will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. iv. 3—5.)

It is a great thing to be consciously open and naked before Him with whom we have to do, now that during man's day we have opportunity of concealing our motives from men, and may be often subject to their unfair and adverse judgment. It was the habit of bringing the light of "that day" to bear on present things, that gave the apostle a present joy when he laboured under injurious aspersions. "Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." (2 Cor. i. 12.)

The Pharisees derided Jesus when He announced to them His doctrine. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Fleshly wisdom was the very thing on which they prided themselves. To know how to attenuate the truth of God, so as least to interfere with selfinterest or self-complacency, how to catch the spirit of the age, and sanction it by some goodly name, is of "the leaven of the Pharisees." Saul, the Pharisee, had to be taught by the strong hand of the Lord another lesson. "For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness." (1 Thess. ii. 3-6.)

God "requireth truth in the inward parts." He has

made provision in the priestly ministry of Jesus that we may be maintained truthfully before Him, even as were the Thessalonians; "remembering," writes the apostle, "your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father."

In the sight of God we never lose our character of sinners saved by grace; in the sight of God we have no pretensions; but out of His presence pretensions are apt to arise, and we practically forget that we are only recipients. We measure others by ourselves, and the leaven of the Pharisees is unsuspectedly at work; but God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. Any secret contempt of others, who follow not with us, and fall short of our measure of knowledge, or practice, hardly expressed now, will then be known.

When the doctrine is openly avowed by those who think in themselves that they are righteous and despise others, we instinctively recoil from it. But it is not less loathsome before God when it is secretly entertained in the heart. The day of disclosure will manifest the counsels of the heart. No glorying in the flesh will abide its light. The day of disclosure will show most manifestly that the saints themselves are only sinners saved by grace, through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the day of disclosure," the first will be last, and the last first." The day of disclosure will bring to light many a passed by and forgotten act of the saints themselves, on which the Lord has stamped a value. "Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me."

Oh! for grace to live, move, act, speak, and even think in the sight of our God and Father; for "Jesus said unto His disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy; for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known."

REMARKS ON I COR. V.

THE apostle having previously taught the Corinthian saints the insufficiency of the creature, the power of God, and how to regard the ministers of Christ, proceeds in this chapter to instruct them as to their responsibility to maintain the holiness of the house of God.

There are two serious and deadly evils to be guarded against in the Church, false doctrine, and false practice. Admit either into the communion of saints, and leaven is at once found in their midst. Leaven, as a general principle, refers either to doctrine or practice. A Church must be grievously fallen that tolerates either. False doctrine must lead to false practice-must depreciate more or less the Divine character-it poisons the fountain of the Church's life and blessing. godly walking destroys the Church's testimony, and blasphemes the name of Christ, by presenting a character the reverse of His, while professing to express His mind and ways.

Un

Discipline in the Church is not the act of one or two persons, but the act of all in communion. (Verse 4, 5.) "Do not ye judge them that are within? Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." (Verse 12, 13.) The class of persons not to be companied with are clearly defined in this chapter.

The saints were charged to keep the feast only "with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (Verse 8.) Purity of doctrine and practice were essentially necessary to their corporate Church condition. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," is a solemn statement, and clearly interdicts leaven from the Church of God.

It seems plain that leaven, in the Scriptures, refers to erroneous doctrine and evil practice. "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matt. xvi. 6.) "Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." (Verse 12.) The Pharisees and Sadducees had made void the word of God by their traditions. The Galatians had turned aside from grace to the law, and many were corrupted from gospel truth. To such Paul said, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Gal. v. 4.) Such was the leaven of false doctrine that sprang up amongst the Galatian saints, and was to be avoided and put away. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump," teaches the apostle here also. "I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be." (Verse 10.) "I would they were even cut off which trouble you." (Verse 12.)

Exodus xii. should be read in connexion with the putting away of leaven. Leaven was to be excluded from the paschal feast, under the penalty of being cut

off from Israel (verse 15); it was to have no place in the house a striking type, and so used by the apostle, of the holiness and discipline of the house of God. "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened: for even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. v. 7, 8.)

Much prayerful waiting on God, and searching of His word, are often needed to be assured of the Lord's mind concerning dealing with evil in the Church. This being a dispensation of grace, as well as of righteousness, judgment should be mingled with mercy; and much patience may be needed, so that the offender may, if possible, be restored and not put away; restoration, and not excommunication, being the rule of Scripture, save in extreme cases.

To define by sectarian rules what is and what is not leaven, must result in much damage to the consciences and spiritual judgment of the saints; so many attendant and collateral circumstances in each case requiring special attention, and perhaps a different mode of treatment. It would therefore be impossible for one taking the range of Scripture, and having the heart of a loving and true shepherd, to settle, by the aid of byelaws, the discipline of saints. Alas! how many in the haste of the flesh, apart from confidence in the presence and guidance of the Holy Ghost, have taken upon themselves to do so. The result has ever been, that the lawgiver has become the head of his followers, and his rules their text book and bond of association.