The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 201

J. JT 18 THE EMDODYmG 011' THE BENEFICJElllT DEBmE m OONTRIBUTIONS FOil, THE GOOD OF 0·1·1mRB. "Herein I give my advice [judgment]: for this is expedient for you, who hove begun before [who were the first to make a beginning], not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform [complete] the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be e. performance [completion] also out of that which ye have." They had shown the will to contribute, for they had "a year ago" commenced their subscriptions. Now Paul exhorts them to go on and complete the work. "As there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance." The mere generous will is good in itself, but is not enough; it requires to be embodied in deeds. Every good desire requires embodiment: 1. For our own sake. It is only as our best desires aro translated into deeds that they give solidity and strength to our character. In words and sighs they die away; they are like the morning dew. A good desire in itself is like the raindrop on the leaf of the tree; it may excite admiration as it glistens like a diamond in the sun, but it is soon exhaled, and probably does no good to the tree. But when embodied in a. generous deed it is like the raindrop that penetrates the roots and contributes some portion of strength to all the fibres. A charity-sermon delivered with the eloquence of a Chalmers may excite in the congre- gation the beneficent idea, almost to a passion, but, unless that passion takes the form of a. self-denying act, it evaporates and leaves the congregation in a worse state than the preacher found it. 2. For the sake of others. It is generous deeds that bless the world. They go where ideas cannot penetrate, into the hearts and consciences of men; they work silently and salutarily as the sUilbeam. If. THE CONTRIDUTIONS OF DENEFIOENCE ARE ONLY VIRTUOUS AS THEY SPRING FROM A GENEROUS DESIRE. " For if there le first a. willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man bath, and not according to that he bath not." The doctrine is this, that the disposition of the heart, not the doings of the hand, constitute the essence of moral character. This is the Divine method of estimating human conduct. "The Lord judgeth not as man judgetb," etc. The motive is the soul of the deed. " Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, ... and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Do not judge the desire by the effort, but judge the effort put forth by the desire. The poor widow would have made munificent contributions, but she could only give a "mite;" but in that mite there was more value than in all the amount in the temple exchequer. Some have the means to do good and not the heart, and some have the heart but not the means. The former are grubs in the universe, the latter are angels. There are deeds done in the body, seen of God, infinitely more numerous and essentially more valuable in most cases than deeds done by the body. Ill. THE CONTRIDUTION OF OTHERS CANNOT SUPERSEDE THE OBLIGATION OF OURS, DUT MAY SUPPLEMENT THEm DEFICIENCIES. 1. It is not a; substitute. "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened." It behoves every man to contribute to the extent of his riches, to the good of others. If one man gives a thousand it does not relieve me from my obligation to contribute what I can. 2. It is a supplement. "Ilut by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want." It is the duty of all to contribute. Some have the ability to contribute a hundred times the amount of others; let their large sums go to supplement the defi- ciencies of their poorer brethren, so that there may be "an equality." Thus the old Scripture will be illustrated, that "he that had gathered much bad nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." Vera. 16-24.-Stimulating men to beneficent actions. "But thanks be to God," etc. The verses under notice present to us the subject of stimulating men to efforts of beneficence, and three remarks are suggested concerning this occupation. J. lT 18 A WORK THAT REQUIRES THE HIGHEST ORDER OF CHRISTIAN MEN. We find here that not only Paul employs himself in it with all his loving earnestness and logical power, but he engages Titus also, and e. "brother" with him of such distinction that his "'praise is in the gospel throughout all the Churches." 'l'o excite men to beneficent enterprises is pre-eminently a Christian work. Christianity is the mother of all philanthropic labours and institutions, Christian piety is a fountain. whence all the myriad streams of human beneficence that circulate through all the districts of human. life proceed. To stimulate this beneficence in men is the highest ministry on earth, '.?00 nm SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'l'HIANS. [ou. Vlll, 1-21, nnd for it men of the most distinguished character and faculty are required. No mo.n is too great for it, and but few men arn equal to its successful dischargo. TI. IT IS A WORK DESERVING THE GRATITUDE OF ALL, Paul refers to: 1. The grnti- tude of those who had been ~ted to beneficent efforts. "But thanks bo to God, which put the same e&rnest care into the heart of Titus for you." It is implied that Titus oonferred on them an immense favour in stimulating them to generous deeds. No man can render us a greater service than by taking us out of ourselves and inspiring us 'With a genuine concern for the interests of others. It is not he who gives me o good thing, but who stimulates me to do a good thing, that is my greatest benefactor; for it is" more blessed to give than to receive." In giving we become God-like, and therefore we ought to thank the man most devoutly who evokes within us the spirit of true charity. Instead of endeavouring to a.void appeals to our benevolence, we should hail them and thank our Maker for them. 2. 'l'he gratitude of those who have effected the excitement. Paul says, "Thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you." (1) There is no office higher in itself than this. This is the work for which Christ came into the world, the work for which he estab- lished the Christian ministry. The aim and tendency of the gospel are to drown the selfish_ ego in the sunny tide of universal charity. The love of Christ constrained men to feel that they should not henceforth live to themselves. (2) There is no office more 11,Sejul than this. Success in this means ruin in all that is ruinous to souls in human history, ruin to selfishness and all its fiendish brood. Well, therefore, may those who are engaged in such a work thank God for the distinguishing honour to which they have been called. Paul says nothing here about the gratitude of those on whom the excited beneficence has bestowed its favours-the beneficiaries. He seems to take it for granted that they ought and would be thankful; that they ought to be admits of no doubt, but that they always are cannot be asserted. Ingratitude, alas! is one of the reigning sine in human life. III. IT IS A WORK EXPOSED TO THE SUSPICIONS OF WORLDLY MEN. The apostle seems to have been afraid that the contributions that would flow from stimulating the benefi- cence of the Corinthian Church would occasion the allegation that they were par- ticipating in them, and so obtaining some personal advantage. Hence, to guard against the possibility, he gets the Churches to choose from amongst them some men of the best reputation, whom he calls "messengers of the Churches," and Titus, and perhaps Luke, in the administration of the charity, and thus "providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." Dishonest men have existed in all ages, and the more dishonest men are, the more suspicious. Paul here guards himself against all scandalous imputations. He had great respect for his own reputation, so much so, that one at times, in reading these Epistles, is well-nigh astonished that a man so great in nature and sublime in character should think so much about the opinions of others.