no man liveth or dieth to himself a1 Co. x. 31; 1 Ti. iv. 3. b1 Co. vi. 19, 20; Phi. i. 20–23. c Ga. ii. 20. d 2 Co. v. 15; Ep. i. 20-23; Re. i. 18. eVaughan. "There are no tral characters. rupts, or the silently operates; but being dead or alive, every man speaks." 6-9. he that, etc., both may equally aim at God's glory, and seek to honour Him. none, whatever his position, relations, character. liveth.. himself, can limit his influence, make his life begin and end with himself. no.. himself, no man, on passing away, can take with him all the effects of his life. More esp. a Christian, living or dying, refers all to Christ. live Lord, whatever we be, wherever we are, we may honour Christ. die.. Lord, our death, as well as our life, may be for His glory. we.. Lord's, by purchase and gracious adoption. for.. end, etc." A result wh. was the direct object of the death and resurrection of Christ, and wh. consequently He will not now frustrate. "e Jesus, Lord of dead and living.-I. All souls belong to Christ. moral blanks; II. His title to this property in souls: 1. His death; 2. His there are no neu- resurrection and ascension-life. III. Both life and death have We are either reference to Him.-Christian influence.-I. A man cannot live the sower that only to himself: 1. Our relationships are natural; 2. We live for SOWB and cor- the world, and for posterity by our influence; 3. Self-denial is inlight that splen- culcated by the Apostle when he asserts that "no man liveth for didly illuminates himself." II. It is of the utmost importance for our own sakes, and the salt that and for that of others, that we live well: 1. It is our own personal duty; 2. It is our duty for the sake of others; 3. By living well, we glorify our God and our religion; 4. We should do it from love to Christ and in order to show our love to Christ. 9-Living and dying unto the Lord.-I. A statement of the disposition with which the inspired Apostle regarded errors in the Church of Christ. II. The occasion of this maxim in which he passes from outward forms to the inward and spiritual kingdom of God in the heart. III. What it is to "live unto God." It is to live the life that heralds the immortality "unto God."—Christ's sovereignty "Life's evening, in the Church.-I. The condition of the Christian,—one of dependwe may rest assured, will take ence. II. Its engagements: 1. The state in which Christ found its character us; 2. What He performed to deliver us from it; 3. Under what from the day conditions we enjoy the deliverance. Chalmers. f E. Johnson, B.A. g T. D. Jones. h W. A. Butler. i W. Stevens. which has pre ceded it; and if we would close our career in the comfort of religious hope, we must prepare for it by early and continuous religious habit."Shuttleworth. Christ is the a Ac. xvii. 31. Living to the Lord.-The following lines, which Dr. Doddridge wrote on the motto of his family arms, have been much admired, expressing, in a lively and pointed manner, the genuine spirit of a faithful servant of God. Dr. Johnson, when speaking of this epigram, praised it as one of the finest in the English language. Whilst we live, let us live," was the motto of the family arms, on which the Doctor wrote "Live whilst you live," the epicure would say, I live in pleasure whilst I live to Thee. 10–13. judge, condemn. why.. nought, despise. stand judge of all.. Christ, and be judged by Him. written, long ago. No new doctrine. confess, this the LXX. trans. b Is. xlv. 23. c Phi. ii. 10. d Ecc. xi. 9: Ma. vii. 1-3; Ja. iv. 11, 12. 66 The Heb. is swear." every.. himself, hence had better now look after himself. but rather, pass this judgment. stumblingblock, cause of sin. occasion.. way, by tempting him to act contrary to his conscience. The future judgment.-I. Its certainty. II. Its awfulness. We "shall give account" of ourselves before God-1. Generally, e 1 Co. viii. 9, 13; as to our demeanour on the whole; 2. Particularly, as to our con- X. 32. duct towards Christ. Improvement (1) The main subject of f C. Simeon, M.A. the context; (2) The passage we have been insisting on. "To leave off If The you would come The anything nearer happiness upon earth, endeavour to live with all mankind in state of as pure love, as you will in heaven." The cadi and the king.-One of the Moorish kings of Spain sinning is charity of the best wished to build a pavilion on a field near his garden, and offered kind to my to purchase it of the woman to whom it belonged; but she would neighbours. not consent to part with the inheritance of her fathers. field, however, was seized, and the building was erected. poor woman complained to a cadi, who promised to do all in his power to serve her. One day, while the king was in the field, the cadi came with an empty sack, and asked permission to fill it with the earth on which he was treading. He obtained leave; and when the sack was filled, he requested the king to complete his kindness by assisting him to load his ass with it. The monarch Adam. laughed, and tried to lift it, but soon let it fall, complaining of its "He who shows enormous weight. "It is, however," said the cadi, "only a small hatred against part of the ground which thou hast wrested from one of thy stead of exercisthe sinner, insubjects: how then wilt thou bear the weight of the whole field, ing it only against when thou shalt appear before the Great Judge laden with this the sin,condemns iniquity?" The king thanked him for his reproof; and not only restored the field to its owner, but gave her the building which he had erected, and all the wealth which it contained. b с a 14, 15. know, for reason teaches it. persuaded. . Jesus, who has revealed it. nothing.. itself, necessarily, essentially. Some pronounced so by the law. esteemeth, believeth. to.. unclean, as if actually forbidden. grieved, injured, brought to grief through sin. walkest.. charitably,d in harmony with the law of love. destroy.. meat, by encouraging him to do what he cannot without sin. for.. died, if Christ died for him, you should be willing to do something for him. For whom Christ died.-I. Those for whom He died: 1. All the children of God scattered abroad; 2. For the sheep given Him by the Father; 3. For the Church whom He loved as His bride; a general sense, for all. II. Why He died. He gave-1. His flesh for the life of the world; 2. Himself as a ransom for all. III. How He died: 1. Generally, for all; 2. Peculiarly, for the elect. IV. What His death effected. Salvation was made-1. Certain to some; 2. Possible to all. 4. In himself."-St. Ephraim. 1 Co. viii. 10, 11. d 1 Co. xiii. 2, 4, 5,7. e Jo. x. 27, 28; 1 Jo. ii. 1, 2; Ja. i. 15. thing be good, "Though the yet, if we prefer it before better things, and neglect or omit them for it, the action evil." evident than that the truth, believ ing it to be a lie, is guilty of falsehood." Dr. T. a man who tells A reason for charity.—For my own part, if my pocket was full of stones, I have no right to throw one at the greatest backslider becometh upon earth. I have either done as bad or worse than he, or I-Sanderson. certainly should if the Lord had left me a little to myself; for I ƒ T. Robinson. am made of just the same materials: if there be any difference, "Nothing is more it is wholly of grace.s-Charitable judgment.-Those of us who have read classic history may remember an incident in the history of the Macedonian emperor. A painter was commanded to sketch the monarch. In one of his great battles, he had been struck with a sword upon the forehead, and a very large scar had been left on the right temple. The painter, who was a master-hand in his art, sketched him leaning on his elbow, with his finger covering the scar on his forehead; and so the likeness of the king was taken, but without the scar. Let us put the finger of charity upon the scar of the Christian as we look at him, whatever it may be, -the finger of a tender and forbearing charity, and see, in spite of it and under it, the image of Christ notwithstanding. Reid. g J. Newton. h Dr. Cumming. nature of kingdom of God a Ga. v. 13; 2Co. viii. 20, 21. b 1 Co. viii. 8; He. xiii. 9; Ma. xxiii. 23. c Ma. vi. 33; Phi. iii. 9; Ro. v. 1, 2; Phi. iv. 7; Ga. v. 22; Ro. XV. 13. d Jo. xii. 26; Col. iii. 24; Ep. i. 6. Anon, f Dr. W. Arnot. "A man's first care should be to avoid the re the censures of 16–18. let .. good, the liberty you have. be..of," through your too great license. kingdom.. drink, neither in their use or rejection. but.. Ghost, the kingdom is in its nature spiritual, and its seat is in the heart. things, the fruit of the Spirit. acceptable.. God, whatever his views of the question of meats. and.. men, i.e., such as have the wit to understand the true nature of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and its subjects.—I. The kingdom of God. A kingdom: 1. Negatively-not meat and drink; 2. Positivelyit is righteousness, peace, and joy. II. Its subjects: what they1. Do; 2. Are. Learn-(1) The insufficiency of a mere form of godliness; (2) The importance of seeking this Scriptural Christianity.e-The way to happiness.-I. Righteousness. A righteousness suitable to our need must obviously consist of two parts: 1. The evil must be removed; 2. The good imparted. II. Peace. Peace enjoyed flows from righteousness possessed. III. Joy. Joy in the Holy Ghost. Here at last is the thing we have sought all our days. There are two conditions possible to a human soul in proaches of his this life: 1. Sin and enmity with God; 2. Peace with God through own heart; his Christ's blood. Which of these two conditions are you in ?ƒ next, to escape Jewish apologue of charity.-When Abraham sat at his tent the world Adoor, according to his custom, waiting to entertain strangers, he man is more espied an old man, stooping, and leaning on his staff, weary with sure of his con- age and travel, coming towards him, who was a hundred years duct when the of age. He received him kindly, washed his feet, provided supper, passes on his own caused him to sit down; but observing that the old man ate and behaviour is thus prayed not, nor begged for a blessing on his meat, asked him why he did not worship the God of heaven? The old man told him that he worshipped the fire only, and acknowledged no other god; at which answer, Abraham grew so zealously angry, that he thrust the old man out of his tent, and exposed him to all the evils of "Our happiness the night and an unguarded condition. When the old man was in this world degone, God called to him, and asked him where the stranger was. pends on the affections we are He replied, "I thrust him away because he did not worship enabled to in- Thee." God answered, “I have suffered him these hundred years, spire."Duchesse though he dishonoured Me; and couldest thou not endure him verdict wh. he warranted and confirmed by the opinion of all that know him." -Addison. de Praslin. g Stanley. follow after peace a Ps. xxxiv. 14. 61 Th. v. 11; 1 Co. xiv. 12; Ep. iv. 29; 1 Co. viii. 1; 1 Co. x. 23; Ro. xv. 2; Ep.iv. 12-16. c Tit. i. 15. d 1 Co. viii. 8-13. for one night, when he gave thee no trouble?" Upon this, saith the story, Abraham fetched him back again, and gave him hospitable entertainment and wise instruction. Go thou and do likewise, and thy charity will be rewarded by the God of Abraham. b 19-21. follow after, a practise, pursue. that.. for, promote. and.. another, for ea. may both learn and teach. for God, suffer not trifles to interfere with great concerns. all.. pure, in themselves. evil. . offence, when he eateth against his conscience; or maketh another do so. it is good, etc., still, if the strong should have all this charity, should not the weak be charitable? and should not the weak try to cure that propensity to stumble by wh. the lawful liberty of another is circumscribed? Let us follow after the things that make for peace.-I. What these things are: 1. Righteousness towards God; 2. Humility "We may talk and self-abasement; 3. Love to Christ, and to our neighbours; 4. what we will, but Faith in His blood. II. What our duty is in regard to them: really it is our we must follow after them-1. Earnestly; 2. Prayerfully; 3. not practising With steady faith in our ultimate attainment of them. III. What the result of our faithful pursuit of these things will be: eternal tentious and dis- life-1. In heaven; 2. With God and Christ. our religion that makes us so con it. It is our emptiness of the Divine life that makes us so full of speculation and controversy."-Sharp. the truth's sake Opportunities for self-denial.-No man need hunt among hair-putatious about shirts, no man need seek for blankets too short at the bottom and too short at the top, no man need to resort to iron seats or cushionless chairs, no man need shut himself up in grim cells, no man need stand on the top of towers or columns, in order to deny himself. There are abundant opportunities for self-denial. If a man is going to place the higher part of his nature uppermost, "To divide for he will have business enough on hand. He will not need to go into is the spirit of the wilderness to deny himself. And, by the way, to go alone martyrdom; into the wilderness is no safeguard against evil. A man never went into the wilderness in this world that the devil did not go with him. In the city, the devil has so much to do that he cannot pay much attention to any one man; but in the wilderness he has you! It is a bad plan to keep by yourself too much. H. W. Beecher. When you are under wholesome excitements in life, when you are made to vibrate and respond to genial influences, these things help you on toward self-denial. to divide for straws schism."-R. Cecil. is the spirit of e J. H. Tasson. 22, 23. hast.. faith?a art thou persuaded of the lawful-what is not ness of a thing? "You have none of these weak scruples."b of faith is sin have.. God, do not parade it bef. others who have not faith. a 1 Jo. iii. 21; happy.. alloweth, not subjecting himself to punishment by Ac. xxiv. 16. the wrong use of things lawful to him. damned, condemned, b Vaughan. liable to punishment. if.. eat, being led thereto by thy example. because.. faith, has no persuasion of its lawfulness. for.. sin, though it may be lawful. c 1 Co. xi. 32; He. xi. 6; Tit. i. 15. Many of the anc. MSS. and of the Gk. fathers have at the end of this chap. the doxology found at Ro. xvi. 25-27. The Alex. MS. has it in both places. Jerome thinks it was in serted here by Marcion, who wished Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.-I. In order for works to be acceptable to God, they must-1. Be done by His grace; 2. Spring from a principle of faith. II. The spirit which leads a man to rely on his own unassisted efforts as rendering him meet to receive grace, is sin, because it involves a denial of-1. Human infirmity; 2. Christ's atonement; 3. The need of the Spirit's help. Application:-The practical lessons here suggested for-(1) Reproof; (2) Correction; (3) Instruction in righteousness.d What is not of faith is sin.-The meaning of the Apostle is manifestly this: whatever is done without faith in its lawfulness, or a conviction that it is lawful, is sin. The principle which he affirms is well illustrated by one of President Edwards' resolutions:-Resolved, that I will never do anything about the lawfulness of which I am doubtful, unless I am equally doubtful whether it be lawful to omit the doing of it. It is important to observe ever is done the converse of the principle, which the Apostle here lays down, without a does not hold. Our thinking an act to be unlawful makes it un-viction of its lawlawful for us; but our thinking it to be lawful does not make it fulness, is sinlawful for us. The Apostle says,-" To him that esteemeth any-dw. Webster, thing to be unclean;" but he does not say, "To him that M.A. esteemeth anything to be clean, to him it is clean." to exIclude the rest of the Epistle. "The meaning here is simply this: whatso con ful."-Dr. Porter. e Bib. Notes and Q. CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH. the weak 1-3. strong, in faith. Well instructed in Christian doct. the strong to bear.. weak,a Gk., all. to cust. of travellers who support the bear with weak or weary of the company. not.. ourselves, take care of ourselves alone fr. a spirit of selfishness. please.. edifica-a Ga. vi. 2. tion, not pleasing in other ways or for other ends. b even.. b Phi. ii. 4,5; 1 Co. xiii. 5; x. 24, himself, the good of others being His object. written, the 33; ix. 19, 21. connection betw. Christ's character, etc., and anc. prophecy constantly indicated. reproaches, etc., the punishment due to the wicked was laid upon Me. c Ps. lxix. 9. d Jo. vi. 38; xiii. 14, 15. which treats ters are devoted Middleton. "The Churches cure. Cannot ... Self-denial.-I. Whom Christ did not seek to please Himself. "Of the Epistle You will see this if you think of what He-1. Might have been; to the Romans, 2. Actually was. II. Whom Christ did seek to please God: 1. principally of jus- God's will is always the wisest and best for us: (1) Naturally; tification by faith, (2) Remedially. 2. Our will is often ignorant, wrong, and at least four chap- pernicious.-The duty of the strong to the weak.-I. The strong to the enforce-here are the strong in faith-the enlightened. II. We who are ment of social strong physically ought to bear the infirmities of the weak. III. duties." -Bishop The strong in mind ought to bear the infirmities and temper of the weak. Enforced by-1. The fact that we are all constituted of Christ in differently one from another; 2. The example of our Lord. Apgeneral ... are plication: (1) Thou art strong in muscle and sinew; then help hospitals, or ra- the delicate; (2) Thou art strong in intellect; then instruct the ther one great hospital, wherein ignorant, guide the erring; (3) Thou art strong in nerve; then there are persons give courage to the fearful; (4) Thou art strong in faith. Help of all sorts under others to realise by thy strength of faith the things unseen. gore and wound- Fable of self-complacency.-One day, Narcissus, who had reed men endure sisted all the charms of others, came to an open fountain of one another, silvery clearness. He stooped down to drink, and saw his own when they are all there for cure?" image, and thought it some beautiful water-spirit living in the fountain. He gazed, and admired the eyes, the neck, the hair, the lips. He fell in love with himself. In vain he sought a kiss and an embrace. He talked to the charmer, but received no response. He could not break the fascination, and so he pined away and died. The moral is, think not too much nor too highly of yourself.-Promptness of sympathy.-Sympathy is as the lightning; it is quick as thought; it waits not to make its selections; it is irrespective of considerations, and of partialities, and of tastes, and of cold prudence. If the stone on which I have set my foot proves to be loose, I catch hold of my companion's arm; and I do so without ceremony or the intervention of a thought. Or, if I see that my companion is in danger of a fall, I catch hold of his arm, to save him, without ceremony or the intervention of a thought. Or if, on my path, I find some onea stranger-who has just fallen, and has broken a limb, and is bleeding, I start forward without ceremony or the intervention of a thought (on the supposition that I am no descendant of the Priest or of the Levite). -Howe. e Homilist. f De Longwill. "The nature of sympathy is, to put us in the place of another in whatever cirin, and to affect us in like manner; so that this passion may, as cumstance he is the occasion requires, turn either on pain or pleasure." Burke. g J. Taylor. the purpose tures a 4. things.. written, in the Scriptures. learning, instruction. patience, in study and practice; or, the patience, i.e. through our recollection of the patience with wh. holy men bore reproaches. comfort, such comfort as the promises and examples of the Scriptures inspire. hope, of having patience and consolation here, and glory hereafter. of the Scripa 2 Ti. iii. 16, 17; 2 Pe. i. 19; 1 Co. ix. 9, 10; Ja. v. 10, 11; 1 Co. x. 11; He. xiii. 5, 6. What may be derived from the Scriptures.-I. Patience. This "The Bible is, means-1. Constancy, as opposed to fickleness and change; 2. among other books, as a dia- Perseverance, or steadiness of conduct, in contrast with that inmond among stability of character, which, though not without good intentions, precious stones has not sufficient fortitude to carry them into effect. II. Comsparkling, aptest fort. This is-1. The crown and consummation of our faith; 2. to scatter light; The final object of the Apostle's declaration in the text." as the most solid Hearing the Word.-I have heard of one who, returning from as the most |