<l11ys-the ju<lgment d11y-all shall be tested an<lfinally tested. "Each man's work shall be made manifest;" its true character will then be seen. "The day shall declare it" as it is, not as it has been thought to be. Now it may look well; but then 1 A veil now rests upon Christian work, then the veil shall be taken away; now the scaffolding obscures the building, then it shall fall, and then shall be seen "of what sort" the build- ing is. The final test cannot beeNcaped from. 2. Jlow1 By" .fire." (Not by the fires of purgatory; the apostle speaks of fire applied to work, not to persons,-not remedial, but testing.) The test will be thorough, searching, perfectly efficient. The false work will stand this test when hay and wood and stubble can abide unchanged in the flame ; but not till then. Our work may look well now, but how will it bear the fire-test? 3. By whom 1 God. At the great day he will be Judge, and will try every man's work. He will apply thefire-test. He loves truth and hates lies, which we call shams. On that day he will manifest the truth concerning work done in his Name. Whatever it has seemed before, it will then seem as it really is. 'l'he careless and the false may well tremble. at the thought of this ordeal; but the sincere and faithful may have confidence; for a.s no work then will be ma.de to appear better than it is, none will be made to appear worse. III. 'l.'HE ISSUES OF THE TESTING OF CHRISTIAN WORK. 1. As to the work tested. Some will stand. The pessimists will then be ashamed; ra.ilers and mockers will then be silenced. '!'here is some work (and who shall say that it is little?) which will approve itself to God, and stand the final and most searching trial. 'l'his, doubtless, will be the work done in Divine strength, and, whilst the doers of it will rejoice with exceeding joy, they will.as assuredly cry," Not unto us." Some work will not stand the test. As hay and wood and stubble are speedily consumed in the fire, so this work will perish iu the last testing flames. To see a life-work destroyed in a day! A. life lived and uo fruit. No "Well done" because all bas been ill done. A.nd perhaps all through carelessness, sluggishness, self-reliance, inattention to the " mind of Christ." Sad, sad close of a "Christian course." 2. As to workers. Some shall "receive a reward;" their work has borne the test. Though they say truly that t bis reward is "unmerited," they shall have it. "Doth Job serve God for nought?" Certainly not; no man ever did or shall. We lose nothing by labouring for Christ; and note that we lose nothing by labouring thoroughly for him. We may lose by labouring half- heartedly-we may lose our reward. It is best every way to do our best in Christ's service. Some receive no reward. Their work perishes and they "suffer loss," but they themselves are saved, "yet so as by fire," i.e. barely, with difficulty. The reference is to those who bold fundamental truths (for they are supposed to build on the on~ l•'ouudation, ver. 12), but who mingle with their teaching the wood, hay, and stubble of human notions. Strikingly are we here taught that salvation is not of works; for the works perish, but the salvation abides. Doubtless we must suppose that in snch cases there is true Christian living and a real desire to do the Master's will ; for these are necessary evideuces of a saved, regenerate state; but the vital truth of salva- tion by faith is pointedly illustrated by the chief works of the lifo (upon which all would have been resting if salvation were of works) suffering ignominious rejectioll. Being saved "so as by fire" is in striking contrast to" the abundant entrance." May we have the ecstatic joy of the latter, and the holy gladness which comes from seeing that Wfl have not "lived in vain" 1-H.
Vers. 16, li.-God's temple. Declared to be the Church of Christ. Each com- munity of Christians is a temple of God. The old temple has perished; this is the new and the imperishable. The Christian Church bas often been insignificant in number,, wealth, position, earthly learniug; men have despised her; judged by human standan\:; she has appeared contemptible; but the Divine thought h11s been this-the temple of God I I. RESEMBLANCES. 1. Erected under Divine direction. The olcl and new temples are of God; they express his thought and purpose. Believers who constitute the new templo become believers through him; for faith is the gift of God. 'l'hcy are gathered into the Church as spiritual stones, by his servants, unJer bis direction, and each has an appropriate place. God is the Author of the constitution of the Church. 2. Erected for the Divine glory. 'l'he supreme object. Everything in the Church to be wade I COlllNTHIANS. 114 TUE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'I.IE CORIN'l'HIANS. [cH. m. 1-23.