qualities in as teaching, healing, the power of government; and supernatural, plants and the gift of tongues and of prophecy. Upon these we observe flowers, with which the earth, that-1. Even the highest were not accompanied with spiritual like a carpet of faultlessness; 2. Those which were higher in one sense were lower needlework, is in another. II. The spiritual unity of the Church:-1. All real variegated unity is manifold; 2. All living unity is spiritual, not formal; 3. None but a spiritual unity can preserve the rights both of the individual and the Church." for the delight and service of man, than there is of gifts natural and One talent.-Feeble souls are like those tracts of land which spiritual, in the minds of men to have neither depth nor richness of soil, yet, however arid, prorender them use- duce something to serve the world. The sandy and stony deserts ful to one of the Cape are covered with heath of every hue and form, to another, both in civil societies and beautify the scene and to charm the traveller's eye. Even so the Christian fellow-feeblest souls can display some phase of feeling and character ship."-Gurnall. that shall add a beauty to the sphere in which they move. The bF. W. Robertson. world wants the heath as well as the oak, and the genial beams shine on both.c c Homilist. diversities of 6, 7. operations, modes, and instrumentalities by wh. the Spirit works on different minds acc. to their circumstances, constitution, antecedents. same.. all, to be ill. in many ways: as the effect of light in painting flowers diff. colours. The same one God as He who gives to animals and plants so many dif. forms and qualities. but.. Spirit, whatever the peculiar manifestation may be. given..withal,a to benefit himself, and others through him. The manifestation of the Spirit given to be profited by.-I. We may here behold and admire the singular care and love of God for His church. II. Though we have cause to lay it to heart when holy and gifted men are taken from us, and to lament our own and the Church's loss; yet we should remember that it is still a part of God's care over, and love for, us. III. Where the Spirit hath manifested itself to any man by the distribution of gifts, it is but from on high in reason, that man should manifest the spirit that is in him, by extheir own pecu-ercising those gifts in some lawful calling, and he should use them for the good of others." b Bp. Sanderson. "Gifts come liar forms." Goethe. "He was one of those men, more Diversity of gifts.-We discover diversity of gifts by a reference to Whitfield and Handel. The one was in eloquence what the over, who possess other was in sacred song; the one appealing, through the underalmost every gift standing to the heart and conscience, calling on men everywhere to except the gift of the power to use repent and turn to God; the other drawing out and bearing them."--Kingsley. upward, as a sweet incense before the altar of the upper sanctuary, c H. Read. the devout aspirations of the new-born soul. There was an “air, a soul, a movement in the oratory of Whitfield," which created giving shews the indescribable emotions in his vast assemblies. Handel equally character of the electrified the multitudes in Westminster Abbey. His power giver more than of song, while he performed the Messiah, raised them to their the gift itself."Lavater. feet. And yet greater wonders did Whitfield, when preaching the Messiah to the score of thousands in Moorfields.c "The manner of these gifts and operations by one Spirit a 1 Co. ii. 6, 7; Ep iii. 3-6. 8, 9. wisdom," "The whole doc. of the Gospel." knowledge, "knowledge of former revelations recorded in writings of Moses and prophets." "Wisdom (oopía) expresses something more discursive and argumentative, as in St. Paul; knowledge (yvwois), something more intuitive, as in St. Jo."d faith, special in degree and kind, for a special purpose. gifts.. healing, characteristic of Apostolic times. Needed for attesting the mission of the b Macknight. preacher, and the Divine origin of Christianity. c Ibid. sight The gifts of God. These are-I. Communicated by the Spirit. a Stanley. “WisII. Rich in their variety. III. Widely distributed. IV. Designed dom penetrates for general benefit.-Wisdom and knowledge.-I. Are diverse. the length, the breadth, the II. Proceed from the same spirit. III. Are essential to the edifidepth and height, cation of the Church.-Miracles in the primitive Church.-I. Their more than knowvariety. II. Source. III. Use. IV. Cessation.-Faith.-I. What ledge. Knowledge is, so to speak, it implies. II. Whence it proceeds. III. What its use. sight; wisdom is Human learning.-It is insufficient to render men either holy coupled or happy. For when the worldly-wise have dived into the bottom with taste. Knowof Nature's sea, they are able to bring up from thence, instead of ledge relates to these pearls of price, nothing but handsful of shells and gravel. be done; wisdom things that are to Knowledge, indeed, and good parts managed by grace, are, like the to things eterrod in Moses's hand, wonder-workers; but turn to serpents when nal."-Bengel. they are cast upon the ground, and employed in promoting e Ma. xvii. 19, 20. earthly designs. Learning in religious hearts, like that gold in ƒ Ja. v. 14, 15; the Israelites' earrings, is a most precious ornament; but if men Ac. v. 15, 16. pervert it to base wicked ends, or begin to make an idol of it, as g Dr. Lyth. they did a golden calf of their earrings, it then becomes anh Arrowsmith. abomination.h b 10, 11. working," inworking. miracles, powers. prophecy, teaching, directed by the Spirit to the heart and understanding. to.. spirits,a distinguishing betw. the working of the Divine and of the human, or of evil spirits. tongues, languages. interpretation, etc.," the power of giving a meaning to what was thus ecstatically spoken." dividing, distributing, bestowing upon. severally, not giving all to one. No one man to have a monopoly of grace or influence. will, as the Omnipotent Spirit may in His unerring wisdom decide. The Spirit's presence with ministers.-I. Our Lord has promised that He will be present with His Church to the end of the world. II. He is thus present with His Church fundamentally and principally by His Spirit. III. This presence of the Spirit is promised and given to the Church by an everlasting covenant. IV. Hence the ministry of the Gospel is the ministry of the Spirit. V. The design of this is to continue and preserve the Church here below.h 9 Alford. "We like the gift, when we the giver prize." A lesson from the flowers.-Flowers, while they captivate us with their beauty, no less astonish us with their variety; every-Ovid. country has its peculiar species. Some of these love the burning "While you look suns of India; some the barren deserts of Africa; and America at what is given, and New Holland are as much distinguished by flowers of singular look also at the and rare beauty, as by their animals which differ greatly from giver."-Seneca. those of all the rest of the globe. Then, again, there are some "Men preserve flowers which are natives only of temperate climates, and a few the fire by blowing it; so, by diliare confined to the snowy regions of the north. Each has also its gence, we must own select situation and soil; some choose the mountain and kindle the gifts some the valley; some flourish best in poor ground, and many of God bestowed on us."-Cawdray. are to be found only in the rich pastures. Nor are they less remarkable for their different qualities. In some are combined the kind, its value "A gift-its qualities of fragrance and beauty; but those which have little of and appearance; the latter, have often valuable properties as medicine. Even the silence or the those which were despised, are now found to be useful to the pomp skilful physician, and class among the most beneficial of his remedies. In short, every combination of beauty and utility that that attends it; the style in which it reaches you, may decide the the mind can conceive, and far more than it could have imagined, dignity or vul- is to be found in those flowers which are so widely scattered over garity of the giver."-Lavater. the fair face of the whole earth. What a pleasing picture of the vast diversity of character which adorns the members of the Church of Christ!! i Salter. the body one, many members a Ro. xii. 4, 5; Ep. iv. 4, 11, 12. Ga. iii. 16. e Ma. iii. 11; Jo. vi. 63; Ga. iii. 28; 1 Co. xii. 7; Jo. g Homilist. 12, 13. body, the physical human frame. one, one body of many parts. members, ea. with its own particular office and power. all.. body, ea. contributing to perfection of the whole; and ea. the complement of every other.a so.. Christ, i.e., so is His body-the Church. we.. body, so united with, as to become an integral part of. whether.. Gentiles, "who were bodies of men very dif. by nature." whether .. free, "who were bodies of men very dif. by human institution."d made.. Spirit, partake of influences of the same Holy Spirit, having spiritual life from one source (ill. tree-branches, one spring of water): or "one spirit of faith and love by wh. the one body is animated."ƒ e Christ and the Church one.-I. The oneness of Christ and the "The universal Church. The Church is: 1. Many; 2. Manifold; and yet 3. From Church, being the this very multitudinousness and manifoldness, arises oneness. is but one, and II. The truth of the unity and manifoldness of the Church is the all true Chris-basis of New Testament morality. 9 body of Christ, members of con "It is what appertains to the soul which tends to bring back unity among men."-Vinet. tians are the Face to face.-An old Hottentot having been taken ill, was visited by Mr. Reid, a missionary. He said, "This is the message of death! I shall now go and see the other country, where I have never been, but which I long to see! I am weary of every thing here! I commit too much sin here; I wish to be free from it; I cannot understand things well here, and you cannot understand me. The Lord has spoken much to me, though I cannot explain it." 14-17. for.. body, etc., see v. 12. foot.. body, language of envy, or distrust. is.. body? what is ignorantly feared is not the truth. ear.. eye.. body, as well might the blind say the sun does not shine. if.. eye.. hearing? ea. member possessing precisely the same gifts would involve the whole body-the Church-in fatal consequences. each member of the body needful a W. Burkitt. "Our religion is not merely a religion of detachment, for then it tachment or of Difference of gifts in different men.-I. Several men have their would not be a several gifts, as it pleaseth the Spirit to give unto them :-1. religion; it is a Physical; 2. Intellectual; 3. Moral, gifts. II. Such as have the religion of at lowest talent, either of gifts or graces, should not be thought love."-Vinet. worthless: 1. By others, which would be un-Christ-like; 2. By "There is none themselves. They should employ their talent, though ever so made so great, small, for the service and benefit of the whole Church.a but he may both None are useless.-The Rev. Ambrose Morton was generally need the help and service, and esteemed a good scholar, and remarkably humble, sanctified, and stand in fear of holy, but was inclined to melancholy, to his own discouragement. the power and In his younger days, when he was assistant to another minister, of the meanest some good people, in his hearing, speaking of their conversion, of mortals." and ascribing it under God to that minister's preaching, he seemed cast down as if he was of no use. A sensible countryman, who was present, and who had a particular value for his ministry, made this observation for his encouragement: "An ordinary Workman may hew down timber, but it must be an accomplished artist that shall frame it for the building." Mr. M. therefore rose up, and cheerfully replied, "If I am of any use, I am satisfied." unkindness, even Seneca. "Expatiate free o'er all this scene of man, A mighty maze! but not without a plan."-Pope. Indeed, his preaching was always solid and judicious, and highly Order is esteemed by all but himself; and was especially useful to heaven's first law."-Pope. experienced Christians. 18-20. God, wise and good. set, in their proper places. unity in pleased, only what is right and good can please Him. where diversity of God's ..body? wh. is a perfect body only through the union and appointment co-operation of many dif. members. yet.. body, bec. the a Dr. Lyth. members are united and not independent. "In an arch The organised constitution of the Church.-It-I. Is aptly com- each single stone, pared with the body-many members fitly arranged-exercising which, if severed various functions-united in one body-for one object. II. Is from the rest, Divinely appointed-He appoints every man his place and office- would be perhaps according to His own pleasure. III. Is necessary to its existence -its well-being-and its success." Care bestowed on the body.-It is a strange thing to see the care and solicitude that is used to strengthen and cherish the body; the study, and industry, and skill to form and shape every member and limb to beauty and comeliness; to teach the hands and feet and eyes the order and gracefulness of motion; to cure any defects of nature or accident, with any hazard and pain, insomuch as we oftentimes see even those of the weaker sex, and less inclined to suffering, willingly endure the breaking of a bone that cannot otherwise be made straight; and all this ado but to make a handsome and beautiful person, which at best is but the picture of a man or woman, without a wise soul: when to the information and improvement of that jewel, which is the essence of man; and which unconsidered, even that which we so labour for and are proud of our beauty and handsomeness-is by many degrees inferior to that of a thousand beasts and other creatures; to the cultivating and shaping and directing of the mind, we give scarce a thought, not an hour of our life; never suppress a passion, never reform an affection; insomuch as (though never age had fewer wise men to show to the world) we may justly wonder we are not all fools and idiots, when we consider how little we have contributed to make ourselves other: and doubtless, if nature (whom we are ready to accuse of all our weakness and perverseness) had not out of her store bountifully supplied us, our own art and industry would never have kept up our faculties to that little vile height they are at. 21-23. eye.. say, with any truth. I.. thee, for the hand does what the eyes see should be done. nor.. head, etc., since the feet are needful to go whither the head directs. feeble, as the hand comp. with the eye; or as the internal organs wh. require special protection, as brain, heart, etc. necessary, to bodily health, etc. think.. honourable, or less graceful, bec. of their position and use. we.. honour, by clothing, etc. have.. comeliness, "fr. the attention wh. they receive fr. the other members." a Power of the feeble.--I. The gifts of the first rank. They are of two kinds: 1. Supernatural, such as speaking in unknown tongues, curing diseases, prophesying; 2. Natural, relating to (1) The heart, (2) The intellect. II. The feebler gifts: 1. Humility; 2. Fidelity; 3. Purity of manners and of thought; 4. Truth; 5. Contentment; 6. Activity in God's cause; 7. Charity—that is, true love. III. The fact that these obscure gifts are the most defenceless, is sufficiently se cured by the tireness of the Providence that one shall excel in where another is defective, order to make to each other and mix them in society."—Addison. Galen was conVerted from mining a human skeleton; and he men more useful atheism by exa said he would hundred years to give anyone & see if he could find a more commodious situation for any one member of the body. b Clarendon. even un- members are a Bengel. "Amongst the characteristic and essential fea tures of the work of Christ we must number this; Christ has consecrated the principle of reliduality."-Vinet. gious indivi b Dr. Vinet. "Order is the the state. As the necessary: To-1. The individual who possesses them; 2. The Church. Every man in his own order.-There are different orders of sanity of the workers, and these must co-operate. Alas! workers in a Sabbathmind, the health school do not always agree with one another. Then, workers in of the body, the peace of the city, Sabbath-schools are not always so fond, perhaps, of workers in the security of ragged-schools as they might be; and perhaps the workers in beams to a house, ragged-schools may sometimes look down with coldness upon the as the bones to distributors of tracts. It should never be so. We are like the the microcosm different members of the body; and the eye must not say to the of man, So is foot, "I have no need of thee;" neither must the hand say to the things."-Southey. ear, "I have no need of thee." Every man must work according to the gift of the Holy Spirit which dwells in him after the Divine will.c order to all c Spurgeon. the members sympathise with each other no.. 24-26. for.. need,a what the need then of paint, powder, enamel, cosmetics? more.. honour, by position, use, attention paid them by other members. body, mutiny, discord. same.. other, caring equally for each other. one.. another, they being all of them mutually dependent. one suffer, by it necessary to adorn smooth accident or disease. all.. it, losing the aid of its service, and cheeks with suffering by sympathy. one.. honoured, as the eye or ear by patches?"-Bengel. careful training. all.. it, for all are advantaged by the improveb T. Robinson. ment of each. a "Why, then, is to rejoice in the harm of another. "It is a most The duty of all to rejoice at the honour given to their brethren.— unnatural thing I. Rejoicing is a Christian duty-required: 1. On our own account; 2. On account of others. Here an unselfish sympathy In the body, with another's honour-not merely not to envy it, but to rejoice when one mem-in it. II. What this rejoicing at the honour paid to others may ber is suffering, be the means of. Of-1. Increasing their joy; 2. Demonstrating suffer with it. your love and sympathy; 3. Engaging and confirming their love And to delight to you." all the members trary to the foot is in pain." in the harm of Cyprian and the captives.-The early Christians were remarkothers is as con-able for their brotherly love. When a multitude of Christian men spiritual nature and women in Numidia had been taken prisoners by a horde of which is diffused neighbouring barbarians, and when the Churches to which they in the true body belonged were unable to raise the sum demanded for their ransom, of Christ, as if the head or any they sent deputies to the Church that was planted in the metroother member polis of North Africa. No sooner had Cyprian, who was at the should rejoice head of it, heard a statement of the distressing case, than he that the hand or commenced a subscription in behalf of the unfortunate slaves, and never relaxed his indefatigable efforts till he had collected a "Always to give sum of upwards of eight hundred pounds. This he forwarded to the praise moderate- Numidian Christians, with a letter full of Christian sympathy and ly, is a strong tenderness. "In cases like these," he says in his letter, "who would not feel sorrow, and who would not look upon a brother's quis de Vauven- sufferings as his own? As the Apostle says, when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Therefore we must consider the captivity of our brethren as our own captivity. We must see Christ in our captive brethren, and redeem Him from captivity who redeemed us from death." -Howe. proof of mediocrity." argues. Mar the members one body 27-29. now, here follows the application of the allegory. of Christ are ye, Christians with many and various gifts. body, a united, compact whole. Christ, the head. particular, in part. some, members with special functions. first, in degree. Apostles, gotten Son of fr. whom the Gospel is to be received. prophets, who expounded a "The Head is the only-be |