I might add many things to this purpose, but this is sufficient to any
484 COMarENTARY ON
judicious Christian, to encourage us to labour for the Spirit above all things in the world. All other arc but grass, but fading ; but grace and glory, grace, and peace, and joy, nay, the very ' earnest ' of the Spirit, is better than all earthly things ; for the cariuist of it is 'joy unspeakable, and glori- ous, and peace that passeth all understanding,' 1 Pet. i. 8.
If the i)romise and the earnest here be so, I beseech you, what shall the accomplishment of the promise be ? If the promises, laid hold on by iaith, so quicken and cheer the soul, and if the giving a taste of heaven lift a Christian's spirit above all earthly discouragements, what shall it be when the Spirit shall be all in all in us, if the earnest be so comibrtable ? But I go on to the next verse.
VERSE 23.
' Moreover, I call God to record upon wy soid, that to spare you, I came not yet to Corinth.' In this verse the apostle labours to remove suspicion of levity and inconstancy. There were jealousies in the minds of the Co- rinthians, which were also fomented by some vain-glorious teachers amongst them, that laboured to undermine St Paul in the hearts of the Corinthians, as if he had not loved the Corinthians so well as they did. Therefore he is so careful to clear himself in their thoughts, from suspicion of incon- stancy, and want of love to them ; because suspicion grounded upon the lightness in his carriage, might reflect upon his doctrine.
He knew well enough the malice of man's nature, and therefore he is very curious, and industrious, to make a clear passage for himself into the hearts of these Corinthians by all means possible, as we heard in part out of the 17th verse.
' Moreover, I call God to record,' dc. St Paul is here purging himself still, to clear himself.
First, he labours to clear himself from the suspicion of inconstancy, and want of love to them in not coming.
Secondly, he sets down the true cause why he did not come : ' I came not, to spare you.'
You were much to blame in many things, and among the rest of the abominations among you, you cherished the incestuous person, and many of you doubted of the resurrection. I should have been very severe, if I had come, therefore ' I came not, to spare you,' hoping that my letter would work upon your spirits, so that I need not be severe to you ; there- fore do not suspect that for any ill mind I came not, for it was to spare you, that I might not be forced to be severe.
Then the third thing is, the sealing of this speech with a serious oath, ' I call God for record upon my soul, that I came not, to spare you.' So here is the wiping away of suspicion, and the setting down the true cause why he did not come, and the ratifying and confirming it by an oath : he makes his purgation here by an oath. These three things I will briefly touch.
First of all, you see here he avoids* suspicion of lightuess which the Cor- inthians had of him, partly by the false suggestion of proud teachers among them, who fomented their suspicious dispositions, because they would weaken St Paul's esteem among the Corinthians. They had a conceit he * That is, ' frees himself from.' — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 23, 485
was an uncertain man : ho promised to come, and did not ; now here he declines that suspicion.
Where, first, observe these two things briefly.
Kirst, that the nature of man is iiidined to swipicion.
And secondhj, that it is the dnti/ of 7iien to avoid it as much as may be, and to ivipe it away, if it cannot he avoided.
Ohs. Majis nature is prone to suspicion.
Man's nature is prone to suspect ill of another, though never so good. Christ could not avoid it. Because he conversed sociably with other men, he was thought to be a ' wine-bibber,' 'a companion of sinners.' And God himself was suspected of Adam in innocency. The devil is so cunning, that he calls God himself into question, as if he had not meant so well to him. What will that impudent spirit do, that will bring the creature in suspicion of him that is goodness itself ? * God knows that when you eat, your eyes shall be open, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,' Gen. iii. 5. Do you think that he intends you any good, in forbid- ding you to eat, &c. ? He did not spare Christ, innocency itself, clothed with man's flesh ; and will he spare to bring uncharitable suspicions upon others ? Surely he will not. And then man's nature of itself is prone to suspect and think ill of another, from many grounds —
1. Sometimes, out of experience oithe common infirmities that men meet with in the world ; out of the experience of the falsehood of men, they are man}' times prone to suspicion.
2. But most commonly it is out of yuiltiucss that men think ill of others, because others have cause to think ill of them. None are so prone to suspicion as those that are worst themselves, because they judge others by their own hearts.