He goes on to argue, "What shall they do which are baptized for the dead?" This has been supposed to denote the case of those who presented themselves for baptism immediately after the martyrdom of their brethren and friends; as if fresh soldiers should be enlisted as former ones fell, each stepping where his comrade stood the instant that he fell. But it has been also supposed that it was a custom not sanctioned by Scripture, though it prevailed in the apostle's days, and that he appeals to them, and says, "Those that are being now baptized for the dead." It is a passage that has perplexed commentators exceedingly, and there is scarcely one who has the same opinion upon it. It is one of those allusions of which we have no clear and satisfactory explanation, and we must therefore take it as an allusion to an incident not explained otherwise in the Word of God. Paul's mention of the practice is not his approval of it. He does not say we, but they.

The apostle then describes the change that shall take place in the body, and the change that shall take place in the living, "We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." And then, says the apostle, it is only at the last day, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and every dead one shall be raised, that we shall be able, as fulfilled what is now promised, to sing, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" When a Christian sings it now, it is anticipatory; but at that day the whole redeemed flock of

the Lamb shall in one grand strain break forth into the joyous and triumphant shout, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

What a magnificent chapter! beginning with the Gospel, passing through the melancholy strain of them that sleep and die in Christ; and then, like that most magnificent of human compositions, the "Dead March in Saul," breaking forth at the close like that burst of grandeur and of beauty which indicates the inspiration of the musician to have been borrowed from the chapter of the holy apostle.

"58. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.'

"Such being the truth and importance of the doctrine of the resurrection, Christians should be firm in their adherence to it, not suffering themselves to be moved by the specious objections of philosophy falsely so called. They should remember that if the dead rise not, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, their faith is vain, and they are yet in the power of sin. But as Christ has risen, and as his resurrection illustrates and renders certain that of his people, what more natural and proper than that they should abound in the work of the Lord. The work of the Lord is either that work in which the Lord is engaged, the destruction of death by destroying sin; or, it is the work which the Lord has given us to do, as parents and children, as husbands and wives, as ministers and Christians. In this work we should abound, i.e. be abundant. As Paul says, 2 Cor. xi. 23, 'In labours

more abundant.' Forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. This with Paul was more than faith; it was knowledge. He knew that labour in the work of the Lord would not be in vain. The reward secured for it by the grace of God and merit of Christ is participation of the glories of a blessed resurrection."-Hodge.

CHAPTER XVI

POSTSCRIPT-THE CHURCH-THE

CHRISTIAN SABBATH-WINTER VOYAGES-DOOR OF USEFULNESS-PRACTICAL ADVICES-HOSPITALITY-LOVE OF CHRIST.

WE have read together that magnificent chapter, which sounds almost like the first notes of the roll of the resurrection trumpet, the 15th chapter of this First Epistle to the Corinthians. That, chapter closed the weighty and doctrinal truths which the apostle, in the course of this epistle, inspired by the Spirit of God, has brought before his believing brethren in the Corinthian Church, whether of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, as they were disposed to call and range themselves.

The last chapter is properly the postscript to this most precious epistle, and contains some plain, familiar, friendly, and affectionate directions to fellow-labourers, and brethren, and friends, associated with him in the great work of the ministry, or in spreading the Gospel. Now the first thing that he calls to their attention is "the collection for the saints; as I have given orders to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye."

It appears that at this time there was a special collection made for the Church at Jerusalem, the mother Church; and it was very beautiful, that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, should bid the Gentiles contribute towards the famine and the destitution which then prevailed in the ancient metropolis and first Church

of the Christian world. He says, the directions that he gave to the Churches of Galatia, which may be found in the Epistle to the Galatians, are those that he gives as equally suitable here. We have often met with the use of the word "Church." There were many Churches in Galatia; there were many Churches in Ephesus; and so vague is the use of that word, which has been made a sort of rallying party watchword in modern times, that we read here, in the 19th verse, of" the Church that is in the house of Aquila and Priscilla." The truth is, the normal, radical idea of a Church is not what the pope defines it, a pope with all his cardinals and prelates; nor what an Episcopalian sometimes defines it, a bishop or an archbishop with a province; nor what Presbyterians occasionally define it, Churches governed by a presbytery. It seems to have been in its apostolical use a far simpler thing than these; it was two or three met together in the name of Christ. This constituted the germ of a Christian Church; and all additional to that seems to be more or less modification or development into a provincial Church, a national Church, the Church universal, for the sake of union, communion, and harmony.

It is important to notice too, the day of the week on which he wished this collection to be made he specifies here to be "the first day of the week." We naturally ask, Why should he assign this day as the day for making a collection? There was no ecclesiastical sacredness; there was nothing intrinsically peculiar to it that was not equally characteristic of the rest of the days of the week. It assumes the fact, that upon that day of the week the Christians met together for public worship. Now, if the apostle Paul held the Ten Commandments-as he