it was not for his own sake, but for the sake of the weak brother for whom Christ died. For the love of Christ held back his Apostle from any course not dictated by that divine Love; for he thus judged, that if one died for all, then all had died, - died, as he had died, to a selfish life, else they were none of his;- because he died for all, that all should be dead to their past existence, and live no longer unto themselves, but unto him who died and rose for them. So that the Christian must no longer consider any man in his worldly aspects, or with a regard to persons; - he must know him no more after the flesh, but in his spiritual relations, in which all men are alike, and vainglory is excluded. Nay, though he had once viewed Christ after the flesh, in his Earthly and Jewish relations, and connected carnal, and national, hopes with the Hebrew Messiah, now must he know him so no more; for these old, exclusive views have passed away, the Christ had died to abolish all spiritual distinctions among mankind, national and individual, —by Death he had disrobed himself of all partial affinities, and all things were become new; - the Jewish Messiah had fulfilled the Law, and passing into the Heavens out of the sphere of Jewish peculiarities had become the Saviour of the World; - and now no man could graft self-glory on Christianity, either on personal or on national grounds, for all were alike related to the spiritual Christ, and all were of God, who was reconciling the world unto Himself through his one Mediator, not imputing their past trespasses to those who, through spiritual faith, had become new crea

tures in him. In this universal kingdom and glory, St. Paul claimed but an elder brother's place in relation to those who had not yet received it; and besought them, as in Christ's stead, the elder Brother of Mankind, to be reconciled to God; for He had broken down the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile; there was no more of legal disqualification, or ceremonial fitness. As the sin-offering under the Law cleansed away the ritual impurity which Priest or People had unknowingly 'contracted, and restored their lost consecration, so, in this sense, was Christ a lamb without spot or blemish, as the sin-offering of the World, for with him was abolished for ever the Righteousness of ordinances, and all men were placed in purely spiritual relations to their God, - their true and inward bond with the Father of their souls being now the Righteousness of God that flows from Faith,-out of a filial and a trusting Heart.

You will recollect that the sin-offerings of the 'Law never removed moral guilt, but only some ritual offence, which, under a ceremonial Religion, disqualified for worship. You will remember also. that it was from such ritual disqualifications, and such alone, that the death of Jesus, with whom the Law of ordinances was abolished, redeemed for ever the whole world, who were no longer under the Law but under the Spirit. That this is the whole extent of the sacrificial efficacy figuratively applied to the death of Christ, is distinctly stated in the Epistle to the Hebrews, at the fifteenth verse of the ninth chapter: "He is the Mediator of the new Covenant,

that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Covenant, they who are called might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance."

And when we bear in mind the connection in which the death of Christ is here introduced, it will be evident that the only idea in the mind of the Apostle was the abolition of religious distinctions, and the union of all men in spiritual Liberty; so that none could find the sources of personal importance in that Gospel whose first principle it was, that, dying to the Law of self and sin, they should live no more unto themselves, but the Life of him who died in Love, and now liveth unto God.

(Ch. VI.) But though that Gospel extinguished the selfish and ambitious sentiment, still its Apostle, as an ambassador for Christ, had a commission from God to urge it home upon the hearts of all people, —and a claim to be esteemed very highly, in love, for his work's sake. That he sought no glory for himself, was no reason why his just influence and authority should be weakened amongst those who evidently had not strength to stand alone in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free, — and who, not grown up in spiritual things to the stature of the Apostle, were open to the seductions of the false teachers who dispensed some Jewish or Heathen notions, accommodated to the frailty of these babes in Christ. To such he did not hesitate "to magnify his office," if, by impressing them with his just claims on their gratitude and confidence, he could persuade them to receive the Truth of Christ

in the spiritual form he had administered it to them, and so preserve them from the moral dangers incident to men who, not having their stability within themselves, depended for their safe guidance upon the soundness of those to whom their trust was given. It was right, therefore, that, as one "put in trust with the Gospel," he should exhort them not to receive the grace of God in vain ; — that, for those who would become new creatures, casting behind them their former feebleness of outward dependence, "now was the accepted time, now was the day of Salvation"; — and that, against the influence of unspiritual advisers tampering with their new-born and feeble faith, he should confirm his own authority by setting forth every plea that justly entitled him to a power over their hearts. It was with this view that he drew up that noble statement of his labors in the Gospel, as one who used no undue means with those whom he regarded as his children in the Faith," seeking to give no offence in any thing, that the ministry might not be blamed, but approving himself to God, in patience, in affliction, in imprisonments, in watchings, - by pureness, by longsuffering, by love unfeigned, by the word of Truth, by the power of God upon the convinced heart, — by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, offensive and defensive; through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report, -treated as a deceiver, and yet true, as obscure, and yet having a name that would never perish, grieved, yet rejoicing, poor, yet making many rich, - having nothing, yet possessing all things."

When the fountains of the heart are once broken up, thoughts pour forth which at all other moments would be restrained: whatever is in the soul is then borne out on the torrent of the affections. St. Paul had not intended to make this personal appeal, but it came:-"Our tongue is loosed, O Corinthians, for our heart is burst. Be not straitened towards us, as our heart is not straitened towards you: we speak to you, as our spiritual children, and as our recompense we ask only that you would open to us your bosoms, -turn away from seducers, hold no more communion with unrighteousness, and, as temples of the living God, cleanse the soul from idols, accepting the overture of God, 'I will

be their God, and they shall be my people.'

Come out from among them, -touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be unto me as sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Throughout this Section, I have sought no present applications, nor transferred a word or a thought from the relations between St. Paul and the Corinthians to our own business and bosoms. But as the Gospel never dies, its warnings and its promises are never out of season. Notwithstanding Paul's expectation, the End is not yet: but to those whose hearts Death hath rent, and whom Mortality makes to feel that, as they walk this Earth they are treading on their graves, never can come amiss the warning voice," Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation"; - and to the feeble and lapsing