1. Because he wished them not to be outdone by others —
[He had said of the Macedonians, that " they, out of their deep poverty, had abounded unto the riches of liberality^." Now, shall the rich Corinthians be exceeded by the poor and afflicted Macedonians ? God forbid. It would be a disgrace to them to be found wanting in a duty which they were so much better able to fulfil : and therefore, " from the forward- ness of others, he takes occasion" to excite in them a holy ambition to excel. Some would be ready to think that such a motive was low, and carnal, and unworthy of a Christian mind. I grant there is an unholy ambition ; but there is also a holy emulation, to whicla men may with propriety be called ; such as that which St. Paul endeavoured to excite in his Jewish brethren, when he addressed the Gospel to the Gentiles, and " magnified his office as a minister of the Gentiles, if by any means he might provoke to emulation them who w^ere his flesh, and might save some of them'."
And on this ground I would now address myself to you"^ ]
2. Because he would have them " place beyond a doubt the sincerity of their love" —
[Love must be operative, if it be sincere ; yea, and must operate too in this way : for " if we see a brother have need, and shut up our bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in us^?" or, " if we see a brother or sister have need, and bid him be warmed and filled, whilst we administer nothing for his relief, what are our professions of love to man, but downright hypocrisy™?" If we have truly Christian love, it will resemble " the love of Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich"." Then I call you, brethren, to this proof of your love. Let it be seen that " you love not in word, and in tongue; but in deed, and in truth °." The occasion for your
liberality is great and urgentP and I trust, that " as ye
abound in " every other grace, so ye will not merely exercise, but every one of you according to your ability " abound in" this grace also.]
h ver. 1, 2. » Rom. xi. 13, H.
^ There are occasions, such as great and public calamities, which have called forth the benevolence of the public, when such an Address is peculiarly called for. This was addressed to a Society for Visiting and Instructing the Poor. The examples should be stated.
' 1 John iii. 17. *" Jam. ii. 15 — 17. " ver. 9.
o 1 John iii. IS. p It should here he stated at large.