It is a sublime, godlike privilege which you have. Oh ! do not quarrel with Romanist or Tractarian about the dogma. Go and make it real in your own lives. Represent on earth the Divine clemency: forgive in the Person of Christ. Loose suffering outcasts from sin, and it will be loosed in Heaven. LECTURE XXXIX. 2 CORINTHIANS, ii. 12-17; iii. 1-3. -August 8, 1852. UR last discourse closed with the 11th verse, and was employed chiefly about St. Paul's doctrine of Christian absolution. To-day our exposition begins at the 12th verse, which verse is an example of one of those rapid transitions so common in the writings of the Apostle. The first thing we have to do then, is to trace the connection. Apparently there is none; we cannot at once see what the argument has to do with St. Paul going to Troas, nor what his unrest there has to do with the voyage to Macedonia. But remember that the main subject is St. Paul's defence against the charge of caprice. He had shewn why he had not gone to Corinth according to promise. It was to enable the Corinthians to do the work of excommunication themselves, lest he should take it out of their hands, and so rob them of the spiritual discipline which comes from men's own exertions. For it is by what we do, and not by what is done for us, that we become strong or good. St. Paul gives an additional proof that it was not forgetfulness of them which had made him change his mind: this proof was his unrest at Troas. While there one subject engrossed all his thoughts, the state of Corinth; and the question-what would be the result of the letter he had sent? At Troas he expected to meet Titus, who was bearing the reply: but not finding him there, he could not rest; he could not take full comfort even from "the door which had been opened" for success. He left his work half finished, and he hastened into Macedonia to meet Titus. His argument therefore is, Did this look like forgetfulness? Did this make it probable that he "had used lightness or purposed according to the flesh ?" Or did it show that he was absent unwillingly, putting force on himself, like a wise parent who refuses to see his child, though his heart is all the while bleeding at what he inflicts? This is the connection between the 12th and 13th verses. The next thing we have to do is to explain the link of thought between the 13th and the 14th verses. Here there is another startling abruptness. The Apostle on mention of Macedonia breaks off into thanksgiving: "Now thanks be unto God." Here is a notable instance of the peculiar style of St. Paul. He starts from the main subject into a digression, caused by a thought which he had not expressed, and which it was not necessary to express, since it was known to his readers. What was then, the thought at which he broke off here into an exclamation of thanksgiving? When we have found that, the connection will be clear. It was a thought which to the Corinthians would present itself at once. Observe, he had said that he went into Macedonia. What did he find there? He found Titus with the long-looked-for letters, containing news far better than he had hoped for; that the Corinthians had done all that he asked, had been recalled to shame for wrong and to a sense of right, that they had excommunicated the criminal, and that the criminal himself was penitent. We find this is referred to in the 5th, 6th, and 7th verses of the 7th chapter of this Epistle. As soon, therefore, as St. Paul came to the word "Macedonia," memory presented to him what had greeted him there, and in his rapid way—thoughts succeeding each other like lightning,— he says, without going through the form of explaining why he says it, "Now thanks be unto God." It may be observed that it is only by this kind of study that the Bible becomes intelligible. Now that the difficulty of the connection has been removed, we select from the verses two subjects for consideration : : I. The assertion in the close of the chapter: That the Christian is always a conqueror. II. The nature of true Christian work-in the commencement of the third chapter. I. The assertion. "Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ." There was a moment in the Apostle's life when he half regretted what he had done. After the letter was sent, he felt the pain of what was irrevocable: he had no rest in his spirit: for a moment he "did repent" his truthfulness; for it was possible that his firmness might have cost him the Church of Corinth. They might have rebelled against his command: they might be too little advanced in the Christian life for such severity. But when the news came, then he learnt a lesson. He had spoken in sincerity and godly truthfulness, and sincerity is best. He felt that he had won; though a few hours before, his work seemed over in Corinth. Thence we can divine the truth that the Christian is a conqueror, even in sooner or later. defeat. His is always a triumphant career, This was not a lesson for St. Paul only, but it is one also for us. On earth we have nothing to do with success or with results, but only with being true to God, and for God; for it is sincerity, and not success, which is the sweet savour before God. Now there are two branches in which this assertion is true : 1. The defeat of the true-hearted is victory. 2. The apparent harm done by the true-hearted is victory. : 1. It was quite possible that the result might have turned. out otherwise instead of penitence, there might have been hardness; instead of strengthened, there might have been only weakened influence. Such thoughts as these must have presented themselves to the Apostle: "Do not be so bold or so decided; you will very likely cripple your influence;" and these fears might have been realized; for in this world truth is not always successful. Now it seems a most important Christian lesson to insist upon the truth that defeat in doing right is nevertheless Victory. Every one knows the common adage, "Honesty is the best policy:" Do right, Paul, and you will not lose influence. This is true sometimes; but St. Paul would not have been a Christian unless he had felt-I may lose all; and yet I will do right, and be true to conscience. Let us get rid of that false notion, that we are sure to win if we are true to conscience! No! often-most often-you must serve God at a loss. Surely the Cross should teach us, that in this world doing right, and being true, is not "the best policy," as the world understands it. The lives of the Apostles, the lives of all God's best and noblest should teach us this lesson. When did you ever hear that conscience could be saved without a self-sacrifice? For the victory of the true lies not so much in winning the contest, as in spreading a Spirit. Even had St. Paul failed in his immediate object, the conversion of the Corinthians, think you that that true Epistle of his would have lost its power in the ages to come? Impossible! and that would have been his triumph. Beyond, beyond-oh! beyond the present, must we look for victory. 2. The apparent harm done by the true-hearted is victory. St. Paul might have done harm; he might have produced rebellion at Corinth. Still, should he not be true? With steadiness he clearly contemplated this possibility. His truth would be to some "the savour of death unto death;" for there can be no doubt that the faithful preaching of the Gospel sometimes kills. But it is no less the Gospel-no·less a sweet savour to God. Just as the vigorous breezes that are fresh life to the strong, are death to the feeble lungs, so truth-strong truthput before the haters of truth, makes them worse. For example, the sacrifice suggested to the rich young ruler was too strong |