the world:" and which minister to the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” From these he must absent himself for conscience' sake: conscience, if not his own, of others. If the careless person sees him present at such assemblies, he returns home thinking himself justified in frequenting them, since his more religious neighbour either sees no harm in them, or risks the harm for the sake of the gratification. The "weak brother," again, is encouraged by example: and further entangled in the error, from which he might have "clean escaped:" encouraged to "run into the same excess of riot" with others who make no pretence of regarding God. Thus the liberty of one, even if he might justly claim liberty in these things, becomes a snare and a cause of offence to others.

31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

32. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

33. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

To advance the glory of God, is the purpose of the Christian. He is sent into the world to this end, that God may be glorified: that in the midst of a world which too generally "likes not to retain God in its knowledge," there may be those who remember him, serve him, and seek his eternal kingdom. Our Lord said to his disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth," to preserve it from corruption. "Ye are

the light of the world. Let your light so shine

before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Therefore, in things which might of themselves appear indifferent, or in which others use liberty, one who desires to "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God," will be selfdenying and circumspect, that he give none offence, neither to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: not pleasing himself, or seeking his own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. This was Elisha's mind, when he refused the presents which Naaman would have persuaded him to receive. “Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men servants, and maid servants?" Shall we, the prophets of the Lord, show that these things have charms for us, and that we are even as others ?9 This also was the mind of Daniel, when at the court of the heathen king, he purposed in his heart not to "defile himself" by living as the heathen lived:1 he must show himself to be of a different race from those who were ignorant of the true God, and whose maxim was to take their fill of the only world they knew of, or were looking to. And thus God is glorified: when his fear is seen to prevail, and when his commands are made effectual to turn aside present temptation: and men are brought to acknowledge what Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged, when he "answered Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that truth it is, that your God

is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings.'

LECTURE LXXV.

DIRECTIONS CONCERNING PUBLIC WORSHIP.

1 COR. xi. 1-16.

1. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.1 2. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

3. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

4. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

To understand this, we must place ourselves in the country where Paul was writing; and bear in mind, that the head veiled or covered, was then a token of subjection, of inferiority. It had remained so from very early times. For we read in Genesis, that when Rebecca saw Isaac approaching, and "the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.""

Should a man then pray or prophesy in the christian assemblies, having his head covered, he would be assuming the place of the woman: he would do that which was seemly in her, but unseemly in him, be

1 This verse properly belongs to the subject of the foregoing chapter, and should have concluded it.

2 Gen. xxiv. 64, 65.

cause unsuitable to his sex or station: and so doing, he would dishonour his Head who is above: act unworthily towards Christ himself, who is the Head of the church, and therefore of every man belonging to the church: just as God the Father is the Head of Christ his beloved Son: and just as man is the head of his inferior helpmate, woman.

On the contrary, it was disgraceful for a woman to appear with the head uncovered: (the women of that country were, and still are, always veiled ;) so much so, that the apostle says, to have the head uncovered in any public place would be as great a dishonour to a woman, as much a reproach to all connected with her, and her husband especially, as if she were shorn or shaven. For they only were shorn or shaven, whom it was intended to make an object of disgrace and ignominy.

But it seems that among the ordinances which had not been duly kept in the Corinthian church, was one relating to this custom. Women who were led by spiritual impulse to pray or prophesy in the assemblies, had neglected the usage of the country, and prayed or prophesied with the head uncovered. Paul forbids this, as unbecoming: as disturbing the providential order of things, which made man the head of the woman, and the woman subordinate to her husband. If the woman assumed to herself that token of superiority which belonged to the man, she did what was inconsistent with her first creation: for the man was not taken from the woman, but the woman from the man. And it was contrary to the original purpose, according to which the man was

3

3 Gen. ii. 21, 22.

not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. God said: "It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him." And it was afterwards declared, "Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."5

All this was reversed, if the woman took to herself the liberty of throwing aside the veil.

5. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head:6 for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

6. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn : but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

7. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

8. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

9. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10. For this cause ought the woman to have power3 on her head, because of the angels.

Scripture does not give us much information concerning the angels. But it speaks of them as "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister unto such as shall be heirs of salvation."9 Therefore they must watch over and witness all we do: and the services of the church, important as they are to our spiritual state,

4 Gen. ii. 18.

5 Gen. iii. 16.

6 Her husband: the man who is intended to be head over

her.

7 Gen. i. 26.

8 Gen. ii. 18-22.-i. e. a covering: a sign that she is under the power of her husband." Marginal translation.

9 Heb. i. 14.