PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OP Tin-: SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE OOBINTHIANS, AND TIIK EPISTLES TO THE GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS, AND COLOSSIANS. IN THE FORM OF LECTURES, INTENDED TO ASSIST THE PRACTICE OF DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION AND DEVOTION. By JOHN BIRD SUMNER, D.D., LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER. LONDON: J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY. 1845. ATM' SUM CANCELLEb. LIBRARY LONDON : r.. T. PAI.MKR. PRINTKR. SAVOY STREET, STRAND. CONT ENTS. SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. Lecture I. i. 1 — 11. Consolation under trial * a ff e * Lecture II. i. 12—24. Paul's mind and conduct towards the Corinthians . 6 Lecture III. ii. 1 — 11. Forgiveness of the Corinthian transgressor . .12 Lecture IV. ii. 12 — 17- Different results of the Gospel, according as it is received 1 7 Lecture V. hi. 1 — 6. The blessedness of the new covenant . . .22 Lecture VI. hi. 7 — 11. The law contrasted with the Gospel . . .26 Lecture VII. hi. 12—18. The Gospel prefigured in the law, but concealed from the Jewish people . . • • .32 453 iv CONTENTS. Lecture VIII. iv. 1 — 6. Rejection and reception of the Gospel . . 36* Lecture IX. iv. 7 — 18. Trials and encouragements of the apostles . .41 Lecture X. v. 1 — 9. The apostle's grounds of confidence . . .46 Lecture XL v. 10 — 15. Principle of the Christian's life . . .51 Lecture XII. v. 16, 17. The Christian a new creature . . .56 Lecture XIII. v. 18—21. The Gospel a message of reconcilation 60 Lecture XIV. vi. 1 — 10. The Christian's joy, and riches, and security . . 65 Lecture XV. vi. 11 — 18. Christians warned against alliance with unbelievers . 71 Lecture XVI. vii. 1 — 16. The joy of St. Paul in the repentance of the Corinthians . 75 Lecture XVII. viii. 1 — 9. The example of Christ a reason for charity . .81 Lecture XVIII. viii. 10-24. Directions concerning the charitable contribution . 86 Lecture XIX. ix. 1 — 7. Reasons why God loveth a cheerful giver . .91 Lecture XX. ix. 8 — 15. The blessings resulting from liberality . .96 CONTENTS. v Lecture XXI. x. 1 — (5. The efficacy of the spiritual weapons used by the apostle 101 Lecture XXII. x. 7—18. The true standard of judgment . . . 106 Lecture XXIII. xi. 1 — 15. A warning against false teachers . • .111 Lecture XXIV. xi. 16 — 33. The labours of Paul in the cause of the Gospel . .116 Lecture XXV. xii. 1 — 10. St. Paul's resource in distress, and strength in trial . 121 Lecture XXVI. xii. 11—21. St. Paul's defence of himself against his enemies . 128 Lecture XXVII. xiii. 1—10. The Corinthians exhorted to self-examination . .133 Lecture XXVIII. xiii. 11. Exhortation to holiness, unity, and peace . .139 Lecture XXIX. xiii. 12—14. Concluding benediction . . . .143 GALATIANS. Lecture XXX. i. 1 — 10. Errors of the Galatians exposed Lecture XXXI. i. 11—24 St. Paul's account of his call to his apostleship Lecture XXXII. ii. 1 — 10 Paul asserts his independent commission . U9 154 159 vi CONTENTS. Lecture XXXIII. ii. 11—21. Man not justified by the works of the law . • ' °"' Lecture XXXIV. iii. 1 — 14. The covenants of law and of faith contrasted . .109 Lecture XXXV. iii. 15—22. The promise made to Abraham, fulfilled in Jesus Christ 1 74 Lecture XXXVI. iii. 23—29. The law a preparation for the Gospel . .180 Lecture XXXVII. iv. 1 — 7. The state of the servant and the son contrasted . 185 Lecture XXXVIII. iv. 8—18. An earnest remonstrance with the Galatians . .190 Lecture XXXIX. iv. 19 — 31. The law of Moses superseded by the Gospel of Christ . 195 Lecture XL. v. 1 — 6. Works under the law and under the Gospel contrasted . 200 Lecture XLI. v. 7 — 15. The Gospel not a law of ordinances, but a law of love . 205 Lecture XLII. v. 16 — 26. The subduing of the flesh to the Spirit . .210 Lecture XLIII. vi. 1 — 5. Severe censure of others condemned . .210 Lecture XLIV. vi. — 10. Liberality enforced, self-indulgence condemned . 220 Lecture XLV. vi. 11 — 18. St. Paul declares his own faith . . . 225 CONTENTS. vii EPHESIANS. Lecture XLVI. i. I, 2. The church at Ephesus described . . . 231 Lecture XLVII. i. 3-14. Reasons for thankfulness in the Ephcsians . . 235 Lecture XLVIII. i. 15-23. The greatness of the Christian's calling . . 2-40 Lecture XLIX. ii. 1 — 10. The mercy of God a reason for thankfulness and humility . 245 Lecture L. ii. 11 — 18. The Ephcsians reminded of their changed condition . 250 Lecture LI. ii. 19—22. The church described as the temple of God . . 254 Lecture LII. iii. 1 — 13. The wisdom of God displayed by the church of Christ . 259 Lecture LIII. iii. 14 — 21. St. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians . . . 2G4 Lecture LIV. iv. 1 — 6. Exhortation to unity .... 26*9 Lecture LV. iv. 7 — 16. The church represented as the body of Christ . . 274 Lecture LVL iv. 17 — 24. The old and the new man. . . . 2/9 Lecture LVII. iv. 25 — 32. Signs of the new man .... 284 viii CONTENTS. Lecture LVIII. v. 1 — 7. Christians called to holiness . . . 290 Lecture LIX. v. 8 — 11. Christians the children of light . . . 294 Lecture LX. v. 15 — 21. Christian practice • . • . . . . . 300 Lecture LXI. v. 22—33. The union of Christ with his church . - . 304 Lecture LXII. vi. 1—9. Duties of children and parents, servants and masters . ' 308 Lecture LXIIl. vi. 10—13. Temptations to be expected and resisted . .313 Lecture LXIV. vi. 14—20. The Christian armour . . . .318 Lecture LXV. vi. 21—24. Conclusion of the epistle .... 323 PHILIPPIANS. LECTURe LXVI. i. 1,2. The -church at Philippi described . . . 328 Lecture LXVII. i. 3 — 7. St. Paul's confidence in the perseverance of the Philippians 332 Lecture LXVIII. i. 8—11. St. Paul's prayer for the Philippians . . . 338 CONTENTS. ix Lecture LXIX. i. 12—18. The imprisonment of Paul no hindrance to the Gospel . 342 Lecture LXX. i. 19—24. St. Paul's view of his life and his death . . 347 Lecture LXXI. i. 25—30. . The Philippians commended for their stedfastness . 351 Lecture LXXII. ii. 1 — 11. Exhortation to mianimity and humility . .356 Lecture LXXIII. ii. 12, 13. The work of salvation .... 360 Lecture LXXIV. ii. 14—18. Christians an example to the world . . .364 Lecture LXXV. ii. 19—32. Timotheus and Epaphroditus commended . . 368 Lecture LXXVI. hi. 1—3. Christian faith characterised . . .3/2 Lecture LXXYII. iii. 4— 11. St. Paul's confession of faith . . .378 Lecture LXXVIII. iii. 12—16. St. Paul's contention for the prize . . .383 Lecture LXXIX. iii. 1/ — 21. Christians renounce earthly things for heavenly . 388 Lecture LXXX. iv. 1 — 7. Exhortation to stedfastness, unanimity, thankfulness, moderation, and prayer . . . . .394 x CONTENTS. Lecture LXXXI. iv. 8, 9. The perfection of the Christian character . . 399 Lecture LXXXII. iv. 10—23. The apostle rejoices in the liberality of the Philippians . 404 COLOSSIANS. Lecture LXXXIII. i. 1—8. The Colossians are commended for their faith and love . 409 Lecture LXXXIV. i. 9—18. The duties and privileges of the Colossians . .414 Lecture LXXXV. i. 19—22. The reconciliation of man to God . . .419 Lecture LXXXVL i. 23—29. The object of St. Paul's ministry . . . 423 Lecture LXXXVII. ii. 1 — 7. The sufficiency of Christ for salvation . .429 Lecture LXXXVIII. ii. 8 — 15. Sin pardoned through the atonement of the cross . 434 Lecture LXXXIX. ii. 1G — 19. Jesus Christ the only Mediator . . .440 Lecture XC. ii. 20-23. Superstitious usages condemned . . . 445 Lecture XCI. iii. 1 — 4. The spiritual resurrection . . . .451 CONTENTS. xi Lecture XCII. iii. 5 — 11. The new man in Christ Jesus . . • 4o8 Lecture XCIII. iii. 12 — 17. The garment of holiness . . • 4(52 Lecture XCIV. iii. 18—25; IV. 1. The relative duties enjoined . . .467 Lecture XCV. iv. 2 — 6. Exhortation to prayer, and a prudent and edifying conversa- tion ..... 472 Lecture XCVI. iv. 7—18. Concluding salutations . . . .476 EXPOSITORY LECTURES. ST. PAUL'S SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. LECTURE I. CONSOLATION UNDER TRIAL. 2 Cor. i. 1— ll. 1 1 . Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia : 2. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort ; 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that ice may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5. For as the sufferings of Clirist abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer : or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 1 It is generally agreed that this Epistle was written at Phi- lippi, after St. Paul's hasty departure from Ephesus, a.d. 61, about a year subsequently to the date of the first Epistle. B 2 2 CORINTHIANS I. 1 — 11. 7. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the co?isolation. These words imply experience of the fulfilment of the promise made by our Lord to his disciples from the first : " In the world ye shall have tribula- tion, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." " " Peace I leave with you : my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth, give I unto you." 3 The Lord left these encouragements to those who, as he well knew, must suffer heavy loss for his sake, and be hurt by many persecutions. And the apostle, who had experienced these persecutions, en- courages in his turn those who had likewise much to suffer, by acquainting them with the consolations he had enjoyed. He comforts them which are in any trouble, by the comfort ivherewith he himself is comforted of God. He is able to assure them, that there is "joy in tribulation also:" 4 that "God is faithful, and will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it." 5 The seat of all real tranquillity is in the mind. If there be a spring of comfort within, outward circum- stances have little power to trouble ; as David found, saying, " In the multitude of sorrows which I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soul." 6 And this is what Paul here confirms. As the suffer- ings of Christ abound in us, — as we have a large 2 John xvi. .33. 3 John xiv. 27. < Rom. v. .3. James i. 2. 5 1 Cor. x. 13. fi Ps. xciv. 19. 2 CORINTHIANS I. 1-11 3 share of the sufferings of which he set the first ex- ample, and drank the bitterest portion, — so our con- solation also aboundeih by Christ. He sheds so abun- dant a measure of his Spirit upon our hearts, as to compensate all we suffer. He fills us with such "joy and peace in believing-" — in believing that " our light affliction which is but for a moment, shall work in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ;" 7 — that though " persecuted, we are not forsaken," though " perplexed, we are not in despair." 8 Here he tells the Corinthians, that this, his com- fort, may be their comfort : for it is an assurance to them, that under the like trials they would enjoy the same support. In our affliction, he says, we are examples to you of patience and cheerful en- durance ; and in the consolations granted us, we exhibit to you the power of God, who makes his sun to shine upon the heart, and raises up light in the heaviest darkness. Thus they had a proof of the faithfulness of God toward his afflicted people in their trials, like that which was given to Darius at Ba- bylon in the miraculous deliverance of the prophet Daniel. 9 The king came to the den of lions into which Daniel had been cast, and said to Daniel, " O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the lions ? Then said Daniel unto the king, king, my God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me." This was the proof which Darius needed concerning the God ■ Ch. iv. 17. 8 Ch. iv. 8. 9 Dan. vi. I (J— 23. V: 2 4 2 COItlNTHIHNS I. 1 — 11. whom Daniel served. And it was a like proof to the Christians of Asia or of Achaia, when they had evidence of the comfort given in all their tribulation to the apostles : it confirmed their words, and was reason for hope, that as many as were partakers of the sufferings, should be partakers also of the consolation. 8. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life : 9. Hut we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we shoidd not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead : 10. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver : in whom we trust that lie will yet deliver us ; 11. Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. Paul writes this, as one who had just been de- livered from extreme danger, with the circumstances fresh on his mind. These circumstances are re- ported in the xixth of Acts j 1 where we are told, how, through the instigation of Demetrius and his brother workmen, the whole city of Ephesus was filled with confusion : the populace " seized Gaius and Aris- tarchus, Paul's companion in travel :" and when " he would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not," and his friends in the place sent unto him, desiring that he " would not adventure himself into the theatre." It was immediately after this tumult that Paul " departed into Macedonia :" and describes himself as having been pressed oat of 1 Acts xix. 29 — 31 ; xx. i. Sec Paley, llorae Paulinse, iii. iv. 2 CORINTHIANS I. 1—11. 5 measure, above strength, inasmuch as to despair even of life. Escape from suck dangers, was a sort of re- surrection ; and an argument, not to trust in himself but in God which raiseth the dead. " Dying, and behold, we live." 2 This was Paul's constant state : and as it was a state which in himself required con- fidence, so it was a "state which demanded in others that " effectual fervent prayer," which God is pleased to hear. Ye also helping together by prayer for us. Your prayer being among the means through which God vouchsafes to protect and deliver us. There had been a remarkable example of this in Peter's case, when he had been apprehended by Herod, and was kept in prison under the custody of a guard of soldiers. " Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." 3 And in the very nio'ht before he was to have been " brought forth to the people," " God sent his angel, and delivered him out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expec- tation of the people of the Jews." So that whilst " many were gathered together, praying," he himself, for whom they were interceding, came in person as in answer to their prayer, and astonished them by declaring, how " the Lord had brought him out of the prison." Paul refers his own wonderful deliverance to a like cause; speaks of it as a gift bestoiccd on him by means of many persons : and now desires, that thanks may he given by many on his behalf for that he was still permitted to encourage, and advise, and instruct them. By an union of interests as beautiful as it is peculiar, the apostle is represented as risking his 2 Ch. vi. 9. :i Acts xii. 3- 17. (i 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12—24. life for the benefit of the church, and the church as defending him by their prayers. The end of all being, that " the abundant grace " of which daily instancrs occurred, " might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God." 4 LECTURE II. PAUL'S MIND AND CONDUCT TOWARDS THE CORINTHIANS. 2 Cor. i. 12—24. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con- science, 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 toyou-ward. 13. For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge ; and J trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end ; 14. As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye cdso are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. Some of the Corinthian disciples had been un- grateful to Paul, but many remained of a better mind : and to these, as well as to others who had been affected by what he had before written, he ad- dresses this second letter. They had already, he says, acknowledged in part, that there were mutual feelings of affection between them : on the one side, the affection which is felt 4 Ch. v, 15. 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12—24. 7 when a spiritual benefit is conferred ; on the other, when it is received : — we are your rejoicing, even as yc also are ours : — ye are our rejoicing now, when we remember what men ye were, and what ye are become : we look forward to a still greater rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made known. That will be then plain and manifest to all, which is now our inward comfort and satisfaction, whether outwardly acknowledged or not, our simplicity and godly sincerity in our con- duct towards you. Our rejoicing is this, the testi- mony 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. St. Paul therefore appeals to his conscience, and declares that he has confidence in its testimony in his favour. It is thus, by inquiring of our con- sciences, that " we examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith ; and prove our own selves." 1 " For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man that is in him ?" ' Still, conscience needs to be guided and corrected. There was a time when Paul " verily thought with himself, that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." 3 He did not then compare his conscience with God's word. We must be careful not to confound feelings with con- science ; or suppose that we act from a sense of duty, when in fact we are following inclination. But here Paul had scripture on his side. " He judged not 1 Ch. xiii. 5. 2 1 Cor. ii. 11. 3 Acts xxvi. 9. 8 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12-24. his own self: 4 he that judged him was the Lord," whom he called in to the aid of conscience. He could examine his conduct towards the Corinthians, and feel sure that there was no violation of charity or justice: that no self-interest had biassed him, no hypocrisy had led him to deceive. In his first ministry among them, he had been influenced by a single desire to bring them over to the " knowledge of God, through Jesus Christ whom he had sent :" and in his letters since, this was still his aim, to " present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." 5 In this testi- mony of his conscience he rejoiced ; yea, and would ejoice. We too must look to the testimony of our con- science. It will not prove us " void of offence either towards God, or towards men :" but it must prove us to be labouring in order to be thus blame- less : we too must be able to say, that not with fie sidy wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our con- versation in the world. There can be no rejoicing without this : though, after all, our best rejoicing will be, that we do not trust to this, without another and a firmer hope to repose on. 15. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit ; 16. And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judcea. 17. When I therefore was thus minded, did I use light- ness ? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to thefiesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay ? 1 1 Cor. iv. 4. s Col. i. 28. 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12- 24. 9 18. But as God is true, our word toward you was nut yea and nay. 19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotlieus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Paul had led them to expect that lie should visit them in his way to Macedonia. 6 Why did he not ? Was it lightness of mind ? purpose changed without reason, as when men change their plans and break engagements? Did he first say, yea yea, and then nay nay, as is too common in the world ? This he earnestly disclaims. He was the bearer of true promises, the message of everlasting truth : for the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen, verily as certain as they are gracious. And he who was entrusted with such a message, ought not to use lightness : to purpose according to the flesh. Indeed there was a security that he did not ; that there was no wavering in his conduct : the security which attends an ambassador who comes from a faithful master, and brings with him the tokens of his authority. 21. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God ; 22. Who hath also sealed its, and given the earnest of the Sjririt in our hearts. God, who of old anointed holy men to declare his will, hath also anointed us : who hath also sealed us with his Spirit : furnished us with a token which 6 Sec 1 Cor. xvi. 5 — 7. 10 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12—24. both proves us his, and keeps ns his ; shows that we come with his authority, and prevents us from abusing it. It is He, then, which stablisheih us with you in Christ : not us only, but you together with us. Both the teacher and the disciples have the assurance of God's faithfulness. The same Spirit which anointed Paul to preach to the Corinthians, anointed Crispus also and Stephanas, and the rest who believed his word, and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 7 The same Spirit which was a " Spirit of promise " to Paul, 8 that " a crown of life " was laid up for him in heaven, was also a " Spirit of promise " to Stephanas and Crispus, and to all those that were waiting for the inheritance. The Spirit was shed abroad upon their hearts as an earnest of the still greater things which should hereafter be fulfilled in them. There had been a time, when the apostle would not have spoken so confidently of the Corinthians as possessing the divine favour. 23. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy : for by faith ye stand. 9 If he had come at first to Corinth, when the disorders were permitted which his former epistle Mas written to correct, he must have come to them " with a rod ;" ' with severity of censure ; for he 7 Acts xviii. 8. 1 Cor. i. 1 1— 16. a Eph. i. 13. 9 Ye stand in the faith : your faith is not overthrown. i 1 Cor. iv. 21. 2 CORINTHIANS I. 12-24. Jl would have found evils requiring it ; be would have found party spirit, and abuse of ordinances, and even heinous sin prevailing amongst them. Therefore he spared them, in delaying till these evils bad been re- moved. Yet in the midst of this just rebuke he checks himself, as if he were assuming too much authority : he did not wish to act as one who had dominion over their faith ; as a master or lord : 8 he would rather be helper of their joy ; promote the joy which be- longed to them as continuing stedfast ; namely, that standing by faith, they were " delivered from this present evil world," and made partakers of the king- dom of heaven. So " o-entle is he among them, even as a nurse die- risheth her children :" 3 and sets an example of the character of " the servant of the Lord," who " must not strive, but be patient, and gentle unto all men :" 4 a follower of Him, who was " meek and lowly in heart ;" who would neither " quench the smoking flax," nor " break the bruised reed." 5 2 'Ov Kvpievopev. 3 1 Thess. ii. 7. 4 2 Tim. ii. 24. 5 Matt. xi. 29 ; xii. 20. 12 2 CORINTHIANS II. I— 11. LECTURE III. 2 Cor. ii. 1—11. FORGIVENESS OF THE CORINTHIAN TRANSGRESSOR. 1. But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maheth me glad, hut the same which is made sorry by me ? 1 3. And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice : 2 having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4. For out of much ajfliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears ; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 5. But if any have caused grief , he. hath not grieved me, but in part:* that I may not overcharge you all. In bis former letter Paul had severely censured the Corinthians. He felt that it was needed. They had fallen into grievous error ; and to leave them in self-complacency would be to lull them in false security. It was high time they should be 1 To be made sorry, was to be made penitent ; (Ileb. xii. 1 1 ;) and he wbom the apostle before made sorry by his censures, now made him glad by bis amendment. 2 That the evils being corrected before he came, he might not be distressed by them on his coming. 3 In some measure. The original will admit of a different version. 8 2 CORINTHIANS II. 1—11. 13 awakened out of sleep. Therefore he had com- manded, " in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," * that the offender who had brought scandal on the church, should be expelled from the company of the faithful : and made to know, that, as being received into the faith of Christ, lie had been delivered from the power of Satan, so now having lived unworthily of that faith he had no longer the privileges belonging to God's children. But we here learn, with how much sorrow he pronounced this sentence. Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears. With Paul, as with his divine Master, judgment was his " strange work ;" 5 he did not afflict nor grieve willingly. Now that the effect of his reproof had taken place, and he, whom he had made sorry, had made him glad by his repentance, he seems almost to doubt whether so much severity was needful, and hastens to heal the wound which he had caused. God alone can judge infallibly of the degree of pruning that the heart may require, in order that it may be cleared from its corruptions, and made to bear the fruits of righteousness. G. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should he swal- lowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9. For to this end also did I write, that I might knoio the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 1 1 Cor. v. 3 — ."). 5 See Is. xxviii. 21. Lament, iii. 33. 14 2 CORINTHIANS IT. 1 — 11. 10. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any tiling, to whom I forgave it, for your sahcs forgave I it in the ■person of Christ ; 6 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us : for we are not ignorant of his devices. Satan is described as ever on the watch, " seeking whom he may devour :" 7 seeking- to finds fit objects for his wiles : and whatever a man's circumstances may be, he will strive to^ an advantage of him. If sin pass unnoticed, he will encourage him to con- tinue in sin : encourage him to " speak peace " to his conscience ; keep him in a state of carelessness and lethargy. If, on the other hand, disgrace and temporal ruin follow, such as it seems impossible to repair ; Satan has a device for this case too : be- numbs the heart with despair. Paul is aware of this ; and now that the purpose of punishment had been answered by the repentance of the offender, he directs that he be restored to the society from which he had been cast out, lest perhaps he should be swal- lowed up with overmuch sorrow. To refuse this, Mould make the gospel more rigid than the law ; and man more severe than God. For the language of the law and the prophets had always been : " If thou shalt return unto the Lord, and obey his voice, with all thine heart and with all thy soul ; then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity ; and have compassion upon thee." 8 " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our r > Or in the sight. — Marg. < 1 Pet. v. 8. 8 Dent. xxx. 2. 10 2 CORINTHIANS II. 1—11. 15 God, for he will abundantly pardon." 9 If it were "in the death of the wicked " (let the thought be excused) that God " had pleasure ;" then the sen- tence would be left in all its severity, and stand alone : " the soul that sinneth, it shall die." But because the truth is rather, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but that the wicked turn from his way and live j" 1 therefore he has declared, " If the wicked man turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right ; he shall surely live, he shall not die ; none of the sin that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him." 2 Such encouragement is needful to rouse the heart from the death-like torpor into which it is cast by a course of wickedness. If there is to be effort, there must be hope. This was signified in the re- markable vision granted to the prophet Ezekiel. (xxxvii. 1 — 11.) "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones ; and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley : and, lo, they were very dry- Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel : behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost ; we are cut off for our parts. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live : I will open your graves, and 9 Is. lv. 7. i Ezek. x.wiii. 11, s Ibid. 10. 1C 2 CORINTHIANS II. 1—11 cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." And this is uniformly the language of the gospel. It first " reveals the wrath of God against all un- godliness and unrighteousness." 3 As St. John, in his Epistle, (ii. 1,) " My little children, this I write unto you, that ye sin not." Every motive conspires to deter you from sin. The Lord Jesus came into the world " to save his people from their sins ."* And " whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not : whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him."* For " if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." 6 This truth, however, is not the whole truth, or the only truth. God " knoweth our frame, and remem- bereth that we are but dust." The apostle first issues his warning against sin, and then proceeds to add : " And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous : and he is the propitiation for our sins." 7 This then would be the comfort of the Corinthian transgressor, who had been solemnly separated from the Christian brotherhood, as " having no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." There was still " an advocate with the Father :" still the blood which " cleanseth from all sin :" 8 whether it be the sin of an ignorant heathen, such as this Corinthian had once been ; or the more heinous sin of a believer, as this Corinthian had become. He who was the " Saviour of all men," would specially be the ad- 3 Rom. i. 18. 4 Matt. i. 21. 5 1 John iii. 6. 6 Rom. viii. 13. 7 1 John ii. 2 « 1 John i. 7. 2 CORINTHIANS II. 12—17. 17 vocate of " them that believe." 9 " The Lord's arm was not shortened, that it should not save " the peni- tent Christian, as well as the awakened heathen. Paul therefore issues his directions that this person, who showed by his repentance that he had been for- given of God, should also be forgiven of man. As in the Spirit of Christ he had condemned him, so now in the person of Christ he forgives him, as one who had been " recovered out of the snare of the devil, having once been taken captive by him at his will." ' Before, he had said, " Put away from among your- selves that wicked person." Now he says, Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which icas inflicted of many. Wherefore I beseech you that ye icoidd confirm your love towards him. For, " if we confess our sins, God is just and faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 2 LECTURE IV. DIFFERENT RESULTS OF THE GOSPEL, ACCORDING AS IT IS RECEIVED. 2 Cor. ii. 12—17. 12. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's yospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 13. / had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus iiu/ brother: but tailing my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. 9 1 Tim. ii. 10. « 2 Tim. ii. 26. 2 1 John i. 9. C 18 2 CORINTHIANS II. 12—17. Both on his hasty removal from Ephesus into Greece, and afterwards on his return, Paul visited Troas. He had intended to make some stav there, where a door was opened to him of the Lord : where there was opportunity of usefulness. What happened on his return, shows that the disciples there were worthy of his attention. For such was their an- xiety to learn, and their readiness to hear, that " on the first day of the week, when they were come to- gether to break bread, he continued his discourse until break of day." 1 But on his first visit he had no comfort, and made no delay : being 1 greatly disappointed to find that Titus was not there, to give him intelligence from Corinth of the spirit with which his former letter had been received. I had no rest in my spirit, be- cause I found not Titus my brother : but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. Here he was " comforted by the coining of Titus ; 2 and not by his coming only, but by the consolation " which he brought : that the Corinthian church, instead of being angered by his rebuke, had manifested a godly sorrow, " an earnest desire, and mourning, and a fervent mind towards him." Looking back at these events, the apostle is led to reflect on the various circumstances and effects of his ministry. 14. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maheth manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. ] 5. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that jjerish : 'Acts xx. i)—7. * Ch. vii. 6, 7. 2 CORINTHIANS II. 12—17. 1!) 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death ; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? When such are the consequences resulting from the knowledge of Christ, who is sufficient for these things, on which eternal life and eternal death de- pends ? Not that the gospel brought death to any. It found men in a state of death. Whether it brought life to them ; or whether it made their state of death more dark and hopeless, depended on the way in which it was received. When men " repented and believed the gospel," it was a savour of life unto life : when thev closed their ears and their hearts against it, it was a savour of death unto death. The difference was in the disposition of the hearer. As was seen in another case which the apostle's phrase recalls to our minds, when in the house of Lazarus at Bethany, 3 " Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair : and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." To the faithful dis- ciples, to those who loved the Lord Jesus, her con- duct savoured of affection, and excited the sentiments of veneration. But it had no such influence upon Judas. It brought out his hypocrisy and covetousness, the latent qualities of an evil heart. " Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor: but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was put therein." 3 John xii. 3 — G. < 2 20 2 CORINTHIANS II. 12—17. Compare this scene with what took place at Antioch in Pisidia, when Paul stood up and said, (Acts xiii. 38,) " Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this Jesus is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : and by him all that be- lieve are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." To " many of the Jews and religious proselytes," this was a savour of life unto life : they " followed Paul and Barnabas : who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day, came almost the whole city to- gether to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." To them the word was a savour of death unto death. It found no corresponding sentiment in their hearts : no sense of sinfulness, needing to be pardoned; no sense of condemnation, requiring deliverance. So that " Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was neces- sary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Thus it became a savour of death unto death to them ; and placed them in the condition so awfully described by Solomon ; 4 " They shall call upon me, but I will not answer ; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me ; for that they hated knoAvledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." 4 Prov. i. 28. 2 CORINTHIANS II. 12—17. 21 Conscious of his vast charge, and the responsi- bility imposed upon him, the apostle finds comfort in the inward sense of his faithfulness and zeal. 17. For we are not as many, which corrupt^ the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the siyht of God speak we in Christ. The more precious that may be of which a man is put in trust, the greater the sin and danger of cor- rupting it. The very truth for instance which Paul proclaimed, that " Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," may be so corrupted, so untruly represented, as to become a savour of death rather than of life. To them that " with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience,'" 3 it is " a wholesome doc- trine and very full of comfort." But it becomes a savour of death unto death, if made a pretext for self- indulgence, a reason for continuing in the ways of sin. Even so early, there were many who did corrupt the word of God : mixed things with it, which in- jured its excellence and purity. Paul could appeal to his conscience, that he was not one of these. He preached, as of sincerity : with a simple desire of the glory of God and the salvation of man. He preached, as of God ; his ambassador. He preached, as in the sight of God : as one " who must give account," and therefore be " found faithful." And the lesson which he leaves upon our minds, is to ministers, Take heed how ye speak : " hear the word at the mouth of God, and give them warning from him." 7 To the hearers, " Take heed 5 kUTTiiXevov-et;,— adulterate. 6 Luke viii. 1;"). " Ezek. iii. 17. 22 2 CORINTHIANS III. 1-0. how ye hear." 8 The same word " sets before you death and life." The same word which is " to them that perish foolishness," is to them that receive it faithfully, " the grace of God that bringeth sal- vation." ,J LECTURE V. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE NEW COVENANT. 2 Cor. iii. 1 — G. 1 . Do we begin again to commend ourselves ? or need ice, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you ? 2. Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. Those who go as strangers to strangers, are glad to have letters of introduction from a mutual friend. When Naaman journeyed from Syria, to seek the prophet of Israel, that he might be recovered of his leprosy, the king, his master, sent with him a letter to the king of Israel, recom- mending him to his favour. 1 When Apollos " was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, b Matt. iv. 24. 9 See Heb. vi. 7. 1 2 Kings v. 4—6. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 1—6. 23 exhorting the disciples to receive him." 2 But St. Paul would not suppose that he needed, as some others, epistles of commendation to or from the Corin- thian disciples. Ye yourselves, he says, are our epistle written in our heart, known and read of all men. As far as your commerce extends, ye are recognised as a christian company, converted by the preaching of Paul, and inscribed on my heart ; such is the love I bear you. Your christian faith is known every- where, and recommends my teaching, as the true prophet is known by the fruits of his doctrine, as the scholar's excellence is reflected back upon the master. And that excellence dwells in my heart, and excites my thankfulness and love. The Corinthian church furnished this letter of re- commendation to St. Paul. Yet after all, he says, ye are not my epistle, nor the work of my hands, the product of my skill : ye are the epistle of Christ ministered by us : Christ himself is the workman, using our ministration : nor is ink, as in usual cases, the material with which the letter is written, but the Spirit of the living God: nor is the print made on the ordinary tablets, but on the heart : accomplishing the promise of Jeremiah, " This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." 3 In his phrase here, St. Paul was thinking of the law written by Moses, on tables of stone, and contrasts the difference. 4 That was engraven on stone, to be 2 Acts xviii. 27- 3 Jerem. xxxi. 34. Ileb. x. 16. 4 Exod. xxiv. 12. 24 2 CORINTHIANS III. 1—6. afterwards transferred to the heart. The gospel of Christ was written at once on the fleshy tables of the hearts of these disciples. So that the ministration of the gospel was far more powerful and effective than that of the law ; and the ministry of the apostles superior to that of Moses. This could not be denied ; yet it wore the appear- ance of boasting. He soon returns to his accustomed lowliness. 4. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward : 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think 5 any thing as of ourselves ; hut our sufficiency is of God ; 6. Who also hath made us able ministers of the new tes- tament ; not of the letter, hut of the spirit : for the letter hilleth, but the sjnrit giveth life. Had he seemed to have been speaking, as if he claimed any merit to himself? The trust which he avowed, was not in himself, but in Christ to God- ward. The success in which he rejoiced, was not his own. He teas not sufficient to think anything as of himself : he could not have thought, or devised, or reasoned out those things which had affected the hearts of the Corinthians. His whole sufficiency ivas of God. It was God who had prepared the plan, by which the world should be " reconciled to Him- self:" the commission came from God, to preach " the word of reconciliation ;" from God the grace proceeds, which should make the word effectual ; the word of that new testament, new covenant, of which he had been made an able minister. And here another difference strikes him : another advantage of the ministry in which he was engaged : •' XoytauaOui, to devise. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 1—6. 25 a farther superiority of the new over the old cove- nant. It was not of the letter, but of the Spirit : not a mere literal covenant, declaring the will of God ; but a covenant accompanied by the Spirit, imprint- ing* that will upon the heart. The letter killeth : the letter of God's commands would be fatal ; to see spread before us the strictness of thought, word, and deed, which God's law requires, would be a sentence of condemnation to the soul. But the spirit giveth life ; " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes free from the law of sin and death." 6 It tells of salvation freely bestowed ; of pardon, not of judg- ment : of eternal life, not to be earned as wages, but received as " the gift of God through Jesus Christ." 7 It requires the obedience of children, not of slaves : as the test of faith, and the effect of love ; but not as the title to reward. And this is life, as " life from the dead," to frail and sinful man. St. Paul speaks here from his own experience. He had known the nature of the law : for " ac- cording to the straitest sect of his religion he had lived a Pharisee :" 8 and was, " touching the righteousness which was in the law, blameless." 9 He now un- derstood the nature of that new testament, which he had received himself, and was proposing to others. And he describes the difference between the two. of which he was then able to judge. He felt that there was an encouragement and a comfort which belonged to the disciples of Christ Jesus, which did not equally belong to the followers of the law of Moses. So that although the law, as coming from " Rom. viii. 2. i Ron». vi. 23. 1 Acts xxvi. 5. •' Phil, iii - 3 Ibid. 20. * Matt. xi. 28, 29. See Chrysos. in loco. 2 COMNTHIANS III. 7—11. 27 much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. The law of Moses, after having served its pur- pose, was to be done away : the imperfect succeeded by the perfect dispensation. But the law Mas to have force for fifteen hundred years. It must needs be solemnly impressed upon the minds of those who were to observe it. Signs and wonders were manifested on Mount Sinai when it was revealed, and the majesty of Him whose law it was, was signified by circumstances of awe and terror. 1 Among these, the children of Israel could not stcd- fastly behold the face of Moses, when he returned from communing with the Lord. (Exod. xxxiv. 29 — 3.3.) "It came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in his hand, Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of his face shone." This glory, this sign of the divine presence and agency, attended the enactment of the law, the ministration of condemnation and death. How glorious then must be the ministration of the Spirit, which instead of death brings life, a pardon instead of condemnation ? But why is the law thus termed, the ministration 1 Exodus xix. 1G, &c. 10 28 2 CORINTHIANS III. 7—11. of death, the dispensation by which man stands con- demned ? Because, through the corruption of man's nature, lie is incapable of fulfilling' the requirements of an exact and perfect law. " For there is no man that sinneth not." 2 Through " the weakness of the flesh " the law foiled to secure obedience. So that by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified ;" 3 and the law which would have given life, if it had been perfectly obeyed, brings condemnation because it is not fulfilled, and becomes the ministrationof death. What shall we say then of Samuel and of David, of Hezekiah and Josiah, of those multitudes who lived under the law, and " having served God in their generation fell asleep ?" Was the law which bound them to God's service, nothing better than condemnation to them? We know the contrarv. We know that " these all died in the faith," looking for a heavenly recompense which God had " pre- pared for them." We know that God always pro- mised his blessing, and life for evermore," to his faithful and obedient servants. We know that he always held out his assurance to the penitent, that when "the wicked forsook his way, and the un- righteous man his thoughts, and returned unto the Lord," his sins and his iniquities should be remem- bered no more. 5 And the ministration of the Spirit is glorious, be- cause it explains how this might be : how God may be at the same time, like the law which reveals his "- 1 Kings viii. 40. 3 Rom. iii. 20, &c, v. & vii. ; mid Gal. iii. 11 — 14. 1 Heb. xi. 13 -10. 5 Is. lv. 7. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 7—11. 29 character, "holy, and just, and good," and yet the justifier of erring 1 subjects, and of penitent offenders. The law is the ministration of condemnation. David felt it to be so, when he said, " Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." Solomon felt it to be so, when he prayed, " Forgive thy people which have sinned against thee, and also their transgressions whereby they have transgressed." 6 Isaiah acknow- ledged it to be so, when he said, " All we like sheep have gone astray." T Daniel felt it to be so, when he confessed, " O Lord, to us belongeth con- fusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee." 8 But the Gospel, on the contrary, is the ministration of righteousness : because it shows how " God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself;" "not imputing their trespasses unto them;" 9 and that " by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." 1 Paul therefore does not speak disrespectfully of the law, when he calls it the ministration of death. He acknowledges that it was made glorious : that God attested it by proofs of his majesty ; and that the Jews who possessed it, " had an advantage great everyway." 2 Our Lord did not cast discredit on John the Baptist, or on the prophets who had gone before him, when he affirmed that " he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than they." 3 He fi 1 Kings viii. 50. ' lb. liii. o". 8 Dan. ix. 8. 9 2 Cor. v. 19. 1 Acts xiii. 39. 2 Rom. iii. 2. 3 Matt. xi. 11. 30 2 CORINTHIANS III. 7—11. merely showed that where John had a noble com- mission, the apostles had a nobler still. John de- clared, that a light was now preparing, which should ''lighten every man that cometh into the world." But the apostles could appeal to the people, to " arise, and shine, for their light was come." And so Paul, in what he says of the law, both here and elsewhere in his Epistles, does not deny its use or excellence. Only he shows that the glory which the law had, was now surpassed by what was more ex- cellent : by that superior manifestation of God's power and love, of which ho was made minister. He shows that if the law, which was now done away, having answered its end, ivas glorious, much more is that glorious which remaineth, which is the complete and final revelation of God's will to man. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, hy reason of the glory that excelleth. 11. For if that which is done away teas glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. The light of the moon is glorious, during what would otherwise be the gloom and darkness of the night ; and to behold it " shining in its brightness," is to behold the wonderful power of the Creator. But when the sun is risen, that which was made glorious hath no glory in this respect, appears bright no longer, by reason of the glory that c.vcellcth. The splendour which we admired before, is now eclipsed by the more brilliant " light which rules the day ;" and we perceive that though before we were thank- ful for what relieved our darkness, still it was riiarht whilst the moon was shining. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 7—11. 31 So with the law which Moses ministered : it was glorious, because it was the expression of God's will ; it was glorious, because it was the preparation for the Gospel. But when " that which is perfect came," the preparation was done away. And if that tchich is done away is glorious, much more that which re- maineth is glorious. "For the law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." 4 And he himself said to his disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see. For I tell you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." 5 Only let it be remarked, that the same Lord also said, " If ye know these things, happy are ye if do them." 6 The ministration of righteousness would be- come the ministration of death, if it were so perverted as to be made a pretext for licentiousness. If any are " hearers only, and not doers of the word," they " deceive their own selves." " But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he beino- not a foro-etful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 7 4 John i. 17. £ Luke x. 23. 6 John xiii. 17. " James i. 25. 32 2 CORINTHIANS III. 12—18. LECTURE VII. THE GOSPEL PREFIGURED IN THE LAW, BUT CONCEALED FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE. 2 Cor. iii. 12—18. 12. Seeing then that we have such hope, 1 we use great plainness of speech : 13. And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly looh to the end of that which is abolished : 14. But their minds were blinded : for until this day remaineth the same vail untahen away in the reading of the old testament ; which vail is done away in Christ. 15. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. When Moses related to the people the things which had been communicated to him on the mount, he put a vail upon Ms face. The glory which he had witnessed was so great, that it was re- flected on him, and he could not show himself to the Israelites unveiled. Paul uses this as an ex- ample. The glory of the future covenant, repre- sented in the law, was such, that Moses did not show it clearly, nor did the Israelites see or stedfastly look to the end : which is " Christ, the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." 2 1 Arising from the excellence and superiority of our ministra- tion under the Gospel. * Rom. x. 4. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 12—18. 33 And yet these things were in the law, only hidden under a veil, which were brought into clear light by the Gospel. The atonement was there ; the sacrifices solemnly required and regularly offered by the law, were types of the " full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice " which should be hereafter made for the sins of the whole world. 3 The expectation of a future life was there, to which " the elders " looked, whilst they lived " as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, and sought a better country, that is, a heavenly." 4 Christ himself was there, as represented by the prophecies, which the Jews were " slow of heart to believe." 5 It was God's will that these things should be concealed for a while, as by a mist which overspreads the face of a land ; the objects exist, but are not distinguished, till the sun breaks out and the mist is cleared away, and that which be- fore, if discovered at all, was dimly seen, is openly disclosed. And such was the case now the gospel was pro- claimed. Not as Moses, who put a veil over Ms face, we use great plainness of speech : we " open our mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gos- pel -y and those things which " prophets and right- eous men once desired to see," and saw them not, are now " revealed unto babes." And here Paul introduces a sentiment of regret, that an " evil heart of unbelief ' 1 still remained among the Jewish people, so that his plainness of speech was lost upon them. The veil which did cover the 3 Heb. ix. x. passim. 4 Heb. xi. 13 — 16. s Lukexxiv. 25. 6 Eph. vi. 1!>. I) 34 2 CORINTHIANS III. 12-18. purposes of God, is now done away in Christ. But their minds are still Minded. We may remove the curtain which hides the object ; but if the eye be dim or closed, the object is still unseen. The apos- tle complains that it was so with his countrymen : Unto this day remaineih the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament They cannot per- ceive that the gospel is the fulfilment of the law. They cannot understand " the things concerning Christ "which are written "by Moses and all the prophets." The vail is upon their hearts when Moses is read, who declared that " the Lord should raise up from among them a prophet like unto himself." 7 They cannot see that Jesus is that prophet. " And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive." 8 " Has God then cast off his people ! God for- bid !" He is waiting to be gracious, till the hard heart is softened, and the dull heart wakened from its slumber. " The things belonging to their peace," shall not always " be hidden from their eyes." 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit : and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Sjjirit of the Lord. The Lord to whom the Israelites should turn, is one with that Spirit who " giveth life ;" that Spirit 7 Dent, xviii. 15. 8 Matt. xiii. 12. 2 CORINTHIANS III. 12—18. 35 who reveals the gospel, and whom the gospel re- veals : that Spirit who frees the soul from bondage, and enables a man to rejoice before God as a son in the presence of his father : not looking to the letter of what the law prescribes, but to the service which filial affection and gratitude can perform. There is this liberty, where the Spirit of the Lord is. And the gospel offers and gives this liberty to all who receive it. We all, who have received the gospel, do not, like the Israelites at Mount Zion, turn away our face from the glory of the Lord, as too bright to be looked upon, but behold it as in a glass. The gospel displays it to us, as plainly as the mirror displays the light which shines before it. Nay, more than this, a measure of the same glory is imparted to us who behold it. 9 We are changed into the same image from glory to glory : * becoming brighter and brighter, as we more nearly approach it, and gaze upon it more stedfastly. The perfect image of divine excellence is represented in the gospel. The Christian turns his eyes towards it, as the pattern which he is to imitate, the image to which he is to be conformed. 2 And so beholding it, he reflects its light ; he is changed, so as to have some resemblance to it, as by the Spirit of the Lord : who purifies his corrupt nature, that it may be like unto his own glorious nature, and " put on the new man, which after God is created in righteous- ness and true holiness." 3 9 As silver lying opposite the sun itself reflects some rays from the sun which strikes upon it. Theoph. i " From strength to strength.'' — Ps. lxxxiv. 7 '. 2 Rom. viii. 29. 3 Eph. iv. 24. D 2 36 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 1—6. Why should the ambition of Christians fall below the standard represented in this transcript of the apostle's own mind ? Why should they not en- deavour to be " followers of God, as dear children ;" 4 why not pray that " the same spirit may be in them, which was in Christ Jesus ?" Only let the prayer be sincere, the aim single, the heart clear and pure, as that surface must be which is to reflect another. Then the Christian shall be enabled to " £0 from strength to strength, till he appears before God in Zion :" and his path shall be " as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." 5 LECTURE VIII. REJECTION AND RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL. 2 Cor. iv. 1—6. 1. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as ice have re- ceived mercy, we faint not; 2. 13ut have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walhing in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God. Paul acted thus faithfully by the Jews ; " rea- soning with them out of the scriptures ; " opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead : and that this Jesus, 4 /LiifirjTai. 5 Prov. iv. 18. 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 1—6. 37 whom he preached unto them, was Christ." ' He dealt in the same maimer with the Gentiles; con- demning their idolatry, and making no excuse for their wickedness, but declaring that " God had ap- pointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness." 2 Even before one to whom the subject must have been most unwelcome, " he rea- soned of righteousness, and temperance, and judg- ment to come :" 3 so that " Felix trembled," and re- lieved himself from the manifestation of truth which he could not bear, by dismissing the preacher " for that time." This was, at once, to commend himself to every man's conscience, and to be faithful in the sight of God. Not like the prophets of Israel, who are rebuked for this very thing, that they handled the word of God deceitfully? " With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad ; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his evil way, by promising him life." 5 Whereas the ministry which ice receive, is this : " Thou shalt say unto the people, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whe- ther they will hear, or whether they will forbear, yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them." 6 Whether they will hear, or whether they will for- bear. For all have not " the hearing ear." 3. But if our gospel be hid, it is kid to them that are lost : 1 Acts xvii. 2, 3. 2 lb. 31. 3 Acts xxiv. 2J. * KainjkevovTer, adulterating it. 5 Ezek. xih. 22. fi lb. xi 5 38 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 1—6. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the ylorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, shoidd shine unto them. We are here told that the Gospel is hid to them that are lost. And yet the Son of man came " to seek and to save that which was lost." How is this to be explained ? The Lord Jesus, — coming into the world, making atonement for the transgressors, and reconciling to God as many as apply to him, — may be compared to one who seeks after a company of lost wan- derers, holding up a light which may direct them to a place of safety. So he said to his apostles : " Ye are the liffht of the world." 7 So he declared of himself: 8 " I am come a light into the world, that as many as believe in me should not abide in dark- ness." But if such a light were set up, it could only profit those who saw it, and who turned towards it. And of such a light we might say, that if it were hid, it was hid to them that lucre lost : to those who remained in ifmorance of the efforts made to save o them, or inattentive to the way of escape disclosed to them. The case, therefore, is like that of wan- derers, to whom a light has been held up, but either not seen or not attended to. And this Paul ex- plains. The qod of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gos- pel shoidd shine unto them. Satan, the god of this world, is " the prince of darkness ;" and his purpose will be, " when light is come into the world, that 1 Matt. v. 14. 8 John xii. 16. 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 1-6. 39 men should still love darkness rather than liarht." Therefore he keeps their eyes blinded, not taking away any natural power of seeing- which men might have, but placing other objects between them and the gospel, so that it cannot shine unto them. Thus Satan blinded the eyes of the young man who kneeled before our Lord, " and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?" 9 The answer was, " Come, take up the cross, and follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." But this young man " had great posses- sions." Satan set these before his eyes, with all they might procure, and which he must abandon, if he were to " sell what he had," and join the party of Jesus. The light of the gospel could not shine unto him, through these great possessions. The eyes of the Jews were blinded in a like manner. They desired earthly honour and popular applause ; they could " see no beauty " in him who was " meek and lowly in heart," and who brought no worldly advantages to recommend him. These earthly things stood before their eyes, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. So that the Lord himself questioned them, " How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and not the honour which cometh from God ?" 1 This preference of worldly honour shuts out every heavenly object from your minds ; so that " hearing, ye hear not, and seeing, ye perceive not." 2 No- thing can be seen, beyond this present world. And 9 Mark x. ]~ ; Matt. xix. 1(3. J John v. 4-4. 2 Isa. vi. !). Matt. xiii. J, &c. 40 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 1—6. thus the gospel is hid, glorious as it is, coming from Him who is the image of God, in whose person the majesty of God himself appears to those whose " eyes the Lord hath opened." For that was the subject of the ministry which Paul was carrying on. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sahe. 6. For 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. While all was yet dark upon the face of the deep, " God said, Let there be light. And there was light." 3 To this exercise of omnipotence, Paul com- pares tho light let in upon his own mind through the Gospel. The cause was the same. God com- manded it. God hath shined in our hearts. And the effect was similar. Light where there had been darkness : the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; who "being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person," 4 has manifested the Father to us as he could never otherwise have been made known to man. They are the words of Christ himself: " No man knoweth the Son, but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." 5 This light is now shining upon ourselves, and it is God's own sending. But vainly, as was said, is the light held up, if it is unseen, or if it is neglected. To St. Paul and his fellow-labourers it had been made available. He was conscious of the light 3 Gen. i. 3. * Heb. i. 2. 5 Matt. xi. 27. 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 7—18. 41 within himself. As the man who had been restored to sight, was able to affirm, " This I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see :" 6 with the same confidence the apostle writes, God hath shined in our hearts. We feel within lis the warmth of the " Sun of righteousness :" we are inwardly illuminated by his light : and by the eyes of our mind we behold his glory. Such ought to be the experience of all to whom the gospel is manifested, and let none be satisfied without a like consciousness, that the light of the know/edge of the glory of God has shined in their hearts, as seen in the face of Jesus Christ, " in glory equal, in majesty co-eternal." LECTURE IX. TRIALS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS OF THE APOSTLES. 2 Cor. iv. 7—18. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed ; ice are perplexed, but not in despair ; 9. Persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not de- stroyed ; 10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made mani- fest in our body. 1 1. For ice. which live are alway delivered unto death for " John ix. 25. 4*2 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 7—18. Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might he made mani- fest in our mortal flesh. 12. So then death icorketh in us, but life in you. The apostles were possessed of a a treasure, to ■which no earthly treasure can be compared. They could declare the way of salvation to the soul. And Paul compares himself to a merchant, or a traveller, who passes from one country to another with valua- bles of great price in his possession. These might possibly be contained in a weak or perishable casket : but they would more probably be contained in a casket of gold or silver, that the treasure and its coffer might correspond, and the jewels be more safely preserved. His own case was very different. We, he says, have our treasure in earthen vessels, frail and easily injured. We, who show men the way of salvation — we, who bear the message of eternal life, are ourselves in constant danger, and daily on the point to die. God has ordered this in his wisdom, that it might be evident to all men " whose we are, and whom we serve." The vessel of gold is secure from its own strength : the earthen vessel is only secure through the watchful care of its possessor. And when we who are troubled on every side, — perplexed, — perse- cuted, — cast down, are still not distressed, not in de- spair, not forsaken, not destroyed ; it becomes plain that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us. Our very weakness proves the strength of Him by whose power we are preserved, the Master who em- ploys us. It is related, for example, Acts v., that " the high 7 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 7—18. 43 priests and the sect of the Sadducees laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison." Thus they bore about in their body the dying of the Lord Jesus. They were exposed to suffering- and death, as he had been. He had been delivered unto death for man's sake, and they were always delivered unto death for Jesus sake. 1 " But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison door, and brought them forth, and said, Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. Then came one and told the chief priests, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple teaching the people." Thus the life of Jesus icas also made manifest in their body. Having nothing in themselves to protect them from insult and injury, his power saved them from destruction. It was made plain to all men that their life was only preserved, because He lived to preserve them. " Because he lived, they lived also." • Their daily dangers proved the same. Their weakness showed the strength of their heavenly Lord. And so that death which encompassed them, was the seed of eternal life to others. Death wrought in them, but life in the disciples. Paul proceeds to show how this daily preservation acted on his own heart, as an earnest of that future glory which was to recompense his present trials. 13. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken ; we also believe, and therefore speak : 3 1 Acts v. 19—25. • John xiv. 19. 3 Ps. cxvi. 111. 41 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 7—18. 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15. For all tilings are for your sahes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. \6. For which cause we faint not ; but though our out- ward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worheth for us afar more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Conduct like that of the apostles must be actuated by some secret spring. It is not the usual course of men, to expose themselves of their own accord to labours and dangers, and carry as it Mere " the sentence of death " about them, daily expecting that it will be executed. St. Paul here discloses his motive. He believed, and therefore he spoke: he believed that in proclaiming the gospel he was ful- filling the commands of God, who was able to re- compense him abundantly for all that he should suffer for his sake. An objector might ask, what ground have ye for this confidence ? Others, like the Athenians, might mock at the mention of a resurrection. 4 But Paul was prepared with a reply. He which raised up the Lord Jesus, has given assurance that he will raise up us also by Jesus : — and not us only, but all who have believed in him through our word : he shall 4 Actsxvii. 32. 2 CORTNTTITANS IV. 7-18. 45 present us with you : that tlicy who sow, and tlicy who reap, may rejoice together, and the thanksgiving of many for that mercy which is enjoyed by many may redound to the glory of God. These were the thoughts which sustained him in all his trials ; and the Spirit which day by day renewed the inward man, bore up the outward man, and made him speak of a life of perils and sufferings, of weariness and painfullness, of watchings and fastings, as a light affliction. It ivas but for a moment. He was able so clearly to realise eternity to his mind, that thirty or forty years were but as a moment in comparison. This is the perfect exercise of that faith, which St. Paul himself describes as " the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 5 It removes the present out of sight, and brings what is distant near : and the spring of hope within takes off the weight of affliction, in the prospect of a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. It brings before the eyes that company which appeared in a vision to St. John, 6 and of whom he asked, " Who are these arrayed in white robes, and M'hence came they ? These are they which came out of great tri- bulation ; and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." They ex- perience the truth of that promise : " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heaven." 7 5 Heb. xi. 1. Qr]vai, as the same word is used twice in the following verse. 2 Which he is to receive. 3 i. e. To your minds. ' Whether we go beyond the mark, either in self-defence, or in our ministry, or whether we speak or act soberly and mo- destly. E 2 52 2 CORINTHIANS V. 10—15. "a very small thing to be judged of man, or of man's judgment:" his object was to be accepted of God in that day, when all hearts must be made manifest : when all mud appear before the judgment scat of Christ, that every one may receive according to that he hath done in the hod//. This was before his mind, and prompted all his ministrations : knowing the terror of the Lord, — knowing the reason there is for fearing- Him, " who hath power to destroy both body and soul in hell," — ice persuade men to " flee from the wrath to come," and to take refuge in the cross of Christ : and we are made manifest unto God, who knoweth the hearts ; and we trust also to be made manifest to your consciences ; we trust that in your renewed minds ye judge of us as we deserve, and not as some who condemn us without cause. We have no object but your welfare, no desire but your salvation. However we speak, whether gently or strongly, whether within the mark, soberly, or as some may think beyond it, as if beside ourselves, your good is our only aim: and our motive, the love of Him " whose Ave are and whom we serve." 14. For the love of Christ constraincth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. 15. And that he died for all, that they which live shoidd not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Here Paul lays down the principle which actuated his life, the secret spring of all his movements. It was not an ordinary course which he followed: and one who goes out of the ordinary course, is diverted from it by some over-ruling motive. This motive he here ex- 2 CORINTHIANS V. 10-15. 53 plains. For the love of Christ constraineth as. The love winch I have towards Christ my Saviour, be- cause of the love he bore to me, urges and impels me. As if it had been said to Jacob whilst engaged in Laban's service, 3 Why labour to enrich another ? Why employ that faithfulness and diligence in the interests of Laban, which might have procured sub- stance for thyself? Jacob would have replied : The love I bear to Laban's daughter, makes the seven years which I am bound to serve, and serve without return, but " a few days " to my mind. So if it had been asked of Paul, Why art thou " instant, in sea- son and out of season," to preach the gospel of Christ, " in perils by thine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in fastings often, in cold and naked- ness ?" The love of Christ constraineth its. None of my labours weary and none of my dangers move me, " so that 1 may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus." The love, the gratitude which I owe to my God and Saviour makes every burthen light and every labour easy. And the effect is not beyond the cause. We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. The argument of our preaching, the basis of our faith is, that " in Adam all died ;" the world be- came estranged from God, and lay under all the penalties of such estrangement. But " as in Adam all died; even so in Christ shall all be made alive." " As by one man's disobedience many were made 5 Gen. xxix. 20. " And Jacob served seven years for Rachel : and they seemed to him but a few days for the love he bore her.'' 7 54 2 CORINTHIANS V. 10—15. sinners," and " death reigned," 6 so "by the obedi- ence " of Christ, by the satisfaction made by him upon the cross, those penalties are remitted, the barrier between God and man is removed, and the creature is reconciled to the Creator. Therefore whatever we have of spiritual life, whatever we enjoy of everlasting hope, we owe it to Christ Jesus. If we are not lying in darkness, under Satan's power, and "without God in the world," it is because he has brought us " from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God." Can we do less than devote that life to him, which we receive from him ? Has not He who ransomed us, a claim to that which he purchased with his blood? Must we not fulfil the purpose for which he gave himself? He died for all, that they which live, should live not henceforth unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again. Left to themselves, men live unto themselves. Men live to themselves, when they consult their own inte- rests, pursue their own will, follow their own pleasures, without looking beyond. Solomon describes such a life, Ecclesiastes ii. 4 — 10 : " I made me great works ; I builded me houses ; I planted me vine- yards ; I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits. I got me servants and maidens, I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women- singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as mu- sical instruments, and that of all sorts. And what- soever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them, I 6 Rom. v. 19 and 17. 2 CORINTHIANS V. 10—15. 55 withheld not my heart from any joy." A man who lives in this manner, — for these objects and no other, lives unto himself. It is the natural course; the course which all the world follows, unless turned aside from it. It is a course, where " God is not in all the thoughts." Whereas Christ "suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God :" " he died for us, and rose again, that we might not henceforth lite unto ourselves, but unto him which died for us : that instead of following " the course of the present evil world," we might choose a way which " has its fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Neither is it a vague or doubtful matter, whether a man be living unto Christ or no. We say of a man that he lives to his country, or to his family* when he makes their interests the chief object of his life : when for their sake, and in their service, he rises early, and late takes rest, and eats the bread of carefulness. And so a man lives to Christ Jesus, when whatever he does, he does to his glory, or in accordance with his will : desiring to honour his name, and advance his kingdom : showing himself kindly affectioned towards his people, and, if need be, relieving them : and " through evil report or good report," making the precepts of the Gospel, and not the practice of the world, the standard by which he acts and judges of actions. The Lord knows these, that they are his : for they " hear his voice, and follow him." And of them he has said, " Whosoever shall confess me before men, — whoso- ever shall not be ashamed of me or of my words in 7 1 Pet. iii. 18. 56 2 CORINTHIANS V. 16, 17. this adulterous and sinful generation — him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." 8 LECTURE XII. THE CHRISTIAN DESCRIBED AS A NEW CREATURE. 2 Cor. v. 16*, 17. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. St. Paul here describes the change which his mind had undergone since he had believed in Jesus as the Son of God, and learnt to look to Him for righteousness and redemption. He no longer knew men, i. e. considered or judged of men, after the flesh, after human opinions, or according to their outward appearance and worldly advantages. 1 Nay, if as a Jew he had formerly entertained this idea of the Christ, the Messias who should come, and" known him" regarded him " after the flesh? in a worldly view, and expected, like the rest of his countrymen, that in- stead of dying for the sins of men, he should redeem Israel from earthly bondage : yet now henceforth knew he him no more after this manner. My views, he says, are altogether changed : and I desire " to know 8 Matt. x. 32. Matt. viii. 38. 1 I have taken, after Whitby, what seems the most probable meaning of a passage confessedly obscure. 2 CORINTHIANS V. 16, 17. 57 nothing among' you save Jesus Christ, and him cruci- fied :" to glory in nothing after the flesh, but only " in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world." 2 And this, he adds, is not my case only. It will be the same with every one who trusts to Jesus Christ for salvation. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new crea- ture : old things are passed away ; behold all things are be- come new. It is interesting to trace the course of the apos- tle's mind, by which he is brought to this conclusion. He begins with himself: reflects upon his former state, and compares his present views and senti- ments. Formerly he had looked for acceptance with God through the law of Moses, and satisfied him- self that he was, " touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless." 3 Now he had seen that old things were passed away: for that "if righte- ousness were of the law," and man could be justified by fulfilment of the law, then " Christ had died in vain :" 4 without reason. So that all things were become new in his opinions upon this point : " what things Mere gain to him, those he counted loss for Christ ;" and desired only " to be found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." 5 2 Gal. vi. 14. 3 phii. hi. o. 4 Gal. ii. 21. 6 Phil. iii. 7, 8. 58 2 CORINTHIANS V. 16, 17. Now the man is what his principles make him : and Paul, sitting at the feet of Gamaliel, or living according to the strictest sect of the Jewish religion as a Pharisee, was a totally different person from Paul living as a preacher of that faith which once he destroyed. The change was like what he here terms it : a new creation : 6 old things were passed away ; behold all things were become new. He re- flects on himself as he once was, and sees himself no longer the same : regards things and persons in as different a light, as if he was in a new world. And this leads him to a more general remark. The terms he had used, do not only apply to his own casej — Jo not only describe the difference between Paul the persecutor and Paul the apostle, — but if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature. Doubtless it is so. If a man has embraced the religion of Christ, and is living in the faith of the Son of God, he is a new creature: a change is wrought in him which cannot be otherwise ade- quately described : a change, if not from his former habits, certainly from his original nature ; when he has " put off the old man, which is corrupt accord- ing to the deceitful lusts ; and is renewed in the spirit of his mind ; and has put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." 7 Probably, however, in this sentence, Paul chiefly alludes to that new principle of life of which he had been just speaking ; how " he judged, that if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth f ' Kaivri tenon;. "' Eph. iv. 22 — 24. 2 CORINTHIANS V. 16, 17. 59 live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them." 8 If any man be truly in Christ, this will be his ruling principle ; and whosoever does live on this principle, will be a totally different person from what he would be otherwise : a totally different person, per- haps, from what in former ignorance he has been. In that case, he can look into himself, and find a new creature ; his acquaintance can see his change of sentiments and habits, and say, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. The great truth of tbe gospel, Christ dying for man, and man without him dead, cannot be received into the heart without producing an effect which no slighter ex- pression can suit, no weaker phrase describe. All the sentiments combined, which mio-ht be felt towards a physician, who had recalled us from the grave ; towards a deliverer, who had rescued us from a cruel tyrant's power ; towards a benefactor, who had ransomed us from bondage ; towards a com- panion, who had laid down his life to preserve his friend ; all these would fall far short of the feelings which the Christian ought to entertain, and desires to entertain, towards his Saviour. And these are not barren feelings, they lead to action ; they lead to vital religion, to practical Christianity ; to that which alone deserves the name of Christianity. They lead to habits which are new to all who have not uniformly directed their lives according to the principles of their baptism. Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: being made so, not by caprice or desire of sin- gularity, but through the principles which govern him, and the sentiments which are dominant in his mind, 1 Verse 15. 60 2 CORINTHIANS V. 18—21. And it follows, that if any man bo not a new emit arc, he is not in Christ Jesus : " Christ profiteth him nothing," unless he is changed from what he would be by nature, and has these signs of grace. The purpose of the gospel is not fulfilled in him, unless he is " delivered from this present evil world." 9 And whosoever is delivered from this present world, from its cares, its pursuits, its pleasures, so as to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he is a new creature : old things arc passed away with him, behold, all things have become new. LECTURE XIII. THE GOSPEL A MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION. 2 Cor. v. 18—21. 18. And all things ore of God, 1 who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the minis- try of reconciliation. 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their tresjmsses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. This is one of those sentences in which the whole purpose of the gospel is briefly comprehended. God ivas in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. It assumes, that the world was " at enmity with God." If there is no enmity, there is no need ofre- 9 Gal. i. 4. 1 Arc ordered for us of God. 2 CORINTHIANS V. 18—21. Gl conciliation. But there is need of reconciliation when two do not .agree together. And we know, unhappily, that when man is left to himself and follows his own nature, his ways are not the ways which God approves or prescribes. It may be said of all mankind, as was said of the Jewish people by their prophet ; " Your iniquities have separated between you and your God."* Before ye can be as one with him, there must be a reconciliation. A reconciliation ! But in what manner ? On what conditions? When man has offended against man, there must be compensation. When Hezekiah had " rebelled against the king of Assyria," and found himself the weaker, he sent to that king, " saying, I have offended, return from me ; that which thou puttest on me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto the king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold." 3 But when the case is between man and God, if there is to be compensation, there can never be reconciliation. For what can man pay unto God, except love and obedience? Yet love and obedience he has none to pay ; it is because he did not love God, or obey God, that he is under condemnation : and if he is to remain under condemnation till he has made amends, he must be without help and without hope for ever. Therefore the word of reconciliation, is the offer of pardon. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto then/. He has provided a way in which man may be restored to his favour, and yet his holiness may c Isa. xxxix. 2. 3 2 Kings xviii. 7 — 14. 62 2 CORINTHIANS V. 18—21. be satisfied and the law of his government main- tianed. 20. JYoiv then ice are ambassadors for Christ, as though, God did beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ? s stead, be ye reconciled unto God. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who hneio no sin ; 4 that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He hath made him to be sin, to lie under the curse of sin, to suffer the penalty of sin, who alone could make atonement, because he alone knew no sin ; had a sinless nature to offer, and perfect obedience to pay. So that in him we might be made the righteous- ness of God : Might be " accounted righteous before God," because he has suffered our penalty, as a man is declared free, because a friend has paid down his ransom. To proclaim this message of reconciliation, Paul says, we are ambassadors. And here, too, there is much of mercy. On earth it is commonly the weaker who sends his ambassador. As when " one kino- o-oimr to make war with another king, sitteth © © © down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand. 5 Or else, while the other is vet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and iesireth conditions of peace." Or if it be the stronger who sends his ambassador, the message is one of vengeance ; as when the officers of Senaccherib were 4 The ancient commentators do not warrant the change of the word sin here, into sin-offering, as has been proposed by some. Tov ciKciiov eiroiTjcrei' dfxaprioXov Chrys. And Theod. K\jj0eie oTi-ep Tj/iej'^ueic, iicaXerrev >/juac owep vinjpxev ai/roc. 5 Luke xiv. 3. ( 2 CORINTHIANS V. 18—21. 63 commissioned to declare war against Hezekiah, and urged him to submit and yield. 6 But true are the prophet's words ; " My ways are not as your ways, nor my thoughts as your thoughts, saith the Lord." 7 For here, it is " the High and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy," who sends his offer of peace to guilty man. Here it is the great and mighty God, " in whom our breath is, and whose are all our ways," who gives the word of reconciliation : who commissions his ministers to pray in Chrisfs stead, be ye reconciled to God. We may be surprised, however, that Paul should address the Corinthians in this strain. Those to whom he wrote, were no longer heathens as they once had been, " aliens from God :" nor were they his Jewish countrymen, who had closed their hearts against the truth ; they were the christian disciples to whom he says, Be ye reconciled unto God. Because the bow, which has been bent in a new direction, has always a tendency to start back, and often needs to be bent again. Because the blade which has sprung up quickly, and given good promise, too often yields to the heat of temptation, and seems to be withering instead of growing. Some therefore would need to be brought back to a state of reconciliation, out of which they had been di- verted. He had shown them in his former letter, that there might be some who professed to believe in Christ, and called him Lord, who still had " no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." 8 6 2 Kings xviii. 19, &c 7 I sa . lv. 8. 8 1 Cor. v. and vi. G4 2 CORINTHIANS V. 18—21. And though some had returned, and " done their first works," and enabled him to speak of them with comfort; 9 others, Ave must suppose, were still " walking disorderly," and causing grief and fear. They would need to humble themselves before God, and plead that blood which " cleanseth from all sin," and so be received again into that favour which be- longs to those, and only those, who " with an honest and good heart having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." 1 Even to all, it would be right to say, See that ye are reconciled unto God. Do not take that for granted, which ought to be diligently secured. As a slave, avIio had been set free, would never lose sio-ht of the certificate of his freedom ; so one who is " at peace with God through Jesus Christ," should always have about with him the proofs of his recon- ciliation ; be always ready to " give a reason of the hope that is in him." He must be sure that the evil passions once subdued, are not making head again : that the flesh when struggling against the Spirit, does not prevail : that " the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things do not enter in, and choke the word, that it becomes unfruitful." " This, and nothing else, is to " give diligence, to make our calling and election sure : that so an entrance may be ministered unto us abundantly into the ever- lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 3 9 Ch. ii. 4—7. ] Luke viii. 15. 2 Matt. xiii. 22. 3 2 Pet. i. 10—14. 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 1— 10. 65 LECTURE XIV. THE CHRISTIAN'S JOY, AND RICHES, AND SECURITY. 2 Cor. vi. 1—10. 1. We then, as workers together with him, beseeck you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2. (For he saith, I hare heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee : behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of sal- vation. 1 J The Lord opens a way for man's deliverance. His apostles were workers together with him, in urging it on man's acceptance. " How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?" We are warned by Isaiah, that there is a season of mercy, and that the season of mercy must not be slighted or passed by. For he saith, Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. This admonishes us to " seek the Lord while he may be found ; to call upon him while he is near:" lest ive receive the grace of God in vain : and give him cause to say, " I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded : for that ye hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." 2 And we, says the apostle, to whom the message of mercy is entrusted, endeavour so to live that there 1 Isa. xlix. S. * Prov. i. 24—30. F 66' 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 1 — 10. may be nothing in us to injure the cause which we ought to recommend. 3. Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed : 4. But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5. In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings ; 6. liy pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kind- ness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7. By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8. By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good re- port : as deceivers, and yet true ; 9. As unknown, and yet well known ; as dying, and, behold, ice live ; as chastened, and not hilled ; 10. As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing all tilings. This sentence contains apparent contradictions. It brings joy and sorrow, it brings riches and poverty into close connexion. It unites what might seem necessarily to be separate. But that which is im- possible with man, is possible with God. And the operation of his Spirit reconciles these apparent con- tradictions. Our Lord, from the first, had said to his disciples : " In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 3 This might seem " a hard saying, who could hear it?" " Ye shall have tribulation;" ye shall be 3 John xvi. 33. 2 CORINTHIANS VI. I— 10. 67 carried before princes and governors, and they shall imprison, revile, persecute, torment you : — but " be of good cheer," maintain your courage and your spirits through all these trials ; ' : I have overcome the world." The exhortation was obeyed, the prophecy ful- filled ; and its fulfilment belongs to the earliest history of the gospel. In Acts v. 40, we are told, that " when the high priest and council had called the apostles and beaten them, they com- manded that they should not preach at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Again, (Acts xvi. 22,) the multitude rose up against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God ; and the prisoners heard them." Here then we find the apostle explaining by his conduct his own words: placed in a situation which must be painful to flesh and blood, yet able to re- joice in heart, and to rise above his outward trials. Joy and sorrow practically meet together in the same persons and at the same time : as they do meet, not in the experience of apostles only, but of ordinary Christians : who are able to " rejoice in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh pa- f 2 08 2 C01UNTIIIANS VI. 1— 10. tience, and patience experience, and experience hope :" * and who likewise, whilst they mourn over their sins and infirmities with " godly sorrow," yet are able to " joy in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom they have received the atone- ment." 5 The next sentence is no less instructive. As poor, yet making many rich. It pleased God to make those his instruments in propagating the gospel, who in themselves had neither influence nor learning: to choose " the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty," that the " weakness of God might be seen to be stronger than men." 6 For this reason the apostles were poor, and were permitted to remain poor. " Even to this hour," says St. Paul, " we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place." 7 " Yea, and ye yourselves also know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities." 8 Yet, at the same moment, making many rich. " The unsearchable riches of Christ " were entrusted to them. They Avere empowered to offer, to as many as would receive it, a ransom sufficient to redeem their souls, which otherwise were lost for ever. They might indeed answer to those who applied to them for present good, " Silver and gold have I none." 9 But when they added, " Such as I have, give I unto thee :" and when that which they had to propose, brought in this world " peace with God," and " in 4 Rom. v. 4. 5 Rom. v. 11. 6 1 Cor. i. 18— .SI. "> 1 Cor. iv. 11. 8 Acts xx. 34. 9 Acts iii. 6. 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 1—10. 69 (lie world to come, life everlasting;" then it was seen that theirs was the real treasure, and that all the world beside is poverty in comparison. The remaining clause is as extraordinary as the two former. As having nothing, and yet possess! in/ all things. The apostles had nothing. Houses, lands, even friends and kindred, these they had quitted for the gospel's sake. And yet they wanted for nothing. Many of them died by violence and persecution ; but we read of none who perished for want. They were commonly able even to relieve the aged and the distressed who were " of the household of faith," by contributions placed at their disposal. When Paul wrote " My God shall supply all your need," l he wrote what he had found, and testified his own ex- perience. And this experience is not limited to the apostles or their time. The faithful disciple may seem to have nothing; to be so low as to this world's goods, that he is encompassed on all sides with distress and perplexity. But he has God with him, and in God all tilings : for God is the Lord and the dispenser of all things, and divides toevery man severally as he will. So that the Christian resembles the child of a wealthy father ; he has nothing of his own, but he is rich in his fathers wealth. This is the assurance he enjoys, this the guarantee on which he can de- pond. If only he can maintain by a lively and sted- fast faith his interest in Christ, Christ unites him to God, and in God he has all things : " for all things are God's." 1 Phil. iv. 19. 2] Cor. iii. '_'_', 23. 70 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 1 — 10. It appears, therefore, that these words represent the feelings and privileges of Christians generally, and that they were not the apostles alone who might be described as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing ; as poor, yet rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. The Christian has joy, — even if it be in the midst of sorrow : — not the joy of this world's pleasures or advantages, a sweet which too often leaves bitterness behind, — but the joy which is shed upon his heart by the Holy Ghost, the joy of be- lieving that his sins are blotted out by the blood of the Redeemer. So again he has riches ; not always the riches which begin with this world, and end with this world ; but he is richer than the richest, being assured of the favour and protection of God. Who would not be the poor widow who threw her last mite into the treasury, knowing that " the Lord was able to give her far more than this ;" 3 rather than the man who " had much goods laid up for many years," 4 and " had nothing in Christ," no provision for his soul ? 3 Mark xii. 42. 2 Chron. xxv. 9. 4 Luke xii. IP. 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 11—18. 71 LECTURE XV. CHRISTIANS WARNED AGAINST ALLIANCE WITH UNBELIEVERS. 2 Cor. vi. 11—18. 11. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13. Now for a recommence in the same, (I speak as unto my children, J be ye also enlarged. The apostle had not received from some at Corinth the treatment which he merited. Jealousies and heartburnings had affected that kindly and grate- ful feeling which a sense of invaluable benefits ought to have excited in them. But he had no un- friendly recollections of this ; and assures them, that even though their heart might be straitened or nar- rowed towards him, his was as open as ever towards them, and his tongue as ready to instruct and ex- hort them. If they owed him, (as did they not owe him ?) a recompense in the same — such a recompense as chil- dren owe to their parents to whom all they have is due — let them pay it by enlarging also their hearts to- wards him in the full freedom of reciprocal affection. Having thus prepared them for the impression 72 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 11—18. which he desired to make, he adverts to an evil practice to which they had yielded of forming- friend- ships or still closer alliances with their unconverted neighbours. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked togetlier with unbelievers : for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness ? 15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? 1 or what "part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? These contrasts show the unfitness of such union. Righteousness, how can that ham fellowship with un- righteousness, if it is the nature of friendship to like or dislike the same things ? Light cannot unite with darkness : it must either dispel it, or be extin- guished. Christ and Belial are opposite to each other. " For, for this was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 2 Just as little concord could there be between the be- liever and the unbeliever : for they are contrary the one to the other, and one cannot do the things which the other would. One follows " the things which are seen, and are temporal :" the other follows " the things which are not seen, and are eternal." Further still, he asks, 16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living God ; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walh in them ; and I ivill he their God, and they shall he my people. 3 1 A name often used in the Old Testament to signify wicked- ness, or the devil. 2 John iii. 8. * Ezek. xxix. Jer. xxxi. 33. 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 11-18. 73 Those to whom God lias revealed himself, and who confess and serve him in the world, are as it were a temple dedicated to him. It has happened to travellers, as they wandered over a waste desert, to see unexpectedly before them the remains of some magnificent temple, a monument of skill and labour, and forming' a remarkable contrast to the scene around. The people of God may be compared to such a temple. Taking the world throughout, they are a few in the midst of a wilderness ; but those few showing that God has a company of worshippers, and has not " left himself without witness." Such were of old the patriarchs. God appeared to Abra- ham, and to Jacob, and to Moses ; and consecrated them to himself. Such were the whole Jewish nation : a temple set apart to the honour of the living God, in the midst of a world which fell down before the work of men's hands, and had lost all knowledge of their Creator. And such are Christians; as Paul here says of the Corinthians, Ye are the temple of the living God. They were dedicated to him, when baptized in the name of Christ, and en- gaged to live as his faithful soldiers and servants to their lives' end. He declared of the altars of earth set up in the wilderness, and of the tabernacle where the first worship was carried on in Canaan, " In all places where I record my holy name, I will come unto thee, and bless thee." * And so he also says of the christian church, the congregation of faithful people dispersed throughout the world, / will 'I well in them, and walk in them : and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 4 Exodus xx. 24. 74 2 CORINTHIANS VI. 11—18. Could it then be allowed, that this temple of God should be defiled by admitting within its walls the unbelievers, who still adhered to their idolatry? It was one of the heaviest accusations made by the Jews against Paul, that he had " brought Greeks into the temple, and polluted that holy place." 5 The offence was of a like kind, if they admitted a heathen into their bosom as a friend, or into their family as a re- lation. It was to defile what had been made sacred ; to bring together purity and corruption. For they would be contradicting all experience, if they im- agined that what w T as corrupt would thus be purified, rather than what Mas pure corrupted. Sweet w r ater poured into an impure vessel, does not overpower the impurity, but loses its own sweetness. And such is too commonly the effect, when " despite is done to the Spirit of grace," by bringing it into close alliance with that which is opposed to grace. The natural tendency of the heart is to descend towards the earth, not to rise towards God and heaven ; and where a weight is attached to it, assisting this na- tural tendency, the fall is sure. Therefore, when the Israelites were chosen " to be a special people to the Lord above all the people that were on the earth," 6 God did not ordain that they should unite themselves with other nations, as if they could so diffuse the knowledge of him through the world. The command was, " Thou shalt make no covenant with them, neither shalt thou make marriages with them : thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son S Acts xxi. 2S. 6 Pent. vii. 1 — 6. 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1—16. 75 from following me, that they may serve other gods : so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against thee, and destroy thee suddenly." The same com- mand had been repeated by the prophets, and en- forced by the most gracious promises. He " would be the God of all the families of Israel, and they should be his people." But they must " walk worthy of their calling," and the temple of God must not be profaned with idols. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and he ye se- parate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, 7 18. And icill he a father unto you, and ye shall he my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. LECTURE XVI. THE JOY OF ST. PAUL IN TUE REPENTANCE OF THE CORINTHIANS. 2 Cor. vii. 1— 10. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly heloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2. Receive us ; ice have wronged no man, ice have cor- rupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3. L speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is 7 Isa. lii. '2. Jer. xxxi. 1 and 33. 76 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1—16. my glorying of you : lam filled with comfort, I am cx- c( eding joyful in all our tribulation. 5. For, when ice were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side ; without were fightings, within were fears. 6. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus ; ] 7. And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he ivas comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me ; so that I rejoiced the more. The feelings here expressed are those of sincere affection. Paul's mind had been variously tried. The Corinthian church required reproof. But re- proof is dangerous. " Am I become } T our enemy, because I tell you the truth ?" 2 So he had feared ; because such is too commonly the effect of reproof, however deserved or necessary. Then, again, reproof is difficult. We may be too severe in censuring, as well as too slow to censure. Among all these diffi- culties, the apostle was naturally anxious till he could learn the effect of the rebuke contained in his former epstle : when Titus, whom he had hoped to meet at Troas, and been disappointed, now coming to him from Corinth, relieved his fears and satisfied his warmest hopes. It was a providential occurrence to him, at the moment when he was suffering heavy trials. When we ivere come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side : without were fightings, within were fears. Whilst he is thus cast down, the intelligence brought by Titus Jilled him with comfort, and made him exceeding joyful in all his 1 Ch. ii. 13. 2 Gal. iv. 16. 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1—16. 77 tribulation. As if the sun had shone out of a dark cloud. When he was told of their earnest desire, their mourning, their fervent mind toward hint, this effect of his letter satisfied him that he had written in ac- cordance with the Spirit of God. 8. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though 1 did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance ; for ye were made sorry after a yodly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Two sorts of grief may follow the commission of sin : sorrow for its present consequences, sorrow for the loss of God's favour. The Corinthians, for in- stance, when reproved by Paul for suffering a noto- rious transgressor to remain in connexion with them, might have felt no other distress than that they were no longer well spoken of among other Christians : could not be represented as an example of faith, and set up as objects of admiration. 3 This would merely have been sorrow of the world. The transgressors themselves, when pointed out, had much reason to lament. A mark was fixed upon them. They were cut off from intercourse with their brethren. Their temporal interests must have been affected. 4 Here was occasion of sorrow, which 3 As those of Thessalonica, wlio were an " ensample to all that believe in .Macedonia and Achaia." 1 Thess. i. 7. 4 1 Cor. v. 4, 1.3. 78 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1—16. might not have been godly sorrow. Saul appears to have felt in this manner; and in that feeling entreated Samuel to " honour him before his people ;" to join with him in sacrifice as before, though " the Lord had rejected him :" that his disgrace might not be publicly known. 5 David might have been affected in this way, and no other, when his child was struck with illness, and he was threatened with the loss of an object so dear to him : 6 but very different is the feeling he expresses. " I have sinned against the Lord. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, O God ; and done this evil in thy sight ; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." 7 Sorrow like this of David icorketh repentance : is at- tended with that grace which overcomes sin : leaves a permanent impression upon the heart, that it should not " return again to folly." And such had been the sorrow of the Corinthian brethren. Having received a sharp rebuke, they did not take it after the manner of the Avorld ; did not deny Paul's au- thority ; did not attempt to clear themselves by comparing their state with others, or screen and de- fend the guilty person. All their desire and zeal was to remove the scandal. Sometimes the indig- nation and revenge is roused against the accuser. Here it was all against the sin. 11. For behold the selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what 5 1 Sam. xv. 30. 6 2 Sam. xii. 13, 14. i Ps. li. 4. 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1—16. 79 revenge ! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12. Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, hut that our care for you in the sight God might appear unto you. 13. Therefore we are comforted in your comfort: yea and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, be- cause his spirit was refreshed by you all. 14. For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not astiamed ; but as we spahe all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, ivhich I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15. And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how w it h fear and trembling ye received him. 16. / rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all tilings. In sending Titus to Corinth, Paul, it seems, had boasted of the Christians there : had led him to be- lieve them humble and submissive. He had reason to hope this, from what he had seen during the year and six months when he taught the word of God amongst them ; s and from what he had since heard, how they " came behind in no gift, but in everything were enriched, in all utterance and in all knowledo-e." 9 His first epistle, censuring many errors, was calculated to try their spirit : and Titus was gratified to find them stand the test, and prove by their obedience the sincerity of their hearts. They received him, not with obstinacy or recrimination or any other signs of wounded pride, but ivith fear and trembling : as one who was come to form a judgment of their spi- 8 Acts xviii. 11. 9 1 Cor. i. 5. 80 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1— 1G. ritual state, and to decide whether they had or had not a place in the favour of God. So that his spirit was refreshed by them all, and Paul's confidence in them was found a truth : he had boasted of them, and he was not ashamed of his boasting. So tenderly does the apostle feel, so strong was his interest in these Corinthians, even as that of a father in his children. They were in his heart to live and die with them. He is as anxious for this church, as if he had not " the care of all the churches." Perhaps he felt somewhat like the shepherd, one of whose sheep had gone astray ; and now that he had sent after it, and brought it home, it occasioned him a joy proportioned to his anxiety and fear. This my flock, he seems to say, was lost, and is re- covered ; was in danger of becoming " dead in tres- passes and sins," 1 and is now revived by the Spirit of God. " And now, I live," it is like new life to me, that my children " stand fast in the Lord." 2 1 Luke xv. 4, 7, 32. 2 1 Thess. iii. 8. 2 CORINTHIANS VIII. 1-9. 81 LECTURE XVII. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST A REASON FOR CHARITY. 2 Cor. viii. 1—9. 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit 1 of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia ; 2. How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves ; 4. Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints. 5. And this they did, not as we hoped, 9 but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us, by the will of God. 3 6. Insomuch that we desired Titus that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.* The Christians in Macedonia had subscribed largely to the contribution which Paul was carrying 1 We represent, or make known to you. - Not as we expected, (for a/xiKpa riva iipocecoKr} Acts xx. 24. 7 2 Tim. i\ . 8. 122 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 1—10. 3. A nd 1 knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the hut/;/, I cannot tell: God hnoweth ;) 4. How that he was cauyht up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I iv ill not glory, but in mine infirmities. C. For though 1 would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth : but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. It was not expedient for St. Paul, as it is not ex- pedient for any man, to glory : to boast of himself, or his doings. But it was proper, and even neces- sary, that be should prove his authority as an apostle. Therefore he comes to visions and revelations of the Lord, which could be granted for no other purpose than to prepare him for the Lord's work. He de- scribes how he had been taken up as it were out of this world, he knew not how, and been shown the things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard, which God has prepared for them that love him: was shown the glories of paradise, and heard words which it is not lawful, not possible, or permitted for a man to idler. Even if he should desire to glory in this extraor- dinary sign of divine favour, it would not be folly in him : he would say but the truth. But he forbore. God had taught him to forbear ; had provided means by which the rising feelings of pride might be kept down, and he might be constantly reminded that he was only an instrument in the hand of God. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 1—10. 123 thorn in the Jlesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. A thorn concealed in the flesh and rankling there, occasions grievous pain. To this pain Paul com- pares the mortification caused by some infirmity with which God permitted Satan to afflict him : something, probably, which tended to render his ap- pearance mean, and " his speech contemptible :" ' so that his enemies the false teachers took advantage of it, to lessen his influence over those to whom he preached. Bent as he was upon glorifying God by brindns: men to the knowledge of the truth, this in- © © © firmity was like a messenger of Satan buffeting him : continually harassing and annoying him. As if Satan was employing one of the evil angels under his command, to prevent the success of his ministry. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee : for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. St. Paul was not working his own work, or working the Lord's work in his own strength. He knew therefore to whom he should apply, if that work was hindered. " In his distress he called upon the Lord :" nay, as his Lord himself had done in the garden of Gethsemane, he made it three se- veral times the purport of his prayer, that this i Ch. x. 10. 124 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 1—10. trouble might depart from him. He had that ex- ample to warrant his importunity. And he had an express parable, encouraging him always to " pray, and not to faint." For " shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" 2 This shows that it is no sign of want of resignation to God's will, if we persevere in prayer that our trials, of whatever sort, may be removed. Trials are often sent for this very purpose, to bring us nearer to God, by making us feel our dependence on him : that our minds may be fixed more steadily upon his support, and that we may be the more thankful for his goodness, when we are at length re- lieved. In this particular case, the Lord did not see fit altogether to remove Paul's trouble. But he took away its sting, assuring him that it should not af- fect the success of his ministry. My grace is suffici- ent for thee : for my strength is made perfect in iveak- ncss. When the instrument is feeble, the power of him who wields it is most clearly seen. And when the workman knows the weakness of his instrument, he uses it to the best purpose, and does not depend on what will deceive and disappoint him. In his own strength, Paul could not have prevailed to con- vert a single heart. In the Lord's strength he did turn a multitude " from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God." And any trial which led him to rest on that strength more fully, would not be a misfortune but a blessing to him. 2 Luke xviii. 1, &c. 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 1-10. 125 The apostle was well satisfied, and declares, 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions for Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I strong. If I am the object of reproach, or persecution, if infirmities which are of God's sending are alleged against me, then I feel my weakness and helplessness, and cast myself on Him who is all powerful : and in his strength I can do all things, and am happier than if I stood in any power of my own. For when lam weak, then am I strong. It is the case of a child. A child is feeble, ignorant ; liable on every side to harm and danger. If it trusts to itself, listens to no advice, is protected by no care of one older and stronger, it will fall into certain injury. But if aware of its own ignorance and weakness, then it will be safe. So it was with Paul. He was strong:, in proportion as the power of Christ rested on him. And so it is with every Christian. When one thinks himself strong, so as to conquer all temptations, and wise, so as to want no teaching ; then he is really weakest. But when he feels himself weak, is aware how little he can do, or how much he needs the aid of one more powerful than himself, then he is really strongest. If David had gone against the giant Goliath trusting to his own might, he who was " a stripling" must have died by the hand of the Phi- listine, who was armed at all points, and " a man of war from his youth." But David said to him, " Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield ; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts. This day will the Lord deliver 126 2 CORINTHIANS XIL 1 — 10. thee into mine hand : for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give yon into our hands." 3 Thus the power of God made a sling and a stone in the hand of David prevail over a spear and a shield in the hand of Goliath. That strength which David had none of in himself, he derived abundantly from the power of God resting on him. So with ourselves. A sense of weakness tends to make us strong, for two evident reasons. First, be- cause it makes us earnest and constant in prayer. Those only who feel themselves sick, will call for a physician ; and they who are strong in their own conceit, will never pray in earnest. But he who knows his need of divine assistance will seek it, where none ever sought in vain. We must " ask," that it may be " given us." 4 But if we ask, we shall receive : we shall find what we seek, if we seek it with earnestness and faith ; with our whole heart : and so shall be upheld, while others fall, and able to effect that in the power of the Lord, which we could never effect in our own. Further, a sense of weakness strengthens us, be- cause it makes us dependent upon Christ. In pro- portion as we fancy ourselves strong, we shall trust to our own strength ; and in proportion as we trust to our own strength, we shall surely fail. But if we are conscious that " of ourselves we can do nothing," we shall be more willing to rely wholly upon Him who is " mighty to save," and who will never suffer those who do trust in him, " to be confounded." His word would fail, if he did not supply them with grace sufficient for them. Therefore we are never so a 1 Sam. xvii. 42. * Matt. vii. 7. 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 1 — 10. 127 truly strong, as when deeply convinced of our own weakness. He who has invited the ignorant man to come, and learn of him the way of eternal life ; he who has invited the sinful man to come, and lay on him the burthen of his iniquities ; he who has in- vited all that are heavy laden with the corruptions of the world and weary with the assaults of Satan, to come unto him, for he will " give them rest :" he is ready to say, My grace is sufficient for thee : and shall give thee the victory over the devil, the world, and the flesh. The constant habit of spreading before him in prayer our difficulties and our temptations, our cares, our sorrows, and our fears, will bring him closer to us, and draw us nigher to him, and convince us more and more of his power. We shall experience the truth of what is written, " The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations." 5 He will neither suffer them to be overcome by the evil nature which is born with them, nor by the dangers of the world in which their trial lies. If we look to Him on whom our help is laid, we shall be enabled to say with David, " In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." 6 5 2 Pet. ii. 9. 6 Ps. exxxviii. 3. 10 128 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 11—21 LECTURE XXVI. ST. PAUL'S DEFENCE OF HIMSELF AGAINST II IS ENEMIES. 2 Cor. xii. 11—21. 11. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me : for I ought to have been commended of you : for in nothing am I behind the very chief est apostles, though I be nothing. 12. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 13. For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you ? forgive me this wrong. If I have clone you wrong, in refusing to be chargeable to you : if I have received from other churches, 1 if I have laboured with mine own hands - rather than accept from you what I thought you might grudge, or upbraid me for accepting ;—for(jirr me this wrong. Thus delicately he reminds them of their ingratitude. It was not because he had no claim, but because he was unwilling to urge his claim. As he had said in his first epistle, 3 he had as much right as others to expect that he himself, and 1 Phil. iv. 15. " Actsxviii. 3. 3 1 Cor. ix. 1—7. 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 11—21. 129 those whom he carried about with him, should be supported by the congregations, who " owed to him their own selves." Though in his own eyes he was nothing, though in the sight of God he esteemed himself " not meet to be called an apostle," yet he ought to be esteemed very differently by them. In nothing was he behind the very chiefest apostles. He had shown among them all the signs of an apos- tle. He had taught them, in all patience ; he had proved his divine commission by signs and wonders and mighty deeds. The history does not record the special miracles which he had wrought at Corinth. But we know their nature, by what was done else- where. When he saw at Lystra a cripple who had been lame from his birth, and perceived that he had faith to be healed, he said unto him with a loud voice, " Stand up upon thy feet ; and he leaped and walked." 4 This was the sign of an apostle. And it was scarcely less wonderful, that " when he rea- soned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and Greeks, — many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were baptized." 5 For this too was the sign of an apostle : a sign that he was one whom God had sent, to bring men " out of darkness into the light " of the gospel. What was there then, of which the Corinthians could justly be jealous, or complain ? 14. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you : for I seek not yours, t>ut you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 4 Acts xiv. 9. 5 Acts xxiii. 8. K 130 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 11—21. 15. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16. But be it so, I did not burden you : nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 1 7. Did I mahe a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18. I desired Titus, and icith him I sent a brother? Did Titus mahe a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit ? walked we not in the same steps ? 19. Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you ? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. 20. For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not : lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, ivhisperings, swellings, tumults : 21. And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already , and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have com- mitted. St. Paul looked upon the congregations which he had brought to the faith of Christ, as a parent upon his children. He rejoiced in their spiritual welfare ; he grieved no less, if Satan gained an advantage over them, and they walked unworthily of their calling. " I live," he says, " if ye stand fast in the Lord." 7 My very life depends on it. I faint at your failure, I am revived at your well-doing. " For ye are our glory and joy." 8 So he wrote to the Thessalonians. A very different feeling was on his 6 Cb. viii. 18. " The brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches." As is supposed, St. Luke. 7 ] Thess. hi. 8. » ib. „'. 20. 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 11—21. 131 mind now. I fear, lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you. Instead of being elated in spirit because my work is flourishing, I shall be distressed and cast down to see that it has withered : I fear that instead of rejoicing with you, I shall be obliged to weep over you : that instead of bestowing on you some fresh spiritual gift, 9 such as I would, I shall be found unto you such as Iivould not : a censurer of your backslidings, and an avenger of your evil doings. When there are divisions, as at Corinth, and when false teachers set themselves against the truth, the fruits of righteousness do not flourish. It is the secret corruption of the heart which gives strength to these divisions, and causes false teachers to be en- couraged. Men are impatient of the restraints of " true and undefiled religion :" and if any " promise them liberty," seem to show them an easier or more pleasant road, they readily follow. St. Peter had witnessed this, and describes it : " When they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them that dwelt in error." l And so we learn from the language of St. Paul here, that something of the same kind had been at the root of the dissensions at Corinth, and the opposition to himself. He fears, lest there be debates, envyings, icraths, strifes, backbitings, ivhisperings, swellings, tumults. These are bad, and require cor- rection ; but they commonly lead to what is still worse : to gross and presumptuous sins : so that he might have to bewail over many who had fallen 9 See Rom. i. 11. l 2 Pet. ii. 17. K 2 132 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 11—21. into these, and had not repented of their uncleanness, and even needed the exercise of his power to cut them off from the congregation. Our Lord has told us, in his parable, that Satan will not be easily withheld from those who have once been governed by him. When the unclean spirit is driven forth from a man, he will not rest, or leave him for ever, but will seek to return to the house which he had been forced to quit : will take every op- portunity of regaining possession of the heart. 2 These Corinthians in their unconverted state had been accus- tomed to the wickedness into which nature falls when left to itself. Paul describes it, in his first epistle, and then adds, " Such were some of you." 3 They had now been raised out of the mire of un- cleanness, " through the washing of regeneration, and belief of the truth." But a man, once so raised, " may depart from grace given." 4 And some of these had thus departed. He may also " rise again," and " do his first works." Paul exhorted these to rise, and repent, otherwise, instead of coming to them, as he would, " in the fulness of the gospel of peace," he must come in the spirit of sorrow, and with the language of rebuke and indignation. For " God had not called them to uncleanness, but to holiness ;" 5 and they could not be too strongly assured, that for those who " walk after the flesh," and " mind earthly things," there is " no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." 6 « Matt. xil. 43. 3 1 Cor. vi. 9—11. 4 See Art. xvi. 5 Rom. viii. 9. 6 Eph. v. 5. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 1—10. 133 LECTURE XXVII. THE CORINTHIANS EXHORTED TO SELF-EXAMINA- TION. 2 Cor. xiii. 1—10. 1 . This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three icitnesses shall every word be estab- lished. Paul had been at Corinth, for the first time, when he took up his abode in that city with Aquila and Priscilla, and proclaimed both to the Jews and Gen- tiles there the glad tidings of the gospel. 1 The second time to which he alludes, is his purpose as declared at the close of his first epistle. " Now I will come unto you, when I pass through Mace- donia." 2 Then he was disappointed. Now this third time he was coming to them, as he fully supposed and intended : and when he examined into the case of offenders, it should be according to the spirit of the divine law ; (Deut. xvii. 6. Numbers xxv. 30.) " One witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die." " At the mouth of two wit- nesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death ; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death." Infinite 1 Acts xviii. 1, &c. • 1 Cor. xvi. 5 — 9. 134 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 1— Id. wisdom had ordained this rule of justice : and ac- cording to this rule Mould he act, with the strictness which the case required. 2. / told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time ; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that if I come again, I will not spare : 3. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. 4. For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For ice also are weak in him, but we shall live with hint by tke power of God toward you. Ye think me weak, and as it were dead, and so despise me. The power of God, if ye force me to employ it toward you, shall prove to you that / live, and am vigorous in the strength which is given me from above. Here the apostle uses the case of Christ himself in the way of illustration. He teas crucified through weakness. He took on him the nature of man, and became subject to death, like a frail dependent creature. When he hung upon the cross, and those who passed by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, " He saved others, himself he cannot save ;" 3 — the proof of God dwelling in him was wanting, as much as the proof of Christ speaking in Paid was wanting, whilst men looked only at his outward appearance, and pronounced it weak and contemptible. But Jesus, who had been crucified through weakness, had risen again, and was living by the pozcer of God. There was no sign of weakness, when " behold, there was a great 3 Matt, xxvii. 39. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII 1—10. 135 earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door," 4 and showed that He whom they sought among the dead, had risen. And so, says the apo- stle, if ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that if I come again, I will not spare. We may now seem weak, as he seemed weak ; but we shall live with him, as he revived from the grave, we shall prove the power that lives within us, not natural but divine, if we are forced to call down the anger of God upon the disobedient and impenitent. But, mean while, let them look seriously into their own state, and judge themselves, that they might not be judged of the Lord. 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith ; prove your ownselves. Know ye not your oivnselves, hoiv that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ? 6. But I trust that ye shall hnow that ive are not re- probates. 7. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil ; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. 8. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9. For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong : and this also we wish, even your perfection. 10. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction. There are seasons when the spiritual state must be examined into, and that with more than usual 1 Matt, xxviii. 2. 136 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 1-10. strictness. If Satan has gained an advantage ; if an old habit which was supposed to be overcome, has shown new signs of life ; if temptation has pre- vailed ; this is a warning that a man examine him- self, what her he he in the faith ; p-ovc his own self. Just as in regard to the body, if exertions which were once easy become a burthen, there is proof that all is not right with the constitution : so the falling off* of the Corinthians from " righteousness and true holiness," the entrance amongst them of debates, envyings, wrath, strife, not to mention grosser sins, gave reason to doubt whether they had not lost the privileges of the Christian covenant. There was a test by which this might be tried. Know ye not, your own selves, without need of my re- minding you, hoiu that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye he reprobates f His promise is, that he will dwell in his people ; will walk in them ; will make his abode with them. 5 He is one with them, and they with him. But then, where He is, no sin prevails : no such habits are allowed, no such conduct takes place, as he has forbidden ; if he is in the heart, if his Spirit animates the soul, there will not be sus- picions or false accusations, there will be no malice or slandering, there will be no impure practices or in- ordinate desires. And therefore, if there are these evils, if the heart brings forth evil things, there is proof that Jesus Christ is not there ; and if Jesus Christ be not in you, ye are reprobates : not true Christians, but counterfeit : like coin which pretends to be " money current with the merchant," and is not. The prophets used the same example, in re- 5 Ch. ii. lo. John \iv. 23. e Such is the original meaning of the word translated reprobate. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 1 — 10. 137 huking the Jews of old. Isaiah says of them, " Thy silver is become dross." 7 And Jeremiah ; " Re- probate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them." 8 By this test therefore he would try them, and have them try themselves. As we might say of a precious coin, If it be genuine, it will bear the king's " image and superscription ;" so he says to the Co- rinthians, If ye be Christians indeed, ye will exhibit the signs of Jesus Christ dwelling within your hearts. And he is not in you, if ye do not show the fruits of the Spirit. " For " he that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit :" 9 has the same spirit as the Lord ; the spirit of " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gen- tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." " And if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." " For this, then, Paul was anxious, that they should do that which is honest, and walk worthy of their calling. For himself, or rather for their opinion of him, he was not anxious : it was " a small thing for him to be judged of man, or of man's judgment :"' as long as they should appear approved, he was con- tent to be rejected of them, to be held of them as reprobate. He was content to be weak, if they were strong : this icas his wish, even their perfection : and if he used sharpness, according to the power which the Lord had given him, he would never forget the pur- pose for which that power was committed to him, to ed ifi cation, and not to destruction. 7 Isa. i. 23. s j er- v i. 30. 9 1 Cor. vi. 17. i Gal. v. 22. c Rom. viii. 9. 138 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 1—10. To their edification it was needful that they should examine themselves, nay, distrust themselves, when such evils existed as he feared he might find amongst them, and find not acknowledged or re- pented of. For the assurance of Christ had been, from the beginning, " If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 3 " Sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are not under the law, but under grace.' 1 4 And unless the first promise of the gospel had been fulfilled, and the evil " desires of the flesh and of the mind were subdued ill them," 5 they could show no title to its future promises. If sin still reigned over them, they could only be considered as reprobates. " For they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." 6 Only they are " the sons of God," who are " led by the Spirit of God." 7 3 John viii. 31. 4 Rom. vi. 14. 5 Ch. xii. 20, 21. 6 Gal. v. 24. 7 Rom. viii. 14. 2 CORINTHIANS X11I. 11. 139 LECTURE XXVIII. EXHORTATION TO HOLINESS, UNITY, AND PEACE. 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 11. Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of love and peace shall be tvith you. The apostle concludes this letter with these com- prehensive precepts, glancing at those faults which most needed correction among the Corinthians. He first bids them be perfect : properly, as the body is perfect when no limb is out of joint. 1 Com- plete perfection they would never reach, in the soul any more than in the body. The strongest and healthiest body will be subject to infirmities ; and so likewise will the purest and holiest soul. 13ut what cannot be attained, may be aimed at and de- sired. We know that we shall always be liable to disease, yet we keep our body as healthy as we can. We know too that the heart will be often false to itself, and prone to transgression : but we cannot be satisfied with such a state of weakness, and must strive to be " perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect :" by habitually restraining " the motions of sin in the members," and forming our- 8 140 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 11. selves more and more after the pattern of our Lord, " in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 2 Thus to the end the Christian " grows in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ," " not as though he had attained, either were already perfect ;" but his whole course on earth is that of one " following after holiness," and " going on unto perfection." Then, let them be of good comfort : in all the many trials which they must endure, let them en- courage one another by reflecting on the peculiar mercies they enjoyed, who were among " the first fruits of the Gospel of Christ." God had loved them " whilst they were yet sinners;" had " made them to differ from the countless multitudes who were still without Him, and without hope in the world." David was of good comfort, when after his many dangers and disappointments he found himself securely seated on the throne of Israel. 3 " Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is my father's house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord ; for thou hast spoken of thy servant's house for a long time to come." And so these Christian brethren might comfort themselves, and think, " Who are we, O Lord God, or what were our fathers, that thou hast brought us hitherto ? That thou hast called us out of darkness into the marvellous light of thy gospel, and brought us to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent?" 4 2 l Tim. iv. 12. 3 2 Sam. viii. 18. 4 Jolm xvii. 3. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 11. 141 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, Lord : for " whom thou lovest, thou lovest unto the end:" thou wilt " keep us from falling," and fulfil in us the good work that thou hast begun, and at last " pre- sent us faultless before the presence of thy glory with exceeding joy •' 5 Further, let them be of one mind. This was need- ful both to their perfection, and their comfort. They would not be of good comfort, they could not be perfect, whilst they were indulging in party spirit, and giving way to jealousies and feuds. Whilst one called him- self by the name of Cephas, and another by the name of Apollos : 6 or whilst they gave heed to any teacher who set himself against their "father in Christ,'" 7 and persuaded them to think slightly of the apostle, "to whom they owed their ownselves;" so long they must remain defective in that love and brotherly kindness which the gospel is intended to promote and maintain. The prayer of the Lord Jesus for his disciples was, "that they all may be one:'' that they " may be made perfect in one:" 8 and so give an example to the world of unity and concord, and dispose others to embrace the faith which produced such excellent fruits. Therefore Paul reminds the Corinthians how far they had departed from grace, in this respect : and exhorts them to return to that unity by which they might live in peace, and the God of love and peace be with them. They must, on their parts, repress jealousy, refrain from dissension, check the spirit of enmity and suspicion, instead of fostering it in their 5 Judc 24, 6 1 Cor. i. 12. T 1 Cor. iv. 15. 8 John xvii. 22, 23. 142 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 11. thoughts, and inflaming it by their words. They must "seek peace," and the Author of peace would ensure it to them, and keep their hearts and minds in love and charity. How gracious is that title, the God of love and peace ! Reminding us of the character in which God reveals himself to us in the gospel, and placing before us the great example which his people are bound to imitate, and so to be of one mind, and live in peace. He " so loved the world, that he gave his only-be- gotten Son, that as many as believe in him might not perish, but have everlasting life." " If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 9 The world which he now commissioned his apostle to visit, " preaching peace through Jesus Christ," had deserved no such mercy : those who were now in- treated to be reconciled to God, had " worshipped the creature instead of the Creator," had not liked to ' ; retain Him in their knowledge," had despised the laws which they ought to have obeyed. 1 If then " God had forgiven them their trespasses, they ought also to forgive every man his brother his trespasses." Should mutual injuries be committed, or mutual jealousies be cherished among the children of a Father who had manifested himself to them as " forgiving iniquity, trausgression, and sin?" 3 Therefore He is justly called the God of love and peace, and therefore it is the mark of his people to be " peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and with- 9 John iv. 11. ' Rom. i. 25—28. - Mark xi. 25. 3 Exoil. xxxiv. 7. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 12—14. 143 out hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. But where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." * LECTURE XXIX. CONCLUDING BENEDICTION. 2 Cor. xiii. 12—14. 12. Greet one another with an holy hiss. 13. All the saints salute yon. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, he with you all. Amen. This divine prayer has been justly made the com- mon benediction of the church. What a consoling thought for weak and sinful men in a world like ours ! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be idthyoul That favouring mercy which exempts you from the curse under which mankind is lying, relieves you from condemnation, and brings you " from death unto life." 1 The love of God be with you I May he regard you as children purchased by his beloved Son, and adopted into his blessed family: so that he who governs all things, shall cause all things " to work 4 James iii. 1G — 18. ' John v. 2-1. 144 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 12—14. together for your good." 2 The communion of the Hoh/ Ghost be with you ! The Comforter, to support and encourage you in all you suffer from the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Sanctifier, to purify and refine your corrupt nature, and make it " meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." The Teacher, to guide you into all truth, and lead you in the way everlasting. This is the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, in whoso name the Christian is bap- tized, and who, if he remain stedfast in the faith, is with him through his earthly course, and with whom, when his earthly course is finished, he will be through- out eternity. It would be vain, however, to pronounce this benediction, if they over whom it is pronounced were not entitled to it. Paul makes it his prayer for the Corinthian disciples. This shows that he thought them entitled to it. They had become so, because, when in the providence of God he took up his abode at Corinth, and preached the gospel there, these per- sons did not reject his message, but hearkened to the word which called them to repentance, and entered upon a new life, being baptized in the name of the Lord. 3 This brought them within the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. " As many as receive him, to them gives he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe in his name." 4 He " stands at the door and knocks ; if any one will hear his voice, and open the door," he will enter in, and lodge in that man's heart, and bring all his blessings with him. 6 2 Rom. viii. 28. 3 Acts xviii. 8. 4 John i. 12. 5 5 Rev. iii. 20. 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 12—14. 145 Has it been so with ourselves ? The faith which the apostle preached is the faith of our country : the faith to which we were pledged in baptism. Is it the faith of our own hearts ? Is it the faith which being "come to age" we have intelligently embraced : so as to be personally relying upon the Lord Jesus as our " guide in life, our hope in death, and our de- pendence in the day of judgment." II. If this be so, and we enjoy the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ : then also the love of God is ours. By nature, Ave have it not : by nature Ave are estranged from our heavenly Father, as Adam was, our earthly father, when he had sinned against Him : and knowing that he had no longer any title to his love, desired to hide himself from him. 6 To put an end to this grievous separation, to " bring those to God" who ought to be with Him, and were not, the mercy of the gospel was devised. " God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself:" inviting men to love Him, who "first loved them :" 7 inviting them by the strongest allurements, and binding them by the strongest ties : " not imputing their trespasses unto them;" not condemning them eternally, be- cause they had departed from Him, but for Jesus' sake, pardoning their offences, and healing their in- firmities ; and so by degrees, bringing them closer and nearer to himself, and preparing them for that state where the spirits made perfect shall surround the throne of God, and " serve Him day and night in his temple." 8 6 Gen. iii. 8. t John iv. 19. 8 Rev. vii. 15. L 14G 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 12—14. Those, then, who continue faithful to the Son, may depend upon the Father's love. He is well pleased that his mercy should be acknowledged ; and has de- clared, " Whoso honoureth the Son, honourcth the Father also." " The Father himself loveth you, be- cause ye have loved the Son, and believed that he came forth from God." 9 Ye have not resisted those cords of mercy which he has employed to draw the hearts of men ; and having hearkened to the voice which called you, ye have been made his children " through the adoption that is in Christ Jesus." And " if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ :" ' so that as Paul had before written, " All things are yours; for ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."' £ 3. Further, the apostle prays — The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you. This blessing also, like the love of God, comes to man through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ: who assured his disciples, " It is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if 1 depart, I will send him unto you ;" 3 " that he may abide with you for ever ; even the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him ; but ye know Him ; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." 4 Accordingly, when the Jewish assembly became conscious of their sin, in rejecting " the Prince of 9 John xvi. 27. ' Rom. viii. 17. 2 1 Cor. iii. 23. 3 John xvi. 7. 4 John xiv. 16. 10 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 12-14. 1 17 life," " Peter said unto them, Repent, and be bap- tized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 5 " Reconciled to God" through the blood of atone- ment, as believers in Christ Jesus, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, to renew, and guide, and cheer, and strengthen you, and so complete the work of your salvation. He — it is his office — he opens the heart to receive the promises of the gospel : first convinces it of sinfulness, then applies the balm to the wounded conscience ; 6 " takes the things of Christ," and shows them to the soul, as bringing to it " wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 7 To the stubborn and self-satisfied, He shows how " the scripture concludes all under sin : " 8 to the penitent and humble, he shows how "the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin:" 9 the weak-hearted and feeble Christian he raises up and encourages by the assurance, that he can " do all things through Christ that strengtheneth him." l He soothes the afflicted in their sorrows, and those who have this world's good, he chastens with salutary fear. In all the faithful disciples of Christ he fulfils the gracious promise, " I will take away the stony heart, and give the heart of flesh," 2 the soft and tender heart, on which the law of God can be en- graved ; nay, on which the image of Christ himself may be stamped, that they may " stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." 3 5 Acts ii. 38. 6 John xvi. 8 — 14. ' 1 Cor. i. 30. 8 Gal. iii. 22. 9 1 Johni. 7. ' Phil. iv. 13. sEzek. xi. 19. : Col. iv. 12. L 2 148 2 CORINTHIANS XII. 12—14. This prayer, therefore, of the apostle exhibits the " greatness of the power of God towards them that believe ; the hope of their calling, and the riches of the glory of their inheritance." Let us beware of forfeiting such high privileges, by walking in a manner unworthy of them. If the grace of the Lord Jesus be with us, there must be a constant exercise of faith on our part, a vital union of our hearts with Him. If the love of God be with us, we must maintain it by a consciousness of his presence, and a remembrance of his holiness ; by that desire to please Him, which is the only return we can make for his mercy. If the communion of the Holy Ghost be with tis, we must remember that our bodies are his temples, and that the Spirit will leave the temple which is defiled by wilful sin. 4 If we say that w 7 e have fellowship with God, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth ; but if we walk in the light, as He is in " the light, then truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 5 " Thanks be unto God for his un- speakable gift." * See 1 Cor. vi. 19. 5 1 John 6—3. GALATIANS I. 1—10. 149 ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. LECTURE XXX. ERRORS OF THE GALATIANS EXPOSED. Gal. i. 1—10. In the Acts of the Apostles (xiv. 6) we are in- formed that Paul and Barnabas, driven from Ico- nium, " fled into Lystra and Derbe, cities of Ly- caonia, and into the region that lieth round about ; and there they preached the gospel." Galatia, or Gallogra?cia, 1 was part of that surrounding region : and we may suppose that the churches were then formed, to which this epistle was afterwards ad- dressed. From what place, or at what time written, is not known. 1. Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither hy man, hut hy Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead ;) 2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia ; 1 The inhabitants had migrated from Gaul. 150 (iALATIANS I. 1— JO. :S. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, 5. To whom be g lor y for ever and ever. Amen. Could they turn away from Him, to whom so much was due ! The Galatians had been perverted from the gospel to the law, as will be soon seen. Did they owe it to the law that they were delivered from this present evil world f It was Jesus, who gave himself for their sins. Paul reminds them of this at the outset of his letter: reminds them also of his own authority. It came not to him of man, bid by Jesus Christ and God the Father. He was especially called, and commis- sioned, and instructed : and therefore he was at liberty to correct their errors in a tone which might seem severe, but which was needful and indis- pensable when their faith was perverted, and their eternal hopes endangered. 6. / marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another ; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. That had happened in Galatia, which before had happened at Antioch, as related Acts xv. 1. " Cer- tain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." It is not enough that ye believe in Jesus Christ, as Paul has taught you, that he " is the end of the law for GALATIANS I. 1—10. 151 righteousness:" 2 ye must follow the ordinances of the law of Moses : these were revealed of God for his people to observe, who are commanded to keep " all the things which are written in the law to do them." So they taught. It was another doctrine, but not another gospel : for these were no glad tidings, and gave no peace or consolation. Yet the Galatians had been soon removed from the grace of Christ, and turned aside from Paul to their new teacher. They were a rude and unenlightened people ; and such a people like a form which may be observed : outward deeds and ceremonies attract and suit them. They would more easily understand the language, " Do this and live :" " the man that doeth these things shall live by them:" 3 — than they could understand the offer of salvation through one, " whom, not having seen, we love ; and in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 4 This was no time for soft and soothing words. Paul speaks with the authority committed to him: 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10. For do I now persuade men, or God? 5 or do I seeh to please men ? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. • Rom. x. 4. 3 lb. 5. Lev. xviii. 5. * 1 Pet. i. 8. s TTeidu) — conciliate. To what purpose would it be that men uiie pleased if God were not propitiated? I-VJ GALATIANS I. 1—10. "No man can servo two masters: for either lie will hate the one, and love the other : or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other." 6 This is as true of the man whose office it is to preach religion, as it is true of the man who is to practise religion. Both must have one object in view; to approve themselves to God, and not to men. Paul would have pleased men, if he had magnified the law of Moses, and taught that the favour of God was to be gained by observing it. He would have nattered the prejudices of the Jews, who were all " zealous of the law," and accused him of setting it aside. But he would not have been the servant of Christ, unless he had declared what he was commissioned to de- clare, " Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." 7 Others might come with great pretensions, as if they brought another gospel. If it were even possible that he himself, or any of the apostles, should be so changed as to pervert the truth which he had first proclaimed, let him he accursed. Though one came as an " angel of light," 8 or a messenger from heaven, and preached to them any other gospel than that they had received, let him be accursed, as one in whose mouth " the Lord had put a lying spirit:" 9 for the purpose that the faith of his people might be tried, and " they that were approved might be made manifest, when they rejected the heresy proposed to them. ' 6 Matt. vi. 21. 7 Acts xiii. 38. 8 2 Cor. xi. 14. 9 1 Kings xxii. 22. ' 1 Cor. xi. 19- GALATIANS I. 1—10. 153 Why then docs Paul speak thus vehemently, he who delighted in being- " gentle" unto all men, and "affectionate" as a parent to his children? 2 He is earnest, through the warmth of his feelings and the greatness of his fears. As he could not please two masters, neither could the Galatians depend upon two saviours. They must hold to the one, and for- sake the other. If they came to rely on the cere- monies of the law, they could not continue to rely on the atonement made by Jesus Christ. If they came to believe that it " should be their righteousness that they continued in all the things which were written in the law, to do them ;" 3 then they could not be looking to that " righteousness which is by faith of Jesus Christ" for acceptance with God. 4 And therefore he grieves over them as being removed from the grace of Christ into another gospel; and therefore he says so earnestly, once and again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Because, as " the light of the body is the eye," 5 so the light of the soul is the principle on which it depends. How " great would be the darkness," if they were to be seeking that which could not benefit them, or following a guide which would turn them out of " the ways of peace, and lead them into the ways of destruction !" And therefore he says, like the prophet before him, " Woe unto them that put darkness for light, and light for darkness !" 6 2 1 Thcss. ii. 8. 3 Deut. vi. 25. 4 See Rom. iii. 22, &c. 5 Matt. vi. 22. 6 Isa. v. 20. 154 (.ALATIANS I. 11—24. LECTURE XXXI. ST. PAUL'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CALL TO II IS APOSTLESIIIP. Gal. i. 11—24. 11. But I certify you, brethren, that the yospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. False teachers had come amongst the Galatians, pretending that errors prevailed amongst them, and professing to correct them. There might be some ground for listening to these new comers, if what the Galatians had learnt from St. Paul, had been after man. There could be no ground for believing them, if it was from God. " With him is no vari- ableness neither shadow of turning." Therefore Paul takes pains to show that the gospel which ivas preached of him was not after man, and could not be liable either to error or change. Had he taught what he was inclined to teach, or what men Mould have instructed him to teach, he would have taught very differently. He had " sat at the feet of Gamaliel ;" * he had been one of the strictest sect among the Jews : and so zealous of the traditions 1 Acts xxii. 3, 4. GALATIANS I. 11—24. 155 of his fathers, that nothing could persuade him that Jesus was the Christ. He had persecuted the church of God, and wasted, it. He did not therefore preach the gospel, because he had received it from his parents and tutors : neither did he preach it, as others did, and as was the ordinary course of things, because they had re- ceived it from the apostles, been taught by " men who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word." 2 He had received a special call : and with the divine call, divine instruction had been given. When Apollos, who " knew only the baptism of John," was found to be " an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures ;" " Aquila and Priscilla took him, and taught him the way of God more per- fectly." 3 He became a preacher able to proclaim " the whole counsel of God," and mightily convinced the Jews. Still the truth which he taught he re- ceived from man. His fellow creatures had been his instructors. If they were deceived, he also was deceived : and Aquilla and Priscilla were liable to error. Paul, on the other hand, neither received his doctrine from man, neither urns taught it, hut hy the revelation of Jesus Christ, " who is the same yester- day, and to-day, and for ever." It did not please God, in his case, to enlighten his eyes gradually, and so bring him step by step to the knowledge of the truth ; but he discovered to him at once the gospel in all its fulness, not by word alone, but by knowledge engrafted on the heart. The apostle gives the ac- count in what follows. 2 Luke i. 2. 3 See Acts xviii. 24—26. 15G GALATIANS 1. 11—24. 13. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jeivs religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it : 14. And profited in the Jews' 1 religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's icomb, and called me by his grace, 16. To reveal his Son in me, 4, that I might preach him among the heathen ; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me ; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. What is here related, completes and explains the account given in the Acts. There we are told that after Paul, on his way to Damascus, had been mi- raculously converted by a light and voice from heaven, " straightway he preached Christ in the synagogue, and confounded the Jews that dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." 5 Straightway he began to preach Christ : not con- ferring with flesh and blood. None of the apostles were at Damascus : those in the city who were " of that way " were obscure persons ; — able to be fol- lowers of Christ, as " believing in his name," but not able to instruct one who was to become a chief apostle. And Paul, having proved his sincerity, by preaching the faith ivhich before he destroyed, went up, as he tells us, to Arabia? He might have bent his steps 4 In me : by knowledge inwardly revealed : eig tov eVroc av- OpuTrov TT}q yvw because he was to he blamed. 1 12. For before that certain came from James? he did eat with the Gentiles : but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself , fearing them which were of the cir- cumcision. 13. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. Peter had been commanded by the revelation made to him in the case of Cornelius, that it was no longer " unlawful for a man that was a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation." 3 " God had shown him that he was not to call any 9 1 John v. 9—11. 1 Nothing is known of the time when this visit took place. 2 i. e., from the church at Jerusalem, of which James was the head. 3 Acts x. 28. GALATIANS II. 11—21. 165 man common or unclean." After a while, it seems, induced, probably, by old prejudices, as well as wishing to satisfy them that were of the circumcision, he withdrew and separated himself from the heathen converts, whom he would compel to live as do the Jews. This was error. It was that " fear of man which bringeth a snare :" and by putting a stumbling- block in the way of the new disciples, which God had not put there, it hindered the progress of the gospel, and might have subverted many souls. Doubtless, God suffered this error in Peter, and stirred up Paul to rebuke him, that the faith of future ages might be seen to stand not on man, but on God. 4 And that they might be without excuse, who might hereafter exalt Peter above measure, and assign him a pre-eminence for which Scripture gives no warrant. We are here taught by this practical example of even an apostle's fault, to call no man master ; " for one is our Master, even Christ." 5 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly ac- cording to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? 1 5. We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 1 G. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law : for by the ivorks of tke law shall no flesh be justified. This then was the error, as shown in the former chapter. They who magnified the works of the law, * See 1 Cor. ii. 5. ° Matt, xxiii. 10. L66 GALATIANS II. 11-21. made something essential to salvation, which God had not made essential : and so doing, they took away the honour from Him who is alone " our righteousness." Therefore Paul withstood Peter to the face, because he was to he blamed. He would have compelled men to those works of the law which could not profit them, and so have withdrawn them from that simple faith of Jestis Christ by which they may be justified. What was this but to restore " the righteousness of the law," to build again the things which the preachers of the gospel destroyed ? What but to re-establish the covenant of works, which Christ had taken away ? It was to make the heathen disciples suppose, that they were yet in their sins, might be still found sinners ; that Christ was not alone sufficient to jus- tify them, without the works of the law; and so to make Christ the minister of sin and condemnation : which God forbid ! 1 7. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also ore found sinners, is therefore Christ the mi- nister of sin f 6 God forbid. 18. For if I build again the things which I destroyed I make myself a transgressor. 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20. / am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. fi '* If this is a transgression, if we are found sinners, because ahvine left the law we have attached ourselves to Christ for sal- ration, the blame will fall on Christ himself, for he is the author of this new covenant." — Chrys. GALATIANS II. 11—21. 167 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if right- eousness come by the /air, then Christ is dead in vain. He would nullify or frustrate the grace of God, if he taught that man could be justified by the works of the law, or by omitting the works of the law, lose the divine favour. Then Christ would have died in vain, to no purpose : for if there was a law already in existence which could make men righteous before God, why should he have suffered ? Or why did lie suffer, except that by him men might " be justified from all things, from which they could not be jus- tified by the law of Moses ?" 7 The apostle sets aside what was false and must mislead. But he does this, only to establish what was true. It would have been to little purpose that he had removed dependence on a false foun- dation, if he had substituted no other. We clear away a foundation of sand, that we may introduce in its stead a foundation of stone. Paul had done this. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Once he had another and a different tru But the things which he once relied on, and counted " gain," those he now " counted loss for Christ." 8 He had seen reason to change the views which caused him to rest in the law. Now he rested on the faith of Christ : on his " full, perfect, and sufficient sacri- fice." Through the law of grace he had become dead to the law of Moses : 9 crucified as it were to it, even as Chri