LECTURE XLI. 2 CORINTHIANS, iv. 1-15. -November 14, 1852. TH HE first two verses of this chapter contain the principles of the Christian ministry: they embrace its motives-a sense of mercy and a sense of hope: they declare its straightforwardness, its scorn of craft and secrecy, its rejection of pious frauds and adroit casuistry; and they show that its influence is moral, and not official. Hence it becomes clear that its indirect was more sure than its direct influence. Now the connection of these two verses with the third is through the word "every." For a reply suggested itself to St. Paul's mind from some objector: "Every man's conscience has not acknowledged the truth of the message, nor the heavenly sincerity of the messengers." To which the Apostle answers, The exceptions do not weaken the truth of the general assertion to every man whose heart is in a healthy state-to all but the blinded—the Gospel is God's light; and those to whom it is not Light are themselves dark, for the obscurity is in themselves, and not in the truth. And then, having replied to this objection, St. Paul proceeds with the same subject—the Apostolic Ministry. He represents it under two main aspects : I. As a Ministry of Light. II. As a reflection, in word and experience, of the Life of Christ. "the light of I. Let us glance at the 4th and 6th verses: the glorious Gospel :" "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." Compare with this what St. John says in the opening chapter of his Gospel: "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Nothing could be more different than the minds of St. Paul and St. John; and yet how remarkably they coincide in this thought-they both call Revelation, "Light!" According to St. John, to live in sin. was to live in darkness; it was a false life-a life of lies-in which a man was untrue to his own nature. According to St. Paul, it was to live in blindness—“blinded by the god of this world." But both Apostles concur in representing Revelation as simply the unveiling of the truth: the manifestation of things as they are. This is strikingly shown in St. Paul's metaphor: "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." As on the darkness of the physical world light rose at the Eternal "Be," and all things appeared as they were, not a creation, but a manifestation-and yet, in truth, a real creation (as but for light, this world were as if it were not, since it is what it is in consequence of light): so, on the moral darkness of a world in sin and ignorance, the light of revealed truth showed things as they are, and exhibited them in their true relative proportions. That revelation created indeed, a new world, which yet was not a creation of things that had not existed before: for the Gospel did not make God our Father; it revealed what He had ever been, is, and ever shall be; it disclosed Him, not as a tyrant, but as a Father: not as a chance, or a fate; not as a necessary thing, but as a Person; and in the Life of Christ the Love of God has become intelligible to us. The Gospel threw light on God: light unknown before, even to the holiest hearts among the Jews. "Clouds and darkness are the habitation of His seat," spoke the Old Testament: "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all," declared the New. For, out of Christ, our God is only a dark, dim, and dreadful mystery. There is only an awful silence, which is never broken by an articulate voice. But all is brightness in the Redeemer's life and death. The Gospel threw light too, upon man's own nature. Man -a dark enigma, a contradiction to himself, with godlike aspirations and animal cravings-asks his own heart in terror, "Am I a god or beast?" And the Gospel answers: “You are a glorious temple in ruins, to be rebuilt into a habitation of God and the Spirit, your soul to be the home of the High and Holy One, your body to be the temple of the Holy Ghost." It threw light upon the grave; for "life and immortality" were "brought to light through the Gospel." The darkness of the tomb was irradiated; and the things of that undiscovered land shone clear and tranquil then to the eye of faith but not until then, for immortality before was but a mournful perhaps. Now there are three practical deductions from this view of Truth. 1. As to ministerial conduct. Our life is to be a manifestation of the Gospel. Observe St. Paul's argument :-We do not tamper with the Word of God. It is not concealed or darkened by us; for our very work is to spread light, to throw sunshine on every side, and in every way fearlessly to declare the truth, to dread no consequences: for no real minister of Christ can be afraid of illumination. 2. Light is given to us that we may spread it. "We ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For preach God hath shined in our hearts." If he has illuminated us, then we are your servants, to give you this illumination. We should be as "a city set on a hill;" as the salt which penetrates and purifies the earth: "Ye are the light of the world." This St. Paul felt vividly: St. Paul, who had himself been in darkness; and shall we refuse to feel it? we, who have had ages of light, which St. Paul had not? Our more open heaven seems to shut us out from feeling this. Perhaps we, who have been, or fancy ourselves to have been, in the brightness of his revelation all our lives, scarcely appreciate the necessity which he felt so strongly of communicating it. 3. It is the evil heart which hides the truth. Light shines on all, that is all who are in a natural human state, all who can feel, all who have not deadened the spiritual sense. It is not the false life which can know the truth, but the true life receives what is akin to it; for "every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Thus observe-what are "the evidences of Christianity?" "The evidences of Christianity" are-Christianity. The evidence of the sun is its light, and not the shadow on the dial. So Christ is divine to those who are of the truth. To some persons He is not the image of God. How will you prove to such that He is? Is it by arguing about miracles and prophecy? Is it by discussion about the true reading of texts, or by requiring belief on the authority of the Church? No. It is by means of a right heart: it is by means of God's Spirit ruling in the heart. These, and these alone, will disclose Christ to a man; for "no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost ;" and again: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God," and for this reason" they are spiritually discerned." "The Again, it is the worldly heart which hides the truth. god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." An awful thought! "The light of the glorious Gospel" is shut out by ourselves from our lives, apart from immorality, apart even from actual sin. For worldliness is distinct from sin, and the denunciation of it is peculiar to Christianity. It does not consist in distinct acts, nor in thoughts of transgression, but it is the spirit of a whole life, which hides all that is invisible, real, and eternal, because it is devoted to the visible, the transient, and the unreal. Christ and the world cannot exist in the same heart. Men who find their all in the world-how can they, fevered by its business, excited by its pleasures, petrified by its maxims, see God in His purity, or comprehend the calm radiance of Eternity? II. The Apostle represents the Ministry as a reflection, in word and experience, of the Life of Christ. I. In word. Let us compare the 2nd verse with the 13th. We manifest the truth, "commending ourselves to every man's conscience," because we speak in strong belief. The minister of Christ speaks in faith; that is, in a firm conviction of Divine power arising from the Resurrection-faith in the delivering or redeeming power of God. Observe the difference between this and theological knowledge. It is not a minister's wisdom, but his conviction, which imparts itself to others. Nothing gives life but life. Real flame alone kindles other flame: this was the power of the Apostles: "We believe, and therefore speak: "-"We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard : "-" He that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." Firm faith in what they spoke, that was the basis of the Apostles' strength; but in us there is one thing wanting-we only half believe. If we really believed the truths we deliver week after week, would not our hearts be filled with such deep earnestness, that the spectacle, of men and women listening unconcernedly to the Gospel, would sadden all our days, and impel us to preach as if we should never preach again? In the 5th verse, St. Paul says he preaches Christ, and not himself. Rescue this expression from all party interpretations, and the minister will understand that he is to preach, not the Christ of this sect or of that man, but Christ fully-Christ our Hope, our Pattern, our Life-Christ in us, the Light which is |