:rnd illustrated that the Father-name for God was a most marked feature in our Lord's life and teachings. He seldom or ever used any other name; nnd a candid reader cannot fail to realize that in this "Father-name" must lie much of the secret of his mission. It may be further shown from the Epistles that his disciples caught his purpose; and, with great freqnency, they use the names Father for God, and its correlate, Son, for the Lord Jesus. This appears in the text, but connected with a different name for the Lord Christ. PAUL'S PREVAILING THOUGHT FOR GoD. The Father; our Father; the Church's Father. 'l'owards realizing the aspects of the Divine Being that are gathered under this name, we gain help by considering the natuml associatio11s and duties of patemity; the idea of t.he tribal patriarch as found in the early ages; and the prophetic qualifi- cations of the sterner and governmental conceptions of God which are found in the. ~Mosaic system. If the Father-name for God be an essential, and a foundation of Christianity, as set forth by the Apostle Paul, then we must expect to find the entire Christian revelation toned and conditioned by this primary conception of the Divine Being and relations. This may be worked out and illustrated in connection with either of the primary Christian truths. And it may be pointed out that the term "Father" is properly inclusive of all holy demands, all governmental authorities, all 1·everential relations; but it is new and infinitely precious to the race, because it brings home the possibility of God's individual and personal love to each member of it. In that lies a great part of the attractive and persuasive po\ver of Christianity.-R. T. Vers. 4-7.-Gifts are signs of grace. The introduction will naturally deal with the fact, universally recognized, that talents and genius and particular endowments come from God. This was early declared in the call of Bezaleel and Aholiab, and was a familiar idea even to the heathen nations. It is one that needs fresh and frequent statement in our day. In the early Church there were both ordinary and special gifts, but the manifest Divine origin of the more special ones was designed to convince of the Divine source of all gifts, great and small. I. THE GIFTS SPECIALLY ENTRUSTED TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH. They included everything that could be regarded as necessary to their maintenance and work as a Church. But only two things are mentioned here: 1. Utteranc•. 2. Knowledge. Both these were highly valued at Corinth, 1·hetoric and wisdom being eagerly pursued. Consequently, as the desire for these found expression and sphere within the Christian community, Paul properly leads them to recognize fully the source of such endow- ments. And to know the source is to recognize the responsibility of using the gifts only in the Divine spheres and in accordance with the Divine will. This may be pointedly applied to all the modern gifts and talents in Christ's Church; all are from God, all are/or God's use, and all are to be used on God's conditions. II. THE GRACE SEEN IN THE BESTOWMENT OF THE GIFTS. This may be recognized in the honour of receiving such trusts, and in the adaptation of the gifts to the various needs of the Chnrch. III. THE AGENT THROUGH WHOM THE GIFTS ARE BESTOWED. The living Lord Jesus Christ--" in Christ Jesus "-conceived as present with and presiding over the Church; dispensing to every man severally as he wills, for the general edification. Apply by showing the importance of gifts in every age, the proper modesty of those who have the trust of gifts, and the thanlcfulness and hope we should cherish concerning those among us who are divinely endowed.-R. 'l'.
Vers. 7-9.-Christ coming, and Ghrist here. The early Church conceived that the Lord Jesus Christ would return, in some material manifestation, during their age. Inquire how far this idea rested on the view they held of Messiah as an earthly Deliverer and Patriot-King. Their question, after our Lord's resurrection, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" indicated a bias and preoccupation of mind which even their Lord's ascension did not correct; and possibly this lingering miRconception helped to form the idea of Christ's speedy second corning. It may be further shown that our Lord's assurances about his coming again might have been taken literally, thou::;h he so carefully sought to irnpre.;s the spiritual bearing of his promises, and their fullilmeot, mainly in the abiding and indwelling of the Holy G~o~t. -cu. I. 1-31.] 'l'HE FIRS'!' EPISTLE 'l'O THE CORINTHIANS.