TH

HE 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 religious action. For strong feelings often evaporate in words. Strong expressions about selfsacrifice or self-denial, 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 ought 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 whilst in a state of faction.

I. His economic management of Truth.

II. 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 simple 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, "strong meat." But reverse 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 when he says: “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, was said immediately after the disciples of John had asked, 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, "That be far from thee, Lord."

Such a case of defection actually did occur in the behaviour 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 he had to teach, but not all the conceptions of the Blessed Life which he knew of. He showed them that leaving the principles of doctrine, they were to keep themselves in the Love of Christ, and be strengthened more and more with His Spirit in the inner man, growing up unto Him in all things. But all this by degrees. And thus of the weak, we must be content to ask for honesty, justice: not generosity, not to sell all, but simple moral teaching: "Thou knowest the Commandments."

From a child we must not ask sublime forgiveness of injuries. That which would be glorious in a man, might be pusillanimity in a boy. 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; -but let him learn, first, not to enjoy, at the expense, or the disadvantage or suffering of another.

Another reason for not neglecting this is, the danger of familiarizing the mind with high spiritual doctrines to which the heart is a stranger, and thus engendering hypocrisy. For instance, Self-sacrifice, Self-denial, are large words, which contain much beauty, and are easily got by rote. But the facility of utterance is soon taken for a spiritual state; and while fluently talking 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 you are temperate, do not mistake that for self-denial, or 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 was our duty to do."

The danger of extreme demands made on hearts unprepared 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 fashionable, demanded it. And it was a demand, like strong meat to the weak, for Ananias was "unable to bear it."

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.