" For 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. 1:12.).

" For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ." (2 Cor. 2:17.)

In the judgment of the world, what is commonly known as sincerity is supposed to cover a multitude of sins. How frequently we hear it asserted that it makes little difference what a man believes provided he is sincere in that belief. The Jew, the Mohammedan, the Romanist, the very infidel himself, is in this way admitted into the ranks of that religious respectability where the test for all is sincerity. Thus the world. But God does not reason in this way. Saul of Tarsus was a most sincere man, but the intensity of his convictions only identified him the more closely with those who were "the enemies of the cross of Christ." A man may sincerely believe he is on the right road, but if he is mistaken, his sincerity will not prevent his going astray. If this is true in the things of every-day life, it is equally so in the far more important matters of eternity and our spiritual concerns generally. The word translated "sincerity" in the verses quoted at the head of this paper suggests a deeper and truer meaning than mere personal honesty, subjective certainty. It means "sunlight-judgment"–a judgment arrived at, not in the dark of our hearts, but in the light of God's own presence. It is not mere honesty, though it includes that. A light has been shed on the matter, and the truth about it revealed, and according to that light, that truth, a judgment has been reached, a decision made, according to which the person acts. We are now on higher ground than that of what is ordinarily called " sincerity,"-a ground to which none, however honest in a subjective sense they may be, can be admitted except those who are also in the sunlight. " God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." This is the sunlight-judgment which gives true sincerity.

Let us look a moment at the quality of this light. It is from God. " God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." In this light, there can be no calling evil good or good evil,-all is estimated aright. But it is not a cold light; it is "in the face of Jesus Christ"-of Him who manifested the love and grace of God as well as His holiness. Hence it is a light which does not merely convict, but which touches the heart of the one manifested, and makes him realize that while a holiness which hates sin has shown him his true condition, a love which passeth knowledge yearns over him. The sin is hated, the evil way is abhorred, but the sinner is loved, and feels the constraining power, of that love drawing him into paths of truth. It is most important to note this. He who knows God apart from Christ does not know Him at all. The saint who gets light from God must get it as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ, or he will not get it aright, and will fail to be guided aright. The qualities, then, of this sunlight-judgment are truth and grace,-truth tempered by grace, grace in accordance with truth.

The first verse applies this sincerity to the walk of the apostle-"We have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you ward."What characterized his daily life was that it could be judged in the light of God's presence. He did not go blindly ahead following his own inclinations, as many do, meaning well, as people say, but not pausing to ask whether he was seeking God's will or his own. Still less did he follow the wisdom of , the world. Worldly maxims, worldly examples, are too often followed by the child of God, the result being worldly conformity. Not so Paul. The sunlight-judgment of God was his test, the light in which his path was chosen. Can we say the same as to ourselves, beloved brethren ? Where do we get light for our path? Is the eye single, the heart simple ?Surely sincerity with us should be the same as with Paul. But this is heart-searching work. It means that I do what I see to be right,-that I do not give mere assent to it-patronize the truth, as it were, but that I can look God in the face and say, " Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."

Let us pause here, and ask ourselves seriously one question-a solemn one. It is this :Do we not well to hesitate to appeal to God as to our motives, our desires, etc.? He who knows his own heart best knows most of its deceitfulness, and he whose motives are simplest for God's glory will be slowest to appeal to Him. There is something which makes one shrink from hastily or thoughtlessly or too frequently appealing to God for sincerity of motives or truthfulness of statements. Let us let the holy sunlight of God's presence shine into our hearts, and much of self-interest and base motives will be discovered, so that the most devoted will be conscious of feeling with the apostle when he said, " I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified." He will realize that lurking beyond his discernment are possibilities for evil which he cannot trust. He will therefore be humble, self will be kept in the background, and Christ will be exalted.

But if this is heart-searching work, it is needful work, yielding most blessed results. Apply this sunlight-judgment to our thoughts, our desires, or to our private and family life. Will things be detected by it which our friends or brethren fail to see ? The result may be humbling, but how blessed the fruits !-greater carefulness, increased sense of weakness and dependence, more prayer, and less boasting and high thoughts, Apply it to our worship, our prayers and praises; we need not fear that the holy fear will mar or hinder the true spirit of worship. Nor, of course, are we to be legal. The true sunlight prevents all legality,-takes us out of the presence of man and puts us into the presence of the God of all grace.

Why should not we be able to use this verse like the apostle did ? We have the same grace, the same exhaust-less strength to draw upon. We too might thus walk in and out among the saints and be "ensamples to the flock." The Lord grant it increasingly for us all. The time is short; evil is on the increase; the fear of God seems to be more and more a thing but little realized. May our God arouse us to this humble, quiet, holy testimony as we go about,-this godly sincerity in our ways.

But this sincerity characterized the teachings of the apostle as well as his walk :" We are not as many which corrupt the Word of God,"-that is, adulterate it, as an inn keeper would his wines. We live in a time of adulteration-of mixture of the false with the true; the leaven has been introduced into the three measures of meal. We have lived to see men calling themselves servants of Christ stand up and deny His sacrificial atonement, the infallible inspiration of God's Word, the certainty and eternity of the doom of the wicked ; indeed, scarcely a truth is left by them, so thoroughly have they adulterated God's Word. This is not confined to a few; many, those who are looked up to as lights and guides, are engaged in this awful work, and it is our duty to cry out, however feebly, against it. For we have a great responsibility here. The time seems to be fast coming when what are called evangelical denominations (unless God grant faithfulness to purge out the wicked teachers,) can no longer be considered that, and when jealousy for God's honor will require a care in receiving to the Lord's table those who, by remaining identified with them, sanction their adulteration of God's Word ; indeed, there are, no doubt, cases now where the work of exclusion should begin. If we wink at the adulterator, we become partaker of his deeds, we ourselves are corrupters of the Word of God.

How differently this faithful servant of God acted ! Whether dealing with saint or sinner, whether a savor of life unto life or of death unto death, he will preserve the integrity of that Word with which he had been intrusted. No subtle opiate is introduced to soothe the careless sinner into slumber, or take the edge off some wholesome rebuke for the saint. He is in God's presence, and in that sunlight all that he speaks will be tested. He had to speak words which broke the heart of those who heard

him, and his own as well; but nothing would induce him to introduce error, or tone down the truth. For there are two ways of adulterating a thing. We may put poison in it-positive error, or we may simply dilute it and make it powerless in that way. True sincerity prevents either. Truth will not let us bring in error, nor will grace allow us to soften down the demands of truth. It renders such adulteration needless, because "My grace is sufficient for thee." The light in the eighth of John is just as strong as that which shone from Sinai in the lightning and divine display. The poor sinful woman is not brought into any twilight, but she is brought into the presence of grace. We need much to learn what grace is.

Let us, then, learn more what it is to speak, to teach, in true sincerity; not only refusing error, but seeing that we let God's truth have its full strength. How much this means ! In our preaching, our teaching, our administration of warning or correction in discipline,-all is to be done according to this same sunlight-judgment. May we not well say, " Who is sufficient for these things ? " and answer the question too-" All our sufficiency is of God " ? May we have more true sincerity in our walk and in our words. We would be weighty men and women.