Ver. 15.-The two elements in <levotion, Religious exercises ha.ve always consisted mainly of praise and prayer. If there be a Deity, then from him we have received all we possess and enjoy, and to him, therefore, our natural feelings and our reason alike urge us to present sacrifices of thanksgiving. And since we are altogether dependent upon his favour and his faithfulness, we shall not omit to offer supplications anci intercessions to the Giver of every good gift. Now, Christianity falls in with this natural view of religious observances, and raises these offices, which are too often perfunctorily performed, into a higher atmosphere, penetrating and sanctifying them ,with a new spirit, !. lN PRAYER AND PRAISE 'l'HERE IS AN ELEMENT OF EMOTION AND COMMm!ION. ,Human nature is so constituted that it is capable of great excitement, and Oriental ,nature, as is well known, is peculiarly sensitive to impressions and susceptible of enthusiasms and hallucinations. Now, religion, which consists in the relation and intercourse of the soul with the unseen, has peculiar power to raise some natures to a .high pitch of excitement. The gesticulations, the self-inflicted tortures of devotees, the religious campaigns and wars of the East, are illustrations. Even at Corinth, a Grecian city, though largely frequented by Orientals, manifestations of enthusiasm were common in the Christian society. Paul himself was sometimes transported, in a trance, into unfamiliar and celestial regions of experience. He has not a word to say against those religious exercises which took place in "the spirit," i.e. which consisted dn highly wrought feeling, in a consciousness of the presence of God, and which manifested themselves in the utterance of musical sounds reducible to no law or system, and of words unfamiliar sometimes to both speaker and hearers, but evidently an -outpouring of fervent though vague and unformed prayers. li. IN PRAYER AND PRAISE THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF THOUGHT, REASON, AND LANGUAGE, No doubt it often happens that this element preponderates. \Vhcre psalmody and common prayer are prepared beforehand, whore there is a form of devotion, it is obvious that the understanding is engaged. \Vords are necessary io -order to clear and articulate thought. It may be urged that there are higher moods of :the spirit which cannot be interpreted by articulate speech. And this must be admitted. Yet the ordinary moods of the spirit have chiefly to be considered; and of these we may say, they arc capable of being formulated in the conceptions of the understanuing, in the phraseology of speech. And thus will devotion be most widely diffused and most profitably promoted, and Church worship be rendered most generally intelligent auu fervent, and so most acceptable to God.-'!'. Ver. 20.-Babes, not in mind, but in malice, There is in the style of St. Paul's admonitions a happy mingling of suavity anu severity. A proverb reminds us that a hand of steel may be covered by a glove of velvet. 'l'he apostle will have no compromise with the errors, follies, and injurious judgmcnts of the Coriuthiaus; )'eL he speaks to them in languagll of gentleness and persuasion, addresses them as "brethren," and entreats them to act with wisdom and considerateneils. I. CHILDISHNESS OF JUDGMENT AND OF CONDUCT IS DLAMABLE. There is all the difference in the world between childlike conduct, i.e. conduct partaking of the tnw, proper, ideal character of the child, and childish conduct, i.e. conduct ou the part of men which resembles the follies and frivoiities of the infantile age. When the Corinthians preferred dazzling gifts to Christian 1,?raccs, they were like children to whom a painted sweetmeat is dearer than a substantial treasure. And such a disposition is still exhibited by those to whom a. splendid ritual, imposing learning, social emincucc, are more admirable than a Christ-like spirit, a gentle, unobtrusive, self-denying habit. II. CHILDLIKE FREI<:DOM: FROM MALICE AND ALL VICE IS COMMENDADLE, Our Lord himself lays it down as one-indeed, as the chief-condition of entrance into liis kingdom, that his disciples should become as little children. He taught this his favourite doctrine both by word aud by symbols. This has ever been o. stumbling-block in the way of the vain, the proud, the self-seeking, and it has been brought as a reproach against the religion of the Lonl Jesus. Yet the morally cultivated have ~cen, in the condition laid down by him who was "meek and lowly in heart," a condition worthy of God and bent!ficial to humanity. Alas! in human society how much is ,there to corrupt the primitive simplicity of childhootl ! Sacred and precious is tho 472 THE FIRST EPISTLE 'l'O THE CORINTHIANS. [ea. xiv, 1-4G>.
spiritual power which restores the bloom of spring, the brightness of moroing, the dew of youth. lll. MANLINESS OF UNDERSTANDING IS WORTHY OF HUMAN EFFORT AND ASPIRATION, If it is the glory of childhood to act upon pure, fresh, unsophisticated impulse, it ia the glory of manhood to deliberate, to weigh motives and inducements and authorities and to decide reasonaHy and justly. w·eu had it been for the Christian Church h~d it always been guided by the counsels of the thoughtful and the wise. '!'here is abundant room for a manly understanrling to show itself in the reasoninc,-s of the tbeolocrian the policy of the bishop, the appeals of the preacher, the couns~ls of the pasto~. And there is a far wider scope for the exercise of sanctified manliness of intelli"ence in the. Yaried departments of human society, civil ns well as ecclesiastical, It is the glory of Christianity that whilst it stoops to the child, it rises to the man and aids him to- realize the intellectual and spiritual prerogatives of manhood.-T. '