into comparison with eternal glory that they dwindled into insignificance. So also when the apostle says that his afflic- tions were for a moment, it is only when compared with eter- nity. They were not momentary so far as the present life was concerned. They lasted from his conversion to his mar- tyrdom. His Christian life was a protracted dying. But what is the longest life to everlasting ages ? Less than a sin- gle second to threescore years. The third source of consola- tion to the apostle was that his afflictions would secure for him eternal glory, i. e. the eternal and inconceivable excel- lence and blessedness of heaven. This is all the words Karep- ya^erat rjixtv express. Afflictions are the cause of eternal glory. Not the meritorious cause, but still the procuring cause. God has seen fit to reveal his purpose not only to reward with ex- ceeding joy the afflictions of his people, but to make those afflictions the means of working out that joy. This doctrine is taught in many passages of Scripture. Matt. 19, 29. Rom. 8,17. 2 Tim. 2, 12. 13. 1 Pet. 1, 6. 4,13. Rev. 7, 14. It is not, however, suffering in itself considered which has this ef- fect ; and therefore not all suffering ; not self-infflcted suffer- ing, not punishment, but only such sufierings which are either endured for Christ's sake, or which when imposed for the trial of our faith are sustained Avith a Christian spirit. We are, therefore, not to seek afflictions, but when God sends them we should rejoice in them as the divinely appointed means of securing for us an eternal weight of glory. Our Lord calls on those Avho were persecuted to rejoice and be exceeding glad. Matt. 5, 12 ; so does the apostle Peter, 4, 13 ; and Paul often asserts that he gloried or rejoiced in his afflictions. Phil. 2, 17. Col. 1, 24.
The expression ro irapavTUa eXa<fipov T7J<; .^Xii/zecjs, the mo- mentary/ lightness of affliction^ exhibits the adverb {TrapavTiKo.) used as an adjective, and the adjective (ekaippou) used as a sub- stantive. Comp. 8, 8. 1 Cor. 1, 25. AYetstein and other col- lectors furnish abundant illustrations of this usage from the Greek writers. In this carefully balanced sentence, ekacftpov^ Ught^ stands opposed to ySapos, iceight^ and TrapavrUa^ momen- tary^ to ai(oi/toi/, eternal. In Hebrew the same word signifies to be heavy^ and to he glorious^ and the literal meaning of the Hebrew word for glory is weighty which may have suggested the peculiar expression " weight of glory." The words ko.^^ v-rrepjSoXijv ets virepfSoXyv^ accorcliiig to excess unto excess, in the sense of exceeding exceedingly, (one of Paul's struggles with