own habits, are not always men of the soundest judgm.ent. To resist evidence and auth0rity is no sign of soundness of mind and power of intellect. Some are obstinate because they are blind to all testimony and evidence but that which is acceptable to their own prejudices. II. THERE .ARE THOSE WHOM NO EVIDENCE CAN CONVINCE AND NO AUTHORl'l'Y OVER- AWE. If all men were candid and dispassionate, and habituated to follow the clear white light of reason, human life and human society would be very different from what they actually are. Our Lord Jesus was forbearing and patient with those who opposed themselves to him; but even he confessed that there were those who loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Youn" and sana-uine 0 ministers of religion oftcn~begin their work with an inward persuasio; that they have only to place the truth fairly and fully before men, in order to their conviction and conversion. But experience teaches them that it is not so; that there is a moral obduracy which is .proof against all efforts. III. lT MAY BE WISE TO ABANDON TO THEIR LOVED IGNORANCE THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE ENLIGHTENED. An affectionate and benevolent mind will be very slow to adopt such a course. And it cannot be adopted without the hope and prayer that, when ordinary and human methods have failed, it may please God lo employ some methods unknov,n to finite wisdom, to secure the wished-for result. Even the Creator himself seems to act upon the principle here exemplified, at all events for a season and a purpose: "Ephraim is joined unto idols: let him alone.". IV. THERE IS BETTER EMPLOYMENT FOR THE TIME OF CHRISTIAN LABOURERS THAN THE ENDEAVOURS TO El-.""I.IGHTEN THE IlIVINCIBLY IGNORANT. '!'here are the young, the ardent inquirers for truth, the candid and open-minried, the earnest and prayerful, all anxious for more light, for lessons of truth, counsds of wisdom, encouragement, and admonition. In such directions there is abundant scope for effort, with the confidence that labour will not be in vain. Wby spend years in tilling the rock or sowing the iceberg, when virgin soil awaits the plough and promises to reward the toil of the spiritual husbandman? -V. THEilE IS A Pil<'IlATION AKD A JUDGM,ENT APPOINTED BY GoD, TO WHICH BUCl'I CHABACTEns Ml:'ST KEEDS DE LEFT. It must be remembered by the Christian labourer that he is not one of the governors of the world. '!'his reflection will not harden his lieart against the unbelieving; he will leave such in the hands of One who is far more wise and far more merciful than the wisest and the most merciful of men.-T.
Vers. 1-19.-Usefulness. I. THE DESIRE FOR SPIIlI'l'UAL GIF'l'S IS LEGITIMATE AND PRAISEWORTHY. 1. We must not rest content even with the possession of love. We must seek qualification for making that love effective. Inactive love is both suspicious and useless. If we ha1•e a true love for men, we shall seek to be helpful to them, -especially in their spiritual life, and to this end we shall seek all possi_bl~ n:ieans for convcyina0 to them the knowledge of the love of God and the truth as 1t 1s m Jesus. Spiritual endowments will aid us in this. 'l'he miraculous gifts in the early Church were bestowed with this object in view; and so are modern gifts. 2. Spiritual g(fts are to be most earnestly sought. Whilst pointing out abuses to which gifts in the early Church were liable, Paul nevertheless commends these gifts as worthy of the keenest desire, for if riahtly used they were productive of the most valnable results. So now, iin every way, ~re should seek qualifications for the service of Christ in the world. Some of these must be natural to us, but not a few may be acquired; and by .diligence the small gift may be made great. Prayer, study, earnestness, are channels through which spiritual endowment and spiritual power ever tend to flow. Not to desire spiritual endowment is to show that we arc unspiritual and lazy. A master desire of our soul should be to be equipped for service. God can do this thing for us. He can sharpen the bluntest instrument, and give strength to the weakest. IL WHAT GIFTS WE BHOULD MOST EARNESTLY DESIIlE. Not (1) the most brilliant, (2) the •most remarkable, (3) the most rare, (4) the most praised, (5) the most mysterious, (6) those which are only enough to serve our own ends and s1.tpply our own needs; but (7) the most useful (ver. 19). 'l'o win applause or to excite wonder is but the poorest of poor ends to attain. We should long to <?ffcct something for others. To lay out ourselves for ourselves is not to serve our fellows 01· our Master at all. '!'bat which ·OH. xiv.1-40.] THE FIRST EPISTLE 'fO THE CORINTHIANS. 475