THE christian's PRIVILEGES.
1 Cor. iii. 21 — %S. 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.
IT is scarcely to be expected, considering the weakness and depravity of our fallen nature, that the Church in any place should be free from dissen- sions and disputes. If every man who embraced the Gospel were from thenceforth altogether under its influence, nothing but love and harmony would pre- vail. But, not to mention the insincerity of some, who, like Simon Magus, profess the truth without experiencing any of its sanctifying influence, the hearts of men are not changed all at once, but by a gradual and progressive advancement in the divine hfe. Hence corruption will be at work, as well as grace ; and, whilst the Spirit lusts against the flesh, the flesh will lust against the Spirit, and in some cases prevail against it, to the disturbing and defiling of the Church. So it was even in the apostolic age ; and even where Paul himself preached. A party-spirit early prevailed in the Church of Corinth ; different parties arraying themselves under different heads; some saying, that they were of Paul, others of Apollos, others of Cephas, and others of Christ \ To repress these contentions, the Apostle remonstrated with the people on the impropriety of their conduct : and,
2 1 Cor. i. 12.