reality. Think of those associations into which men enter for purposes of commerce, pcr_sonal en~ichment, science, pleasure, politi?s, philanthropy; _the oneness o~ a nation rn its devotion to the throne and const1tut10n; of an army m the enthusiasm of its service; of a popular assembly under the spell of some commanding influence; the oneness even of a family, with its identity of interest and int('rchango of natural affection ;-what are all these forms of unity compared with that of souls that arc bound together in the fellowship of the eternal life of Christ, members of his body, and therefore "members one of another"? The true brotherhood, which men seek else- where in vain, they find in the Church ransomed by the blood of Christ and built on him as its eternal Foundation. III. THE ROOT OF AN ENDURING PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. In what the apostle afterwards says of the different ways in which men "build," he probably bas religious teachers and the quality of their teaching specially in view. But we may also apply it to the quality of a man's personal character and life. The picture is presented of one who, as regards the groundwork of his being, may be "in Christ," but whose practice is not altogether worthy of the sacred relationship-a loose fabric of "wood, bay, stubble." In the day "when every man's work shall be made manifest of what sort it is," bow mournfully will the defective doings of the unfaithful servant, the careless slothful builder, be swept away before the consuming fire! "He shall suffer ·loss: . . . saved; yet so as by fire." And this suggests an opposite picture. There arc those whose virtue has no living root in Christ, draws none of its inspiration from the faith of which he is the "Author and Finisher." It is a fabric symmetrical and fair to look upon, but it rests not on the true Foundation. It is not for us to judge any man. "To his own Master he standeth or falleth." But this we know-that the criterion by which Christ will judge us all "at that day" is the relatiou in which we stand towards himself, and "other foundation" of personal righteousness "can no man lay."-W. Ver. 13.-Proof by fire. There can be no doubt as to what day it is that is here intended. It is that "great and dreadful day" of the Lord's coming to judgment, to which all Scripture bears more or less distinct prophetic witness-the day when tl,e· final issues of time shall be gathered up, and time itself shall melt into the measurelcs~ eternity. One special characteristic of the day is that then all humau works will be put to the supreme and decisive test. Consider- I. 'l'HE INSTRUMENT OF THE TEST. "The fire shall prove each man's work." 1. Literal elemental fire. It is the plain teaching of Scripture tbat the visible, material world around us shnll undergo some wondrous transformation by fire, that out of the· ashes of the old there may arise "the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (see Mai. iv. 1; 2 Thess. i. 8; 2 Pet. iii. 7, 10). And science confirms the possibility, if not actual probability, of such an issue. 2. The fire of Divine holiness. The elemental fire is but the outward symbol of moral judgment. It was for such judgment that Christ came into the world at first (Isa. x. 17; Mai. iii. 2, 3; Matt. iii. 11, 12). He will finally and completely fulfil in the last day this judicial function. The holy love of God, in its fiery antagonism to all evil, is incar- nated in "that Man whom he bath ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead." II. THE l'URPOSE OF THE TEST. To make manifest "every man's work of what sort it is." To make manifest: 1. The basis on which it rests. Christ is the Source of all true saintliness of character and righteousness of life in men. Only as our souls are "rooted and grounded" in him can we build up a fabric of personal virtue that will stand the searching test of that day. "This is the work of God, that ye believe "n him whom he bath sent" (John vi. 29). 2. The spirit that inspire.~ it. 'l'ho mere form of the work, the place and space it has visibly occupied on the stage of the worlcl's history, is of comparatively small moment. The spirit that has animated it, this is its living substance, its essential quality. It is this that makes it of "the sort it is." 3. The practical results of it. Not all the works even of the best of men will bear the revealing light and the consuming fire of that day. When the good die, "their works do follow them," as grateful memories, as enduring fruits of goodness and of blessmg to the world. And yet not all. There may have been works among them that were too much "of the earth, earthy." They perish with meaner things, not worthy oi" :1.24' THE FIHST EPISTLE TO THI!": COIUNTHIANS. [err. m. 1-23,
immortality. 'While in the case of some men it is as if all were lost; they lc•nve no Listing _mernori_als behind them: over_ which th~ living may rejoice; but like one flying S,om l11s burn mg house, escapmg with hare hfe, they aro." saved; yet so as by fire." l'rove yourself and yom work now by the Divine standard," that when Ho shall appear you may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."-W.