a common life, which makes it as one family. 5. It is a socictv under a livin!; Head. It endures as "seeing him who is invisible;" an,! it is a s1,iritual realization of the "theocracy," or direct practical ruling of the Divine Lord. 6. It is a society with judicial functions. Show that the Church has disciplinary powers which it may bring to bear on the moral offender (as at Corinth); and consultative powers which it may employ to settle family, trade, or society disputes. 7. It is a society with a character, ,one of whose leading features is "mutual forbearance "-a self-denying regard rather for the welfare of others tban for our own. In such a society it would be manifestly ,inappropriate for any member who had a contention with a fellow-member to "go to law before the unjust." The high Christian feeling finds expression in St. Paul's intense language, " Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? "-R. T. Vers. 2, 3.-Thefudgment of the saints. The Christian disciples are called" saints," not because they are actually holy, but because they are (1) consecrated to God; (2) ,separated for the world; (3) under moral obligation to seek for and attain personal holiness. St. Paul here speaks of them as "saints," to remind them that they hold their Christian standing by virtue of their charqcter, that their "goodness" was to be their power. The word "judge" should be treated as the equivalent of "~overn;" it does uot, as used by St. Paul here, merely mean "give legal decisions." Illustrate by the work of the judges in ancient Israel; they were virtually rulers of the co11ntry. I. 'l'HE SAINTS' JUDGMEN'l' OF THE WOULD. F. ·w. Robertson says, "Successively have force, hereditary right, talent, wealth, been the aristocracies of the earth. But then, in tl,at kingdom to come, goodness shall be the only condition of supremacy." For the idea of our shariug with Christ in the judgment, at his second coming, see Dan. vii. 22; Matt. xix. 28; Luke xxii. 30. It is better, however, to impress the point that the actual presence of good men in the world, in society, is a constant testing and showing up of the evil of the world. II. THE SAINTS' JUDGMENT OF ANGELS. This must refer to evil angels (comp. 2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude 6). Wr. may, however, treat it as an intense expression of the apostle's, uttered under the deep impress of all that might be involved in the spiritual union of Christ and his people. Christ rules the angels, and so do we, since we are in him. "It is better to regard the passage as a climax arising out of the apostle's intense realization of the unity of Christ and his Church triumphant-a point which seems ever present to the mind of St. Paul when he speaks of the dignity of Christianity. In this sense, redeemed humanity will be superior to, and judges of, the spiritual world." III. THE SAINTS' JUDGMENT OF EVERYDAY MATTERS. The argument of the apostle is that, if they recognize their high standing and privilege, and the power and 1·esponsibility oi judging such external things as the "world" and the "angels," they ought also, and much more anxiously, to recognize their power to rule and judge all small matters arising within the Christian fellowship. What must be their coudition if they could not find among themselves an efficient arbitrator'? lllustrato by our Lord's advice to his disciples in relation to their disputes. (1) The two disputauts were to confer together; (2) if that failed to settle the difficulty, then two or threo witnesses might be brought into the conference; if that also failed, thou (3) the matter was to be told to tlie Church, and its decision sought. Tho apostle <loes but find adaptation for the comprehensive principle which was laid down by Christ, and can be equally adapted by us in tlio perplexities and misunderstandings of Cllllrch ancl .social life.-H. 'I'.
Ver. 9.--Inheriting the kin_qdom. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not •inherit the kingdom of God 'l" The phrases" kingdom of heaven,"" kingdom of God," .are familiar enough to the New Testament reader, as synonyms for the new, tho -Christian dispensation. 'l'he apostles seem to use the term for a kingdom which, the_v conceive, will be set up at Christ's second coming and the "restitution of al I things." '!'here is an important sense in which we are to recognize that the "kin~dom" is nctually now established; but it neeJ not interfere with our cherishing the hi'.!h hope of a rlay when that kingdom shall be fully perfected, and in some glorious way declared to be the kingdom of the world become the kingdom of God. Tho figure contained in 'l'IIE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE COIU~THIAKS. [c::u. v1. 1-20.