11ncl the decisions of judges. Dnt tbe spirit of absolute justice reigns in the truo Church. II. IT IS A TRIDUNAL FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF ALL DISPUTES, Paul intimates that it is to judge disputes on the "smallest matters," and of "things pertaining to this life.'' These expressions seem to comp_rehend all ~ispntes-not merely religions, but secular; not only disputes on great sub.1ects, but disputes on minor subjects 11s well. The instinct of Cbristly justice which inspires it peers into the heart of all moral conduct. It has an "anointing from the Holy One, by which it knows all thincrs." The more· spiritually pure a man is the more readily will he detect the wrou!!. o7ily a few years· ago some of our judges occupied twelve months or more, at an enormous expense to the nation, in order to fincl out whether a man was an impostor or not. 'l'o a mind full o( moral justice an impostor is detectecl instinctively and at once. No locric can read the ~idden pri_nciµ~es of_ 8: man's heart. Christ !mew". what was in man," a~d those highly unbued with his Spmt are to some extent gifted with the same insiirht. III. DISPUTANTS WHO WILL NOT HA VE THEIR CASES SETTLED IN THIS COURT ARE: JUSTLY LIABLE TO REPROACH. 1. Reference to another court is unwise. "If then ye· have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judcre who are least esteemed, in the Church." The meaning is that any other court to whi;h the case is t11.ken· is of no account in the estimation of the Church-it is a morally inferior institntion. The trib~m~l of man in comparison to Ch~ist's ~ribunal is a truly contemptible thing. You Chnst1ans degrade yourselves by taking disputes to such tribunals. "I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you?" It is a shame to you to ha,e your disputes carried to such tribunals, a shame that yon cannot settle your· disputes among yonrselves, that "brother should go to law with brother, before the unbelievers." 2. Reference to another court is wrong. "Now therefore, there is utterly a fault [a defect] among you, because ye go to law one with another." Better than to do this, better than to go to a worldly tribunal to settle your disputes, better you should suffer wrong than take your grievance into the worldly courts. "The Church bas principles," says Robertson, "according to which all such matters may be set at rest. And the difference between the worldly court of justice and the Christian court of arbitration is a difference of diametrical opposition. Law says, 'You shall have- your rights;' the spirit of the true Church says, 'Defraud not your neighbour of hi&,. rights.' Law says, 'You must not be wronged;' the Church says,' It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong.' " Vers. 9-11.-Genuine reformation. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shaU not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicatorR, nor idolaters,. nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And ~uch were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye. are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of o~ir God." Reformation. of some kind or other is an object most earnestly pursued by all m every land who are alive to the woes and wrongs of life. Some of the reformations sought are of a ques-• tionable utility; none will prove of any essential and permanent service but that presenteu in the text. The reformation is- I. A REFORMATION OF THE MORAL CHARACTER OF MANKIND. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom. of God? Be not deceived: neit~er fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effemrnate, nor nbusers of themselves with mankind/ etc. Sin, which may be defined as self-gratification, is here presented in a. variety of forms-" fornication," idolatry, avarice, intemperance, etc. All these manifesta- tions are hideous developments of the same ungodly principle, self-gra~ific~tion. 'l'he principle of sin, like holiness, is one and simple, but the forms are multifarious. N1Jw, these morally corrupt classes we are here told were changed; they were " washed," and, "sanctified," and "justified," which, stripped of figure, means, they were changed in th~ very root and fountain of their character. They were, to use Scripture phraseology, converted, regenerated, created anew in Christ Jesus to good workH. The reformatwn was not doctrinal, ecclesiastical, or institutional, but ntoi-al. II. A REFORMATION INDISPENSADLE TO A HAPPY DESTINY, What is the only happy destiny for man? 'l'o "inherit the kingdom of Goel.'' What is the "kiogdom Of CH. v1. 1-20.J THE FU:ST EPJSTLE TO THE COnINTHIANS. HJ7
Go,!"? Tiighteonsness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost. It is the reign of truth, pnrity, light, bariuouy, aud Llessedness. To" inherit" that empire, to bt in it, not as occasion,11 visitors, but as permanent citizens, holding fellowship with its Sovereign, and minglincr with the great and the good of all worlds,-tl,is is our high destin,v. For this we wer"'e made, and for nothing lower. Hence Christ urges us to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," which means-come under the Divine reign of truth and right. Now, there is no getting into this kingdom without this moral reformatioa. .Al' who have not undergone this reformation are excluded. Ill. A REFOilMA'l'ION EFFECTED BY THE REDEMPTIVE AGENCY OF CHRIST. " And such were some of you: but ye are [were] washe<l, but ye are [were] sanctified, but yr, are [were] justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." This means that they had been cleansed from all moral foulne~s, " washe,l ; " that they had been consecrated to holiness, "sanctified;" that they had been made right in their being and relatio11ships, "justified." And all this, how 't "In the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 'l'his is the reformative measure, the gospel; nothing on this earth will effect this moral change but this. Not the enactments of legislations, not the creations of genius, not scientific systems. I disparnge none of these, but they cannot effect this reformation of soul, the reformation which humanity wants, a reformation without which all other reformations are bbt reformations on parchment, a change in mere outward forms of lire. "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."