,ers. 16, 17.-Humanity the temple qf God. "Know ye not that ye are the temple· of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man t..lellle the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which t.emple ye are." Tbe apostle is w1iting not to those who were spiritually pe,fect; on the contrary, to those who were characterized by most salient moral defects. Yet he says, "Ye are the- temple of God." Let us, therefore, look at man- I. As A Drvn.E "TEMPLE." "The temple of God." In what respects a temple?- 1. He is a special residence of Goel. God is in all material objects, but he is especially ill moral mind. 2. Be is a special manifestation of God. God is seen everywhere in. this world, but never so fully as in the mind of man. "We are all his offspring," and we are like the Father in essence, conscience, freedom. 3. He is a special meeting-place "'ith God. The temple at Jerusalem was God's special meeting-place with man. ·• There will I commune with thee." Man can meet with God in material nature, but. 11ot so fully and consciously as in mind. "'l'he highest study of mankind is man." ll. As a Divine " temple" THAT MIGHT BE DESTROYED. " If any man defile [destroy]. the temple of God." The destruction of a temple does not mean the destruction of all. its parts, but the destruction of its use. Man might live for ever, and yet be destroyed as the temple of God, the special residence, manifestation, and meeting-place of God. Xow, mark, this destruction, if it takes place, is not by God. He will not destroy the· temple, only by man. " If any man defile [ destroyJ the temple." Alas I men are destroying this temple, i.e. destroying their natures as the temple of God. An awful "ork this! UL As a Divine temple, the DESTROYED OF WHICH WILL BE DESTROYED BY Goo HIM- SELF. "Him shall God destroy." Destroy, if not his existence, all that makes exist- ence worth having or even tolerable. "He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." "The temple of God is holy," that is, ideally holy, ought to be holy.
Vers. 1~20.-Worldly wisdom. "Let no man deceive himself. If any mall, among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." The "wisdom" here referred to is what Paul calls elsewhere "fleshly wisdom," the "wisdom of the world," or of the age. It is the same wisdom as he reters to in eh. i. 20. 'l'he "wisdom of this world" may be regarded an mere intellectual knowledge, applied to secular and selfish ends; however vast and varied its attainments, it is worldly in the apostolic sense; it is "earthly," "sensunl," "devilish," not like the "wisdom which is from above," which is "first pure, then peaceable, g:eatle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits." In relation to this wisdom three remarks are here suggested. I. It is SELF-DELUDL>i;G. "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among yon. seemetb to be wise in this world," etc. 1. This worldly wisdom deceives a man, inasmuch as it leads him to overrate the value of his attainments. He imagines thnt. this kind of knowledge, "wisdom," is everything for a man. Hence the enthusiastic promotion of secular schools and colleges. But all such knowledge ill of no value to• man as man, and beyond his brief and uncertain earthly life. He deceives himself in its value, 2. This worldly wisdom deceives a man, inaHmnch as it leads him to, en. m. 1-23.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE CORINTHIANS. 91
01·errnte his own importance. He is" vainly pn!Ted by his earthly mind," as Paul Hays elsowhcro (Col. ii. 18). Such a man imagines himself to be very great; he bccornos n pedant; he" struts and stares and a' that." II. It is SPIRITUALLY WORTHLESS. A man with this worldly wisdom must" become a fool, that he may be wise." 'l'wo things are here implied. 1. 'fhat with all his wisdom he is already really a "fool." He is a "fool;" for he looks for happiness where it is not to be found. Happiness does not spring from a man's brain, but from his heart; not from his ideas, but from his affections. Moreover, he is a" fool" because he practically ignores the chief good, which is love for, resemblance to, and fellowship with, the great God. Hence God esteems this wisdom as foolishness. "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." The most illustrious scholar, sage, orator, who is considered by himself and by most of his contemporaries to be a man of wonderful wisdom, to the eye of God is a fool. III. It is ULTIMATELY CONl'Ol:NDING. "It is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." lt must confound a man sooner or later, either (1) here in his conversion, or (2) yonder in bis retribution. "Who are the wise? They who he.ve govern'd with a self-control Each wild e.nd baneful passion of the soul, Curb'd the strong impulse of all-fierce desires, But kept a.live affection's purer fires; They who have pass'd the labyrinth of life Without one hour of weakness or of strife, Prcpar'd each change of fortune to endure, Humble though rich, and dignified though poor, Skill'd in the latent movements of the heart, Learn'd in the lore which nature can impart, Teaching the sweet philosophy aloud Which sees the 'silver lining• of the cloud, Looking for good in a.II beneath the skies 1- Theae a.re the trnly wise." (Prince.)