The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 118

man perishf's, but be is not going to be Md or t.o faint &bout it, elnoe the inw1ml man is renewed day by d11.y. And Paul llllys that there is such 11.n·intimate relation between these two that, by the dying of the one, the life of th~ at.her ia actually furthered. Our light afflictions -and our testing death are even mllile food for our soul's growth. We ma~· thrive upon our very woes. Trial, toil, struggle, weariness, frailty, pain, bereave- ment, e.ll the body can know of eorrow and care, are the BOu!'s food. It lives by them. It thrives on them. It steps up toward heaven with the help of them. "Out ol the eater it brings forth me&t; out of the litron~ it brings forth eweetnGss."-R. T. Ver. 17.-The Ghrit!tian estima~ of ajfticti,o,,,, There is a pn.ssionaro intensity, I\ kind of ext111,ve.gance, in these words, which we ol't;en notice in the uttemn~es of the noble but impulsive apostle. High feeling, strained emotion, are often helpful in: our religiow; experiences. They liU ns, as on a great wave, over the bar of difficult,:. 'l'hey help us in the doing of dnty, and they lighten the burden of our sorrow.· Our hymns and sacred poems are often the expression of such high· emotions as are only fol t by the best of men in their best of times; but they are a.n inspiration and a. joy to us, tho~h they may be beyond our actual att;a.inment. In this way we may l!;et gra.ciow; help through onr te:ii:t. The context refers to ministerial troubles, but troubles are our common human lot, and if we had to choose what form they should take for us, we should make sad mistakes. Conoeming the blessings wrought by affliction we have remarkable Scripture testimonies. Moses would rather "suffer affliction with the ~pie of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." David says, "Before I was afflicted I went asmy, but now will I keep thy word." Solomon tells us that \t is "better to go int.o the houee of mourning than int.o the house of feasting." And the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says that " whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, &nd scourgeth every SOil whom he receiveth." Our text suggests what· estimate the child of God may and ought to make of afflictions, and he may judge them as regar& v,eight, time, and influence. • L AB TO THEm WEIGHT. He may call them "light affliction8." This' is apparently untrue. Surely Job, and Jncob, and Naomi, and David, and Martha. and Mary could never call theirs " light afflictions." It is truly said that "no ·affliction for the present ,eerueth to be joyous but grievow;." It seems impossible to call such a catalogue· of woell as is given us in eh. :x:i. 23-27 "light e.fllictions." And yet this is the dee~r truth, and we may see that it is if we weigh our troubles in fair balances : (1) in the balances of our deservings; (2) in the bale.noes of oomparison with the sufferings of others; and ,(3) in the balances of consequences, for out of sorrow comes spiritual health. _.Both knowledge e.nd faith may help us t.o call our affliction "light." Il. A£. TO =m Tlll[E. "But for a moment." This also is· apparently nntrne. J011eph cannot call those weary prison years " bnt e. moment." The captives in Bahyli:m, worn out with hope deferr.ed, hung their harps upon the willows because they· CC>ttld sing no longer. 'l'hey oould not call their captivity "but for a moment." And we can never call " short" thOl!e dreadful six hou111 of agony borne by our Lord npon th:e cross. .And yet this also is the deepest truth. In comparieon with life itself it is. Our times uf sufii;ring are few, of joy are many; they lie together in something of the propottiori of streams and fields. 'l'hen, too, it is the actual fact that in our suffering tjmes only briei moments bring unbearable pain. And it is found that the worst pain is the least remembered ; it paases, and we cannot even recall it, so as to suffer it· ~ver _again in imagination. And earthly ll1lffering is truly but for a moment if it be compared with the el,ernity of joy into which it leads us. • llL AB TO THEIB Th"FLUENCE. "Working a . . . weight of glorr.," It is as important that we should be prepared for the glory as that the glory should be prepared for us. St. Paul's idea of glory is what is done by affliction in the (,'hristil!,D himself. And amongst the things wrought in the Christian character and life we may note these. 1. Pe.tienoe-the power to be quiet and wait. 2. '!'rust-the full committal of ,()llf keeping to God. 3. Holiness---the deliverance from the enslaving power of eviL 4. The sanctifying of human relationships, which nothing makes l!O tender and so true as does our sharing in common BOrrows. 6. And the renewe.1 of Christian activity; for affliction is the time when we ma.y seriously review-the put, and make earnest resolves fur the days to come.-R. T.  Cllt. T, 1-21.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE COlllNTHIANS. 119