The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 134

I. Tm-: NATURE OF THIS OONBTBAINT. Men are Influenced by many and varloua motives, some lower and some higher. 1'heir natural instincts and ln1pulscs their interests, their re!::ard for public opinion and their ambition, the laws of the land ..:._these are among the admitted and powerful induet'\lllents to human conduct. Bnt thes~ lll"e not the highest motives, and are unworthy of the nature and possibilities or man unless in conjunct.ion with something better, Even the sacred obligation of duty is !~sufficient. But Christ's love in bis redemptive work, revealed to us in the gospel, is a moral and spiritual force of vast power. It awakens gratitude, love, devotion, obe1Hence. It is the universal Christian motive. IIe who does not feel it, however correct his creed and conduct, is not in the proper sense of the t.erm a Christian. Happy they who live under its sweet and constant constraint I II. THE DIRECTION OF THIS OONSTRAINT. Physical power is of two kinds-it is either energy or resistance; e.g. the ocean and the dyke, the powder and the cannon the steam and the boiler. As with physical, so with moral power. 1. Christ's love a~ts by way of restraint. It ~ithholds ~hose who experience it from self-indulgence, from worldliness, and from other sins to which men are naturally prone, and from which only a Divine power can deliver. 2. It acts by way of impulse, inducing to the imitation of Jesus in character and conduct ; to obedience such as he enjoins when he says, "If ye love me, kee~ my commandments; " to consecration such a.s Paul exemplified when ho ea.id, "~ e live unto the Lord." III. Tm: EFFICACY OF THIS OONSTRAINT. This depends upon a just interpretation of the passage. Were it our love to Christ which is imputed, this would be a feeble and vacillating motive; but it is something far greater and better, viz. Christ's love to us, The power of this motive may be seen in the life of every faithful friend of Jesus; e.g. in the apostles, a.s Paul, Peter, John; in the confessors and martyrs and reformers; in the missionaries and philanthropists, etc. It may be seen in the dangers braved, the opposition encountered, the persecutions su1fered, the efforts undertaken and persevered in. What of noble and beautiful and beneficent conduct has not this Divine motive proved able 1:D inspire! Great.er deeds and more heroic sufferings than the love of Christ has accounted for, the annals of mankind do not record. It is to this motive that we must look for all that in the future shall bless our common humanity. What nothing inferior can effect the love of Christ will certainly prove powerful to accomplish.-T. Ver. 18.-" The ministry of reconciliation.'' Every good man is a peacemaker. Both unconsciously by his character and disposition, and consciously and actively by his efforts, he composes differences and promot.es concord and amity among his fellow- men. The Christian minister, however, goes deeper when he aims at securing harmony between God and man. And he purposes to effect this reconciliation, not by the use of ordinary persuasion, but by the presentation of the gospel of Christ. L Tn:E CHRIBTiili' JillNISTBY PBESUl[F.S THE NEED OF BEOONOILIATION. 1. There is a moral Ruler a.nd a moral law, righteous and authoritative. 2. Against this Ruler men have rebelled, they have broken the law, and thus introduced enmity and conflict. a. Divine displeasure has thus been incWTed, and Divine penalties, by which just dis- pleasure is expressed. II. THE CH.&IBTIA.l!l' XINIBTBY D AUTHORIZED BY HIM WHO ALONE OAN INTBODUOB BEOONCILIATION. God is the greater, and not only so, he is the wronged, offended party. If any overtures for reconciliation are to be made, they must proceed from him. He must provide the basis of peace and he must commission the heralds of peace. ill. Tl!E CHRIBTI.Oi' IUNlBTBY PBOCLAIMB THE MEDIATOR OF BECONClLIATION. The Lord Jesus has every qualification which can be desired in an efficient Mediator. He partakes the nature of God and of man; he is appointed and accepted by the Divine Sovereign ; he has effected by hill sacrifice a work of atonement or reconciliation ; his Spirit is a Spirit of peace. And in fact he has "made peace," removing all obstacles on God's side and providing for the removal of all on man's. IV. THE CHB1BTIAN l!dlNl8TBY OONBlBTB IN THE OFFER OF BEOONOILIA.TION. It is a moral and not a BaCerdotal ministry; it is experimental, being entrusted to those who ace themselves recoocil<ld; it is a ministry accompanied with supernatwral power, even the energy of the Spirit of God; it is an authorif,ative ministry, which men are not at mi, v. 1-21.] 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 13Z