5. St. Paul was careful to efface self. He did not mar his message by any reference to himself. His eye was fixed on Christ. His desire was to exalt Christ. His zeal expended itself in proclaiming Christ the Saviour of sinners. There were no side glances at his own prospects, his own reputation, his own success. He was content to hide behind the person of Christ, so that He might be seen and loved, and honoured and exalted. Like John the Baptist, whose business it was to cry " Behold the Lamb," and to point his hearers away from himself, saying, " He must increase, but I must decrease," so it was St. Paul's business to declare Christ crucified and to keep himself in the background.
Tf In any work which is to live, or be really beautiful, there must be the spirit of the Cross. That which is to be a temple of God must never have the marble polluted with the name of the architect or builder. There can be no real success, except when a man has ceased to think of his own success.2
Tf As Michael Angelo wore a lamp on his cap to prevent his own shadow from being thrown upon the picture which he was painting, so the Christian minister and servant needs to have the candle of the Spirit always burning in his heart, lest the reflection of self and self-glorying may fall upon his work to darken and defile it.3
III.
The Comprehensiveness of his Message.
When the Apostle tells us that he is determined to know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, he impresses upon
1 Francis Thompson. 2 F. W. Robertson. 3 A. J. Gordon.
I COR. — 3
34 THE SUM OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE
our minds that this is "the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world." He means that to know Christ crucified is the maximum of knowledge, not the minimum. He means that in Jesus Christ and Him crucified all doctrines cul- minate, and from Jesus Christ and Him crucified all duties emanate and evolve. We live in a world which may well be illustrated as a labyrinth, and as we pursue our way, there are many deviating paths down which we may be tempted to wander. But for us who desire practical wisdom for the conduct of life, we do not want a map of the whole labyrinth ; what we do want is a silver thread which may pass through our hands and guide us to the secret part of all things. That guiding thread St. Paul claims to give us in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
^[ " You are going down to the assize, my lord ? " " Yes." " What do you think you will do with that remarkable series of frauds committed some time ago ? " "I do not know." " What do you think you will do with that case of forgery, the most elaborate and intricate piece of business I ever heard of in all our criminal jurisprudence — what do you think you will do with it ? " "I do not know." " Why, are you going down to the city in a loose mind?" "No." "What have you resolved to do?" "One thing. I have determined nothing except one thing." " What is that, my lord ? " " That the law shall be administered and justice shall be done." That is what St. Paul said.1
TJ Mr. Guyse did not condemn, but both approved and practised, the preaching of Christian morals, while he denied that such preaching is all that is meant by the phrase and commission, "to preach Christ." His statements on this department were the following : —
Preaching Christ (in a latitude of the expression) takes in the whole compass of Christian religion considered in its refer- ence to Christ. It extends to all its noble improvements of natural light and principles, and to all its glorious peculiarities of the supernatural and incomprehensible kind, as each of these may, one way or other, be referred to Him. In this sense there is no doctrine, institution, precept, or promise — no grace, privilege, or duty toward God and man — no instance of faith, love, repent- ance, worship, or obedience, suited to the Gospel state and to the design and obligations of the Christian religion — that don't belong to preaching Christ. But to bring all these with any propriety
1 J. Parker.
i CORINTHIANS n. 2 35
under this denomination, they must be considered, according to their respective natures or kinds, in their reference to Christ, that He may be interwoven with them and appear to be concerned in them. They must be preached, not with the air of a heathen moralist or Platonic philosopher, but with the spirit of a minister of Christ, referring them up to Him, as revealed, or enjoined, or purchased by Him — as shining in their brightest lustres and triumphing in all their glories through Him — as built upon Him and animated by Him — as lodged in His hands who is head over all things to the church— as standing in the connections, uses, and designs in which He hath placed them — as known, enjoyed, or practised by light and grace derived from Him — as to be accounted for to Him — as acceptable to God, and advantageous to our salvation, alone through Him, by faith in Him — as enforced upon us by motives and obligations taken from Him — and as tending to His glory and the glory of God in Him.1