selves, for the Apostle names himself. There should exist a readiness to see our own faults, and those of our own Party or Church; and not only the faults of other Parties or other Churches.

However, though St. Paul does not name the men, he does not leave them unrebuked. He addresses them in a way that they would understand, and that all would understand for whom comprehension was necessary; for, in the seventh verse he turns to those whom he had all along in his mind: "Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" And having thus addressed himself particularly to congregations, St. Paul, in conclusion, speaks especially to ministers.

The first principle that he lays down is-A warning to those who fostered the personal worship of the ministers—that is, of themselves.

Secondly. To those who unduly magnified the Office.

1. The qualities which are requisite for the higher part of the Ministry are great powers of sympathy; a mind masculine in its power, feminine in its tenderness; humbleness; wisdom to direct; that knowledge of the world which the Bible calls the wisdom of the serpent; and a knowledge of evil which comes rather from repulsion from it than from personal contact with it. But those qualifications which adapt a man for the merely showy parts of the Christian ministry are of an inferior order: fluency, self-confidence, tact, a certain histrionic power of conceiving feelings, and expressing them.

Now, it was precisely to this class of qualities that Christianity opened a new field in places such as Corinth. Men who had been unknown in their trades suddenly found an opportunity for public addresses, for activity, and for leadership. They became fluent and ready talkers; and the more shallow and self-sufficient they were, the more likely it was

that they would become the leaders of a faction. And how did the Apostle meet this?

He had shown before that Christ was crucified in weakness. Now he shows that the disposition to idolize intellect was directly opposed to this-Christ the crucified was the Power of God. So far then, as they taught or believed that the power lay in gifts, so far they made the Cross of none effect: "If any man among you seemeth to be wise," (i. e. has the reputation), "let him become a fool, that he may be wise." But he alleges two thoughts, in the seventh verse, to check this tendency. Christian dependence: "Who maketh thee to differ?" Christian responsibility: "What hast thou that thou didst not receive?"

This tendency, which the Apostle rebukes, besets us ever. Even at school, in the earliest stage of boyhood, we see that brilliancy is admired, whilst plodding industry is almost sure to be sneered at. Yet which of these two characters would St. Paul approve? Which shows fidelity? The dull mediocre talent faithfully used, or the bright talent used only for glitter and display? St. Paul, in the verse quoted, crushes vanity by reminding us of responsibility. His method is the true one, for we cannot meet vanity by denying the value of gifts. If we or our children have beauty of person, have talents and accomplishments, it is in vain we pretend to depreciate, or to shut our eyes to them.

St. Paul did not do this, for he acknowledged their worth. He said, "Covet earnestly the best gifts." He did not sneer at eloquence, nor contemn learning; but he said, These are your responsibilities. You are a steward: you have received. Beware that you be found faithful. Woe unto you if accomplishments have been the bait for admiration, or if beauty has left the mind empty, or has allured others to evil. Woe, if the gifts and manner that have made you acceptable, have done no more. In truth, this independence of God is man's

fall. Adam tried to be a Cause; to make a Right; to be separate from God; to enjoy without God; to be independent, having a will of his own: and just as all things are ours if we be Christ's, so, if we be not Christ's, if the giver be ignored in our enjoyments and our work, then all things are not ours : but our pleasures are enjoyed, and our gifts used, in the way of robbery. Stolen pleasures; stolen powers; stolen honours; all is stolen when " we glory as if we had not received."

II. A warning to those who unduly magnified the office. There were men who prided themselves as being ministers : successors of the Apostles, who exercised lordship, authority, and reigned as kings over the congregations. The Apostle says, "Now ye are full, now ye are rich." Be it so. How comes then the contrast? "But God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” Now place these two verses side by side, and think, first of all, of these teachers-admired, flattered, and loaded with presents. See them first made rich, and then going on to rule as autocrats, so that when a Corinthian entertained his minister, he entertained his oracle, his infallible guide, still more, his very religion.

And then, after having well considered this phrase, turn to contemplate the apostolic life as painted in this last verse. If the one be an Apostle, what is the other? If one be the High Life, the Christian Life, how can the other be a life to boast of?

Remark here the irony: "Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us." And again: “We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised." It is in vain we deny that these words are ironical. People who look upon Christianity as a mere meek, passive, strengthless, effeminate thing, must needs be perplexed with

passages such as these, and that other passage, too, in Christ's lips: "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye

"Full well!"

How terrible

The truth is,

the manlier

may keep your own tradition.” the irony to call that well which was most ill! that in Christ,-in the perfect Human Nature, and more vigorous feelings and emotions did not undergo excision. Resentment, indignation, these are to be guided, controlled, not cut out. True it is, that in our practice they are nearly always evil; for does not indignation frequently become spite, and resentment turn to malice? Nevertheless, they are both integral parts of human nature. Our character is composed of these elements. In Christ they existed, how strongly! But yet when He used them to rebuke living men they are changed at once. He blighted Pharisaism with irony and terrible invective. But to the actual, living Pharisee, how tenderly did He express himself! "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee." Evil is detestable; and the man who mixes himself with it is so far obnoxious to our indignation. But so far as he is a man, he is an object of infinite pity and tenderness.

And in St. Paul's irony we remark somewhat of the same characteristics. It becomes even sarcasm, if you will, but there is no shadow of a sneer in it. He who has never experienced the affectionate bitterness of love, who has never know how earnest irony, and passionate sarcasm, may be the very language of Love in its deepest, saddest moods, is utterly incapable of even judging this passage. And remark how gracefully it turns with him from loving though angry irony, to loving earnestness: "I would to God ye did reign." They were making this a time for triumph, whereas it was the time for suffering. And St. Paul says, I would the time for reigning were come indeed, for then we should be blessed together. Ye are making a noble time of it with this playing at kings! Be it Would to God that it were not an anachronism! Would

So.

to God that the time for triumph were come indeed, that these factions might cease, and we be kings together!

See, then, here the true doctrine of the apostolical succession. The apostolical office is one thing; the apostolical character, which includes suffering, is quite another thing; often they are totally opposed.

And just as the true children of Abraham were not his lineal decendants, but the inheritors of his faith, so the true apostolical succession consists not in what these men pride themselves upon-their office, their theological attainments, their ordination, the admiration of their flocks, the costly testimonials of affection, which had made them "rich:" but it consists rather in a life of truth, and in the suffering which inevitably comes as the result of being true. Let bishops, let ministers, let me ever remember this.

Now therefore, we can understand the passage with which he ends: "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." Only do not misread it. It might sound as if St. Paul were inviting them to become his followers instead of following Cephas or Apollos. Apollos. But that would be to forget the whole argument. To say that, would have been to have fallen into the very error that he blamed, and to have opposed and contradicted his own depreciation of himself; to have denied. every principle he had been establishing. No: you have here no mere partizan trying to outbid and outvie others; it is not the oratory of the platform commending one sect or one society above another.

St. Paul is not speaking of doctrine, but of life. He says that the life he had just described was the one for them to follow. In this-" Be ye followers of me," he declares the life of suffering, of hardship in the cause of duty, to be higher than the life of popularity and self-indulgence. He says that the dignity of a minister, and the majesty of a man, consists not in "Most Reverend," or "Most Noble," prefixed to his