experimental knowledge and inspiration, are far more qualified to instruct and comfort the people than their professional and stated minist.er. Surely official preaching has no authority, either in Scripture, reason, or experience, and it must come to an end sooner or later. Every Christian man should be a preacher. \Vere the half-hour allotted in Church services for the sermon to be occupied by three or four Christly men, thou"'ht- ful and reverent, with the capability of eiq,ression withal, it would not only be far ~ore interesting, but more profitably spent than now. H. That the Christian Church in assembly might ALLOW ONE OF ITS GODLY MEN TO RISE AND SPEAK ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE MOMENT. "If anything be revealed to another that sitteth_by, let ~he ~rst hold ~is peace." This does not mean, I presume, that the one who 1s speakmg 1s to be rnterrupted, but that after he has delivered his message another, if he felt truly inspired to <lo so, might rise and address the audience. May it not be that under every discourse there miaht be some one or more in the audience so divinely excited with a rush of holy thouaht, that he craves for an, utterance, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others~ and why should he not hav<: the opportunity? What an interest such an event would add to a religious sernce ! III. That the Christian Church in assembly SHOULD SUBMIT THE UTTERANCES OF ITS TEACHERS TO A DEVOUT CRITICAL JUDGl\IENT. " Let the other judge," or, as the New Version has it," Let the others discern [or,' discriminate']." The people were not to accept as a matter of courfc all that the prophets or teachers spake to them; for even were they inspired, they were not infallible. They were to act as it is said the Bereans did, who "searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." Ah me! if congregations were so to act, there would soon come an end to the crudities, the assumptions, and the dogmas of modern pulpits. IV. That the Christian Church in assembly SHOULD m ALL ITS SERVICES MAINTAIN ORDER. "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the saints." It is a charac- teristic of a true teacher that, however full of inspiration, be can so master his impulses as to prevent confusion. This should always be done, "for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." Notwithstanding all the liberty of teaching, all the enthu- siasm of the new life, where Christianity reigns there will be no disorder; all will be peace. There is an order in dead mechanism, and there is order, too, in the roar of ocean and in the thunderstorm. All that is Divine is under law.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-5.-Love controls zeal in behalf of spiritual gifts. In the opening verse we have three ideas, viz. love as a virtue to be dilig1,ntly sought and practised,. spiritual gifts as objects worthy of desire, and prop~e~ying as a gif~ among gifts to ~e especially prized. "Rather tb~t Y? may prophesy 1~ th~ f~rmat1v:e. tbou?bt ~f. tb_1s chapter, and it must be kept ID view by the read_er, SIDCe 1t 1s explicit_ or 1mphc1t ID every associated idea. But this leading thought 1s closely connected with the twelfth and thirteenth chapters, and thiH also must be considered by the rea~er. _'l'o understand the reasonina of the apostle in the fourteenth chapter and sympathize with the fervour of his exhortation in the "rather that yo may prophesy," remember that he is con- templating prophecy from the standpoint of lo~e. How else, forso~th, could h? regard it either in the loaic as bearina on intellect, or m the appeal as applied to experience, or i~ their united effect on Cbri;'tian character? Prophecy, in the light here presented, is not simply a re,;-elation or God's will and wisdom to others, but likewise a revelation of love as a conscious influence pervading, inspiring, controlling the soul of the prophet or teacher. It is a voice from God himself by the Spirit. It is a Divine voice, more- over in tones and accents most truly, most thoroughly, human, because of tender sympathy with the Deeds of its fellow-men and their dependence on it for guidance, help, furtherance, in the salvation of their souls. On? of the aspects of love a~ the "grtatest" instantly comes before the eye. Prophe_cy, m the ?a.se of the 1;1a_n so g1fte1, is an oraan of his loYe, so that he teaches, not to enJoy the act1v1ty and brilliance of his intellec~ or make in any way a demonstration of himself, but solely to benefit his- CH. xiv. 1-40.J 'l'HE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 4G5