Use. It should stir up in our hearts an esteem of the ordinance of God of preaching ; or else we slight it with the prejudice of our own souls. For doth God appoint it for anything but for our own good ? There is a common objection, which (because it is raised out of this epistle, and may be an- swered out of this epistle) I will answer.
Ohj. Oh ! say some, a lively voice hath not alway that energy, that operation, that writing and reading have ; for we see St Paul's epistle was more terrible than his presence. It is the objection of men that content themselves in their own idleness, wresting oft' such places as this. Among the rest, 2 Cor. x. 10, say they, ' His bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible,' but his letters seem terrible. Therefore this is not alway true, that bodily presence hath more efficacy than wiiting.
Ans. I answer briefly, — St Paul compares not here his bodily presence with his letters, as if his letters were more efficacious than his bodily pre- sence ; but he compares his mild dealing, being present, with his sharp dealing, being absent ; his letters, indeed, were sharper than his presence. But to take away such cavils, he tells them after that they shall know, if they reform not, that his presence shall be as sharp as his writings. Let
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such a ono think tliis, * such as \vc aro in word being absent, such will we be when we aro present.' We will be as sharp, if you reform not, in our presence, as we were absent. So he compares the sharpness of his letter with the sweetness of his presence. It is not to be taken in that sense, that his letters were more effectual of themselves than his presence ; for he saith the contrary, You shall know that my presence shall be as sharp as my letter was. Therefore, it is but a cavil to think there is more efficacy in reading, than in preaching.
' That yon viight have a second grace.'' I come now to St Paul's end. His intention and purpose was * to come.' The end of his coming was * to bestow a grace on them ' by his presence. In general observe here, that
Ohs. Ilnhj men are set on rvorlcfrom hnli/ movbifi catises, and hohj aims.
Holy aims are the winds that carry them to their business, and they are the water that drive their mill. I come with a holy confidence that you will be my joy ; here is my moving cause. What is my aim in coming ? It is this, to bestow a grace on you. Holy men have holy aims for holy actions ; thej^ have holy grounds, and holy moving causes.
When two men do the same thing, yet it is not the same thing ; perhaps their aims dilier, their moving causes dilier. St Paul comes here to do a good thing from a good end, from a good moving cause. * In this confi- dence I was minded to come,' to bestow a grace on you.
Use. Let us look in all our actions, therefore, to our moving cause, and to our aims. And especially ministers, their aim it should not be for the fleece, it should not be to gain respect, or any advantage to themselves, but to bestow some spiritual good thing. As the apostle saith, ' To be- stow some good thing upon you,' Kom. i. 11, some grace, as he calls it. This should be their aim, not to receive good from them, so much as to do them good. Ministers are fathers, they should have that tender disposi- tion. Parents do not think of receiving much (they look to that in the second place, that must be maintained) ; but, especially, they look to their children's good. ' I come to bestow a grace on you.' How this is observed, I list not to speak, therefore I leave it, and come to that which concerns us all. ' I was minded to come to you.'
' To bestow a grace on you.' We see then, that
Doct. The iireaching of the gospel is a special grace.
It is a free and bountiful benefit of God. Grace implies freedom, and mercy, and bounty. It is a free mercy of God to have the gospel.
Why ?
Reason. Because this is the means to work all that is savingly good in us. This is a means to open to us God's love in Christ, and to work in us a disposition answerable to his love. Therefore it must needs be a grace. Heaven is a grace, life is a grace, reconciliation a grace, and such like. Therefore the word must needs be a grace, by which all these are com- municated. Therefore the word hath the name of these things. It is the word of the kingdom of heaven. It is called the kingdom of heaven, the preaching of the gospel, because it puts us into the state of the kingdom of heaven. And the word of reconciliation, because by it we know our reconciliation with God. It is oflered, and wrought in our hearts, and faith to apply it by this word. ' It is the word of life,' Acts xx. 32 ; the life of grace, and the life of glory, all come by this word. ' I commend you to God, and the word of his grace,' saith the apostle. All grace and