V(Jr. 20.-That no floah should glory. For (>Jrrpov, o:1ro>-.6-rp,,,<rir). The meaning o.n<l the wea.k instruments of Gocl's triumphs are nature of the act, as regard, Gori, lie in 80 wcnk th"t it wns impossible for them to rcgiuns above our comprehension; s,, that all 11 ,cribe nny power or merit to themselves. speculations as to the person to whom the In contcmpla.ting tho victory of the :iross, the ransom was pai<l, and the reason why it waa wodd could only oxclo.im, "This ho.th Goel indispensable, have only led to centuries of wrought." "~t is the L~~d's doing, o.nd it mistaken theology. But the me1rning and i8 ma.rvellous rn our eyes. nature ofit, as regard, man,ia our clcliverauce Ver. 30.-But of him are ye in Christ from bondage, and the payrue11t of tbe debt Jesus. Ye do not belong to the wise and which we had incurred (Titus ii. 14; 1 11 oble. Your strength will consist in Pet. i. 18; Matt. xx. 28; Rom. viii. 21-23). n~knowledged weakness; for it is solely In all theso cases, as Stanley well observes, derived from your fellowship with God by the words haYe a double meaning-both of your unity with Christ. Who was made unto an inl'l"ard a.et and of an outwanl result. us etc. These words rather mean, "Who Ver. 31.-As it is written. A compressed ;v~s made unto us wisdom from God-both quotation from the Septuagint Version of Jer. righteousness and sanctilicntion and redemp- ix. 23, 24; 1 Sam. ii. 10. Let him glory in tion." 'fhe text is a singularly full state- the Lord. The word rendered "glory" is lllt'nt of the whole result of the work of more literally, boast. The reference is to Uhrist, as the source of "all spiritual Jer. ix. 23, 2!; 1 Sam. ii. 10 (LXX.). The blessings in things heavenly" (Eph. i. 3), prevalence of "boasting" among the Corin- in whom we are complete (Col. ii. 10). thians and their teachers drove St. Paul to Righteousness (see 2 Cor. v. 21 ). " J chova.h- dwell much on this word-from which he tsidkenu-the Lord our Righteousness" so greatly shrinks-in 2 Cor. x.-xii. (where (Jer. xxiii. 5). This is the theme of Rom. the word occurs twenty times), and to insist iii. -vii. Sanctification (see especially eh. that the only true object in which a Christian vi. 11 and Eph. v. 25, 26). Redemption. One can glory is the cross (Gal. vi. H), not in of the four main metaphors by which the himself, or in the world. or in men. atonemAnt is dellCl'ibecl is this of ranwm
HOMILETICS.
Vers. 1-3.-Tofeel, to be, and to desire. "Paul, called to be an apostle," etc. This salutation of Paul suggests (1) what ctll ministers should feel; (2) what all Christians should be; and (3) what all men should desire. I. WHAT ALL MINIS'l'ERS SHOULD FEEL. They should feel: 1. That they have· a. call to their mission. Paul did so. "Called to be an apostle of Jesu3 Christ through the will of God." No man will do his work effectively in any sphere unless he is assured in his own mind that he is called to it. The inner evidence of this call is sympathy with the work and aptitude for it. 2. That their call is Divine. Paul felt called "through the will of God." It is one thing to feel you havl.' a call to a mission, and another thing to feel that call is Divine. The predominence of the sympathy and the pre-eminence of the aptitude will give this assurance. No man succeeds in any mission unless he feels called to it. II. WHAT ALL MEN SHOULD BE. The description given of the persons addressed suggests what <Lll men should be. What? 1. Religiously social. 'l'hey should be identified with a religious community. "The Church of God which is at Corinth." All men should be in fellowship with the good, not isolated. 2. Consecrated to Christ. "Sanctified in Christ Jesus." Set apart to him, devoted to him, and thus "called to be saints." Called to live holy lives. "In every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord." A reverent, conscious dependence on him everywhere. 3. A catholic participation in Christ. "Both theirs and ours." 'l'here are those who feel that Christ is their special property, they would mono- polize him. An un-Cbristly feeling this. The feeling should be our Christ. "Our Father which art in heaven." There is no personal Christianity that is nut catholic in spirit. III. WHAT ALL .IIIEJ!< ~Hour,D DESIRE. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." lu this we have the highest phill\nthropy--a philanthropy that desires for man: 1. 'l'he highest good. "Grace and 10 THE lr!RST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE COIUN'l'HIANS. [en. r. 1-3t.