for they nrc unholy; Redemption, for they are lost as other men. 1. Wisdom. The early Christians were made wise, not after the type of Jewish rabbis or Greek sages, but as cast into e. higher mould-the mind of Christ. And so also now. It must be confessed that some who profoss and ea.II themselves Christians speak and act foolishly; but the more Christian at heart one becomes, the more does be gain of a wisdom far beyond the keenest penetration of worldly minds, for he makes his estimates in the light of God, and learns to look on earthly things as from "heavenly places." Christ in us is Wisdom from above. 2. Righteousness. "There is none righteous, no, not one." 'l'he world can show men of strength, skill, valour, shrewdness, eloquence, erudition, enterprise; but where is the righteous man? Alas! there is not one. Nay; but there is One righteous. Jesus Christ was and is fr.at" J:ist One." And as the wisdom ascribed to him is "the wisdom of God," so also the righteousness attributed to him is "the righteousness of God." This righteous One died for us, the just One for the unjust many. And in• his-restoration from the dead and return as the righteous One to the Father, there is the basis of acceptance for all who are "of God in him." So righteousness is imputed :without works. Christ is made to us Righteousness. 3. Sanctification. "Holiness..to lhe,Lord" is not known, or even possible, without Christ. Yet" without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." Now, the apostle does not say that Christ is made to us Holiness; for this might seem to favour a doctrine of imputed holiness, which is full of peril. But he is made to us Consecration; so that in him we are constituted saints, separated from evil to the service of the holy God, and from him we derive purifying and sustaining grace for that newness of life to which we are called and pledged. 4. Redemption. There is no need to say" complete redemption," or "final redemption," as some menders of Scripture have been wont to do, because the thing in view is not "the redemption of the purchased possession," or the redemption of the body at the resurrection of the just; but the redemption which is now obtained by reason of the precious blood of Christ, because he gave himself a ransom for us. So we have decisive and conclusive quittance, both from guilt and from "the house of bondage." And here also Christ is all, III. THE AIM AND ISSUE OF BLESSINGS so CONFERRED. (Ver. 31.) That the saved may have confidence in the Lord, and ascribe to him all the praise and glory of their salvation. It is a good test of doctrine, whether it refers all sufficiency and renders all praise to God in Christ Jesus. It is a test of the heart, whether it delights to have it so. We mean not merely glory and thanks to God for sending the Saviour into the world-for so much is common to all types of Christian doctrine; but also glory and praise to God for bringing men into union with the Saviour, and so into personal pos- session of the blessings of salvation. It is reckoned a mark of a base spirit among men that it assumes credit to which it is not entitled, and ignores its obligations to others. But noble minds are the first to say that, for whatever they have accomplished, they were not sufficient of themselves, but had help of Divine providence, help of favouring circumstances, and help of their fellow-men. When grace is received from Heaven, how base and unthankful would it be to boast as if one had not received it! Some cannot give glory to the Lord, because they really are not in Christ; and some because, though perhaps in him, they do not trust in him with steady faith. Some too are always trying to be saved. '!'hey spend their lives iu the channel of the Red Sea, sore afraid of the Egyptians. 'rhey never come up on the shore where the delivered sing to the Lord who has triumphed gloriously.-F.
Vers. 1-9.-Paul's claim to apostleship. The personal appearance and charac- teristic disposition of Paul, with the particular circumstances which led to the writing of this letter, and roused intense personal feeling, form a fitting introduction. Paul blends Sosthenes with himself in the salutation, partly because of this mau's connection with Corinth (see Acts xviii. 17), partly as an answer to those who charged him with making too much of himself and his apostolic rights. By associating this name iu the ad<lress, Pa!il intimates that he did not desire to make himself the sole guide of the Church, nor would he put himself before Christ in the thought of the people. The general iden of apostleship is mission. An apostle is a sent one, or a commissioned one It was applied to other than the twelve, or thirteen, usually so called; Barnabas and Silas coming under this classification. As npplied to the" twelve" (either as inclm1ing 52 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'l'HIANS. [en. 1. 1-31.