of the danger langbs at us. How low the privileged m,iy fall! The chosen people havr. become as moral scum and refuse. 4. '1.'hey tempted God. Or Christ, as the Angel (Exod. xxiii. 20) and Administrator of the Divine kingdom. By their sinfulness they tried the forbearance of God-they provoked him. Their unbelief and disobedience strained his long-suffering to the utmost. This was a great sin. The Corinthians were in peril of committ-ing it by verging towards idolatry and living as much like men of the world as they dared. We should ask, not only what effect our conduct may have ,upon ourselves, but how it affects God. It may arouse the Divine anger. It was to those who provoked him that God sware" they shall not enter into my rest." 5. They murmured against God. And this murmurin~ was of no insignificant character. It :was an impugning of the Divine character-a charge of evil against the infinitely good. 'l'he reference may be to Numb. xiv. i and to Numb. xvi. 41. The justice, the wisdom, and the love of God were assailed; and what could be a greater crime? "Murmuring;" we say and think but little of it. What creatures of words we are! The charge against God was none the less evil that it was indirect-it was made ,lirectly against Moses and Aaron. In Numb. xvi. 41 the Israelites say," Ye have Jdlled the people of the Lord," though it must have been patent to all that Moses and Aaron had nothing to do with the actual death of Korab and his company. The Israelites' sili was made no better by the cowardice which prompted them to make a charge against men, which they intended for God, but dared not make against him. '!'he Corinthians, many of them, murmured against Paul, and perhaps would murmur more after his sharp rebukes. Now, here was a question suggested for them," Against whom are you really murmuring?" A pregnant question for us. W c may half uncon- sciously veil our attacks upon God by directing them against onr fellows. But after all, what is it we find fault wil.h 1 Is it of man, confined to him? Or is it of Goel, coming to us through men1 ,ve should ponder what is involveo in making charges against God indirectly. Note: Privilege cannot "keep us from falling." It cannot hultl us up. Though numbered amongst God's people and participating in Divine favours, we may perish. Though we have sailed over many spiritual seas, we may yet "make shipwreck of faith." vVe need to be watchful and diligent, lest we become "castaways." The peril of the Corinthians under higher privilege than that of Israel was so clearly foreseen that these things were written for their admonition (ver. 11), and these "examples" of privilege and fall were for their eyes to behold (ver. 6). They are for ours also, for upon us, with them, "the ends of the ages are come" (ver. 11). Especially do those need to beware who are over-confident. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (ver. 12). Some are so sure, that they run into temptation and perish. Self-confidence leads to disaster, God-confidence to security. III. A PICTURE OF PUNISHMENT. Great privilege-great sin-great punishment. Jehovah will "by no means spare the guilty." Condign punishment folloWL·d Israel's transgression. God's stern messengers to her were: 1. Sword; as Exod. xxxii. :.n. 2. Plague; as Numb. xvi. 44--49 and xxv. 9. 3. Serpents; as Numb. xxi. G. 4. Other death-heralds, followed by the overthrow in the wilderness of those who had sinned (vers. 5, 10). "God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. vi. 7). As privilege cannot save us from sin, neither can it save us from punishment. God's justice was impugned, but it was not impaired; those who murmured against it feit its stroke. How gracious is God to those who submit them- selves and are obedient 1 how terrible to those who dare him 1 If his chosen people did not escape, "how shall we escape?" Our fall will be greater, as our privileges are. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who lmth trodden under foot the Son of God, and bath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and bath dono despite unto the Spirit of grnco?" (Heb. x. 29). These a.re three companion pictures to be huug in our gallery and to be often studied.-H.
Ver. 13.-The hour of temptation. I. TEMPTATION COMES TO ALL. It came to the writer of this Epistle, to all the apostles, to Christ himself. It has comll to the gn~at and !!OOd in all ages, as well a.; to the insignificant and evil. It will come to us. The conditions of our life on earth make it unavoidable. It must not be reg,uded as indicatirn of Divine disfavuur or as an evil altogether. The salutary effect of the hour 348 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [c1-1. x. 1-33,