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tification of the flesh, what sacrifice of appetites, what prostration of self, what disregard of everything but the great object in view! Imitate then, ye candidates for the love, the praise, the peace, the glory of God, aided with your better motives and sweeter promises, the temperance, and the abstinence of the rivals for a corruptible crown. Arouse yourselves from your sloth and sleep, "gird up the loins of your mind',” “quit you like men, be strong." And lo! the prize invites you: the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him waits to give it you, and help is at hand; and you may yet win the prize, even the "inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away."

THE SUNDAY CALLED SEXAGESIMA, OR THE SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

THE EPISTLE. 2 Cor. xi., 19 to 31.

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22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have not. been in the deep;

Whatever was the occasion which led the Apostle to enter so fully into the subject of his sufferings, we may well be thank

11 Pet. i., 13.

21 Cor. xvi., 13.

3 1 Pet. i., 4.

ful for it. We should not have otherwise known, much as we read of St. Paul's labours in the Acts of the Apostles', one tenth part of his eminent services in the cause of Christ. Boasting we must not call it, when he thus recounts with modest boldness, urged by a strong necessity, his claims to peculiar consideration, on the ground of his high office, and unwearied diligence. He had been opposed by false apostles, vilified in his ministerial character, disappointed in apparently hopeful converts, pained on account of divisions and heresies, and he was constrained to right himself in the eyes of enemies, and establish his claims to an undoubted apostleship.

And manfully and well does he undertake the task. Instead of bringing against his adversaries a railing accusation, and retaliating upon them in their own fashion, he contents himself with making a simple statement of his own qualifications and service, meeting them on their own ground, and without once entering on the subject of his miraculous call and conversion, proving by direct reference to the very points on which they prided themselves, that he was far better than they, and held by a just pre-eminence the rank of the very chiefest Apostle.

He shows, first, that he was of their own stock and lineage, and not a stranger or foreigner. "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I." He shows, further, that he can produce a far higher title to consideration in the Church of Christ than any other Christian minister. "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more." And then he recounts at length all the labours and sufferings, all the responsibilities devolving on him, all the cares pertaining to the widely-spreading kingdom of Christ, which fairly placed him in this high position. He tells the Corinthians of his more abundant labours, stripes, imprisonments, perils of death. He tells them how many more times he had been scourged, stoned, and shipwrecked than other ministers, what perils by land and water he had experienced, what "perils of robbers, perils by his own. countrymen, by the heathen, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren." And he tells them of his weariness and painfulness, his watchings often; his hunger and thirst, his fastings often; his cold and nakedness." And he tells them of his 66 care of all the churches," and of his anxiety for the spiritual welfare of individuals; "Who is weak, and I am 1 Acts xiii., and all the succeeding chapters.

66

not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?" And then he sums up all with an expression of regret that he had been compelled to glory, a declaration of the things that had led to that necessity, and an appeal to "the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ," that he had verily spoken the truth.

Let us now learn from this narrative of suffering and service, first, on what occasion and to what extent we may speak of ourselves. The Apostle spoke of himself, his toil, diligence, privation. But on what occasion had he thus toiled, and used diligence, and endured privation? He had obeyed the call of a heavenly Master, and in his service had begun a work, which in his service he must finish. And that work was the extension of the knowledge of salvation, even of that salvation which was for the remission of sins. And in the prosecution of that work he was opposed and vilified and misrepresented. And that it might not be impeded, he was compelled to vindicate himself. Souls must not be lost, the Church rent in sunder, Christ evilspoken of, and he, through whom the offence had come, be silent. And under these peculiar circumstances, he spoke of himself.

And this may we do, but not more. Thus far may we go, and no farther. On such an occasion may we speak of ourselves, but on no other. If our endeavours for the welfare of others are thwarted, our purest motives misinterpreted, our faith, our doctrine, our manner of worship ridiculed, then must we in the Lord's name come forward, and show what we really The Lord must not be assailed, if possible, through any of his servants. The truth must not be evil-spoken of in our perThe glory of God must not lose one ray of brightness through any fault of ours. Only let there not be a habit of boasting. Let there not be a love of vain-glory. "And he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord'."

are.

sons.

Secondly, we may learn, on what occasion and to what extent we should be ready to suffer. The Apostle spared not himself. To the utmost of his power, yea and almost beyond his power, does he here bear record, that he spared not himself. He submitted to everything and anything, that he might by all means save some. For the Lord's sake, and his soul's sake, and his brethren's sake, he was ready, nay, delighted to suffer adversities, troubles, and perils. Nay, he regarded them not as evils, but as mercies-trials of faith- -means of grace-teachers of patience-crosses to be borne after a crucified Saviour.

1

Compare Jer. ix., 24, with 1 Cor. i., 31, and 2 Cor. x., 17.

And thus must we joyfully submit to tribulation, in whatever form coming, to whatever extent appearing. Not that we shall be called upon, in all human probability, in these times, to suffer persecution, to die for our religion, to endure hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, perils wherever we go, for Christ's sake and the Gospel's. No. But we must take in good part our light afflictions; thankfully receive them as less than we have deserved; pray that they may thoroughly change and amend us; and overwhelming as they seem for the time, account them but as passing clouds, which will soon open, and admit to our view a sun of righteousness with healing in his wings.

Thirdly, we may gather from the Apostle's narrative, that we must not oppose or vilify the duly authorized ministers of Christ. However moderate their talents, or indifferent their manners, our ministers are duly set over us. They are ministers of the Lord Jesus, acting in his name, speaking by his authority. The Apostle had to assert his apostleship, produce his credentials, proclaim his high commission. He had to speak as one having authority, to "rebuke that others might fear'." why had this been necessary? He had been thwarted, and called to account.

And

It is sin, then, to put impediments in the way of Christ's minister, to speak evil of him, put him to shame, put him to grief, turn him into ridicule. And why is it so especially sinful and unseemly to do this? Because Christ is thereby set at nought, his work hindered, his chosen vessel laid aside as unfit for And who shall despise Christ and sin not? Who shall at any time, or in any sense, be at enmity with him, and yet really love him? Who can directly or indirectly turn from him and live?

use.

Finally, we see clearly that ministers and people, if faithful, will be supported. It was thus with the Apostle. He bore what he had to bear, meekly, yea, cheerfully. He could speak of it even with exultation. He was faithful as a teacher of the people, and faithful as a servant of Christ. And his faithfulness, spiritually engrafted and sorely tried, was his safeguard. Jesus never left him nor forsook him. Are we a faithful people? Do we love the Lord Jesus Christ, crucifying our affections and lusts, denying ungodliness, withstanding temptation, and all for Christ's sake?

If we are really thus stedfast in the faith, thus earnest in the profession of true religion, we are not permitted to despond. 11 Tim. v., 20.

A glorious crown is before us, a heavenly Spirit within us, and "underneath are the everlasting arms" of infinite righteousness. We shall glory in infirmities, rejoice in tribulations, triumph in trials of faith, for in all these things we are conquerors. Those, on the other hand, who are unfaithful in their stewardships, shall have the trials of life, but not the consolations; shall have cares, disappointments, mortifications without number, but no sweet hopes, no precious promises. Deaf to the engagements of their profession, they fulfil the lusts of the flesh. Fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, they have not the Spirit of Christ. "Having not the Spirit of Christ, they are none of his."

THE SUNDAY CALLED QUINQUAGESIMA, OR THE NEXT SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

THE EPISTLE. 1 Cor. xiii., 1 to the end.

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the great

7 Beareth all things, believethest of these is charity.

Charity, that rarely practised and thoroughly misunderstood virtue, is here described; and so described, that none can misunderstand its nature, or doubt its meaning. We have called 2 Rom. viii., 9.

1 Deut. xxxiii., 27.

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