11; Col.i. 26-28; Ti. iii. 16; 2 Ti. i. 9, 10. e Ac. iii. 17; xiii. 27; Lu. xxiii. 34. Enticing words.-It is related of Dr. Manton, that having to preach before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, he chose a subject in which he had an opportunity of displaying his learning and judgment. He was heard with admiration and applause by the intelligent part of his audience; but as he was returning from dinner with the Lord Mayor, a poor man, following him, Ps. xxiv. 10. pulled him by the sleeve of his gown, and asked him if he was 9 Dr. Thomas. the gentleman that preached before the Lord Mayor. He replied "Philosophy, he was. Sir," said he, "I came with the hopes of getting some good to my soul, but I was greatly disappointed, for I could not excites understand a great deal of what you said; you were quite above when thoroughly my comprehension." Friend," said the doctor, "if I have not explored, it disgiven you a sermon, you have given me one: by the grace of God, I will not play the fool in such a manner again." more so. 66 66 when cially superfistudied, doubt; pels it."-Bacon. eye hath not seen a Is. lxiv. 4; Ps. xxxi. 19. b"The words, Isa., and in their position here, refer not to a fu ture state, but to the spiritual blessedness or glory wh. is to be at tained in the present life by believers, and wh. the Apostle pro 9-11. written," and popularly applied to the glory of heaven, wh. now, indeed, "eye hath not seen," etc. eye.. seen, etc., at the time when Isa. wrote, these " things" were hidden (v. 7). hath revealed, hath,, hence they cannot be the things of the glorious hereafter. them, these long hidden mysteries. Spirit both in the origithings, disclosing the meaning of ancient type, etc. deep. nal context of God, unfathomable to the mind of man. what man, what other man. save.. man, i.e., the man himself. even so, and much If one man does not know the plans and purposes of another man, still less can he know those of God. but.. God, wh. knows His purposes, as the spirit of a man knows his. The religions of man, and the religion of God.-I. The religions of man. The religion of-1. Imagination; 2. Intellect; 3. Sentiment; 4. Conscience. II. The religion of God. This teaches us that, to be united to God, two things are necessary, which none of our faculties can give us: 1. Pardon; 2. Regeneration.c Ashamed of the Gospel.-Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! Let the sceptic, let the wicked profligate, blush at his deeds of darkness, which will not bear the light, lest they should be made manifest; but never let the Christian blush to own the holy Gospel. Where is the philosopher who is ashamed to own the God of Nature? Where is the Jew that is ashamed of Moses? or the Moslem that is d Dr. R. Newton. ashamed of Mahomet? and shall the Christian, and the Christian minister, be ashamed of Christ? God forbid! No! let me be ashamed of myself, let me be ashamed of the world, and let me blush at sin; but never, never, let me be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! d ceeds to explain in the next verses."-Stanley. See also Dr. Ferguson, in Hive, vol. ii. p. 105. c Dr. A. Vinet. and the 12, 13. received.. world, wh. is conversant only with the spirit of human plans, etc. but.. God, familiar with Divine and hidden the world things. that.. know, by that Spirit's teaching. things, pre- spirit of God pared (v. 9). freely. . us, hidden fr. our forefathers, but revealed and given now. things.. speak," when we preach a crucified Redeemer. words.. teacheth, such well-rounded periods or sophistical arguments as men would use. but.. teacheth, the unadorned language of truth. comparing, putting together. spiritual.. spiritual, thus manifesting the spiritual things hidden in the law by the spiritual things revealed in the Gospel. Spiritual qualification for the reception of the spiritual.-I. There are many things freely given to us by God. II. These free gifts must be known and appreciated, or they will not be received by us. III. The knowledge of God's free gift is dependent on the a 1 Pe. i. 10-12; selves."-J. that in a way pe-spirit that we have received. IV. The spirit of the world is utculiar to them-terly insufficient for the purpose here indicated. Its characteristics are--1. Sensuality; 2. Selfishness; 3. Cruelty; 4. Love and lust of conquest; 5. Love of Money; 6. Enterprise. V. The reception and embrace of the Spirit of God will strike a relation at once between our understanding and the truth-between our hearts and the Divine appeals to our feelings-between our wills and the calls of duty and self-sacrifice. c Dr. Reynolds. "Let it be accounted folly, or frenzy, or fury, whatsoever, it is our comfort and wisdom, we care for no know the Son of Man. and that men The things of God revealed by the Spirit.-When a telescope is ledge in the directed to some distant landscape, it enables us to see what we world but this, could not otherwise have seen; but it does not enable us to see that man hath sinned, and God anything which has not a real existence in the prospect before us. hath suffered; It does not present to the eye any illusive imagery; neither is that God hath that a fanciful and factitious scene which it throws open to our made Himself contemplation. The natural eye saw nothing but blue land stretching along the distant horizon. By the aid of the glass are made the there bursts upon it a charming variety of fields and woods, and righteousness of spires and villages. Yet who would say that the glass added one feature to this assemblage? It discovers nothing to us which is not there; nor, out of that portion of the book of nature which we are employed in contemplating, does it bring into view a single character which is not really and previously inscribed upon it. And so of the Spirit. He does not add a single truth or a single character to the book of revelation. He enables the spiritual man to see; but the spectacle which he lays open is uniform and immutable. God."-Hooker. d Dr. Chalmers. the natural and the spiritual man a Ro. viii. 6, 7; Ac. xvii. 18; Jo. C 14-16. natural,a animal, see Gk. receiveth. . God, bec. he judges of things by sense, passion, natural reason. for . . him, being outside his comprehension and experience. know, by intuition or mere reason. spiritually, by the Spirit's enlightening aid. discerned,d judged of, examined. spiritual, who is ruled by an enlightened spirit. himself.. man," bec. no natural man is he whose man can judge of the principles on wh. a spiritual man's belief is governing prin- founded. who? what natural man? him? the spiritual man? ciple and highest we, the Apostles. mind.. Christ," and hence are able to things is the instruct the spiritual man. iii. 3: vi. 44, 55. reference of all ψυχή, the animal The natural man incapacitated to receive spiritual things.-I. soul; in him the The things belonging to our natural state. "The natural man Tveμa, or spirit, is an expression that in Scripture denotes a man according as he being u nvivified, and un- is by nature, before the process of regeneration has passed upon him. II. The things of the Spirit of God. In reference to these things, there are not a few of which we have knowledge: 1. Of His revelation; 2. Of His providential dealings towards us; 3. Of His Word; 4. Of His preached word. But we have not the things of the Spirit themselves. These we cannot know, for "the natural man "knoweth them not.-H. Seymour, M.A. informed by the Spirit of God, is overborne by the animal soul, with its desires and its judgments, and is in abeyance, so that he may be said to have it not."-Alford. c 1 Jo. ii. 20. d Ps. xxv. 14. Understanding spiritual things.-A young person, riding one day with a friend of his, asked him, "What is your opinion of election, sir?" His friend judiciously remarked, "Stephen, you' e He. v. 12-14; 1 have learned fractions, decimals, etc., do you understand them?" Co. iv. 3. f Macknight. 66 "Yes, sir." "Did you think when you were in addition you could?" "No, sir." "Neither can you, my dear boy, at present h Jo. xv. 15; Ga. comprehend the deep things of God." The youth appeared much g Is. xl. 13. i. 11, 12. interested, and during the remainder of the journey he seemed to be absorbed in his own reflections. CHAPTER THE THIRD. xvi. 17. 1-3. could not,a hence not to be blamed. as.. spiritual, milk and men able to receive higher instruction. carnal, fleshly, earthly. meat even.. Christ, having only an elementary knowledge of Gospel a Mk. iv. 33; Jo. truth. milk, first principles, yet sufficient for the occasion. xvi. 12. meat, more difficult doctrines (ill. food for body and mind 61 Pe. ii. 2. at different stages of growth and knowledge). neither.. able, c Ga. v. 19-23; ye have not made, even yet, sufficient progress. ye.. carnal, Ja. iii. 16; Ro. worldly in feeling and thought. envying.. divisions, marks "The superior of a worldly state of heart. walk.. men ? i.e., as worldly men? light of the Sun The comparative carnality of Christians.-I. Christians are of Righteousness decidedly, though not wholly, spiritual. The marks of their will cause every spirituality are these: 1. A freedom from wilful and habitual human cloud to disperse; and susubjection to any sin; 2. The measurement of their obedience by perior holiness the perfect law; 3. The ascribing of all the excellences attained will level all the by them to a Divine source; 4. Union among themselves. II. petty distinctions which so divide, But they have the remains of an opposite character still existing through the inwithin them, in the midst of which this new one has sprung up. fluence of our They remain too much carnal and become too little spiritual. 1. carnality, the They bear not affliction well; 2. Their behaviour in the Church visible Church." is not good; they quarrel and contend; 3. They pay too much attention to the pomp of this world. This state must be altered. Be no longer carnal, but walk ye in the Spirit.d -Dr. Burns. "You have too much respect Moravians in Greenland.-The Moravian missionaries in Greenupon the world: land endured much mockery and opposition from the rude in- they lose it that habitants, when communicating to them the knowledge of Divine do buy it with much care."truth. When the missionaries told them they meant to instruct Shakspeare. them about the will of God, they were met by the taunt: "Fine "The world fellows, indeed, to be our teachers! We know very well you twines itself yourselves are ignorant, and must be taught by others!" If they about the soul, tarried more than one night with them, they used all their endea- as a serpent doth about an eagle, vours to entice them to participate in their wanton and dissolute to hinder its sports: and when they failed in this, they mocked and mimicked flight upward, their reading, singing, and praying, practising every kind of droll and sting it to antic; or they accompanied their devotions by drumming or howling hideously. Nor did the poverty of the brethren escape their keenest ridicule, or most cutting sarcasms. They even pelted them with stones, climbed upon their shoulders, destroyed their goods, and maliciously tried to spoil their boat, or drive it out to sea. 4, 5. for.. saith, etc., see on i. 12. who.. Paul.. Apollos? who but men, not the Lords of the heritage? ministers, servants only. by.. believed, by whose labours ye have been led to believe in Christ, the only Saviour and sole Head of the Church. even.. man? to one authority to preach, to another grace to believe. death." Paul and others only servants a 2 Co. iii. 3, 6; 1 Pe. v. 3; 1 'Co. iv. 1, 6, 7; 1 Pe. iv. 10, 11. Undue partiality to ministers reproved.-I. In what light ministers 6 Ro. xii. 6. should be viewed. They are-1. Instruments in God's hand; 2." Zanchy tells Nothing more than mere instruments. II. In what way they are to conduct themselves towards their people. They must be faithful. Faithful to their-1. Master; 2. Fellow-servants. Learn us of one at Geeva, who being desired to go and hear Viretus, who preached at -(1) To be thankful for the privileges you enjoy; (2) To be the same time as faithful in duly improving them. Calvin, answered Paul were self to Calvin." hear 66 his friend, 'If A criticism on preaching.-A Christian hearer, meeting an acto quaintance who had been to hear a sermon, said, "Well, I hope preach, I would "Indeed I have," replied the other; leave Paul him- you have been gratified." I wish I could have prevailed on you to have heard him. I am Gur-sure you would never afterwards have liked any other preacher." Then," replied the wiser man, "I never will hear him; for I c C. Simeon, M.A. only wish to hear ministers who show so high an esteem for the Word of God, that their hearers shall love it, hear it from whom they may. For who is Paul, or who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed?'" nall. the increase is of God a Ac. xviii. 1, 4, 8, 11; 1 Co. iv. 15; ix. 1; xv. 1. b Ac. xviii. 24, 27; c 2 Co. xii. 9-11. 6, 7. planted,a introduced you into the vineyard. watered, b the instruction of the Church by A., who came to Cor. aft. P. had left. but.. increase, growth and fruitfulness fr. God alone. anything, has no personal power. God.. increase, all thanks and honour due to Him alone. Moral increase.-I. All moral increase is of God: 1. Its nature, 2. Scriptural teaching, 3. Christian experience, show that He alone can give it. II. The moral increase which He gives is most glorious. In-1. Itself; 2. Its adaptation; 3. Its extent; 4. Its perpetuity; 5. Its benevolence. III. He gives it all on a fixed "Pride made principle. There must be-1. Personal; 2. United; 3. Believing; these professors 4. Earnest; 5. Prayerful; and-6. Persevering labour.e sides; one for at Corinth take On hearing the Word.-A lady who was present at the dispensathis preacher, tion of the Lord's Supper, where the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine was another for that, assisting, was much impressed by his discourse. Having been as they fancied informed who he was, she went next Sabbath to his own place of one to excel another. And Worship to hear him. But she felt none of those strong impresthis is not the sions she experienced on the former occasion. Wondering at way to thrive. this, she called on Mr. Erskine, and, stating the case, asked what Pride destroys love, and love might be the reason of such a difference in her feelings. He wanting edifica- replied, Madam, the reason is this: last Sabbath you went to tion is lost."-hear Jesus Christ, but to-day you have come to hear Ebenezer Erskine." Gurnall. 66 8, 9. one," "in the nature of their ministry." "In respect of the end which they have in view."c own reward,d what is due to him. own labour, fidelity, not success, shall measure the reward. for.. God,e joint labourers belonging to God. God's fellow-labourers. We are God's labourers, and in turn labourers together with Him." Labourers who work with ea. other, for the things of God.i ye.. God's, not ours. husbandry, field, vineyard, including cultivation and fruit. building,' both as to the act, and to the edifice. The union of Divine and human agency in Christ's kingdom.-I. What this work includes, in which God and His people labour together: 1. The spread of the Gospel; 2. The conversion of sinners; 3. The increase and prosperity of the Church. II. The spirit in which it should be prosecuted. In the spirit of-1. Humility; 2. Love to God; 3. Love to fellow-men; 4. Holy zeal; 5. Prayer and faith.m The outward and the inward ear.-I should rejoice to hear any one of my congregation saying, "I forgot who preached, I felt so much the influence of the truth he preached. Blessed be God, I was enabled to repent, and the silent tears trickled down my cheeks. My heart was affected, it began to relent, and now it m Dr. Brown. relents again, when I consider by whose mercy it was that I was n Rowland Hill. blessed with these feellings."" C c Ro. xv. 20; Re. xxi. 14. d Ga. i. 9. ii. 19. "The most eminent and suc cessful preachers of the Gospel in different com munities-a Brainerd, a Bax 10, 11. grace," Apostleship. wise, skilful, selection of Christ the only foundamaterial, design, etc. master-builder, architect. I.. founda- tion tion, I began to build the Ch. at Cor. another.. thereon, a 1 Co. xv. 10. as Apollos, etc. heed.. thereupon, that the superstructure b αρχιτεκτων. may be suitable to the foundation. other.. lay," for the simple reason that no other will bear the weight of the superstructure. than.. laid, by me. which.. Christ, acc. to the Scriptures. The foundation for the soul to build upon.-Jesus Christ is the foundation of all-I. Gospel doctrine-1. All the Gospel doctrinese Is. xxviii. 16; 1 Pe. ii. 4-6; centre in Christ; 2. All the Gospel titles are taken from Christ. Ma. xvi. 16, 18, From-(1) His names; (2) His perfections; (3) His Word. II. Ac. iv. 11, 12; Evangelical preaching. The object on which every minister- Ep. ii. 20; 2 Ti. 1. Directs the eye, 2. Delights to dwell, must be Christ. III. Acceptance with God. Christ is-1. The atonement for our sin; 2. Our only way to God; 3. The remover of sin away from us. IV. Experimental knowledge. He is the foundation of both-1. Theoretical, and 2. Experimental, knowledge. V. Holy practice. All our holiness is derived from Him. Application-(1) How destructive to the souls of men must those preachers be, who ter, and Schwartz lay other foundations than Christ; (2) Rejoice that the founda--have been the most conspicution of Christ is laid already; (3) Is Christ your foundation ?ƒ ous for a simple Security against apostasy."I well remember," says an dependence upon eminent minister in North Wales, "that when the Spirit of God first convinced me of my sin, guilt, and danger, and of the many difficulties and enemies I must encounter, if ever I intended setting out for heaven, I was often to the last degree frightened; the prospect of those many strong temptations and vain allurements to which my youthful years would unavoidably expose lected me, greatly discouraged me. And I often used to tell an nied."-R. Hall. aged soldier of Christ, the first and only Christian friend If Rev. J. Sherhad any acquaintance with for several years, that I wished I had man. borne the burden and the heat of the day like him. His usual reply was-That so long as I feared, and was humbly dependent upon God, I should never fall, but certainly prevail.' I have found it so. O, blessed be the Lord, that I can now raise up my Ebenezer, and say, 'Hitherto hath the Lord upheld me.'" b spiritual aid; and no success whatthe ministrations of those by whom this doctrine has ever has attended been either neg or de 12, 13. any man, teacher. gold. . stones," true disciples. materials of building wood..stubble, hypocrites, formalists, empty professors. tested man's.. manifest, as to its nature. The true and the false a 2 Pe. i. 5, 7. will be distinguished. day, of trial, persecution, of Christian b Ma. xv. 9; Ga. labour and profession.d revealed. . fire, furnace of affliction, iv. 9-11; Col. ii. fire of persecution. man's, teacher's. work, disciples. 6-8. The different methods of preachers.-I. The occasion of the c 1 Co. i. 8; 1 Co. words of our text. II. The design of the Apostle in writing them, iv. 5; Mal. iii. 17, -to rectify our judgment on this subject. III. Explanation of 18; iv. 1. the figures used. IV. The kinds of preachers of whom the Apostled "Day of destr. speaks: 1. Such as lay another foundation than Christ; 2. Those of Jerusalem." Hammond, Lightwho build on Christ "wood, hay, and stubble;" 3. Such as build foot. "Lapse of on Him" gold, silver, and precious stones."f Foundations and buildings.-In such cities as Ephesus, where Mosheim, Rosenmüller. "The this letter was written, or Corinth, to which it was addressed, light of day,' i.e. there was a signal difference (far greater than in modern European of clear know time." Grotius, |