gather the tares to be burned. This, then, was the day of wrath, referred to in the passage at the head of this section. And that, at that time, God punished the Jews according to their deeds, see Matt. xvi. 27, 28.

LXVIII. "Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" 1 Cor. vi. 9.

The unrighteous cannot inherit the kingdom of God while they remain in that condition. The phrase "kingdom of God," we have already frequently explained in these pages. It signifies the moral reign of Jesus on the earth, of which a man cannot be a subject until he is brought to the knowledge of the truth, and his soul is purified thereby. Jesus said to his own disciples, "Except ye be converted, and become like little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. xviii. 3. This was founded on the principle recognised in the passage at the head of this section, viz. that the unrighteous cannot inherit the kingdom of God. St. Paul says, Rom. xiv. 17, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Now, if the kingdom of God is righteousness, how can unrighteousness enter into it? No quality of heart opposed to the principles of the kingdom, can dwell in the kingdom.

But it may be inquired, what then will become of the unrighteous ? will they be absent from the kingdom forever? Yes; as unrighteous persons, they can never enter in; but, remember, these unrighteous persons may be cleansed, and made righteous, and then they can enjoy the kingdom. Hence, the apostle said to his Corinthian brethren, after having assured them, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified;" &c. Verse 11. While in an unrighteous state, they could not enter through the gates into the city of the New Covenant; but, being washed, and purified, and justified, they could enter in. So will it be with all men. They shall all at last be

come righteous. Sin shall be finished, and transgression have an end; "every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father," Phil. ii. 9-11: "all shall be made alive in Christ," and "God shall be all in all," 1 Cor. xv. 22, 28. Then ALL will be the happy subjects of God's moral kingdom.

LXIX. "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." 1 Cor. xi. 29.

The apostle was speaking of the Lord's supper, which the Corinthians did not celebrate in a proper manner. See verses 20-22. Wherein ye come together in one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry and another is drunken. What! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in ? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say unto you? shall I praise ..you in this? I praise you not." "Here we see, that eating and drinking unworthily was taking the Lord's supper in an improper manner, not as a religious festival in commemoration of Christ's death, and as a memorial of his love, but as a common feast. They ate it for the purpose of satisfying hunger and thirst, and some of them even were drunken. The sole object of the Lord's supper, and the only worthy object for which it could be eaten, is set forth in verses 24-26 by the apostle, where he shows that we are to observe it in remembrance of Christ, and to bear witness to his death, and for no other object. Hence, he says, verse 27, "Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread. and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord," a figurative expression to show that they should be guilty of slighting the body and sacrifices of Christ, and offering indignity to them. He recommends the Corinthians therefore to examine themselves and so observe the

ordinance; that is, in this state of self-examination let them continually attend to the solemn service.

"Eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." This has no reference to punishment in the future state of being; but to the evils which the Corinthians brought upon themselves by their evil practices. By eating and drinking unworthily, they ate and drank the guilt of perverting a beautiful and beneficial ordinance to sensual and degrading purposes. This was the condemnation, .or damnation, which they ate and drank to themselves. Bishop Burnet says, they "that received the bread and wine only as bare bodily nourishments, without considering that Christ has. instituted them to be the memorials of his death, such persons are guilty of the body and blood of Christ: that is, they are guilty either of a profanation of the sacrament of his body and blood, or they do in a manner crucify him again, and put him to an open shame.” * ** Of such as did thus profane this institution, he says further, "that they do eat and drink their own damnation or judgment; that is, punishment; for the word rendered damnation, signifies sometimes only temporary punishments. So it is said, that judgment (the word is the same) must begin at the house of God. God had sent such judgments upon the Corinthians for those disorderly practices of theirs, that some had fallen sick, and others had died, perhaps by reason of their drinking to excess in those feasts." "Expos. of the XXXIX. Articles," Art. 28.

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LXX. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." 1 Cor. xvi. 22.

The phrase Anathema Maranatha, is composed of certain words, which are left untranslated in our version of the Bible. Why they were left untranslated, we know not. The word anathema signifieth, a curse, or to be accursed. It occurs six times in the New Testament. Acts xxiii. 14. "We have bound ourselves under a great curse." Rom. ix. 3. "I could wish that myself

were accursed from Christ," &c. 1 Cor. xii. 3. "No man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed." "Gal. i. 8, 9. "If any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed." See both verses last referred to. So in the verse before us, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema," that is, as it is translated in Gal. i. 8, 9, let him be accursed, or let him be anathematized. So much for the word Anathema.

This is

Let us now consider the word Maranatha. not like Anathema, a Greek word; but it is a phrase from the Syriac language, and signifies, Our Lord cometh. Mr. Locke, paraphrases the whole verse as. follows: "If any one be an enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, or devoted to destruction. The Lord cometh to execute vengeance on him." Wakefield translates Maranatha, "our Lord is coming," "and he says, "I see no reason for leaving the Syriac words at the end of this verse untranslated and unintelligible." Calmet says (and he is high authority), "Maranatha is made up of two Syriac words, signifying the Lord cometh; that is, the Lord will surely come, and will execute this curse, by condemning those who love him not."

With these helps we arrive at the following sense : If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. The Lord cometh to execute that curse. It may now be inquired, when was the Lord to come to execute judgment on those who loved him not? When did the Maranatha happen? We answer, during the: generation which was on the earth when Paul wrote, for the Christians at that time certainly expected to live until the coming of Christ took place. Hear what James saith to his brethren, chap. v. 7, 8. "Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish

your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh ; that is, the Maranatha draweth nigh. The coming of the Lord took place, as we have said, during the apostolic age. It was then that the judgments and curses denounced on the Jews who loved not our Lord Jesus

Christ, were executed on them. They were then Anathema Maranatha, that is, they were anathematized at the coming of the Lord.

Dr. Lightfoot says, "The phrase in the apostle refers, first, to Christ's coming in vengeance against Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, as the execration is first to be pitched upon them: Maranatha,' Our Lord cometh.' Many and dreadful things are spoken of this his coming in the Scripture, of which we have spoken in several places, as we have come along. So that in this sentence he doth both justly doom this unbelieving and wretched nation to their deserved curse; and doth withal, in this phrase, intimate, that the doomed curse was near approaching, in the Lord's coming in vengeance against them. Now, though we construe the words in such an application to the Jews, it is not exclusively; but that their sense reacheth also to every one that loveth not the Lord Jesus of what nation soever, and the Lord will come in time to make him Anathema." Works, III. p. 249.

LXXI. "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. v. 10. See also Rom. xiv. 10.

We have already proved, again and again, in this work, that the judgments of God are in the earth. But before considering our brief remarks on the above passage, we desire the reader to consult the following places on the subject of judgment; Sections IX. and LXV. of this chapter.

There are four words in this verse, which are supplied by the translators. We will put down the passage with those four words inclosed in brackets, as fol