this mau made against the apostle, that he W&S always bonsting of his at1thorlty, his superior knowledge, 11.nd the gl'eat things he ha.d done. St. Patti firmly utged .the distinction between glorying in what a man is or in what a man has done, and glorying in what God has made n man t-0 be and in what God has done by him. 'fhe first kind of boasting is wrong and dangerous. " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." The other kind is right, is honouring to God, and may be our proper form of testifying for him. There is then a sin of boasting, a~ainst Which we require to be duly warned. And there is a service of boastin" which may, under certain circum- st.nnces, be our most effective mode of resisting evil and witnessing for God. On the whole, howe,·er, it may be fully urged that a man's life, rather than his lip.,, should do all his boastings for him. These distinctions may be further elaborated and illustrated. I. GLORYING I~ WlIAT WE ARE IS ALWAYS A BlGN OF CHRISTIAN WEAKNESS, A man had better not even think aboat himself, but put all his effort into higher attain- ments in the Divine life. There is danger for us when we find that we have anything in ourselves to talk about or to glory in. All the finest and most delicate Christian graces a.re so fragile that they break with a touch, so sensitive that they fade if we only look on them. Do not even think about what you are; fill your thoughts with what you may be, what you may become, in the grace and strength of Christ. Christian progress stops as soon as we begin to boast. He that is satisfied with his att.ainments falls from the Christian ideal, which is this," Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if so be that I may apprehend that for which &lso I was apprehended by Christ Jesus n (Phil. iii. 12, Revised Version). Show the peril that lies in habits of introspection and self-examination with a view to finding subjects of self-satisfaction. And also of meetings in which Christians are encouraged to boast of religious feelings and experiences. The text suggests an altogether "more excellent way." "Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord." . •• II. GLORYING IN WHAT WE HAVE DONE PUTS CHRISTIAN HUMILITY IN PERIL. Because it directs men's thoughts to us, sets them upon praising us, and so lifts up our minds, gives us undue notions of our own snperiority and excellence. When he gains the applause of an unthinking multitude, Nebuchadnezzar can forget himself, and, in uttermost pride, c.9,st God wholly away, and say, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have builded?" Boastfulness of -0ur doings is always perilous. God does not need it, since he knows all about it. And man does not need it, for he can .see the doings well enough without our telling. "Let thine own works praise thee." Let thine enemies JJraise thee. Let thy friends praise thee. But if you would keep fresh the great grace of humility, never praise yourself, Ill. GLORYING IN WHAT GoD HAS DONE FOB UB AND BY UB 18 ALWAYS INBPmING AND HEALTHY. Such was the glorying of the apostle, and such are the narratives of labour given w; by great missionaries. All true records ol our life-work should lead men to say," What hath God wrought? "-R. T.
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER l l rather, ye u,011.ld bear. In my folly; rather, in a little foolishness. Na.mely, in this fool- All l.PoSTLE DRIVEN AGAINST HIS Wn.x. IIIITO ishness of boasting. " Fool " and " folly" A SEMBLANCE OF BOASTING, are here haunting words (eh. i. 16, 17, 19, An apology for the " foolishness " of 21; xii. 6, 11). The article (the i.e. my folly) is omitted in tt, B, D, E. Bear with boasting (vers. 1-4). He is not afraid of me. It is better to take this as an indica- comparisons (vers. 5, 6). He will not recede tive. It would be meaningless to pass from from his d~spised practice of teaching gra- an entreaty to a command. On the other tuitously (vers. 7-15). A .second apology, hand, "Nay, ye do reull,Y bear with me" dmwn from the outrageous conduct of his was a loving and delicate admission of such kindness as he had received from them. opponents (verll. 16-20). Hi.a privileges, Ver. 2.-For. This gives the reason life, e.nd lal,onrs (vers. 21-33). • why they bore with him. It wa.s due to a Vi:r. 1.-Would to God; rather, cootdd reciprocity of affection. I am joalollB over that I (comp. l Cor. iv. 8). You oould bear; you. The word implies both jeulousy and cH. XI. 1-33.] THE t,ECOND EPIS'fLE 'fO 'l'HE GORINTHIA:Nl:l.
zeal (eh. vii. 7; ix. 2). With a godly listening to him. Now there is none • for 0