ll'nlnres, E1,g lnnd is \\'Cl1-11igh as hide,,us as hcath<'ndom. 1 2. It is easily explained. How is it done? The apostle in this verse indicates one way in which it could be done, that is, by "wisdom of words," by which we understand him to mean gorgeous rhetoric. Wlrnt is called the Chmch has done it; that is, the assembly of men who profess to be its disciple~, representati\'eS, ministers, and promoters. The Church has -done it: (1) By its theologies. In its name it has propounded dogmas that have clashed with reason and outraged conscience. (2) By its polity. It has sanctioned wars, pronwted priestcraft, established hierarchies, which have fattened on the ignorance and poverty of the people. (3) By its spii•it. The spirit of the Church, as a rule, is in direct antagonism to the spirit of the cross. The spirit of the cross is self- sacrificing love; the spirit of the conventional Church has been to a great extent that of selfishness, greed, ambition, and oppression. Malrepresentation of Christ by the Church is the instrument that has made the cross of "none effect." 3. It is terribly criminal. It is wonderful that man bas the power thus to pervert Divine institutions and blessings; but such perverting power he has, and he uses it every day even in natural things. He forges metals into weapons for murder, he turns bread-corn into liquids to blight the reason and to damn the souls of men, Wonderful power this! and terrible is the crime in employing it for perverting the cross of Christ. A greater crime than this you cannot conceive of. Were you to turn all bread into poison, make the floi,-ing rivers pestiferous, quench the light of the sun, mantle the stars in sack- cloth, you would not perpetrate a crime half so enormous as that of making the cross of Christ of" none effect." Co!('CLUSION. Two questions. 1. What is the spiritual influence of the cross on us? Has it crucified unto us the world; destroyed in us the worlclly spirit-the spirit of practical atheism, materialism, and selfishness? 2. What are we doing with the cross? Are we abusing it or rightly employing it?
Yers. 18, 19.-Two classes if gospel hearers. "For the preaching of the cross is tc. them that perish -foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Instead of the" preaching of the cross," the New Y ersion reads, the "word of the cross," and the word of the cross stands in contrast to the word of worldly wisdom, How great is the contrast I We have here two classes of gospel bearers. I. 'l'he one is gradually PERISHING, the other is gradually BEING SAVED. The perish- ing and the saving are gradual,. 1. There is a class in every congregation, perhaps, gradually peri~hi11g. They are gradually losir:g moral sensibility-contracting fresh ;:;uilt, etc. They are not damned at once. 2, There is a class in every congregation, 1perhaps, gradually bei11g saved. Salvation is not an instantaneous thing, as some Mtppose. II. To the one class the gospel is FOOLISHNESS, to the other the POWER OF Goo. 1. Jt is "foolishness" to them that are perishing, because it has no meaning, no reality. 2. It is a Divine "power" to them that are being saved. Enlightenin;i;, renovating, ]'Urifying, enuobling. The power of God stands in contrast with mere philosophy and eloquence.
Yers. 20, 21.-Philosophy and the gospel. "Where is the wise?" etc. The "wise" ( rrocp6s) here refers specially to the sages of Greece. They were called at first " wise men," and afterwards assumed a more modest title, "lovers of wisdom," philosophers. The "scribe" refers to the learned among the Jews. The appeal of the text., therefore, is to the wisdom or the philosophy of the world, including that of the Greek or Jew. Ifcre we have- I. Philosophy 0HALLEl\'GED by the gospel. The apostle here challenges the wise men or I he world to accomplish the end which the gospel had in view, 'l'hat eud was the impa1-tation to men of the saving knowledge of God. Where, unaided, had it ever 1 Ree 'Modem Christianity a Civilized Heathenism,' by the author of 'Fight at D,,rne Europa'e School.' en. 1. 1-31.J THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTIIIANS. 13