Vers, 14, 15,-SOU,l-inspiring Jw;ts. "Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus," etc. There are four glorious facts here. . I. 'l'HAT CmlIBT WAS RAISED FBOM THE DEAD. "Knowing tha, he which raised up the Lord Jesus." "No fact in history," says Dr. Arnold," is more firmly estab- lished by argument than this.'' 11. THAT THE GENUINE DlSCIPLEB OF CHRIST WILL ALSO BE RAISED, " Shall raise up us also by [with] Jesus, and shall present us with you." Raised as he was raised, and all be presented together. Ill. THAT ALL THINGS ABE FOR GOOD TO THE GOOD. "All things are for your sakes." " We know that all things shall work together for good," etc. "All things are yours." IV. THAT ALL THINGS IN LIFE SHOULD RESULT IN THE TRUE WORSlllP OF Goo. "'l'hat the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God." It is only in worship that the soul can find the free and harmonious develop- ment of all its spiritual powers. Worship is heaven, It is not the means to an end ; it is the sublimest end .of being. Ver. 16.-Soul-grovith, "For which cause we faint not," etc. Observe at the outset: I. Ma.n has a duality of nature-the outward and the inward; the latter the man of the man. 2. 'l'he decayableness of one of the natures. " Our outward man y,erisheth." This is constantly going on. 3. The constant growth of the inner nature. "The inward man is renewed day by day." Soul-growth implies three things. I. Som.-LIFE. Dead plants and dead animals can no more grow than stones. Tho inner man unrenewed is morally dead·; its life consists in supreme sympathy with the supremely good. II. SouL-NOURISHMENT, No life can live upon itself. The appropriation of outward elements is essential to sustentation and growth. Moral and spiritual truths are the nutriment of souls. Ill. SoUirEXEnCISE, All life seems to require exercise. Even tho productions of the vegetablo world cannot grow without it; though they cannot move themselves, they aro move,! by the breezes of heaven. Animal life requires it, and the soul mnst have it in order to grow. It must" exercise itself unto godliness." "Thoy that wu.it upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Vers.17, 18.-T/ie afflictiona of Ohriatly men. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, workoth for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for tho things which are seen are temporal; but the things whioh are not soen nro eternal." '!'hose wordd sug:gf.st a few thoughts concorning the afflictions of Christly men. I. They are COMPARATIVELY "ligM" and "momentary.'' They are "light:" I. Compared with what thuy deserve. :.!. Compared with what others hCLve endured. 3. Compared with the blessedness that is to follow. 'l'hey are momentq,ry, "but for I\ moment.'' Momentary compared (1) with the enjoyments of this lifo; compared (2) with the interminable .blessedness of the future, II. That, though light and momentary, they WORK OUT GLORIOUS RF.BOLTS. They issue in what? "A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Whnt is tho affliction to the glory? I. The one is "light;" the other is weighty. Put nil tho afflictions of the whole Church against the everlasting glory of ono Christly soul, and how light I 2. The one is momentary; the other is eternal. "Eternal weight of glory.'' But the result is not only an eternal weight of glory, but" far moro oxceeding." No expression could bo stronger than this, 'l'he apostle hero seems to struggle after tho strongest language to express his idea of tho tra11BCendent bl011sedness that awaits the Christly man. III. That they work out these glorious results BY THE REALIZATION OF SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL REALITIES, "While we look not at the things which aro seen ... for tho things which are seen are temporal." Observe: 1. 'l.'hat there aro thinµ:s invisible to the bodily eye that can be seen by the soul. 'l'hero are two classes of in visi blo things : ( 1) ihoso that are raaentially invisible, mch as thoughts, spirits, God; and (2) those that 96 THE SECOND EPISTLE 'l'O THE CORINTHIANS. [cu. 1v. 1-18.
are e-0ntingently invisible, such as those things that are visible in their nature but through minuteness, distance, or some other cause, are at present invisible. It is t~ the first of these that the apos1Je refers-things that are essentially invisible to the bodily eye. The soul can see thoughts, moral intelligences, and the great God. 2. That the things that can be seen only by the soul are not temporal, but eternal. We talk about the everlasting mountains, eternal sun, 'etc.; but there is nothincr that is seen is lasting-all is passing away. Moral truths are imperishable; spiritual c:istences are immortal; God is eternal; these are things belonging to a kingdom that cannot be moved. 3. That the things that are seen only by the soul are the thincrs 0 that if realized, will mal,e this mortal life issue in transcendent good. '