The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 215

odium which had broken on their Master !\Utl on his cilulle: So they had n:, thought of e.n early visit to the sepulchre. But the women thought less of the cause and more of the Master. And so with their ready mind they got the highest honour. Learn, that the secret of happiness and usefulness lies in having the snme ready mind, fas- tened, not so much on this piece of work or that, as on the Lord himself for or to whom all Christian work is to be done. You may not get outlet for your r:.'\diness iu the way that you planned or expected, but you will get otlt\et and employment for it'; and God will accept it according to what it is, not according to its apparent success.' Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart.-F. Ver. 1.-The model Ohwrches of Macedonia. By these we are to understand the Churches at Thessalonica, Philippi, and Bercea. There is a sense in which we speak of the Church of Christ as one, and al_so _a sense in which we speak of it as many. I~ is correct to say, "the Church," and 1t 1s also correct to say, "the Churches." All who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and have surrendered their will and life to bis ruling, and have made ?pen profession of their devotion to him, make together the one· catholic and apostolic Church, and may properly be thought of as a whole, as the members of the one body of Christ ; but as these are located in various places, as they unite for purposes of fellowship and worship in different spheres and different buildings, they may be spoken of as Churches. The answering terms, which help to explain those on, which we are dwelling, were used by our Lord, who spcke of his many folds' ana his one flock. St. Paul might with equal truthfulness have spoken of the Churcll, in Macedonia, but he probably desired to direct attention to the special circumstances of each individual community, in order to bring out forcibly the remarkable' character I of their generosity and self-denial He sets before us for our consideration this fact,· that, just as a Christian man's conduct and character J:!lay make him a., model to others, and a gracious power upon them, touching and quickening into power that spirit o( emulation which dwells in various strength in us all, so an individual Church, or a set of Churches, may act with a nobility, a generosity, and self-denial that should make them an inspiring model to other Churches. We consider in what Wf!.'J;S the. Mace- donia.us became a model to the Corinthians. • • • '· I. A MODEL AS THE OBJECTS OF DIVINE GBACE . . 11 We' do you to wit_ of the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia." . By " grace" here we are t? under- stand the special favour of God, and the precise" gifts" with which they 'were endowed. The disposition and the power to give is to be regarded as a divinely bestowed talent or trust, and as a special sign of the Divine favour .. The gift of benevolence, charity,, generosity, is as truly a Divine trust or bestowment as the gift of healing, of preaching, or of tongues. And, like a.11 other Divine gifts, it is dependent) on recipiency, pre- paredness to !lse such gifts aright. Divine bestowments on Churches are never made at hap-hazard, upon any kind of favouritism, or in the exercise of any so-called •overeignty. Neither Churches nor individuals can get free from the responsibility of being ready t-0 receive. The loving and thoughtful spirit of the Philippia.ns, and the studious openness of the Berreans, and the suffering experiences of the Thessalonians, prepared them to receive this special grace of God unto generosity and brotherly charity. illustrate and impress this point, that nowadays Churches lack "grace " because they are not in attitudes and moods fitting them for its reception. We are not straitened in God, in God's provisions, or in God's willingness, but we are sadly straitened in our- 110lves, in our unreadiness and unfitness to receive. Of God it is said, "He giveth more grace;" but of us it must be said, "Ye have not because ye ask not, or because ye ask amiss.'' illustrating how God delays his bestowments until there is the fitting attitude for their reception, the Prophet Hosea (ii. 21, 22) represents God as saying, "It shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear JezreeL n When all uuite to cry for the refreshing rains, then, and only then, shall the windows be opened, and grace in copious showers descend. II. A MODEL .AS BEBPONDJNG TO DrvmE GBACE. For the grace may come, and bo neglected or misused. Compare the expression St. Paul uses concerning; himself(l Cor. xv. 10): "By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which waij bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, oH, viii. 1-24.] 1'HE SECOND EPISTLE 1'0 1'HE CORINTHIANS. 21::i