HOMILETICS. Vers. 1, 2.-Tlae !fMC6 of God received, in vai"- "We then, as workers together," etc. There are three topics here for meditation. . I. ~ Bul!L~R MISSION, " ~ork~rs together with him." What is the grand work in which God 1s engaged and ID which we can co-operate? He is engaged in numeroua works-works of creation, government, conservation, in which we can have no hand. The work here is evidcmtly the work spoken of in the preceding chapter-the work ot reconciling man to himself, the work which he does in Christ. Now, all genuine mfo.isters co-operate with him in this ; their grand endeavour is to bring alienated· souls into friendship with him. Blessed partnership this. IL A SOLEMN POSSIBILITY. "Receive not the grace of God in vain." The grace of God here evidently refers to the offer of this reconciliation. This may be looked upon objectively or subjectively. Objectively it is the gospel, which is called the" gospel of the grace of God;" snbjectively it is personal Christianity. It may be received "in vain" in two forms. Many have the offer of reconciliation and reject it, and to them the offer has been received "in vain." It is possible for those who have personally experienced it to lose it. The free agency of man, the exhortations of the Scriptures,' and the facts of apo~tasy-as in the case of David, Peter, etc.-show the possibility of losing this. No greater calamity can happen to a man than to receive this "grace in vain ; " hence the earnestness of the apostle. . ., III. A Sm'REME OPPORTUNITY. "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of 68.lvatian have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of aalvation." 'l'o use the words of a modern .writer, "There is, so to speak, a' now' rnnning through the ages. For each Church and nation, for each individual sonl, there is a golden present that may never again recur, and in which lie boundless possibilities for the futnre. The words of the apostle are, as it were, the transfigured expression of the generalization of a wide experience, which tells us that ' there is a tide in the affairs of men.'., •
Vers. 3--8.-.77ie highest o~ injured by its officer. "Giving no offence in any thing," etc. Paul was engaged in the highest office-the office of reconciling '17U/~ to God ; in this he was a co-worker with the Infinite, and here he refers to- L AN EVIL 'l'O WHICH ll!INISTEBS OF THE GOSPEL ABE LIABLE. The evil referred to is bri~"lllg blame upon the ministry. "Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed." So perverse is man that he often degrades some of the, highest offices he i.J! called to sustain. There are merchants that degrade commerce, doctors that degrade medicine, judges that degrade justice, statesmen that. degrade legislation, kings that degrade the throne; but, what is worse far, there have been ministers who have degraded the ministry, and there are such still, ignorant men, intolerant men, worldly men, unspiritual men, blatant dogmatists. Ah me.I how the pulpit is often de.,araded ! IL AJ;. EVIL WHICH IWST BE AVOIDED AT A.NY COST. See what Paul did and suffered to avoid this stupendous evil "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses," etc. Mark: I. How Le suffered in order to maintain the honour of the ministry. "Afflictions," "necessil.ies,"" distreases," "stripes,"" imprisonments,"" tumults,''" labours," "watch- i.ngs,• " fa.stings," etc. 2. How he wrought in order to maintain the honour of the miniimy. By "pureness," "knowledge," "long-suffering," "kindness,'' etc. He 1-rned to labour e.nd to wait. "Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord J~ue, to teatify the gospel of the grace of God." The ministry in these days Is too oft,eD degraded into a trade, a prof888iou, a medium for the gratification of tl:>e Tanity, on. v1. 1-18.) TllE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. ,v1