transform the vilest of the human race into the image of our incarnate God. Let us then follow the example of the saints and martyrs that have gone before us"™. Let us exert ourselves in dependence on the Lord Jesus, and not doubt but that " his grace shall be sufficient for us." Then shall our very enemies be constrained to " glorify God in us"," and to " confess that God is with us of a truth"."]
™ Jam. v. 10. n Gal. i. 24. « 1 Cor. xiv. 25.
1 Cor. iv. 2\. What will ye ? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness ?
AT Corinth, religion was at a very low ebb. Great were the abuses which obtained there, even amongst the professed followers of Christ. Yet to those very- persons the Christian Church is much indebted, for the displays which they occasioned the Apostle Paul to make of the Christian character in its highest per- fection. How perversely they acted towards him, the Apostle tells us : " Now ye are full ; now ye are rich; ye have reigned as kings without us^:" and, at the same time that they arrogated so much to themselves, they poured the utmost contempt on him : " We are fools for Christ's sake ; but ye are wise in Christ : we are weak, but ye are strong : ye are honourable, but we are despised''." But how did that blessed man conduct himself under these cir- cumstances ? He tells them : " Being reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we suffer it ; being defamed, we entreat." And then, with most lovely delicacy, he adds, '' I write not these things to shame you ; but, as my beloved sons, I warn you*"." Still it was necessary that he should correct what was amiss in them; and therefore he sent Timothy to rectify these abuses for the present, engaging that he himself would shortly come and put every thing in order. But the proud leaders of that Church said, he would never
a ver. 8j 10. ^ ver, 12. "^ ver. 14.