Ver. 16.-Inward rmewal and outward decay. The contr:i.st hero is not that which the apostle draws elsewhero between the flesh and tho spirit, or tho old mnn nnd tho new. That is a moral distinction. But this is between the physicl\l nnd tho spirit.uni in man, the outward and palpable on the one hand, the inward and impalp1\ble on tho other. These are intimately connected. 'l'hey have e. constant syrnpo.thy. 1\.n nching body jades the mind; e.n aching mind jades the body. A healthy body iuvigorutm1 the mind; a cheerful mind sustains the body. Each affects and is affected by tho other. Yet there is sometimes witnessed a glorious mastery over outward di~ndvnntngcM by the force of the inward man. The heroic mind is firm, even when tho physical frame is shattered. And nothing is so productive of this heroism as faith. 'fhey who have "the snme spirit of faith" as was in Paul "faint not." I. OF mwABD RENEWAL. The case in view is th11t of II rogenerato ml\n, It is aaaumed that ~iritual life has been received. And now it is shown that "the washin~ of regeneration 'is followed by" the renewing of tbo Holy Ghost." Good men aro Jiablu to fits of inward fainting, languor, and emotional deadness, when they nre in grc11t danger of being overcome by temptation. 'l'herofore they need to pray often for ll stronger lifo. "Renew e. right spirit within me." 1. WhBrein is tho inuor man renewed? "In righteousness and holiness of truth" (Eph. iv. 24). And so in oil spiritual strength-tho power of resistance to sin, of self-donial, of patience, nnd of goneroue charitable action. 2. Whereby ie the inner man renewed? lly the power of God; by the energy of the Holy Ghost. It is he who, with the Word of truth, makes vivid demonstration of righteousness to the conscience, strengthens holy purposo in the will, and gives fervour to devout affections in the breast. 3. How often is the inner man renewed? "Day by day." Not that all days aro alike. As a nation has its special dates in history, days by which its future has beon monld_ed! on which its decisive battles were fought or its independence was won, so m~y a Chmtmn mn_n hav_e his dates more or less clearly marked, outstanding and prec!ous days by wluch l11s spiritual history has been determined, on which his fight of fa1_th was well f~ught, n~,l his liberty in Christ became established ond sure. But w~1le we rcc~gn1zo spcc111l days or eras of spiritual progress, we are disposed to say that m grace, as Ill ~o.turo, the, ordinary is, after all, more e1.pr~esive of Divine goodnes~ tlian the ext~a?rdrnary, and more euential to our welfare, 'Ihe daily revival and m111ntcnance of spmtua! hfe Is a 112 THE SECOND EPISTLE 'l'O THE CORIN'l'HIANS. LclI, 1v. 1-18,
better and greater thing than any occasional and exceptional blessina, "He holdeth our souls in life." The strength, moral a.swell as physicul, which i~ daily expended is also daily restored. John Bunyan makes the Christian pilgrim see a man secretly feeding with oil a fire on which another cast ,vater, and the fire burned "hotter and hotter." The Interpreter explained it of Christ's secret and constant renewal of the sacred fire in "the souls of his people." II. OF THE RELATION WHICH INWARD RENEWAL MAY DEAR TO OUTWABD DECAY. St. Paul was conscious of two changes-an outward descent to feebleness and earth, and an inward ascent to firmer strength and higher vitality. 1. The inward defies the outward. "Though our outward," etc. 'l'he constancy of the believing heart is all the more triumphant because of the feeble or decaying frame. What might of spirit has shown itself in tender women under acute suffering I What force of character and ~plendour of patience in men who scarcely had a day without bodily pain! 2. The inward renewal is cften helped forward by the outward decay. It pleases God to further the spiritual life of his children in ways that are hard to flesh and blood. Indeed, we seldom see a keen relish for the things of the Spirit of God, a weaned spirit, a holy fervour-while the outward man is quite at ease and commands every gratification. There is need of trouble in the outer sphere to exercise and quicken the inner life. Bengel, near the end of his course, said to a friend, "Illnesses serve to quicken and enlarge us in spirit after we have been dwindling. When our spiritual lamp burns dimly, it is often because its wick needs retrenching; and retrenchments are made from time to time upon the outward man by sickness and affliction." Thus it is not merely "though," but also sometimes "because," our outward man perishes that our inward man is renewed. What a sad case is theirs whose outward man decays while there is no spiritual life in them! Time passes, health fails, life ebbs away, and there is nothing to put against it. The outward man perishes and the inward man perishes too. But why will ye die? The Lord wishes not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.-F.