say to you, that ye cannot "drink the cnp" consecrated to the Lord and "drink the cup" consecrated by the heathen to their demons-deities to the Gentiles, evil spirits to Jews and Christians. For this use of the cup is an acknowledgment of fellowship with these "evil spirits," and a fraternization with their worshippers. Such conduct is utterly nnjustifiable; it will "provoke the Lord to jealousy," and to a jealousy like that when wedded love has proved faithless to its holy vow. And can ye Corinthians withstand such a devouring flame of anger? Then he recurs to the statement made in eh. vi. 12, " All things are lawful," etc., and reaffirms the ethical principle of restraint on personal liberty. And with the mightier impulse which has just accented its deep tones of warning, the thought of expediency widens its avplication, What is the great tap-root of all our evils? Selfishness. And this selfishness assumes manifold forms, intellectual and social, physical and commercia!. Subtle one moment .and palpable the next ; disguised and then open; endless in shifts and turns ; inex- haustible in resources; skilled in every variety of means; sharp, vigilant, unwearied: its five senses multiplied in its unnumbered agents ;-what save Christianity, would -entertain such a hope of the human race as to warrant the strong utterance, "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth"? This is laying the axe to the root of the gigantic tree with its trunk and branches. Anything less than unselfish love will not satisfy the argument at this stage. Whither has the fiery logician been? 'Nhere has he arrested his course and paused to meditate and analyze? The death of Christ and the memorials of that death, fellowship with his sufferings, communion with the "great High Priest that is passed into the heavens;" and, along with this theme, the communion with brethren and the burdening sense of that unity of believers which all great souls aspire to, but have to mourn over as a postponed reality ;-snch were the truths that had engaged- the strength of his intellect and the ardour of his feelings. Could he tolerate the idea of one making himself the supreme object of consideration? Could he think of a man in Christ shutting himself out of the very heart of Christ? Only in such words as these can he appease the yearnings of his nature: "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." Suppo~e, then, that these Corinthian Christians were at a private feast, enjoying the hosr,iLality of a friend; would it be proper for the man of scruples to inquire into the meats? Nay, this is not a "communion," though a social union, and hence you arc at liberty to eat; " asking no question for conscience sake." Sentiment has its obligations no less than conscience, aud, in fact, conscience is honoured when you remember that "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulncss thereof." If, however, some one says to you, "This is offered in sacrifice unto idols," the matter takes another aspect. For the sake of a brother guest whose scruples are wide awake, do not eat. It is his conscience that. your conscience is to respect, and therefore abstain. If a weak brother were to ask you to do aomething or avoid something for the sake of his conscience that your own conscience would not suffer you to do or to forbear, resist him and by no means comply. Weakness may be yielded to simply as the infirmity of another, but if it become <logmatic and aggressive, seeking to impose its restraints on our convictions, Christianity never requires of us to submit to such meddling dictation. Condescension to an infirm mind is very proper and commendable, provided it do not make us infirm. Easy compliances of this lax sort are dangerous snares. In the one case, the compliance is on principle; in the other, the non-compliance is on principle; and, in each instance, conscience is upheld. Then the apostle rises again to a broad, general truth, " Do all to the glory of God." For this statement, that extends the sentiment of a spiritual mind over all duties, he had already prepared the way. Twice had he said, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulncss thereof," and, in the third chapter of the Epistle, he ha,1 declared, "All is yours." We are not like trees that can only gl'Ow in certain soils and climates. ,ve are not like animals that are found exclusively on this or that continent. We are not creatures limited to their immediate surroundings. 'l.'o form a human soul, a world and a universe of worlds are needed. Influences acting on us are not counted and tabulated by the intellect of the senses. 'l'hcse senses shut us up in the body. They are for to-day and for appropriating what is at hand. Intellect is under stern limitations. Yet the sphere of the inner life is for ever widening beyond the sphere of sensuous existence, and on the eyes of "three score and ten" the stars shine with a howc-light unknown to young manhood. Growth is within, but there is no iiell- 336 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE COnINTHL\.XS. [en. x. 1-33,
nutrition. _A)l the materials that nourish and build up the man come from without, and, hence, 1t 1s not by lookmg merely at ourselves and our capacities but by rcuardin.-. the world and the universe as furnishing tl~e. occasions and suppl/ing the m~ans a°f <le:velop1;l1ent, that ~e learn to measure our a~1hty by the gaace of God stored up in all things tor our enrichment. Where we are interprets what we are. Now in view of this, St. Paul lays down the principle," Whether ... ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The range is immense· th~ world i; not to be cut up into fr:tgments, a1;1d _the "_glory of God" ide!3-tified solely ~ith_ them ; but, as the primary cond1t10n of glonfymg him, we are to believe that his Divme presence is in whatever be has created. There is nothing speculative and remote in this doctrine. How are we to glorify God? By being most truly ~uman; by realizing that others are a part ?f ourselves a~d we a part of them ; by actmg on the truth that individuality attains 'lts perfection m brotherhood; and therefore we should "please all men in all thin us." Nothing selfish must appear in it; "not seeking mine own profit." Nothinu" of effeminacy, nothing of calculating acquiescence, must taint its purity and we ~ust please others for their profit, that they may be saved.-L. '