plooo above- exobmnged for one of the lowest on earth. 2, Assumption of huma;n, nature. A vast condescension. A most striking proof of love. 3. Ufe. Miracles, acts of kindness, words, spirit. 4. Death. A transcendent proof. (1) Death for enemies. (2) Death at the hands of those he ea.me to save. (3) Most painful death, (a) physically, (b) mentally, and (c) spiritually. "My God, my Clod, why hast thou forsaken me?" (4) A deo.th the object of which was the redemption, purification, exaltation, and eternal happiness of men. 6. Intercession. " He ever Iiveth to make intercession " (Heb. vii. 25). II. CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF TIIE LOVE OF CHRIST. It constrained the apostle-" com- pressed with irresistible power a.II his energies into one channel." "Constraineth "- its influence was contin'UO'US. Its power was not soon spent ; rather that power increased as the love of Christ was increaeingly realized. 1. Negativdy. Not to live to himself (ver. 15). There was now a greater power operating upon him than the mighty power of self. 2. Positively. To live to Christ (ver. 15). The love of Christ overmastered him. He felt that through it he had been purchased with a great price, and therefore sought to glorify Christ in his body and spirit which were peculiarly his. (1) By a. blameless.life. (2) By seeking to show forth Christ in his character, spirit, acts, etc. (3)13y submitting his will to Christ's in all things. (4) By cherishing a. deep love for Christ. (5) By seeking to extend the kingdom and to increase the glory of Obrist. (6) By being wholly devoted to Christ. He was wont to speak of himself as the" sla.ve of Christ."-H. Ver. 17.-" A new c1·eature." I. How THE NEWNESS ORIGINATES. 1. The believer has died with Ghrist. (Ver. 14.) Christ is his Substitute, has borne his sins, has i::1ade complete satisfaction for his guilt. By faith he is so united to Christ that what Christ has done is imputed to him. He is thus new in relation to God. He was condemned ; now he is justified. 2. The believer partakes of the life of Ghrist. He is "risen with . Christ" (Col. iii. 1). He has received the Spirit of Christ. Having been justified, he is now being sanctified. The likeness of the Redeemer is being wrought upon and in him by the Holy Ghost. There is thus a "new creation." The old life was a life of sin, but the new life·.to which he has risen is a life of righteousness. The love of Christ constrains him (ver. 14) to live, not to himself, but to Obrist. II. How THE NEWNESS IS MANIFESTED. In the believer's (1) spirit; (2) speech; (3) character; ( 4) acts; (5) plans, purposes, desires, etc. "All things are become new" (ver. 17). 'l'here is no, part of the believer's life from which the newness should be absent. Whilst not yet perfect, manifestly a great change has taken place: " Old thi.ngs are passed away" (ver. 17). III. Tms NEWNESS FUnNISHES A TEST. What have we more than our profession of Christianity? Have we been transformed; made new creatures? " Ye must he born again" (John iii. 7). Can faith save a. man-faith which has a name to live, but is dead; faith which we only know a man possesses because he tells us so? We are not in Obrist .at all unless thereby we have become new creatures. The test is beyond appeal. The sentence of the judgment will proceed upon the assumption of its infaJli- hility (ver. 10). All men in Christ become new creatures. "If any man," etc. l,,_ decided change takes place in the best as well as in the worst. All men may become new creatures in Christ. The vilest can be re-created equally with the most moral. This newness is not to be waited for till we enter another world. It belongs to this sphere in which we now are. Unless we are new creatures in this world we shall not be new creatures in another. It is on earth that "new creatures " are specially needed.-H.
Ver. 20.-"Ambassadors of <Jhrist.• I. THE DUTIES OF AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST. 1. Negative. (1) Not to 9riginate their message. (2) Not to think ;lightly of their mission. (3) Not to seek their own glory, (4) Not to aim at their own comfort and pleasure as a chief object. (5) Not to depart from their instructions. Not to add to them nor take sway. 2. Positive. (1) To go where they are sent. (2) To communi- cate the mind of their Lord. (3) To defend his honour. (4) To be influenced by the welfare of his kingdom. (5) To make their Master's business pre-eminent. (6) To strive ln every way to qualify themselves for their work. (7) 'l'o endeavour to do their work 184 TITE SECOND EPISTLE TO 'l'HE CORINTIIIANS. [en. v. 1-21.
especially when the lot is hard and the nature eplritul\l. "We groan longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven 11 (ver. 2). :rho pal'l\mount attraction is, ho1vever, not in the body itself, but in the fact that tho union with Christ will be closer. We shall be present with the Lord-at home with the L~rd (ver. 8). Now we walk by faith; then we shall see him as he is, and be like him. '!'ho gainin" of the heavenly body will be the gain of closer access to our Lord, and will be the enter~ ing into our beiwenly home, out of which we shall go no more for ever. VI. THE SAINT'.s DESIR~ FOR A . SPEEDY CHANGE FROM ONE DODY TO THE OTHER, (Ver. 4.) 1. The 1ntermed1ate state between death and the re~urrection will probably not be so perfect as that which follows. 2. There is a natural shrinking from death. "Not for that we would.~ unclot~ed, but tha~ we would ~ clothed upon" (ver. ~). The apostle seems to desire what 1s expressed m 1 Thess. 1v. 17-a translation not death and tarrying for the resurrection. ' • VIL THE SAIXT's RESOLUTION WHETHER~ THE EARTHLY OR HEAVENLY BODY, To· please Christ. This the apostle made his "aim" (ver. 9). This was his supreme ambition. He resolved to live, not to himself, but to Christ ana for Christ. Note that the lire for the heavenly and earthly body is to be the same. We must do now' what we hope to do by-and-by. Heavenly life in the earthly body is the preparation for the heavenly life in the heavenly body.-H,