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himself, being the "wise master builder," who had laid the foundation which is CHRIST. Read Isaiah xxviii. 16, and compare 1 Peter ii. 4-6, where Jesus is said to be the foundation of the church, and believers, as "living stones," to be built up on him "a spiritual house." I would also refer you to Eph. ii. 20, 21, where Paul writes as follows:-" And (ye) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord."

Thus the Church of Christ is a temple composed of living stones, that is regenerate souls; of which temple, Jesus is the foundation and chief corner-stone, supporting and binding together the whole structure. Hence, the apos

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says, in the passage under discussion (verses 16, 17), “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?"—and again, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." Mark, it is not here said that each individual Christian is the temple of God (however true that may be), not that a system of doctrines or a course of obedience composed that temple, but believers united together as a Church of Christ. They were "God's building," and among them minis

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ters laboured as builders, laying them on the foundation, and edifying them in the Lord. Now the apostle, as "master builder," or principal architect, warned the other builders against "defiling" this temple. But how was it defiled? Why, putting on the foundation wood, hay, and stubble, instead of gold, and silver, and precious stone. This building is the "work" which is to be "made manifest," and "tried;" upon this the fire is to act, consuming all the spurious materials, and only purifying and strengthening the precious. The workman that does his duty faithfully has his "reward." The genuine converts, the "gold and silver," which he had built on the "tried stone," are his "crown of rejoicing" in the presence of God; while the careless builder, who piled up worthless materials, boasting of the quantity without regarding the quality of his work, "shall suffer loss"-his labour will be › in vain ; and if he can escape from the fire that burns up his handiwork, he may be thankful.

Now divest the apostle's meaning of its metaphorical clothing, and it will be simply this: It is the minister's office, by the preaching of the Gospel, to bring sinners to Christ; and when they give evidence that they are regenerated, and thereby made the children of God, to re

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ceive them into church-fellowship, and admit them to the enjoyment of all the privileges that belong to the "household of God." The faithful and vigilant steward of the household will take care that no alien, or enemy, shall intrude into this hallowed family-circle, or place himself at a feast intended only for "the children”feast which at once betokens our reconciliation with God through the death of his Son, and our communion with one another through the indwelling of the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father!"

But there are many ministers who, either through ignorance, or weakness, or indolence, or mistaken charity, admit all classes indiscriminately to the privileges of the sanctuary, giving the hand of fellowship to men of the world-men totally destitute of the Christian spirit, whose views of the Gospel are radically erroneous, and whose lives are in every sense ungodly. In churches of this description, the discipline is so lax, if discipline it may be called, that they scarcely ever put away a "wicked person." Indeed, some of these ministers admit, that were they to remove all the unworthy members, they would have no members remaining; and that such a step would be tantamount to a dissolution of their societies, and would lead, in

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nine cases out of ten, to their own expulsion from office. What must become of those build

ings that are mere piles of rubbish, consisting almost entirely of wood, hay, and stubble? "For the time will come when judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter iv. 17, 18. When tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word, then all those combustible materials shall be consumed; and only those which are fireproof - the gold, silver, and precious stonewill remain; and these will pass the ordeal, freed from their dross, and fused into more intimate communion.

passage.

Such, dear Friend, is the meaning of this There are many of a similar nature, to which I could refer you did my space permit. I entreat your attention to one concluding remark, bearing on the doctrine of Purgatory. From the analysis of the text which I have just submitted to your attention, it is quite clear, that the apostle means persons, and not their principles or their actions, when he speaks of that which is built on the foundation. Unworthy members are represented by the wood, hay, and

stubble. Now these materials, in passing through the fire, are utterly destroyed-reduced to a heap of ashes. They are not cleansed, purified, or in any way improved, but totally consumed! But the Purgatorial fire is not destructive, but corrective its tendency is not to dissolve, but to purify-not to ruin, but to renovate.

There

fore, the fire spoken of by Paul is not the fire of Purgatory.

One other assumed authority remains to be considered. This is 1 Peter iii. 19, 20: "By which he went and preached to the spirits in prison." This prison, it is confidently alleged, is Purgatory. But this interpretation is, according to the learned EDGAR, "entirely modern, and was utterly unknown to the ancients. The exposition is not to be found in all the ponderous tomes of the Fathers."

"The prison is hell, in which those who, in the days of Noah, were incredulous, were, in the time of Peter, incarcerated for their unbelief. These spirits were, prior to the flood, in the body and on earth; but in the apostolic age were consigned to the place of endless punishment. To these Jesus before his death preached, not in his humanity, but in his divinity: not by his own, but by Noah's ministry. He inspired the ante-deluvian patriarch to preach righteousness

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