ambition, and the greed of men. The millions have come to call churches and ch!l.pel., "preaching-shopR." One of the greatest trades carried on in this commercial age is, perhaps, the trade in the gospel. Vora. 9, 10.-"ThingB are not what they seem." "As unknown, and yet well known' etc. Again8t misrepresentationR and slanders, Paul, in the context, vindicates hi~ apostolic authority, and proclaims at the same time the unworldly principle which animated both him and his fellow-workers. These words present to us the two opp'l- site sides of a good man's life-the secular and the Bpiritual. The side revealed, as seen by man, and the side in the sight of God. I. To THE SECULAR EYE HE WAS UNKNOWN; TO THE SPIRITUAL WELL KNOWN. "As unknown, and yet well known." The world has never yet rightly interpreted and understood the real life of a genuine disciple of Christ. 'l'o the world, Paul appcare,1 an ignominious fanatic. John says," The world knoweth us not." The world doe;; not understand self-sacrificing love, the animating, shaping, directing principle of a godly man's life. It understands ambition, greed, revenge, but not this. Hence men in every age, so far as they have come under the rule of this "new commandment,'' have been regarded. as monsters unworthy of life. This explains martyrdom, ay, and the crucifixion of Christ. But, though thus unknown to men, they are well known to others. 1. Well known to Christ. "I know my sheep." Christ knows all his disciples. 2. Well known to heavenly spirits. They are famous in heaven. At their conversion heaven rejoiced, and over every step of their subsequent history heaven watches with a loving care. II. To THE SECULAR EYE HE WAS DYING; TO THE SPIRITUAL HE WAS LIVING, "As dying, and, behold, we live." To worldly men Paul appeared as mortal as other men ; with a frame scourged by persecution, shattered by perils, wasted by labour and want, he was nothing but a dying man. His contemporaries knew that he would soon run himself out, and mingle with the dust of all departed men. But spiritually he Wal! living. "Behold, we live.". The soul within that dying body of bis was living a wonderful life-a life of Christly inspiration and aims, a life of communion with heaven; a life destined to become more sunny, vigorous, and beautiful with every aspiration and act. Living is not body-breathing, but spirit-acting, acting according to the Divine laws of our constitution. Ill. .To THE SECULAR EYE HE WAS MUCH TRIED; TO THE SPIRITUAL HE WAS NOT DEBTBOYED. "Chastened, and not killed." The word " chastened" here refers, I think, to his various scourgings, suffered in the synagogues and elsewhere. To worldly spectators he, with all his wounds, would appear a dead man; but he was spiritually alive. The hardships and the strifes did not touch his soul ; his spiritual purposes, enjoyments, and hopes were not killed. Spiritual life is un.k.illable; like certain plants in the vegetable kingdom, which have their germs or roots so deep down in the soil, and so thoroughly mixed up with it, that, though you cut down the trunk, or pull up the roots from the earth, their life will break out again. IV, To THE SECULAR EYE llE WAS VERY SORROWFUL; TO TllE SPil\lTU.il HE W.l.S ALWAYS REJOICING. "As sorrowful, yet a.lway rejoicing." As if Paul hall saiJ, "Under our sufferings, we seem to be very cast down and sad; dreary, degradeJ, and wretched does our life seem to the worldly men around us." So it often is with the life of a Christian man. But, on the spiritual side, a truly godly man is "al ways rejoicing," rejoicing in a good conscience, rejoicing in a stream of pure and noble thoughts, rejoicing in a consciousness of Divine favour. V, To THE SECULAR EYE HE WAS VERY POOR; TO THE SPIRITUAL HE WAS WEALTH- GlVING, "As poor, yet making many rich." Paul and his colleagues were poor; they had suffered the loss of all things. Yet spiritually they were not only rich, but made others rich. 1. The highest work of man is to impart spiritual riches to his brother man, 2. Worldly poverty does not disqualify a man for the discharge of this sublime mission. VI, To THE SECULAR EYE HE WAS DESTITUTE; TO THE SPil\ITUAL HE WAS ENORMOUSLY RICH, "Ilavincr 0 nothincr, and yet possessincr all things." Nothing of this world', good, ret "possessing all thitgs," not legally, btlt morally. Chris111aess gives us an intt-ro,t 1n all things. " All things are yours." 150 TRE SECOND EPtS'l'Llll ':rO THE CORlN'11HIANS. [oR. vr. 1-18,
Do not estimate life by appearances-things are not what they eeem. Christliness with poverty, persecution, and suffering, is infinitely to be pteferred to wickedness with the whole world at its command.