I. PURITY, Of this he was supremely zealous, Christians muRt be seen to rliffor essentially from png11n idolaters. Immorality and uncleanness were <lirectly associate,\ with heathenism, and were even consecrated by idolatrous religions; but there mu~t bo no possibility of questioning that the Chrisfom Church was "called unto holiness." " Every member must know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour." There must be no "touching of the unclean thing." II. EDll"IOATION. Security for the Christian lies in continuous growth. This, indeed, is the law of nil life. When a thing ceases to grow it begins to die. The growth or upbuilding of the plant is St. Paul's supreme anxiety; and he evidently feared that the Corinthians must have been neglecting their spiritual culture, seein" they could suffer such evils to come in amongst them. Fungus-growths only attack trees in which the vitality is lowered. III. WITNESS. St. Paul expects the Churches to make positive and active testimony to all around them. That witness can only be a fitting one and a powerful one as the Church is kept pure. So St. Paul is moved with so much anxiety for the clearin.,. of the Corinthians. He wants the light that shines from them on all the heathe; world around to be a pure light, clear, white, in no way dimmed, and therefore he can rejoice that they have so fully responded to his supreme care on their behalf.-R. T. Ver. 16.-.Apostolic confidence; or the fulness of the restoration man may make to follow on his forgiveness of his fellow-men. "I rejoice, therefore, that I have con- fidence in you in all things." F. W. Robertson says," We learn from this the value of explanations. Had St. Paul left the matter unsettled, or only half settled, there never could have been a hearty understanding between him and the Corinthians. Whenever there is a misunderstanding between man and man, the true remedy is a. direct and open request for explanation." This sentence closes the apostle's reference to a very painful subject; he wishes it now to be put quite away, out of thought, and so he assures the Corinthians that no relic of suspicion or fear is left in his mind; he restores them fully to his affection and esteem; he has "confidence in them in all things." Now, in this complete restoration of the Corinthians to favour we see that man may be the shadow of God, and his forgiveness and full reconciliation may help his fellow-men to realize the fulness of the restoration which God gives to the penitent. He puts our sins behind his back. He casts them into the depths of the sea. He separates them from us as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more against us for ever. He blots out our transgressions as a cloud, and our iniquities as a thick cloud. The :figure of our God is the father in the parable of the prodigal son, who brings the penitent and forgiven son into the old place at the family table, dresses him in the son's robes, and gives him such a welcome as will show the sad past to be all forgiven and forgotten, It should be 6 serious thought to us tha.t men may take their ideas of God's dealing with them from the manner of our dealing with them. If they :find that we cannot forgive and forget, and wholly restore confidence, it will be very hard for them to believe that God can. Three points of man's dealing with man, especially of the Christian man's dealing with his fellow-Christian, may be taken as representing God's dealings with us. In these we may be ourselves examples of God. I. MAN WITHDRAWING CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF CHERISHED SIN. God ne'\"er passes by sin, and we must not. Every Church member should be quickly sensitive to the inconsistencies and sins of his fellow-members. If the sin is kept and cherished there ought to be withdrawal of confidence, for whenever his people cherish sin there is a cloud passes before God and hides his face from them. II, MAN ENDEAVOURING TO INFLUENCE FOR THE PUTTING AWAY OF SIN, Falling into transgression ought to set our brothers upon our Christian love and eITort. Erring brothers must not be left to go in their evil ways. Illustrate from St. Paul's efforts to bring the incestuous man to repentance. 'l'oo often Churches are more eager to exercise discipline than to attempt recovery, and labour to secure repentance. "Ye that are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness." III. MAN RESTORING TO CONFIDENCE WHEN THE SIN IS PUT AWAY. This we have illustrated in the hearty words of the apostle. Speaking of Newman's sentence, "A true penitent never forcrives 0 himself," F. W. Robertson says," A false estimate of the gospel of Christ and of the heart of man I .A. proud remor:'e does not forgive itself tliP n. •cOllIN'l'HlANB. 0 194 THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [err. vrn. 1-24,
forfeiture of its own dignity ; but it ie the very beauty of the penitence which ie aocording to God that at last the sinner, rel\lizing God's forgiveness, docs lenrn to forgive himself.'' And help to this "self-forgiving" we can render if we show to the sincere penitent the heartiness of our forgiveness and restoration,-R, T.