The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 172

fully trust. Moreover, ns Christians, we guard against the approach of evil in every form, and nothing will more directly affect our Christian spirit than the influence of an unworthy friend. Ho may be a scoffer. He may be one whose sneer at all we love and eeck may hurt and wound us far more than the scoffer's open speech. He may be an Indulgent pleasure-seeker, whose disposition will be sure to nourish the worldliness and self-loving of our spirit, And, on the other band, few things will help us more than a well-chosen Christian fri,mdship. Many a doubt is scattered by the contact of a friend's faith, and many a Rliding step is steadied by the influence of a friend's firmness. Two thinge lie at the basis of a worthy and lasting friendship, viz. a certain felt sympathy and a certain recognized equality. II. ON THE OHANGEB OF FRIENDSHIP. Sometimes friendships are broken throucrh changeableness of disposition, Others are broken by the wrong-doing or unfaithfuln.;'ss of one of the friends. And at other times friendships are broken by the rude, rough hand of death. III. ON THE OLAIMB OF FRmNDSHIP, All associations of men together bring claims and responsibilities. If we have the privilege of a loving friendship, it claims from ns two things. 1. Unfailing confidence in our friend. And this involves openness one with the other. Close natures, that can keep secrets, seldom know the full joy of t'l·iendship. 2, Mutual self-sacrifice, readiness to spend our best for our friend, and to put forth our best efforts in his behalf. Foote well says, "Be thankful if God has 1,1;iven you a sympathizing friend, one who can share with you your deepest griefs, who is one with you in all your interests for time and for eternity, whose heart answers to your' heart. This is one of God's best gifts; be thankful for it and use it right, for he may deprive you of it, and leave you grieving,-Would I had prized it more! It is a. most sweet and blessed fellowship; use it-use it for the high ends of mutual, spiritual good, and the Divine glory."-R. 'l'. Ver. 17 .-Christian relations with the world. This verse is a partial quotation from Isa. Iii. 11, which reads, "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." The first reference of these words is to the captives in Babylon, who were thus counselled to prepare for their return to Canaan, and to see to it that they carried back with them none of the evils of the idolatrous land in which they had so long sojonrned. "The local and historical meaning has for the apostle passed away, and the 'unclean thing ' is identified with the whole system of heathenism." Since we are counselled to be separate from the world, it will be ,vell for us to understand what is properly meant by·" the world." Some have thought that they were called to separate from the world of creation, and compel themselves to find no interest in field, or flower, or song, or the thousandfold charms of nature. Others have thought that "the world" tnust mean the mass of humanity, and so a true religious life could only be lived in convent or hermit-cell. Others, again, think that "the world'' must mean the common scenes and pleasures of life, and that we can only live for God by resisting every pleasure aild severing ourselves from every form of personal enjoyment. But "the world," 'in the New Testament sense, is not a thing or a set of things, but a spirit and disposition-it is 1Vorldliness. It is none of these things, but it may be in them all. It is all these if we persist in having them without God. This green earth, with its vales and hills, apart from God, is just "the world." But with God, seen as God's, it is no longer " tile world;" it is the footstool of the eternal throne, the dwell- ing-place of the Divine majesty, the garment of the all-glorious King. 'l'he mass of 'humanity, without God, is just "the world;" but in the light of God's relation, it is the Father's family, the Father's school. The common cares and pleasures of life nre filled with an infinite meaning and importance when they become the testing-scenes out of which God purposes to bring his children, "faultless in the presence of his 1,1;lory." Whether a thing is worldly or not depends simply on this-Can you _see God in it? To the Christian man God is in everythin~, and if he finds anyt)1mg into which he cannot bring the thought of God, then he calls that worldly and shnnks from it The" world" is that act, that scene, with which we feel the cherished thought of 0-od does not harmonize. It is heaven where G0d is; it is earth wbere he is not,: iL is holl where he will not come. 168 THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'l'HIANS, Lea. vr. 1-lS.