God's keeping, who gives the Tempter opportu nity; and 3dly. The Principle that is contained in the passage from the 16th to the 22d verse, that acts, the most indifferent in themselves, may yet be so eccentric to us, so unsuitable to our position, as to violate the harmony of our outward life, and even to peril the inward consistency of the character. "Is it consistent, is it sacred," such is the argument of this passage," that you, who, by solemnly partaking of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of Christ, bring before your religious affections your moral union with the Lord, that his Church is as his Body, and draws spirit and life from him who is its Head, that you should, in the wanton exercise of Liberty, be participant in a Feast, that others regard as implying the same spiritual communion with Idol Deities? You cannot be inwardly united to both; - why use the outward form, and tempt God by reservations?" But the Sacrifice furnished the private meal as well as the Temple feast, and a scrupulous Conscience might be oppressed with daily fears lest unconsciously it was touching things unclean, or, by eating things that had been sacrificed to Idols, dishonoring God. No man had ever less sympathy with a straitened, or false, Conscience; and he places no restriction on the utmost Liberty, except that which springs from another Principle altogether, and has no connection with straitened notions. "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's weal." "Whatever is sold in the Market, that eat, having no scruples of conscience, "-"for the Earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof";- every thing is His, to be used and consecrated by a grateful heart. "If any unbeliever invite you to his house, eat what is set before you, asking no questions from scruples of conscience; but if a weak brother say unto you, This hath been offered unto Idols,' then eat not of it, not on your own account, but lest you should tempt the weak to sin against his Conscience." The next words, forming the last clause of the 29th verse, if they are ascribed to St. Paul as the expression of his own feelings, are, as they stand in our version, in violation of the Apostle's sentiments: — "For why is my liberty judged, of another man's conscience; and if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of, for that for which I give thanks?" This may be an objection which St. Paul supposes to be made by the Corinthian, to which the following verses would then form a pertinent answer: "You must use your liberty, not for your own gratification, but for the good of others," Liberty is not a principle of action, Love is; -"Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, let the desire to do all to the glory of God protect you from injuring or obstructing another's Faith. Make no temptation for Jew, nor Gentile, nor for the Church of God: even as I serve all men in all things; not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. In this be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ." The passage, if the sentiment of it is attributed to St. Paul, must be understood thus: "For why should I act so as that my freedom should fall under the condemna - tion of another man's Conscience, should appear sinful or ill-used freedom through the offence that I give? — and when I partake of meat with thanksgiving to God, why do I act so as to injure a weak brother by means of that for which I give thanks?" That is, "Is not this a contradiction? On the one hand, I thank God for my Liberty, and for the good things which He has bestowed, — and on the other I offend against Him, and make a mockery of my thanks, by my unchristian disregard for the infirmity of my Brother. " Either of these methods is admissible, preserving to St. Paul that guiding sentiment of Love as opposed to the individual pretensions of Knowledge, through which he sought to realize the sublimest Idea of Christianity, the universal Reign of Christ's spirit upon earth; in every heart kindling the same solemn ideas, and opening the same living springs; subduing the differences of class and country by the affinities of Worship, by kindred images of Hope, of Duty, and of God. Such was the Christian vision of the Church Universal, of the union of all good men in the Love of one God, under the Leadership of his Image in Humanity, — growing up into him, in all things, which is the Head, even Christ. It is profitless to ask,- What has obstructed the Realization? St. Paul at least is free. Let his L -- spirit speak to us in one of his own Benedictions: "Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity! * Ephes. vi. 24. SECTION IV. IRREGULARITIES FROM SOME ABUSE BY WOMAN OF HER SPIRITUAL EQUALITY, AND FROM A PROFANE AND HEATHENISH ABUSE OF THE LORD'S SUpper. CHAP. XI. 2-34. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the instructions as I delivered 3 them to you. But I wish you to know that the Head of every man is Christ; and the Head of woman, man }; 4 and the Head of Christ, God. Every man that prayeth or prophesieth, having a covering on his head, 5 dishonoreth his Head. And every woman praying or prophesying with uncovered head, dishonoreth her Head for it is one and the same thing as if she were 6 shaven. For if a woman is uncovered, let her also be shorn, but if it is a disgrace to a woman to be 7 shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For man indeed ought not to cover the head, being the image and 8 glory of God: but woman is the glory of man. 9 man is not of woman, but the woman of man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 Therefore ought the woman to wear his authority on 11 her head, because of the angels. Yet neither is woman separate from man, nor man separate from 12 woman, in the Lord. For as woman is of man, so 13 also is man by woman; and all of God. Judge of For yourselves, is it becoming for a woman to pray to 14 God, uncovered? Does not nature herself teach us, that it is a dishonor to a man if he have long hair? 15 But that if woman have long hair, it is a glory to 16 her? For hair is given to her for a covering. But if any one thinks fit to be contentious, we have no such custom; neither have the churches of God. 17 But I praise you not, in declaring this, that not for the better, but for the worse, ye meet together. 18 For first, when ye meet together in the church, I hear that there are schisms among you, and in part I be19 lieve it. For there must indeed be separations among you, in order that those of you who are sterling may 20 be manifest. When ye meet together in one place, 21 it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For each taketh before the other his own supper, in eating; and one 22 is hungry, and another is drunken. Have ye not houses for eating and drinking? Or do ye despise the church of God, and shame those that have not? 23 What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I praise you not. For I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread. 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is broken for you: this do 25 in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: do this, as oft 26 as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, 27 Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat the bread, or drink the cup, of the Lord, unworthily, shall be chargeable with the body and the blood. 28 of the Lord. Let a man try himself, and so let him ye do show the |