Ver. 16.-0aught with guik. "Nevertheless, being crafty, I oaughtyou with guile." This expression occasions serious difficulty to the exegete. It may be that St. Paul is . referring to the Mcusation made against him that, being a orafty man he had cauaht the_~rintbians wit~ gui_le. He repudiates altogether such a charge, ~nd pleads, a~ a sufficient proof of his guilelessness, that no man could say he had ever used his official position to make perso~al gains. Archdeacon Farrar says," Bein~ confessedly one who strove for p~e and umty, _who endeavoured to ~eet all men half-way, who was ready to be all thrngs to all men 1f by any means he might save some, he has more than once· to vindicate his character from those charges of insincerity, craftiness, dishonesty, guile, man-pleasing, and flattery which are, perhaps, summed up ih the general depreciation . which he so indignantly rebuts, that' he walked according to the flesh,' or in other words, that his motives were not spiritual, bntlow and selfish.-" He paraphrases the sentence taken as our text thus: " But stop I though I did not burden you, yet ' being· a cunning person, I caught you with guile.' Under the pretext• of a collection I got money out of you by my confederates I I ask you, is that a fact?" A possible insinuation of the Corinthians is hereby anticipated and refuted; and we need not treat the statement of the text as a.ny acknowledgment by St. Paul that he had adopted , any gnileful schemes. No man could have been m·ore thoroughly genuine, 'more honourably straightforward. The subject_ for our consideration ma.y be treated under three di visions. • I. 'l'HE IDEA OF "CAUGHT WITH GUil,E" THAT IS INADmssmLE IN CHRISTIAN' WORK; ' 1. Anything approaching to" doing evil that good may <!Ome" is inadmissible. 2. So is any altering or qualifying the fundamental truths, claims, and ·duties• of the gospel. 3. So is any kind ·of action that is immoral, or of ,which the morality is even doubtful. Illustrate by some of the guileful principles enunciated by the Jesuit fa.there, and so mercilessly exposed by Pa.seal in the • Provincial Letters.' Sincerity- and simplicity a.re first virtues in Christian workers; both the man and his labours must be such as can be searched through and through. Guile, as the world understands the term, must not be once known among. us, as becometh saints. II. THE IDEA OF" CAUGHT WITH GUILE" THAT IS ADMISSIBLE IN CHBISTLU{ WOBK. In the sense of adaptation to capacity it is an essential feature of Christian service. This may sometimes appear to. the onlooker as guile. In teaching children or uneducated people, truth has to be simplified, to be set in figure and parable, and broken up into parts and pieces, and such guilefulness St. Paul recognizes as valuable. He fed the people with "milk" when he knew that they were unftt to receive "strong meat" of truth. Our Lord himself was guileful in this good sense, for at the close of his Inter- course with his disciples he said, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannct bear them now." It may also be shown that there is a " quick-wittedness" and skilful seizing of opportunities, which are gifts -finding honourable spheres in the Christian Church. • Ill. 'fHE IDEA OF "CAUGHT WITH GUil,E" THAT NODLE-JIIINDED :MEN SHRINK FBOH Elli'LOYING. Such are the various sensational devices of modern -revivalism. 'rhe masses are to be caught with the guile of trumpet, and drum,.and dress, and excited weetings. We need not ·say that such things are inadmissible, because they are not morally wrong. But where there is a fuU sympathy with the Divine·Lord, who l<did not strive, nor cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in-the streets," all such gui-lefulnessee cannot but be painful. Anything approaching to an advertising• of the gospel or the vreachers of the gospel grieves the sensitive feeling of all who ~now that the gospel needs no such introductions, but is itself God's power unto salvation to every one that believes. Our "yea " had better be simple " yea;" with DO blast of trumpet or roU .ot drum let 1ll! tell men of the life there is for all in Christ our living Saviour; and let our only guile be arlaptation..--R. T. ell. xtu. 1--14.) 'rllE Sli:UO.Nt> EPIS'rL~ TO THE COR1N'f1IIANS. 313
Ver. 21.-The hwmbling of God's ministers. "I fear . . . lest, when I come again, my God will humble rno among yon." "There is something almost plaintive in the tone in which the apostle speaks of the sin of his disciples as the only real 'humiliatioo, which he has to fear." 'fhe following points will be readily worked out and illustrated nccording to the experiences of the preacher:- I. Suon HUMDLINIJS OOME FROM SEEMING FAILUilES. Compare our Lord's distressful roproach of Capernaum and other towns on the shores of the lak.e of Galilee. See also St. Paul's trouble over the failure of the Galatians from their primitive faith: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you ? " etc. II. SuoH HUMDLINIJS COME FBOM STRIFE AND DIVISIONS. As illustrated in the Corinthian Church (see 1 Cor. ii.). Such strife may arise from (1) false teaching; (2) masterful individuals, who make parties; (3) misunderstandings; (4) exercise of necessary Church discipline. III. Suoa HUMDLINGS COME FBOH INDIVIDUAL BAOKBLIDINGB. There is no sadder phase of experi~nce for Christian ministers than the spiritual and moral failure of their converts, and of those whom they have most fully trusted in Christian life and work. So often men fall fo.to temptation and are overcome in their middle life. When ministers look for the ripest fruitage, then there is blight and death; wealth, pleasure, vice, smite and kill the soul, and the pastor weeps over the toil of life that seems to have been all in vain. St. Paul spoke of the Corinthians as "his glory and joy;" and the things which he goes on to mention in this verse put shame on his work, for the gospel call is "not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." And ministers spend their strength for nought if thos_c who b~lieve a.re not" careful to maintain good works."-R. T.