Vers. 8-11.-Godly 8ori·ow. "For though I made you sorry," eto. Three remarks here concerning the godly sorrow that was wrought on the minds of the members of the Corinthian Church. I. IT WAS PllODC"CED BY A FAITHFUL BEPBOOF OF WBONG. There were, as we have seen, certain evils more or less prevalent in the Church at Corinth, such aa schism idolatry, unchastity, and abuse of the Lorcl's Supper, These so affected the mind of the apostle that bis iettcr abounded with strong reproof. Concerning the reproofs he administered to them, two facts are noteworthy. 1. They cawed him much pain. "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent." Men more or less malign in their nature, take pleasure in dealing out reproach41s and reproof~: but to those whose natures are of the genial and the generous type, few things ere more painful than the aaministration of reproofs. Paul no doubt felt it so; still it had to bo done. Loyalty to bis conscience and his mission dematided it. A loving nature recoils at the idea of giving pain to any one. 2. They were administered with th6 .te'f/,derest affection. In almost every reproving sentence contained in his letter there beats the pulse of affection, and it is evermore this love that invests reproof with a heart pene- trating and melting power. With the tenderest love ministers should always reprove, admonish, and exhort. II. IT WAS ESSENTIALLY DIFFERENT TO T.HE SORBOW OF THE WOBLD, .. Now l rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance," etc. Great is the clliference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. 1. 'fhe one is selfish, the other is ger,erous. In the former the man regrets having done the wrong thing simply on account of inconvenience to himself; in the latter the anguish is in the wrong itself. 2. The one results in future regret, the other in future .foy. All the sorrow that an ungodly man has felt will lead to some deeper, darker, more terrible distress. 3. The one leads to rui11, the other to salvation. See the results of worldly sorrow in Cain (Gen. iv. 12); in Saul (1 Sam, xxxi 3-6); in Ahithopbel (2 Sam. xvii 23); in Judas (Matt. xxviii. 3-25). See godly sorrow in the prodigal son (Luke xv.); in Peter (Matt. xxvL); in the converts on the day of Pentecost (Acts ii, 44-47). III. IT WROUGHT GREAT RESULTS IN THE SOUL, It wrought : 1. Solicitude. "What carefulness it wrought in you!" Careful to resist the wrong and pursue the right. 2, IJeprecation. ·" What clearing of yourselves I" How anxious to show your disapproval of the evil of which you have been guilty I 3. .Anger. "What indignation I" lndigna• tion, not against the sinner, but against the sin. This is a holy anger. 4. Dread. ., What fear! " Dread, not of suffering, but of sin ; not of God, but of the devil. This fear is, indeed, the highest courage. He who shrinks from the morally wrong is the trnest hero. 5. Lo11ging. "What vehement desire!" What longing after a better life I All these expressions mean intense earnestness, and earnestness, 1;1ot about temporal matters, which is common and worthless, but about spiritual matters, which is rare end praiseworthy. Genuine repentance is antagonistic to indifference; it genera~ earnestness in the soul, it leads to the most strenuous efforts, to the most vehement cries to Heaven. " Sorrow in itself," says F. W. Robertson, "ia a thing neither goo<l nor bad; its value depends on the spirit of the person on whom it falls, Fire will inflame slraw, soften iron, or harden clay; its effects ere determined by the object with which it comes in contact. Warmth develops the energies of life or lielps the progn•s:1 of dtca.y 11. is a great power ia. the hotho116e, a greu.t power also in thu coffin : i~ OH. vu. 1-10,] 'l'flE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 175
expands the leaf, matures the fruit, ~d?s precociouR. vigour to vegetable life; and warmth, too, devolops with tenfold rnp1d1ty the weltenng process of dissolution. &> too, with sorrow, , 'l'her~ are.spirits in which it develops the seminal principle of life; thero are others 1n winch 1t prematurely hastens the consummation of irreparable decay," Vere. 12-16.-0hurch discipline. "Wherefore, though I wrote unto you," etc. The subject of these words may be regarded a.a tha.t of Church discipline, and two general remarks a.re suggested. I. CHURCH DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE EXEROlBED FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE CHURCH. " Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that bad done the wrong, nor for his ea.use that suffered wrong, but tha.t our ea.re for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." The particular individual referred to here, on whom Paul calls discipline to be exercised, was the incestuous person (1 Cor. v. 1). The apostle here states that this was done, not merely for the offender's sake, nor indeed for the salte of the person whom the offender had injured (viz. his father, whose wife he had ta.ken as his own), His object in writing was, not merely to chastise the one and to obtain justice and redress for the other, but that "our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." He had o. larger aim ; it was to prove to them how much he cared for their spiritual purity and reputation. Punishment should not only be for the reformation pf the wro1;1g-doer, but as an example to others. The unhealthy branch should be cut off for the sake of the tree's health and growth. All true chastisement for wrong aims, not only at the good of the offender, but at the good of the community at large. II. WHEN THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH IS MANIFESTED THEREBY rr IS A JuST HATTER FOR REJOICING, " Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all." The Church was improved by Paul's disciplinary letter. Of this TitUl! had assured him, for they bad "refreshedu his " spirit" during his visit among them. '£heir imprpvement., too, just~fied the high testimony which he had given Titus con- cerning them. " For if I have_ boasted anything to him of you, I am not ashamed," etc. 'l'he love of 'l'itus for them was increased by the discovery of it. "His inward affection is more abundant towai:d you." Thus the godly sorrow which they mani- fested on accori~t of that which was wrong amongst them, was in every way satis- factory to him; .it gave him comfort, it greatly refreshed the spirit of Titus, iucreased his affection for them, and inspired the apostle himself with confidence and with joy.