The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 76

the Teacher and the servant mirrors the Lord. We are living 'represent.atives of the Divine Heac1. . • III. GLOBrous TBANBFOBMATION, Faith in Christ and fellowship with Christ are the forces which produce assimilation to Christ. Th~image which is beheld seems to infix itself upon the mirror-like soul that receives it. The life of faith thus serves to carry on a gradual process of spiritual assimilation. The progress.ion is denoted by the phrase, "from glory tu glory," by which we understand, not· earthly splendour, but spiritual excellence and perfection. And the agency is indicated by the expression here used, 11 as by the Lord the Spirit." Because he is the Spirit, the Lord has access to the heart, and renews, hallows, and glori6es the nature to which he makes himself graciously and div:inely known. 'And there seems to be no limit to this most blessed process. 1n fact, the future state appears to offer the most amazing scope for its continuation: "We shall be like Christ; for we shall see him as he is. "-'1'. . Ver. 3.-Tlie Christ-later. 'l'he people of God are set forth under various figures in Scripture. For example-as cum ripening for harvest; as Lebanon's cedars, standing like rocks under fiercest blasts; as stars fixed in heavenly places; as the sun climbing the heavens, enlightening the world; as purified gold, fit for the King ; as jewels flashing forth tints of loveliness, prepared for regal crown ; as vine branches richly laden ; as pomegranates and figs, sweet and refreshing ; for might, the lion and e11gle ; and, gryat paradox, for weakness, the defenceless sheep and lamb; for humility, the lily; for dignity, the palm tree; for usefulness, the salt of the earth. Here, as "the epistle of Christ." A singular but impressive title. And this sets forth whnt each individual believer shou\cl be-a Christ-letter. We have been accustomed to regard epistles as certain books of the Scripture or letters passing between men. 'l'he apostle leads us to this thoup:ht- men are epistlu. Apart from nature nnd providence, we have regnrded the l\ible ns God's only book. Now we are directed to other books of God, volumes of redeemed humanity. We speak of the Epistles of Scripture as inspired; men who nro the epistles of Christ are inspired by the same Spirit. Of the former we think as testimonie~ for God, for Christ, for religion; the latter are equally so. And, as though God were not content with givin1t to mankind silent and secluded epistles, he hns plnced in the midst of the world living epistles, moving amongst men, unobscured, over behold nnd perused. - We regard the Scriptures with reverence. What a thought thRt we, if we nre truly of Christ, constitute part of the great Scriptures of God I The Dible we esteem as sacred; if of Christ, we are sacred, appointed to bear a like witness to the verities of the Christian faith. h would eeem as though there could scaroely be a more honournble designntion than thi&-" the epistle of Christ." If we are to be the epistles of Christ- I. GoD IIUST WRITS OUR LIVES. 'l'he epistle, to be-worth anythin!!, mnst be dictntcd by God. We ~ay Paul's Epistles, Peter's Epistles, John's Epistles; but, if this RlloqurLtely represents them, they are nothing. If they are nnything, they are God's Epistles-Goo'~ Epistle to the Corinthians and to the Homans, and so on. So with ns. If we nro opistlesofChrist, we must be"ofGod," "written, not with ink, but with tho Spirit of the living God" (ver. 3); and the writing must be, not on" tables of stone" .for us, but in 11 tables thnt are hearts of flesh" within us. 'l'he work of the Divine Spirit in onr nntures and in our lives can alope mah us epistles of Christ. '!'his is the liighcst form of human life, when it is '1l'laCU by God, day by day, hour by hour-tho will of God finding expression in conduct, thoughts, motives, being. Freo-will is tho f!lory of mnn, received by the fiat of the Eternal; but the noblest act of froc-will is it8 voluntnry subjection to the will of God. We are highest when we nre wi;ling to become most com plctely the urvant, of God. Satan tern pted our first parents to pass from 11 ndor the will of God by the promise," Ye shall boas gods." '!'here was wonderful deceit here. 'l'he temptation found them as gods, it left them as devils. 'fo livo otherwise thnn in subjeotion to the will of God is to go down. 'l'he way upward iA, " Not my will, bnt thine, he dona." To consult the Divino wish in all our undertakings, to follow the Divine instruction in all our deeds, to wait upon the Divine pnrposo in our whole being and course, is for God to be writing our livu. How different, nl1LS I is our cxpcrionco I How often we have taken the pen out of the Divine hand, that we ourselves mi~ht writo a little I How often, by our wilfulness, our self-seeking, our sin, wo havo rendered the Divina writing blurred, and the manuscript of our life blotted and defaced I How often 76 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [c.lt. m. 1--18,