The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 155

Ven!. 11-13.-GemLine Ohri,stian love. "0 ye Corinthians," etc. 'Notice-- I. lTs POWER. 'What does it do? It enlarges the heart. " Our heart is enlnrged.'1 The heart means the whole spiritual nature, and this spiritual nature is capable of indefinite expansion and Christian love, and nothing else can effect this. A man's intellect may be expanded by ideas, but his heart, out of which are "the issues of life," only by love. What a difference between the heart of a miser or a bigot to the heart of a Paul, a Howard, or a Fcne1on I Selfishness contracts the soul into a grub, love expands it into a seraph. Therefore "covet earnestly the best gift," that is, love. II. ITS IBREPRESSIBILITY. "Our mouth is open unto you." A large heart is so full of lo,·iug sympathies and aims that speech becomes a necessity. "Out of ~he abun- dance of the be.art the mouth speaketh.n The language of love, is the language of nature, the language of eloquence, the language of inspiration. IIL ITS HUNGER. ,vhat does it hunger for? "Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels [' affections,' or • hearts ']," etc. Paul states that their hearts towards him were "straitened," or narrow, compared with his to them. He entreats them to be "enlarged," and thus "recompense" or. return his affections. Love, by a necessity of its nature, hungers for a return of its affections from the object on which it is bestowed. Paul did not ask them for their money, or their patronage or praise, but simply for a return of the love which he had for them. • Vers. 14-18.-Unegually yoked. "Be ye not unequally yoked," etc. Observe here three things. . •• l. THERE IB AN ESSEJ,.-TIAL 8I'IllITUAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE TBULY 00"1'ERTED TO CHRISTIANITY Al-.'D THOSE WHO ARE NOT. ,The line of. demarcation is broad and conspicuous. The difference is the difference: 1. Between "righteousness and unrighteousness." 2. Between "light and darkness." 3. Between· Christ and Satan. "\That concord bath Christ with Belia!?" 4. Between faith and infidelity. "What part bath he that believeth with an infidel?" 6. 13etween the "temple of God" and the "temple of idols." . II. NOTWITHSTANDING THE SPIRITUAL DIFFERENCE, THE CONVERTED ABE IN 'DANGE~ OF BEING ASSOCIATED WITH 'l'HE UNCONVERTED. Hence the commanJl " Be. ye' not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Also the command, "Come out Jrom among them." Alas! we find such association in almost every department of life-:- in the matrimonial, the commercial, the political, etc. • ill FROM SUCH AN ASSOCIATION IT lB THE DUTY OF THE CONVERTED TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES. "Wherefore come out from among them," etc. Observe two. things. 1. The -nature of the separation. "Come out from among them." It must be: (1) Voluntary. Not to be driven out, but you must break away from all the ties that bind you. Agonize to enter the "strait gate.n (2) Entire. "Touch not the unclean thing.n Sin is an unclean thing-unclean in its essence, its phases, and its influences, 2. The encouragement to tLl' separation. "I will receive you, and will be a Father m!to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." As a Father, what does God do for his children? (1) He loves them. His love is the fountain of all the love in the universe. All the love that human parents have for their children· is but one. drop from the boundless ocean. (2) He educates them. Who teaches like God? Be teaches the best lesson, in the best way, for the best end. He educates the whole soul, not for temporal purposes, but for ends spiritual and everlasting. (3) He guards them. Human parents can only guard the bodies of their children. This Father guards the soul-the conscience from guilt, the heart from impurity, the intellect from error, etc; (4) He provides for them. The best of human parents can only provide for their children a few supplies for their bodies, and that for a time only. This great Fatbet provides for the soul, and provides for ever. "He is able to do_e:xccedingly ab11ndantly above all that we ask or think."  oR. vt. 1-18.) THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 151