rndden changing of metaphors is a characteristic of St. Paul's style ; for instance~, sve eh. ix. 7; 2 Cor. x. 4-8; Eph. iii. 17; Col. ii. 6-7. 'l he apostle now dwclli! f11lly on the architectural metaphor, and gives some thoughts of singular depth a!Hl importance on the trvr. fouudation for a noble life-work, nnd the kind of buildings which may l10pefully be reared upon it. The apostle speaks of himself as a foundation- 1ayer; reminds the Corinthians that it had been his work to commence or found C1,ristian Churches; that this he had successfully done again and again during his 111issionary travels; and that the Corinthian Church had its first announcement of the ~ospel from him, and the first stones of its spiritual Church laid by him. He naturally 1,,:t jealous concerning the character of the members of that Church, and would have t lwm such as would stand the testing of the great day. I. ST. PAUL AS A LATIR OF FOUNDATIONS. Only the layer, not the maker. The Foundation was provided (ver. 11); with it not even an apostle could interfere. St. Paul "as fitted for the work of laying it, or of commencing a Christian Church in new <'istricts, (1) by his special gifts as a missionary; (2) by his having received a personal r,·,·,·lation from Jesus Christ, which gave intensity to his convictions; and (3) by his , il'ar apprehension of the gospel message, and sympathetic power as a teacher. His personal and persuasive influence on his fellow-men needs to be taken into account. 1:ut St. P,rnl did not look upon tbe beginning of a Church or the conversion of a soul "' any end of his work. Laying foundations involves a design for a building that is to l,e raised upon it, and the apostle kept up his relations with the Churches he was llllnoured to found, so that be might ensure that the building was being raised in a manner worthy of the Foundation, and in harmony with it. He had no greater joy than to know that "his children walked in the truth." H. OTHER TEACHERS AS BUILDEilS ON THE FoUNDATION, St. Paul's call to the missionary work involved the necessity of removing from place to place, and prevented his personally watching over the uprising or growth of any one Church. This disability he often seriously felt, and it made him very anxious concerning the wisdom, skill, and character of those teachers who continued his work. That anxiety comes out in our rext, and it made him appeal even to the "individual Church member, urging him to see that, whatever might be the character of his teachers, his own personal character was being nobly and safely reared. The following points may be dwelt on :-1. The lwilders of any one Church may be many. There may be a long succession or pastors and teachers, with very various gifts and endowments; but each may, in his time and way, add to the symmetrical and harmonious growth of the building. Each must have done so up to the measure of his loyalty to Christ and openness to his Divine lead. Still the same variety and succession are maintained, and under the many builders' hands the great Church of the redeemed advances to its perfection. 2. The materials used in the comtruction may differ. Even of right materials there is diversity, represented by "gold, silver, precious stones." Some teachers are strong in Biblical exposition, others in enforcement of practical duties, and others in appeal to pious feeling; but all bear upon the harmonious uprising of the building. 3. The architec- tural features may in parts differ. The general design cannot be altered, but multi- tudes of details are left open. .A Christian character and a Christian Church can have but one general form; but there may be decoration and tracery according to men's thought of the morally beautiful in the age in which they build, and the whole Church appears at last as a composite structure, combining all architectural thought and form. But man's work, in character or Church, must be subject to a final and fierce testing, and only the really substantial and good may hope to bear that test.-R. 'l'.
Vers. 13-15.-Final testin9s of our life-work. In treating this passage it should be noted that the first and chief reference of it is to Christian teachers and their work, and that it can only in a second sense be applied to the ordinary Christian, and tho kind of influence for good which he strives to exert. Still, a great principle is enun~ ciated in St. Paul's counsel to the teachers, and we may give that principle a wide ana general application. The apostle is, in this part of the Epistle, dealing with tho tendency of the teachers at Corinth to overpress their individual apprehensions of the truth, and so to make parties under their lead, instead of carefully preserving the unity ul the ~hurch in the common truth "as it is in Christ Jesus." "'l'he illlage, in theso 011. m. 1--2:J.] 'l'IIE :FIRS'!' EPISTLE '10 'l'llE CORINTULI.X:3. 1:!J