"Submit your do not mar the work by any petty jealousy. selves rather unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth." Observe then, it is as much an apostolic duty to obey persons who have "addicted themselves" from inward fitness, as it is to respect an outward constitutional authority. Lastly, the Epistle concludes with the repetition of a few First Principles. As the postscript often contains the gist of a letter-the last earnest thought, the result of a strong effort at recollection in order to leave nothing important unsaid—so we may here expect to find gathered to a point some of the essential principles of Christianity as a parting request. Accordingly we find the Apostle, in the 13th verse, saying, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong "--by which he enforces the duty of Manliness. In the 14th verse, "Let all your things be done with charity." The Apostle's incessant exhortation to Love is again pressed upon them in the most comprehensive form. And in the 22nd verse, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha." By which the rule of Sympathy and that of Antipathy is pointed out. Respecting the first of these, I address young men— If you think Christianity a feeble, soft thing, ill adapted to call out the manlier features of character, read here, “Quit you like men." Remember too, "He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city." He who conquers passion in its might is every inch a man! Say what you will, the Christian conqueror is the only one who deserves the name. HE character of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Tdifiers considerably from that of the First. In the former Epistle, a variety of separate questions are discussed; some relating to doctrine-for example, the Resurrection; others to moral conduct, as concerning the incestuous Corinthian ; others respecting ceremonies; others of casuistry, as the eating of meats offered to idols; and others regarding order in the Church, as for example, the investigation of the value of spiritual gifts. To all these St. Paul replies, by referring each particular question back to some broad principle of Christianity, But in the Second Epistle a more personal tone is observ. able. It seems that certain charges had been alleged against him, probably in consequence of the severe and uncompromising way in which he had blamed their divisions and their sectarian spirit; and now, instead of being blamed by one party, he found himself accused by all. They had charged him with harshness to the incestuous person, with fickleness, with arrogance in his ministry; they said he had assumed a tone of authority which ill became him, and which was not consistent with the insignificance of his personal appearance. Accordingly, we notice that a very peculiar tone pervades this Epistle. It is the language of injured, and yet most affectionate, expostulation. One by one he refutes all the charges; one by one he calmly sets them aside: and yet you cannot read the Epistle without perceiving that, with all the firm manliness of his character, he had been wounded to the very quick. But not one word of resentment falls from his pen, only once or twice sentences of affectionate bitterness, as for example: "For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong." Our exposition to-day will embrace the first fourteen verses; and these divide themselves generally into two subjects of consideration: I. The consolations of Affliction. II. The testimony of Conscience. I. Now the very terms of this division show the personal tone of the Epistle. His own afflictions, his own conscience -these are the subjects. We shall see the difference we spoke of by comparing these verses with the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses of the first chapter of the First Epistle. There he thanks God for their grace, their gifts, the testimony of Christ in them; while here we evidently feel the heart of the Apostle himself smarting under the sense of injustice and misconception-the want of fair treatment and of sympathy. Very naturally, therefore, he turns to the consolations of Suffering, and what Suffering means. It is the great question of thoughtful spirits, not merely, How can affliction be got rid of as soon as possible?—but rather, Why is it? what does it mean? This is the subject of the wondrous Book of Job: from this are born the first earnest questionings of religion in all hearts, and in all ages. The Apostle then represents affliction I. As a school of comfort, v. 4, 5. 2. As a school of assurance, v. 10. Affliction and comfort-a remarkable connection of two apparent opposites, and yet how indissoluble! For heavenly comfort—heavenly, as distinguished from mere earthly gladness and earthly happiness-is inseparable from suffering. It was so in the Life of Christ; it was immediately after the temptation that angels came and ministered to Him: it was in His agony that the angel appeared from heaven strengthening Him: it was in the preparation for the Cross that the Voice was heard, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again ;" and it was on the Cross that the depth of Human loneliness, and the exceeding bitter cry, were changed for the trustful calm of a Spirit fulfilled with His Father's love: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." And as in His life, so it is in ours, these two are never separated, for the first earnest questions of personal and deep religion are ever born out of personal suffering. As if God had said: "In the sunshine thou canst not see Me; but when the sun is withdrawn the stars of heaven shall appear." As with Job: "Not in prosperity, but in the whirlwind will I answer thee: there thou shalt hear my Voice, and see my Form, and know that thy Redeemer liveth." 2. A school of assurance. There is nothing so hard to force upon the soul as the conviction that life is a real, earnest, awful thing. Only see the butterfly life of pleasure men and women are living day bý day, hour by hour, flitting from one enjoyment to another; living, working, spending, and exhausting themselves for nothing else but the seen, and temporal, and unreal. And yet these are undying souls, with feelings and faculties which death cannot rob them of; their chance swiftly passing, and no second chance for ever! Now pain and sorrow force upon the spirit the feeling of reality. And again nothing is harder than to believe in God. To do just this, simply to believe in God-in the history of each individual soul, there is no page so difficult to learn as that. When you are well, when hours are pleasant and friends abundant, it is an easy thing to speculate about God, to argue about the Trinity, to discuss the Atonement, to measure the mysteries of Existence. Christian men! when sorrow comes, speculation will not do. It is like casting the lead from mere curiosity, when you have a sound strong ship in deep water. But when she is grinding on the rocks! Oh! we sound for God when the soul is on the rocks. For God becomes a living God, a Reality, a Home, when once we feel that we are helpless and homeless in this world without Him. 3. A school of sympathy. There are some who are Christians, but notwithstanding are rough, hard, and rude: you cannot go to them for sympathy. You cannot confide the more delicate difficulties of the soul to them. Theirs is that rude health which knows not of infirmities: theirs is that strong sound sense which cannot see how a doubt can enter the spirit and make it dark; nay, cannot understand why there should be a doubt at all. They have not suffered. But tenderness is got by suffering, both physical and mental. This was Christ's own qualification for sympathy: "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are.” So that, would you be a Barnabas? would you give something beyond commonplace consolation to a wounded spirit? would you minister to doubt, to disappointed affection, to the loneliness |
