2 Cor. viii. 7, 8. As ye abound in every thing, i?i faith, and utterance, and knoivledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
THOUGH there is no such thing as absolute per- fection in this hfe, the Christian, if his life really correspond with his profession, is in some sense a
perfect character. In this respect, the new creation of the soul resembles the first creation of the body. A child, the very instant it comes into the world, is perfect in all its members : advancing years will strengthen him, indeed, in every one of them, but will add to him no new faculty, or sense, or power. So the child of God, when once he is truly regene- rate, possesses in himself the whole circle of Christian graces, though at first in a state of infantine weakness only : but the more he cultivates them, the more will they all improve. The particular grace which is here mentioned requires more than ordinary attention, because of its transcendent excellency, and because of the frequent occasion which arises to the whole Christian world for the exercise of it. The Apostle acknowledged, that in other graces the Corinthians greatly excelled; and therefore he took encourage- ment to recommend to them a similar pre-eminence in this grace also.
To bring this subject before you to advantage, I must mark, I. The commendation given —
The approbation here manifested was doubtless exceeding strong —
[Many are afraid to express approbation of what is good,^ lest the person commended should make it an occasion of pride. But this was not the mind of the Apostle Paul. He would not indeed pay a compliment to any man at the expense of truth : he even appeals to man, and calls God himself also to witness, that " he had not at any time used flattering words ^ :" but yet he saw no reason for withholding from men a testimony of his approbation, when the expressing of his sentiments would encourage them to increased exertions in the cause of God. To the Christians at Rome he expresses himself thus : " I am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another''." To the Corinthian Church he speaks in yet stronger terms : " I thank my God always on your be- half, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge ; even as the testimony of Christ was
a 1 Thess. ii. 5. ^ Rom. xv. 14.