The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 184

fortitude taxed already to the uttermost; what a lack of the human and of tho genuine manliness of the human, if he had felt no uneasiness, no misgivings, no rebouud I It was not weakness, but weakness struggling into strength, that led him to say, "I did repent.:• . Le_t us t~~e comfort fr?m t~e _apostle's huma~. nature and the grace mani- fest~d m its 1nfirm1t1es. Compamonsh1p m we~kness asp1rmg to get the victory is very prec10us to honest souls. Men are never wantmg to teach us thci ideals of life. What is nee<led far more is to have traced in a distinct manner the progress of the soul ~••wnnls perfection. Wbo in this respect can compare with the Apostle Paul? Who has df'.ineated the Christian consciousness in all its various moods, in all its alterna- tions, in its baffled endeavours, in its victorious strength, and done it in such a natural way that the lowliest heart feels at borne in his fellowship and finds no language of its own so much its own as the words in which he tells how he sorrowed and how he rejoiced ? Lest they should misunderstand his joy by supposing that he had any pleasure in their pain, he explains (ver: 9) why he was happy. They had "sorrowed to repentance." Instructed by the doctrmal truths he had unfolded in the First Epistle, moved by his entreaties, made conscious of their delinquencies, made ashamed of their gross inattention to discipline, they had repented of tlieir backslidings and refo.rmed their e,·il doings. A " godly sorrow" had they shown, and could anything " godly " be deplored? Least of all, could a "godly sorrow" over envy and jealousy, over strife and schismatic partisanships, over vices tolerated in the bosom of the Church-could such a sorrow be regretted? It was" godly," indeed, for it had wrought out its true nature and was known by its fruits. Of course he gave it e. doctrinal form, and, for all time, thus reads one of the most vital and solemn of all Christian verities: "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." Well might he claim that they had received" damage in nothing." It was all gain, infinite gain. Notice the development of the thought. A true repentance is from God. Christ said that the Holy Spirit should come to rebuke "the worJd of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." It is not our idea of sin, but God's idea, that enables us to realize what sin is, and this proceeds from the Spirit. Think of it as we may, study its conse- quences, feel its enormity as far as we can, look at the paradise it blighted, read its records on the earth, picture the hell it has created; this is not that sense of the guilt ot sin which leads to repentance. Not what sin is iu our sight, but what it'is in God's sight, deteI'IIiines the estimate of the penitent. And just in the deo-ree that this initial process is from the illumination and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in that same degree is the work genuine and profound. Large allowance must be made for individuality of character. Modes of thinking, habits of feeling, education and circumstances, must be taken into consideration, since men are very thoroughly per- sonal when God comes to deal with their souls. Nevertheless, the truth cannot. be stated too strongly, that repentance is a "godly sorrow" only so far as the Holy Ghost is concerned in the work. And, further, it is salutary. It works no "damage." Now, at this point, the apostle confesses that he had been.anxious, and certainly there was ground for anxiety. To rebuke men for their sins is the most difficult and the most hazardous of all the functions devolved on a minister of the gospel. Happy the minister who can say that he has not done "damage," some time in his career, in this particular. But in the present case all had turned out well. The censure, the exhortation, the personal lovingness, he had put into his letter, had blended in one i,;racious influence, so that conscience had witnessed to conscience, heart to heart, energy on their part to decision and resolutenesd on his part, and a result most blessed to him, to Titus, to the Church, had been effected. It was not the sorrow of the world that " worketh death." Instead of that, it had wrought life, a renewed and most hopeful life, a change so glorious that it would never be repented of. But he would particularize. If the repentance had been "godly," and therefore without " damage," he would show them the full meaning of these words. "Behold this self- same thing." He would arouse their attention and concentrate thought on thi~ manifestation of God's mercy. 1.'o see it they must look within. What a transfor- mation! Lately so careless, so in.sensible, so puffed up, even the Holy CommunioL shockingly abw;ed; what save a "godly sorrow" could bring about a radical change? It was e. sorrow to humble them, not to "damage" them. It was not the sorrow o( ,Le world, mortifying to pride and vanity, intensifying to selfishness, driving to oH, v11. 1-16.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE COIUNTHIANS. lfH