The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 232

, Terrible thought I The unspeakable Gift may be rejected I What unspeakablo folly, wbo.t unspeakable guiH, what unspeakable condemnation, must follow !-H. Ver. 8.-" Always." Let us not take our standard of Christian life and experience from our own hearts, or from the customary piety which shows itself around us. The Lard requires imd expects of us constancy-a. life regulated by the steady action of j1l'inciple, il.nd nnimo.tcd daily by faith, hope, and love. Alas! bow many are unsteady in his service I How their light flickers I how their faith wavers! how their conyict(ons and affe?tio1;1s :fluctu~te ! 'l'his is so common that it seems to be regarded as rb.ev1table. Vac1llat1on ancl mcori.stancy are supposed to be not so much sins as very" pai·aonable infirmities." But is constancy, while theoretically right, practically impossible I' When called to maintain a steady tenor of Christian !ile and conduct, may we say, Non possumus1 What s~ys Reason? And what says Holy Writ? I. WE ABK THE QUESTION OF REASON, AS A FA.m JUDGE OF THE NATURE OF THnl"GS. Physical Hfe is maintained in us by certain natural processes which never cease from the mome'nt of birth to the moment of death. The lungs play always, and the heart beats .alw~ys.. We call these automatic movements, as being not dependent on our volition. - 'l'hey continue when we are fast asleep. But moral and spiritual life rises above mere automatism, and requires for its continuance and growth a succession of moral volitions, a steady and well-directed purpose. Now, is this state of the will possible? ·Reason· will ·answer that it is the proper habit of a healthy and vigorous mind. Weak.minds are obstinate 'or 'fickle; dull minds are stolid and monotonous; but tho$e that are strong atJd intelligent have a steady moral pulse, a wise tenacity of pt1rpose,'and a careful balance of temper and will. It is the most rational, healthy, and happy condition of man· to· believe firmly what he believes, and to maintain an ever:i ·tenor of conduct in harmony with his belief. George Herbert is right to praise the .man of constancy, who ' "Doth still, and strongly, good pursue: To God, his neighbours, o.nd himself most true." II. WE A.SK THE QUESTION OF HoLY SCRIPTURE. Does it ad-mit excuses for incon- stancy? or 'does it assume and require that men who believe in God should live to him- always? David said," I have set the Lord always before me." No doubt this is 'absolutely true only of the 1treat Son of David, of whom the Spirit of prophecy spake in the sixteenth, psalm, as St. Peter taught on the day of Pentecost. But of all that was m9st worthy in.the career of the poet-king of Israel this was the sustaining principle; and'of his character this formed the sacred charm, that he consbntly kept his eyes upon God. In great deeps of Sorrow, in dens and caves of the earth, in exile, in peril by the sword, among temptations of ambition, tumults of war, cares of government; in the obscurity of bis youth, in the sudden promotion and the stirring adventures of his early manhood; in all the publicity of his later years, in "that fierce light which beats upon a throne; ''-always aud everywhere the son of Jesse looked to God, and sought to walk in the light of his countenance. Alas! be looked off, and sinned 1trievously. We find no 1ierl'ect example but that of the Man Christ Jesus, the Son of David, who maintained a constant obedience to, ancl therefore a constant com- munion with, God (see John viii. 29; xi. 42). In the midst of incessant occupations arid ·in the face of frequent "contradiction of sinners against himself," he found it ppssible to look always to the Father in hrnvea-, and do always the Father's will. So he knew that the Father heard him always. Now, every one admits that the life of Obrist is, in its priuciples and motives, the supreme model for the life of Christians. Hut the· force of the admission is sadly weakened for any practical purpose by the pre- vailing impression that actual conformity to so perfect a Pattern is not to be expected of any one.- -Let us take the example of a servant of Christ. It will not be disputed that we may and should emulate tho attainments and experience of St. Paul. Now, he had extraordinary vicissitudes in the course of his ministry, and does not conceal from ue the changing·moods of his mind-now depressed o.nd sorrowful, now bold and enthusiustic. But as respects the main current of bis life and service, Paul was, ever nfter his conversion, gloriously consistent. In love to God, in zeal for Jesus, in fidelity to the gospel, in cnre for the Churches, in abhorrence of sin, in esteem of 232 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO 'l'llE CORINTHIANS. [cu. u.. 1-16.