The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 88

I. BECAUSE THERE Ill LIFE, A new life, a Divide life, Life can always be allowed its free and natural expression. It is disease that must be set in limitations and bon- dages. The forces and expressions of life are evenly and harmoniously balanced ; and order is pre.served when life is permitted to be free.· The expressions of the Christian life, the life of the Spirit, can only be troe and beautiful and good. .II. B~A'US]!: ~HEBE IB FREEDOM FBOH BONDS. That is, from the bonds of formal rules.· The Spirit establishes princip'les, and so frees ue from nues. God's laws are written: by the. Spirit in our minds and on our hearts. Illustrate by the passing away of schoolboy commands and regulations when manhood has come and principles are established. . Ill. BECAUSE THERE IS KNOWLEDGE OF THE RIGHT, This the indwelling Spirit guarantees,·because be takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto us. He is our inward Monitor, our Teacher as well as our Comforter. Illustrate by the perplexity of life if we must control it by fashion and custom, deciding what we may eat and what we·ma.y not eat; what we may enjoy and what we may not enjoy; what is con- sistent and what is inconsistent. The Spirit shows the right; it is liberty to act on its greo.t principle that we must everywhere be (1) true to God,· and (2) helpful to our brethren. IV. BECAUSE THERE IB DESIRE FOR THE RIGHT, He who is without the Spirit mny "know the better but follow the worse." Tho.t is saying ho is in bondages of self-will and evil which he cannot break. The indwelling Spirit controls the will and o.ffections so that we desire what is right, and therefore are free to follow the right of which we mo.y know. V. BECAUSE THERE 18 QUICK BENSITIVENEBS TO THE WRONG, Bo that it is detected nud its slavery resisted. The liberty of the Spirit is such that it cannot be taken o.t unawares. From these considerations plead for the importance of keeping our minds antl hearts ever open to the Spirit's love and lead, ns the secret of mnintnining the only liberty that is worth calling such. lfor the liberty thnt is assured to mo.n by the gospel, see John viii. 32; Rom. vi. 18, 22; viii. 2; Jae. i. 26; ii. 12; 1 Pet. ii 16. -R.'l'. Ver. lB.-The viBion of God in Christianity. This passage conto.ins evident reference to an incident occurring in the life of Moses. He had tarried on the mount for forty clays, in some mysterious mo.oner within the immedio.to rndi1mce of the Divine glory, holding some very near, yet very secret, fellowship with God. We might expect to find an influence from BUch converse resting on Moses' spirit ever o.fter, o.nd wo could not wonder 1f some traces of it were left upon his very face. Such w1111 the co.se. Unknown to himself, the skin of his face shone, nnd when the people of Isro.ol saw it they were o.fro.id to come near him. ParUy to shadow the glory from them, nnd partly, ns St. Paul tolls us in this chapter, that they might not see the glory fndo o.nd tlie awny, he covered himself with a veil. This glory on the face of Moses had two great lc~sous in it for the Jews o.nd for us. 1. Tho.t the vision of God has o. trnnsforming power on human souls. 2. And that this glory of Moses wo.s o. symbol of tha po.ssing nnd prc- po.rntory character of the Old 'I'estament dispensation. St. Paul's o.rgumenllltive uso of his reference to Moses mo.y be thus traced. Ho is exalting his office o.s o. minister of the new covenant. He argues that if a glory was shed upon the ministro.tion of the Lo.w, o. Lo.w written in letters and graven upon stones, much greater must bo the glory which rests upon the ministration of the Spirit, which ministro.tion is permanent. Beiug the minister of this more glorious covenant, St. Paul says he may speak nnd net with bold- ness, without disguise. He need not spread a veil over his face, o.s Moses did, in order that the sons of Israel might not see the end of tho.t fading brightness. And this reminds him that, when he wrote, the minds of Israel were still blinded, o. veil was on their hearts, so that they imagine the glory lies still on Moses o.nd his system ; they cannot see that the older covenant has done its work, that the Law has given plo.co to love, When their hearts turn to the Lord Jesus, the veil is rent awo.y; thoy h11vo tho vision of the Lord the Spirit; their bondage gives place to freedom. "Wo nll, while. with face unveiled we behold in a mirror the glory of the Lord, o.re onrsolvcs tro.ns- formed continually into the same likeness; and the glory which shines upon us is reflected by ne, even as it proceeds from tho Lord the Spirit." 'l'wo questions invite  SS '!'HE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [en. Iv. 1-18.