Christ's all belonged to Him: no one sect was his exclusively, or dared to claim Him as their Head more than another.

This is a feeling which is as much to be avoided now as it was in the time of the Apostle. We split ourselves into sects, each of which asserts its own peculiar Christianity. This sectarianism falsifies the very principle of our religion, and therefore falsifies its forms. It falsifies the Lord's Prayer. It substitutes for our Father, the Father of me, of my church or party. It falsifies the creed: "I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord." It falsifies both the sacraments. No matter how large, or true, or beautiful the name by which we call ourselves, we are for ever tending to the sectarian spirit when we assume some appellation which cuts others off from participation with us: when we call ourselves, for example, Bible Christians, Evangelicals, Churchmen - as if no one but ourselves deserved the name.

Secondly, let us observe, that however Christian this expression may sound, "We will take Christ for our teacher, and not His Apostles or His Church," the spirit which prompts it is wrong. This Christ-party amongst the Corinthians depreciated the Church, in order to exalt the Lord of the Church; but they did so wrongly, and at the peril of their religious life. For God's order is the historical; and these men separated themselves from God's order when they claimed an arbitrary distinction for themselves, and rejected the teaching of St. Paul and the Apostles, to whom the development of the meaning of Christ's doctrine had been intrusted. For the phase of truth presented by St. Paul was just as necessary as that prominently taught by Christ. Not that Christ did not teach all truth, but that the hidden meaning of His teaching was developed still further by the inspired Apostles.

We cannot, at this time, cut ourselves off from the teaching of eighteen centuries, and say, "We will have none but Christ to reign over us; nor can we proclaim, "Not the Church, but the Lord of the Church." We cannot do without the different shades and phases

of knowledge which God's various instruments, in accordance with their various characters and endowments, have delivered to us. For God's system is mediatorial, that is, truth to men communicated through men.

See, then, how, as in Corinth, the very attempt to separate from parties may lead to a sectarian spirit, unless we can learn to see good in all, and Christ in all. And should we, as this Christ-party did, desert human instrumentality, we sink into self-will: we cut ourselves from the Church of God, and fall under the popery of our own infallibility.

What dangers on every side! God shield us! For these present days are like those of which we are speaking. The same tendencies are appearing again: some are disposed to unduly value law and ritual, some aspire to a freedom from all law, some incline to literary religion, and some, like the Christ-party here spoken of, to pietism and subjective Christianity. Hence it is that the thoughtful study of these Epistles to the Corinthians is so valuable in our time, when nothing will avert the dangers which threaten us but the principles which St. Paul drew from the teaching of Christ, and has laid down here for the admonition of His Church at Corinth.

II. His vindication. St. Paul vindicated his authority, because it was founded on the power of meekness, and it was a spiritual power in respect of that meekness. The weapons of his warfare were not carnal: "Though we walk in the flesh," he says, "we do not war after the flesh," - that is, We do not use a worldly soldier's weapons, we contend, not with force, but with meekness of wisdom and with the persuasiveness of truth. This was one of the root principles of St. Paul's ministry: If he reproved, it was done in the spirit of meekness (Gal. vi. 1); or if he defended his own authority, it was still with the same spirit (2 Cor. x. 1). Again, when the time of his departure was at hand, and he would leave his last instructions to his son Timothy, he closes his summary of the character of

ministerial work by showing the need of meekness: "The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.'

Here again, according to his custom, the Apostle refers to the example of Christ. He besought the Corinthians" by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." He vindicated his authority, because he had been meek, as Christ was meek: for not by menace, nor by force, did He conquer, but by the might of gentleness and the power of meekness: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not.” On that foundation St. Paul built; it was that example which he imitated in his moments of trial, when he was reproved and censured. He confessed his own "baseness of appearance: " when others had low thoughts of him, he had low ones of himself.

Thus it happened, that one of the Apostle's "mightiest weapons was the meekness and lowliness of heart which he drew from the Life of Christ. So it ever is. Humility, after all, is the best defence. It disarms and conquers by the majesty of submission. To be humble and loving that is true life. Do not let insult harden you, nor cruelty rob you of tenderness. If men wound your heart, let them not embitter it; and then yours will be the victory of the Cross. You will conquer as Christ conquered, and bless as He blessed. But remember, fine words about gentleness, self-sacrifice, meekness, are worth very little. Talking of the nobleness of humility and self-surrender, is not believing in them. Would you believe in the Cross and its victory? then live in its spirit-act upon it.

Again, St. Paul rested his authority not on carnal weapons, but on the spiritual power of truth. Consider the strongholds which the Apostle had to pull down and subdue. There were the sophistries of the educated, and the ignorant prejudices of the multitude. There were the old habits which clung to the Christianized heathen. There was the pride of intellect in the arrogant Greek philosophers, and the pride of the flesh in

the Jewish love of signs. There was

most difficult of all the pride of ignorance. All these strongholds were to be conquered: every thought was to be brought "into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

For this work St. Paul's sole weapon was Truth. The ground on which he taught was not authority: but by manifestation of the truth" he commended himself to "every man's conscience." His power rested on no carnal weapon, on no craft or personal influence; but it rested on the strong foundation of the truth he taught. He felt that truth must prevail. So neither by force did St. Paul's authority stand, nor on his inspired Apostleship, but simply by the power of persuasive truth. The truth he spoke would, at last, vindicate his teaching and his life; and he calmly trusted himself to God and time. A grand, silent lesson for us now! when the noises of a hundred controversies stun the Church: when we are trying to force our own tenets on our neighbors, and denounce those who differ from us, foolishly thinking within ourselves that the wrath of man will work the righteousness of God.

Rather, Christian men, let us teach as Christ and His Apostles taught. Force no one to God; menace no one into religion: but convince all by the might of truth. Should any of you have to bear attacks on your character, or life, or doctrine, defend yourself with meekness: and if defence should but make matters worse and when accusations are vague, as is the case but too often — why, then, commit yourself fully to truth. Outpray-outpreach outlive the calumny!

utter.

LECTURE LVI.

1853.

2 CORINTHIANS, xii. 1-21. "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. - I knew a man in Christ about fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell God knoweth ;) - How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.-For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. - And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. — - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then am I strong. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. - Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you: though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? - Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall