The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 236

Paul was deeply Interested in o. collection, which be set on foot throughout the Churches ho had founded, on behalf of the poor saints at Jerusalem, and his last journey to the holy cit.y was occasioned by his earnest desire to present these "alms and offerin<rs of the Gentiles" with his own hands to the apostles ancl elders. This text is dir;ct\y connected with the matter of money, of Christian giving for Christian uses, which wo properly regard as still one of the first duties, as it is certainly one of the hi"hcst privileges, of the Christian Church. St. Paul had been boasting in other places of the willingness, the heartiness, and the liberality of the Church at Corinth; but in conse- quence, perhaps, of the interruption of his relations with them, he feared that they would hardly come up to the account which, in his trustfulness, he had given of them. He therefore sent on before him collectors, who were to gather their stored gifts too-ether, 0 and he reminds them again of those considerations by which he had already ur"ed them to a noble liberality. "Give," he says, "according to the generons purposi;:;.gs of the heart that is made tender and thankful by the sense of God's saving love. Remember,• he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.' Let rour giving be a • matter of bounty, not as of covetousness.' ' God loveth a cheerful giver.' And God is able to give all temporal good. to you, so that, having sufficiency for all your own needs, you yet may be able to distribute generously. .And did not the Lord Jesus lay down for all his people this most comprehensive principle, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'? And did he not illustrate, in his own uttermost self-sacrifice, the glory of his own great principle? Verily the beatitude of God rests on those who give I" This is the first connection of the passage before us, but it broadens its reach beyond the money and the giving. It covers and hallows all the features and expres- sions of our religious life. Wheresoever we may be, whatsoever we may have to do, whensoever needs arise, the sound of this assurance comes to us, quieting all fears, ancl stilling the heart to peace and rest. There is a gracious power in the word "all," repeated as it is again and again in the verse. The word seems designed to drive a.wa:i, every lingering doubt. "All grace," "all sufficiency,'' "all good.'' I. Goo's ABILITY, Al<"D ITS CONDITION. Nothing that is not an absurdity in the statement is beyond God's power. Much has been made of the contention that God cannot put two things into the same place at the same time, or that he cannot make the addition of two and two make five,-_or make two parallel lines ever meet. But, in view of ;the essential conditions of human thought and human language, these things are absurdities, and not impossibilities; and it is no limitation of the Divine omnipo- tence to say that God cannot do what is absurd in the very statement. "He is able." We ftiel the truth of this in th~ world.of nature. Sky and earth and sea proclaim that he is " able.'' Who can listen. to the wild storm, hear the mighty winds bowing foe great trees, and the thunder-echoes rolling from hill to hill, and the breakers plunging against the .guardian cliffs, and not reverently say, " He is able"? Who can feel how the gentle spring sunshine. warms the .wintry air and the chilled ground, tenderly touching.,ev~ry life-germ in bud anq. seed and plant, and wakening life and hope a.nu lieauty all around, and not lovingly say, "Verily thou art able"? "0 spirit of the strong things and the gentle, thou art able.'' llut nature is outside us. \Ve may watch the omnipotent workings, but we want to ask this: "Do we come within the all-powerful grasp?" Admit all we may about our "free-will," nevertheless, of ourselves, of body, soul, circumstances, can we say, "Ho is able"? Yes; in him we" live, and move, and have our being." Our circumstances are his overruling. Our souls are his inbreathing. He in whom we trust can do all thin~s. We are continually crnshed by being compelled to say," I cannot;" but tbe feeble limited creature steadies its tremblings by leaning ou One who can. "'rhen Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee," But we long to know this-\Vhat ~an the almighty God really be to us? Cau he come right iuto the spheres ..of our hfe a.nu work? and is he able to make all grace abound to us there? Can he supply all our need out of his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"? Into the shadow of his fatherhood may we run, since our" heavenly Father kuoweth what t_hings we have ne_ed of beforo we ask him"? '!'bat is the ability of God concerning which we need to gam such deep and satisfying impressions. As a. redeemed son of his, is he able to fiu,1 all the grnce  236 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [on. 1x. 1-16.