beforo this mystery of Divine might. 2. All-important. The great need: without this, all nothing. If the increase comes not, of what service is it to plant and irrigate? If tl!e Divine blessing rests not on our preaching and teaching, of what possible service can Jt be? Alas/ how often we forget thi.~! No harvest becau-~e God i,gnored. 3. Inde- pendent. God is not in any way dependent upon us or others for the increase; neither is he for the sowing and watering. 'l'he storm-wind can be his seed-sower, the rains- ano. the dews are his servants. Ill. REFLECTIONS. 1. God's work and man's are usually conjoined. God works generally by means. Let us, therefore, see that our part is done. 2. As our part is important, let us do it with the utmost possible efficiency. 3. Let us ever remember that we are working in God's field, and near to him, under his observation, etc. 4. Let us never attempt to do God's part or take any of the glory when it is done. 5. Let us ever oear in mind the relative importance of God's work and ours. Our work is nothing in comparison with his; we are nothing in comparison with him (ver. 7). 6. When we have <lone our part, let us look in faith to God to accomplish his. 7. Let us think little of man, much of God. 8. Let us never expect God's work from man. 9. As we work with and for the same God, let us cultivate unity.-H. Vers. 10, 11.-771e great Foundation. I. WHAT IT IS. It is Christ (ver. 11). He- is the Foundation of: 1. Christianity. Its basis is conveye<l. in its name. It rests upon Uhrist. If be be removed, it falls to the ground in ruins; if he be dimiuishe<l (as in the denial of bis divinity, for example), Christianity becomes weak and tottering. As Christianity is of Christ, so is it strong, abiding, glorious. 2. The Christian Church. Its doctrines and practice. How many other foundations have been laid for it from time to time! how often there bas been an attempted union of other foundations with the one Foundation, Jesus Christ I To tamper with this Foundation is perilous indeed ; to add to it is to deteriorate and to threaten the whole superstructure. The Christian Uhurch should look to her Foundation, and clear away all that is not of Christ. No hurricane or storm will move her if she is on the Rock; but if her dependence be upon the shifting sands of wealth, position, world-power, human learning, or other things of man, woe betide her! 3. Religious work. How Paul made Christ the Foundation of his work amongst the Corinthians when he determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified (eh. ii. 2) ! When we teach we should teach Christ, when we prea~h we should preach Christ. Our work amongst men is not to be based upon our fancies or upon human theories, but upon Christ and his great redemptive work. We ma_v amuse men with the fireworks of rhetoric or startling supposition, but the blaze will soon be over, and the old darkness will seem more intense than ever. If we want to bring abiding light to men, we must not divert them with pyrotechnic displays, but we must bring them to the Sun-the Sun of Uighteousness. Much "religious work" is like a house built upon nothing. The marvel is, not that it should last so short a time, but that it should last at all. 4. Godly life. There is no sure foundation but this. Christ is the way to holiness. A life's labour after true excellence-will be thrown away unless Christ be the Starting-point. vVe shall not reach God without Cbri.,t: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John xiv. 6); "\Vithout me ye can do nothing." From Christ we receive power to live aright. Many seek to be godly that they may come to Christ, instead of coming to Christ that they may be godly. We have heard of the man who resolved to rear the house first and put in the foundation afterwards, but he was not a successful builder. 5. National greatness. A 11ation is truly great only in so for as it is based upon Christ aud the principles which he- expounded. The nations have perished one after another; their greatness was spurious, and therefore they were ephemeral; they rested upon that which moved, not upon that which is immovable-" The same yesterday, to-day, an,\ ,vr ever." \Vhen the nation arises which shall be founded upon Christ and his truth, its glory and l!:reatne,s shall excel the palmiest days of Solomon, and it shall abide. Our duty as subjects is. to remove from the national foundations all that is not of Christ. Sacrifice may Le- entailed, but never loss: it is never loss to cast away the bad. II. How IT IS LAID. 1. By human instrumentality. At Corinth b_v Paul: "wise" (ver. 10) was he as a master-builder to lay this foundation, as well as wise in his. maimer of laying it. Here is marvellous honour conferred upon human crerrn:rcs, that U2 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE CORINTHIANS. [cH. m. 1-23
uf laying tl1e great foundation. We may participate in this vast privilege; we may l,a\'c the high joy of laying the Fonndati,in, Jesus Christ, in some unsaved souls. If arclrnngels cnu!d envy, assuredly they would envy us this sublime, all-glorious work. How readily should we run to it! how gladly devote to it our every power! how unceasingly labour and pray until "Christ be formed in" those whoso salvation we desire! 2. Under Divine direction and by Divine help. What wisdom is here required I and of ourselns we arc but foolish; what power! and we are weaklings. ·• Our suffi- ciency is of God." Only are we "wise master-builders" when we constantly look up for guidance a1.d rely upon Omnipotence. If we do anythiug in this matter it can only -be "according to the grace of God" (ver. 10). This grace must be souuht. When recei,ed and made effective in our lives, all the glory of that which is a~complished must be ascribed to him from whom the grace has flowed.-H.