophy: we will have no servitude to ritualism? " Nevertheless, these persons were just as bigoted and as blameable as the others. They were not wrong in calling themselves Christ's; but they were wrong in naming themselves so distinctively. It is plain that by assuming this name, they implied that they had a right to it more than others had. They did not mean to say only, "We are Christ's," but also, "' You are not Christ's." God was not, in their phraseology, our Father, but rather the Father of our party; the Father of us only who are the elect. In their mouths that Name became no longer comprehensive, but exclusive. Thus St. Paul blamed all who, instead of rejoicing that they were Christians, prided themselves on being a particular kind of Christians. The great doctrine of one Baptism taught the feeling of Christian brotherhood. All were 412 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES Christ's: all belonged to Him: no one sect was his exclusively, or dared to claim Him as their Head more than another. This is a feeling which is as much to be avoided now as it was in the time of the Apostle. We split ourselves into sects, each of which asserts its own peculiar Christianity. This sectarianism falsifies the very principle of our religion, and therefore falsifies its forms. It falsifies the Lord's Prayer. It substitutes for our Father, the Father of me, of my church or party. It falsifies the creed: " I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord." It falsifies both the sacraments. No matter how large, or true, or beautiful the name by which we call ourselves, we are for ever tending to the sectarian. spirit when we assume some appellation which cuts others off from participation with us: when we call ourselves, for example, Bible Christians, Evangelicals, Churchmen - as if no one but ourselves deserved the name. Secondly, let us observe, that however Christian this expression may sound, " We will take Christ for our teacher, and not His Apostles or His Church," the spirit which prompts it is wrong. This Christ-party amongst the Corinthians depreciated the Church, in order to exalt the Lord of the Church; but they did so wrongly, and at the peril of their religious life. For God's order is the historical; and these men separated themselves from God's order when they claimed an arbitrary distinction for themselves, and rejected the teaching of St. Paul and the Apostles, to whom the development of the meaning of Christ's doctrine had been intrusted. For the phase of truth presented by St. Paul was- just as necessary as that prominently taught by Christ. Not that Christ did not teach all truth, but that the hidden meaning of His teaching was developed still further by the inspired Apostles. We cannot, at this time, cut ourselves off from the teaching of eighteen centuries, and say, " We will have none but Christ to reign over us;" nor can we proclaim, " Not the Church, but the Lord of the Church." We cannot do without the different shades and phas'es TO THE CORINTHIANS. 413 of knowledge which God's various instruments, in accordance with their various characters and endowments, have delivered to us. For God's system is mediatorial, that is, truth to men communicated through men. See, then, how, as in Corinth, the very attempt to separate from parties may lead to a sectarian spirit, unless we can learn to see good in all, and Christ in all. And should we, as this Christ-party did, desert human instrumentality, we sink into self-will: we cut ourselves from the Church of God, and fall under the popery ol our own infallibility. What dangers on every side! God shield us! For these present days are like those of which we are speaking. The same tendencies are appearing again: some are disposed to unduly value law and ritual, some aspire to a freedom from all law, some incline to literary religion, and some, like the Christ-party here spoken of, to pietism and subjective Christianity. Hence it is that the thoughtful study of these Epistles to the Corinthians is so valuable in our time, when nothing will avert the dangers which threaten.us but the principles which St. Paul drew from the teaching of Christ, and has laid down here for the admonition of His Church at Corinth. II. His vindication. St. Paul vindicated his authority, because it was founded on the power of meekness, and it was a spiritual power in respect of that meekness. The weapons of- his warfare were not carnal: " Though we walk in the flesh," he says, " we do not war after the flesh,"- that is, We do not use a worldly soldier's weapons, we contend, not with force, but with meekness of wisdom and with the persuasivenless of truth. This was one of the root principles of St. Paul's ministrj: If he reproved, it was done in the spirit of meekness (Gal. vi. 1); or if he defended his own authority, it was still with the same spirit (2 Cor. x. 1). Again, when the time of his departure was at hand, and lie would leave his last instructions to his son Timothy, he closes his summary of the character of R.N* 414 LECTUIRES ON THE EPISTLES ministerial work by showing the need of meekness: " The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." Here again, according to his custom, the Apostle refers to the example of Christ.. He besought the Corinthians'" by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." -le vindicated his authority, because he had been meek, as Christ was meek: for not by menace, nor by force, did He conquer, but by the -might of gentleness and the power of meekness: " Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not." On that foundation St. Paul built; it was that example which he imitated in his moments of trial, when he'was reproved and censured. He confessed his own " baseness of appearance: " when others had low thoughts of him, he had low ones of himself. Thus it happened, that one of the Apostle's " mightiest weapons" was the meekness and lowliness of heart which he drew from the Life of Christ. So it ever is. Humlility, after all, is the best defence. It disarms and conquers by the majesty of submission. To be humble and loving - that is true life. Do not let insult harden you, nor cruelty rob you of tenderness. If men wound your heart, let them not embitter it; and then yours will be the victory of the Cross. You will conquer as Christ conquered, and bless as He blessed. But remember, fine words about gentleness, self-sacrifice, meekness, are worth very little. Talking of the nobleness of humility. and self-surrender, is not believing in them. Would you believe in the Cross and its victory? then live in its spirit - act upon it. Again,.St. Paul rested his authority not on carnal weapons, but. on the spiritual power of truth. Consider the strongholds which the Apostle had to pull down and ubd{lue. There were the sophistries of the educated, and the ignorant prejudices of the multitude. There were the old habits which clung to the Christianized heathen. There was the pride of intellect in the arrogant Greek philosophers, and the pride df the flesh in TO THE CORINTHIANS. 415 the Jewish love of signs. There was - most difficult of all - the pride of ignorance. All these strongholds were to be conquered: every thought was to be brought " into captivity to the obedience of Christ."'For this work St. Paul's sole weapon was Truth. The ground on which he taught was not authority: but "' by manifestation of the truth" he commended himself to " every man's conscience." His power rested on no carnal weapon, on no craft or personal influence; but it rested on the strong foundation of the truth he taught. He felt that truth must prevail. So neither by force did St. Paul's authority stand, nor on his inspired Apostleship, but simply by the power of persuasive truth. The truth he spoke would, at last, vindicate his teaching and his life; and he calmly trusted himself to God and time. A grand, silent lesson for us now! when the noises of a hundred controversies stun the Church: when we are trying to force our own tenets on our neighbors, aid denounce those who differ from us, foolishly thinking within ourselves that the wrath of man will work the righteousness of God. Rather, Christian men, let us teach as Christ and His Apostles taught. E-orce no one to God; menace no one into religion: but convince all by the might of truth. Should any of you have to bear attacks on your character, or life, or doctrine, defend yourself with meekness: and if defence should but make matters worse —and when accusations are vague, as is the case but too often-why, then, commit yourself fully to truth. Outpray - outpreach — outlive the calumny! 416 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES LECTURE LVI. 1853. 2 CO.lxITHTIANS, xii. 1 - 21.-" It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lort d. -I knew a man in Christ about fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. - And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) - How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. - Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.-For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.- And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. -For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.- Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. — I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.- Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. - For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. - Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. - And I will very gladly, spend and be spent for you: though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. - But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. - Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? — I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Ch]rist: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. - For I fear, lest, when I come I shall TO THE CORINTHIANS. 417 not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: - And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.'? THE Apostle Paul, in the preceding chapter, had adduced evidence of the greatness of his sufferings in his witness to the truths he had received from Christ. The extent of his labors was proved by his sufferings, and both were, in a manner, an indirect proof of his apostleship. In the passage we consider to-day —- a passage of acknowledged difficulty — he advances a direct proof of his apostolic mission. Let us, however, before proceeding, understand the general structure of the passage. The point in question all along has been St. Paul's authority. The Corinthians doubted it, and in these verses, in proof of it, he alleges certain spiritual communications of a preternatural kind, which had been made to him. To these he adds, in the twelfth verse, certain peculiar trials; all of which together made up his notion of apostolic experience. A man divinely gifted, and divinely tried - that was an Apostle. But it is remarkable, that he reckons the trials as a greater proof of apostleship than the marvellous experiences (ver. 9). There is but one difficulty to clog this outset. It would seem that St. Paul, in reference to the revelations, is not speaking of himself, but of another man (ver. 1- 5); more- especially in the fifth verse; "Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities." Nevertheless, the fact of St. Paul's identity with the person he speaks of is bey3nd a doubt. All difficulty is set at rest by the sixth and seventh verses, where he allows that the man so favored is himself. It remains only to ask how St. Paul came to speak of himself under the personality of another. For this I suggest two reasons:- 1. Natural diffidence. For the more refined and courteous a man is, the more he 418 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES will avoid, in conversation, a direct mention of himself; aind, in like manner, as civilization advances, the disinclination to write even of self in the first person, is shown by the use of the terms "the author," and " we; " men almost unconsciously acting in that spirit of delicacy, which forbids too open an obtrusion of oneself upon the public. That this delicacy was felt by St. Paul is evident from what he says in the fourth chapter of the First Epistle, in the sixth verse, and from the whole of that chapter, where he speaks of "laborers," "' ministers," and of the Apostles generally, though all the while the particular person meant is himself. From this twelfth chapter and from the eleventh, it is evident all along that he has been forced to speak of self only by a kind of compulsion. Fact after fact of his own experiences is, as it were, wrung out, as if he had not intended to tell it. For there is something painful to a modest mind in the direct use of the personal pronoun " I," over which an humble spirit, like the Apostle's, throws a veil. 2. The second reason I suggest for this suppression of the first person is, that St. Paul chose to recognize this higher experience as not entirely yet his true self. He speaks of a divided experience of two selves, two Pauls: one Paul in the third heaven, enjoying the beatific vision: another yet on earth, struggling, tempted, tried, and buffeted by Satan. The former he chose rather to regard as the Paul that was to be. He dwelt on the latter as the actual Paul coming down to the prose of life to find his real self, lest he should be tempted to forget or mistake himself in the midst of the heavenly revelations. Such a double nature is in us all. In all there is an Adam and a Christ - an ideal and a real. Numberless instances will occur to us in the daily experience of life; the fact is shown, for example, in the strange discrepancy so often seen between the writings of the poet or the sermons of the preacher, and their actual lives. And yet in this there is no necessary hypocrisy, for the one represents the man's aspiration, the other his attain TO THE CORINTHIANS. 419 ment In that very sentence, however, there may be a danger; for is it not dangerous to be satisfied with mere aspirations and fine sayings? The Apostle felt it was; and, therefore, he chose to take the lowest - the actual self- and call that Paul, treating the highest as, for the time, another man. Hence in the fifth verse he says: " Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities." Were the crawling caterpillar to feel within himself the wings that are to be, and be haunted with instinctive forebodings of the time when he shall hover above flowers and meadows, and expatiate in heavenly air, - yet the wisdom of that caterpillar would be to remember his present business on the leaf, to feed on green herbs, and weave his web, lest, losing himself in dreams, he should never become a winged insect at all. In the same manner, it is our wisdom, lest we become all earthy, to remember that our visions shall be realized, but also it is our wisdom, lest we become mere dreamers, or spiritually " puffed up," to remember that the aspiring man within us is not yet our true self, but, as it were, another man - the " Christ within us, the hope of glory." Our subject to-day, then, is " spiritual ecstasy." I. The time when this vision took place -" Fourteen years ago." The date is vague, " about fourteen years ago," and is irreconcilable with any exact point in our confused chronology of the life of St. Paul. But some have supposed that this vision was identical with that recorded (Acts, ix.) at his conversion; but it is evidently different: — First: Because the words in that transaction wvere not " unlawful to utter." They are three times recorded in the Acts, with no reserve or reticence at all. Secondly: Because there was no doubt as to St. Paul's own locality in that vision. He has twice recorded his own experience of it in terms clear and unmistakeable. His spirit did not even seem to him to be caught up. He saw, external to him above, a light, 420 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES and heard a voice, himself all the while consciously living upon earth: nay, more, so far from being exalted, he was stricken to the ground. Here, however, the difficulty to the Apostle's mind is, not respecting the nature of the revelation, but how and where he was himself'situated: "Whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell." He was not psychologist enough for that. Thirdly: The vision which met him on the road to Damascus was of an humbling character:'" Saull Saul, why persecutest thou me?" In that sorrow-giving question there was no ground for spiritual pride. On the other hand, in this case, the vision was connected with a tendency to pride and vain-glory. For, lest he should be puffed up " beyond measure," a messenger of Satan came to buffet him. So, evidently, the first appearance was at the outset of his Christian life; the other, in the fulness of his Christian experience, when, through deep sufferings and loss for Christ's sake, prophecies of rest and glory hereafter came to his soul to, sustain and comfort him. And thus, in one of those moments of high hope, he breaks forth: " Our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." II. This very circumstance, however, that it was not the vision which occurred to him near Damascus, reveals something more to us. By our proof to the contrary, we have reaped not a negative gain, but a positive one. If the vision here spoken of had been that at. his conversion, it would have been alone in his experience. There could come afterwards no other like it. But if it.was not, then the ecstasy mentioned in this- chapter did not stand alone in St. Paul's experience. It was not the first, - no, nor the last. He had known of many such, for he speaks of the "abundance of the revelations" given to him (ver. 7). This marks out the man. Indeed, to comprehend the visions, we must comprehend the man. For God gives visions at his own will, TO THE CORINTHIANS. 421 and yet according to certain laws, He does not inspire every one. He does not reveal His mysteries to men of selfish, or hard, or phlegmatic temperaments. But when He gives preternatural communications, then He prepares beforehand by a peculiar spiritual sensitiveness. Just as, physically, certain - sensitivenesses to sound and color qualify men to become gifted musicians and painters,- so, spiritually, certain strong original susceptibilities mark out the man who will be the recipient of strange gifts, and see strange sights of God, and experience deep feelings, immeasurable by the ordinary standard. Such a man was St. Paul - a very wondrous nature - the Jewish nature in all its strength. We all know that the Jewish temperament peculiarly fitted men to be the organs of a Revelation. Its fervor, its moral sense, its veneration, its indomitable will, all adapted the highest sons of the nation for receiving hidden truths, and-communicating them to others. Now all this was, in its fulness, in St. Paul. A heart, a brain, and a soul of fire: all his life a suppressed volcano; - his acts " living things with hands and feet; " his words, " half battles." A man, consequently, of terrible inward conflicts: his soul a battle-field for heaven and hell. Read, for example, the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, describing his struggle under the law. You will find there no dull metaphysics about the " bondage of the will," or the difference between conscience and will. It is all intensely personal. St. Paul himself descends into the argument, as if the experience he describes were present then! "' 0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? " So, too, in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts. He had no abstract perception of Macedonia's ineed of the Gospel. To his soul a man of Macedonia presents himself in the night, crying, " Come over, and help us." - Again, we find in the eighteenth chapter of the Acts, that while the Apostle was at Corinth, beset with trials, surrounded by the Jews thirsting for his blood, a message came in a vision, and the Lord spoke 36 422 LECI URES ON THE EPISTLES to him, telling him to fear not. Now, I believe, such a voice has spoken to us all, only we explained it (away as the result of our own reasoning. St. Paul's life was with God; his very dreams were of God. A Being stood beside him by day and night. He saw a form which others did not see, and heard a voice which others could not hear. Again, compare the twenty-seventh chapter of the Acts, twenty-third verse; where we are told that when lie was a prisoner, tossed for many nights upon the tempestuous sea, he yet saw the angel of that God, " Whose he was, and Whom he served." Remember his noble faith, his unshaken conviction, that all would be as the vision and the voice of God had told him. Ever you see him on the brink of that other world. Even his trials and conflicts were those of a high order. Most of us are battling with some mean appetite or gross passion. St. Paul's battles were not those of the flesh and appetites, but of spirit struggling with spirit. I infer this partly from his own special gift of chastity, and partly from the case which he selects in the seventh of Romans, which is " covetousness " - an evil desire, but still one of the spirit. Now to such men, the other world is revealed as a reality which it cannot appear to others. Those things in heaven and earth which philosophy does not dream of, these men see. But, doubtless, such things are seen under certain conditions. For example, many of St. Paul's visions were when he was "fasting," at times when the body is not predominant in our humanity. For " fulness of bread " and abundance of idleness are not the conditions in whichv we can see the things of God. Again, most of these revelations were made to him in the midst of trial. In the prison at Philippi, during the shipwreck, while'" the thorn was in his flesh," then it was that the vision of unutterable things was granted to him, and the vision of God in His clearness came. This was the experience of Christ Himself. God does not lavish His choicest gifts, but reserves them. Thus, TO THE CORINTHIANS. 423 at Christ's baptism, before beginning His work, the Voice from Heaven was heard. It was in the Temptation that the angels ministered to Him. On the Transfiguration Mount the glory shone, when Moses and Elias spake to Him of His death, which He should accomplish at Jerusalem. In perplexity which of two things to say, the Thunder Voice replied, " I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." In the Agony, there came an angel strengthening Him. Hence we learn, that Inspiration is, first, not the result of will or effort, but is truly and properly from God. Yet that, secondly, it is dependent on certain conditions, granted to certain states, and to a certain character. Thirdly, that its sphere is not in things of sense, but in moral and spiritual truth. And, fourthly, that it is not elaborated by induction from experience, but is the result of intuition. Yet, though inspiration is granted-in its fulness only to rare, choice spirits like St. Paul, we must remember that in degree it belongs to all Christian experience. There have been moments, surely, in our experience, when the vision of God was clear. They were not, I will venture to say, moments of fulness, or success, or triumph. In some season of desertion, you have, in solitary longing, seen the skyladder as Jacob saw it of old, and felt Heaven open even to you; or in childish purity - for "' Heaven lies around us in our infancy "- heard a voice as Samuel did; or, in some struggle with conscience and inclination, heard from Heaven the words, " Why persecutest thou le? " or, in feebleness of health, when the weight of the bodily frame was taken off, whether it were in delirium or vision; you could not say but Faith brightened her eagle eye, and saw far into the tranquil things of Death; or, in prayer, you have been conscious of more than earth present in the silence, and a Hand in yours, and a Voice that you could hear, and almost the Eternal breath upon your brow. III. Lastly, this spiritual ecstasy is unutterable: unutterable, however, in two degrees: — 424 LECTURES ON THE EPISTLES 1. " Unspeakable" (ver. 4). This it is, simply because the things of the Spirit are untranslateable into the language of the intellect. Feelings, convictions, emotions - love, duty, aspiration, devotion - in what sentences will you express to another what you feel and mean by these? Conceive, then, a translation to Heaven, and a return from thence. How would the man describe the things seen and heard? In the fourth chapter of Revelation the attempt is made, but it instantly takes the form of symbols and figures. A throne is there, and One is there like a jasper and a sardine stone: a rainbow like an emerald encircles all. Seven Spirit Lamps are burning: the lightnings, and thunderings, and voices, are heard, and the sea of glass shines like crystal. Thus did the writer, in high symbolic language, attempt, inadequately, to shadow forth the glory which his spirit realized, but which his sense saw not. For Heaven is not scenery, nor anything appreciable by ear or eye: Heaven is God felt. Hence, when at Pentecost, the rushing wind filled men with the afflatus of the Holy Ghost, and they tried to utter in articulate words what they felt, is it not perfectly intelligible why, to the unsympathetic bystanders, they seemed like men "filled with new wine? Again, this ecstasy was unutterable, because "gnot lawful for a man to utter." Christian modesty forbids. There are bridal moments of the soul: and not easily forgiven are those who would utter the secrets of its high intercourse with its Lord. There is a certain spiritual indelicacy in persons who cannot perceive that not everything which is a matter of experience and knowledge is, therefore, a subject for conversation. There are some things in this world too low to be spoken of, and some things too high. You cannot discuss such subjects without vulgarizing them. Thus, when Elijah and Elisha went together from Gilgal to Jordan, the sons of the prophets came to Elisha with that confidential gossip which is common TO THE CORINTHIANS. 425 in those who think to understand mysteries by talking of them: "Knowest thou," they asked, "that the Lord will take away thy master to-day?" Remember Elisha's dignfied reply: 6" Yea, I know it: hold ye your peace." God dwells in the thick darkness. Silence knows more of Him than speech. His Name is Secret: therefore beware how you profane His stillnesses. To each of His servants He giveth "a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." 36* THE END.