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valley they may pray, and commend us to God, but even they must leave us to die alone. Who but God can attend us? Who but he can support us then? (c) God only knows what is beyond death. How do we know the way to his bar, to his presence, to his heaven? How can we direct our own steps in that dark and unknown world? None but God our Saviour can guide us there; none else can conduct us to his abode. (d) None but God can sustain us in the pain, the anguish, the feebleness, the sinking of the powers of body and of mind in that distressing hour. He can uphold us then; and it is an unspeakable privilege to be permitted then, "when heart and flesh faint," to say of him, " God is the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever." (Ps. lxxiii. 26.)

(12.) We should regard a restoration from dangerous sickness, and from imminent peril of death, as a kind of resurrection. So Paul regarded it. (Ver. 9.) We should remember how easy it would have been for God to have removed us; how rapidly we were tending to the grave; how certainly we should have descended there but for his interposition. We should feel, therefore, that we owe our lives to him as really and entirely as though we had been raised up from the dead; and that the same kind of power and goodness have been evinced as would have been had God given us life anew. Life is God's gift; and every instance of recovery from peril, or from dangerous illness, is as really an interposition of his mercy as though we had been raised up from the dead.

(13.) We should, in like manner, regard a restoration of our friends from dangerous sickness, or peril of any kind, as a species of resurrection from the dead. When a parent, a husband, a wife, or a child has been dangerously ill, or exposed to some imminent danger, and has been recovered, we cannot but feel that the recovery is entirely owing to the interposition of God. With infinite ease he could have consigned them to the grave; and had he not mercifully interposed, they would have died. As they were originally his gift to us, so we should regard each interposition of that kind as a new gift, and receive the recovered and restored friend as a fresh gift from his hand.

(14.) We should feel that lives thus preserved and thus recovered from danger, belong to God. He has preserved them. In the most absolute sense they belong to him, and to him they should be consecrated. So Paul felt; and his whole life shows how entirely he regarded himself as bound to devote a life often preserved in the midst of peril, to the service of his kind Benefactor. There is no claim more absolute than that which God has on those whom he has preserved from dangerous situations, or whom he has raised up from the borders of the grave. All the strength which he has imparted, all the talent, learning, skill, which he has thus preserved, should be regarded in the most absolute sense as his, and should be honestly and entirely consecrated to him. But for him we should have died; and he has a right to our services and obedience which is entire, and which should be felt to be perpetual. And it may be added,

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that the right is not less clear and strong to the service of those whom he keeps without their being exposed to such peril, or raised up from such beds of sickness. A very few only of the interpositions of God in our behalf are seen by us. A small part of the perils to which we may be really exposed are seen. And it is no less owing to his preserving care that we are kept in health, and strength, and in the enjoyment of reason, than it is that we are raised up from dangerous sickness. Man is as much bound to devote himself to God for preserving him from sickness and danger, as he is for raising him up when he has been sick, and defending him in danger.

(15.) We have here an instance of the principle on which Paul acted. (Ver. 12.) In his aims, and in the manner of accomplishing his aims, he was guided only by the principles of simplicity and sincerity, and by the grace of God. He had no sinister and worldly purpose; he had no crooked and subtle policy by which to accomplish his purposes. He sought simply the glory of God and the salvation of man; and he sought this in a manner plain, direct, honest, and straight-forward. He admitted none of the principles of worldly policy which have been so often acted on since in the church; he knew i nothing of "pious frauds," which have so often disgraced the professed friends of the Redeemer: he admitted no form of deception and delusion, even for the promotion of objects which were great, and good, and desirable. He knew that all that ought to be done could be accomplished by straight-forward and simple-hearted purposes: and that a cause which depended on the carnal and crooked policy of the world was a bad cause: and that such policy would ultimately ruin the. best of causes. How happy would it have beea if these views had always prevailed in the | church!

(16.) We see the value of a good conscience. (Ver. 12.) Paul had the testimony of an enlightened conscience to the correctness and uprightness of his course of life every where. He felt assured that his aims had been right; and that he had endeavoured, in all simplicity and sincerity, to pursue a course of life which such a conscience would approve. Such a testimony, such an approving conscience, is of inestimable value. It is worth more than gold, and crownIS, and all that the earth can give. When, like Paul, we are exposed to peril, or trial, or calamity, it matters little, if we have an approving conscience. When, like him, we are persecuted, it matters little, if we have the testimony of our own minds that we have pursued an upright and an honest course of life. When, like him, we look death in the face, and feel that we have the sentence of death in ourselves," of what inestimable value then will be an approving conscience! How unspeakable the consolation, if we can look back then on a life spent in conscious integrity; a life spent in endeavouring to promote the glory of God and the salvation of the world!

(17.) Every Christian should feel himself sacredly bound to maintain a character of veracity. (Ver. 19, 20.) Christ was always true to his

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word; and all that God has promised shall be certainly fulfilled. And as a Christian is a professed follower of Him who was "the amen and the true witness," he should feel himself bound by the most sacred obligations to adhere to all his promises, and to fulfil all his word. No man can do any good who is not a man of truth; and in no way can Christians more dishonour their profession, and injure the cause of the Redeemer, than by a want of character for unimpeachable veracity. If they make promises which are never fulfilled; if they state that as true which is not true; if they overload their narratives with circumstances which had no existence; if they deceive and defraud others; and if they are so loose in their statements that no one believes them, it is impossible for them to do good in their Christian profession. Every Christian should have-as he easily may have-such a character for veracity, that every man shall put implicit confidence in all his promises and statements; so implicit, that they shall deem his word as good as an oath; and his promise as certain as though it were secured by notes and bonds in the most solemn manner. The word of a Christian should need no strengthening by oaths and bonds; it should be such, that it could really not be strengthened by any thing that notes and bonds could add to it.

(18.) All Christians should regard themselves as consecrated to God. (Ver. 21.) They have been anointed, or set apart to his service. They should feel that they are as really set apart to his service as the ancient prophets, priests, and kings were to their appropriate offices by the ceremony of anointing. They belong to God, and are under every sacred and solemn obligation to live to him, and him alone.

(19.) It is an inestimable privilege to be a Christian. (Ver. 21, 22.) It is regarded as a privilege to be an heir to an estate, and to have an assurance that it will be ours. But the Christian has an "earnest," a pledge that heaven is his. He is anointed of God; he is sealed for heaven. Heaven is his home; and God is giving to him daily evidence in his own experience that he will soon be admitted to its pure and blissful abodes.

(20.) The joys of the Christian on earth are of the same nature as the joys of heaven. These comforts are an "earnest" of the future inheritance; a part of that which the Christian is to enjoy for ever. His joys on earth are "heaven begun;" and all that is needful to constitute heaven is, that these joys should be expanded and perpetuated. There will be no other heaven than that which would be constituted by the expanded joys of a Christian.

(21.) No one is a Christian, no one is fitted for heaven, who has not such principles and joys as, being fully expanded and developed, would constitute heaven. The joys of heaven are not to be created for us as some new thing; they are not to be such as we have had no foretaste, no conception of; but they are to be such as will be produced of necessity by removing imperfection from the joys and feelings of the believer, and carrying them out without alloy, and without interruption, and without end. The man, there

fore, who has such a character, that if fairly developed would not constitute the joys of heaven, is not a Christian. He has no evidence that he has been born again; and all his joys are fancied and delusive.

(22.) Christians should be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Comp. Eph. iv. 30. It is by that Spirit that they are "anointed" and "sealed," and it is by his influences that they have the earnest of their future inheritance. All good influences on their minds proceed from that Spirit; and it should be their high and constant aim not to grieve him. By no course of conduct, by no conversation, by no impure thought, should they drive that Spirit from their minds. All their peace and joy is dependent on their cherishing his sacred influences; and by all the means in their power they should strive to secure his constant agency on their souls.

CHAPTER 11.

VER. 1. But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness." a Chap. i. 23; xii. 20, 21; xiii. 10.

In this chapter. Paul continues the discussion of the subject which had been introduced in the previous chapter. At the close of that chapter, he had stated the reasons why he had not visited the church at Corinth. See Notes on chap. i. 23, 24. The main reason was, that instead of coming to them in that disordered and irregular state, he had preferred to send them an affectionate letter. Had he come to them personally, he would have felt himself called on to exercise the severity of discipline. He chose, therefore, to try what the effect would be of a faithful and kind epistle. In this chapter, he prosecutes the same subject: he states, therefore, more at length, the reason why he had not come to them. (Ver. 1-5.) The reason was, that he resolved not to come to them, if he could avoid it, with severity; that his heart was pained even with the necessity of sending such a letter; that he wrote it with much anguish of spirit; yet that he cherished towards them the most tender love. In his former epistle, (chap. v.) he had directed them to exercise discipline on the offending person in the church. This had been done according to his direction; and the offender had been suitably punished for his offence. He had been excommunicated; and it would seem that the effect on him had been to induce him to forsake his sin, and probably to put away his father's wife, and he had become a sincere penitent. Paul, therefore, in the next place, (ver. 6—11,) exhorts them to receive him again into fellowship with the church. The punishment, he says, had been sufficient, (ver. 6;) they ought now to be kind and forgiving to him, lest he should be overwhelmed with his sorrow, (ver. 7;) he says, that he had forgiven him, so far as he was concerned, and he entreated them to do the same, (ver. 10;) and says that they ought by all means to pursue such a course that Satan could get no

advantage of them. (Ver. 11.) Paul then states the disappointment which he had had at Troas in not seeing Titus, from whom he had expected to learn what was the state of the church at Corinth, and what was the reception of his letter there; but that not seeing him there, he had gone on to Macedonia. (Ver. 12, 13.) There, it would seem, he met Titus, and learned that his letter had had all the success which he could have desired. It had been kindly received; and all that he had wished in regard to discipline had been performed. (Ver. 14.) The hearing of this success gives him occasion to thank God for it, as one among many instances in which his efforts to advance his cause had been crowned with success. God had made him every where successful; and had made him triumph in Christ in every place. This fact gives him occasion (ver. 15, 16) to state the general effect of his preaching and his labours. His efforts, he says, were always acceptable to God-though he could not be ignorant that in some cases the gospel which he preached was the occasion of the aggravated condemnation of those who heard and rejected it. Yet he had the consolation of reflecting that it was by no fault of his. (Ver. 17.) It was not because he had corrupted the word of God; it was not because he was unfaithful; it was not because he was not sincere. He had a

good conscience-a conscience which assured him that he spoke in sincerity, and as in the sight of God, though the unhappy effect might be, that many would perish from under his ministry.

But I determined this with myself.-I made up my mind on this point; I formed this resolution in regard to my course. That I would not come again to you with heaviness.-In grief, (iv Aúry,) "I would not come, if I could avoid it, in circumstances which must have grieved both me and you. I would not come while there existed among you such irregularities as must have pained my heart, and as must have compelled me to resort to such acts of discipline as would be painful to you. I resolved, therefore, to endeavour to remove these evils before I came, that when I did come, my visit might be mutually agreeable to us both. For that reason, I changed my purpose about visiting you, when I heard of those disorders, and resolved to send an epistle. If that should be successful, then the way would be open for an agreeable visit to you.' This verse, therefore, contains the statement of the principal reason why he had not come to them as he had at first proposed. It was really from no fickleness, but it was from love to them, and a desire that his visit should be mutually agreeable. Comp. Notes, ch. i. 23.

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VER. 2. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

For if I make you sorry." If when I should come among you, I should be called on to inflict sorrow by punishing your offending brethren by an act of severe discipline as soon as I came, who would there be to give me comfort but those very persons whom I had affected with grief? How little prepared would they be to

make me happy, and to comfort me, amidst the deep sorrow which I should have caused by an act of severe discipline! After such an act—an act that would spread sorrow through the whole church, how could I expect that comfort which I should desire to find among you? The whole church would be affected with grief; and though I might be sustained by the sound part of the church, yet my visit would be attended with painful circumstances. I resolved, therefore, to remove all cause of difficulty, if possible, before I came, that my visit might be pleasant to us all." The idea is, that there was such a sympathy between him and them; that he was so attached to them, that he could not expect to be happy unless they were bappy; that though he might be conscious he was only discharging a duty, and that God would sustain him in it, yet that it would mar the pleasure of his visit, and destroy all his anticipated happiness by the general grief.

VER. 3. And I wrote this same unto you, lest, ¦ when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

And I wrote this same unto you.-The words "this same" (TOUTO avrò) refer to what he had written to them in the former epistle, particularly to what he had written in regard to the incestuous person, requiring them to excommunicate him. Probably the expression also includes the commands in his former epistle to reform their conduct in general, and to put away the abuses and evil practices which prevailed in the church there. Lest when I came, &c.-Lest I should be obliged, if I came personally, to exercise the severity of discipline, and thus to diffuse sorrow throughout the entire church. I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice. -Lest I should have grief in the church. Lest the conduct of the church, and the abuses which prevail in it should give me sorrow. I should be grieved with the existence of these evils; and I should be obliged to resort to measures which would be painful to me, and to the whole church. Paul sought to avoid this by persuading them before he came to exercise the discipline themselves, and to put away the evil practices which prevailed among them. Having confidence in you all-Having confidence that this is your general character, that whatever adds to my joy, or promotes my happiness, would give joy to you all. Paul had enemies in Corinth; he knew that there were some there whose minds were alienated from him, and who were endeavouring to do him injury. Yet he did not doubt that it was the general character of the church that they wished him well, and would desire to make him happy; that what would tend to promote his happiness would also promote theirs; and, therefore, that they would be willing to do any thing that would make his visit agreeable to him when he came among them. He was, therefore, persuaded that if he wrote them an affectionate letter, they would listen to his injunctions, that thus all that was painful might be avoided when he came among them.

VER. 4. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

b Chap. xi. 2.

This was one of the best evidences of his great love to them which he could possibly give. It is proof of genuine friendship for another, when we faithfully and affectionately admonish him of the error of his course; it is the highest proof of affection when we do it with tears. It is cruelty to suffer a brother to remain in sin unadmonished; it is cruel to admonish him of it in a harsh, severe, and authoritative tone; but it is proof of tender attachment when we go to him with tears, and entreat him to repent and reform. No man gives higher proof of attachment to another than he who affectionately admonishes him of his sin and danger.

VER. 5. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part that I may not overcharge you all.

c Gal. v. 10.

d Gal. iv. 12.

For out of much affliction.-Possibly Paul's enemies had charged him with being harsh and overbearing. They may have said that there was much needless severity in his letter. He here meets that, and says, that it was with much pain and many tears that he was constrained to write as he did. He was pained at their conduct, and at the necessity which existed for such an epistle. This is an eminently beautiful instance of Paul's kindness of heart, and his susceptibility to tender impressions. The evil conduct of others gives pain to a good man; and the necessity of administering reproof and discipline is often as If any have caused grief.-There is doubtless painful to him who does it, as it is to those who here an allusion to the incestuous person. But are the subjects of it. And anguish of heart.— it is very delicately done. He does not mention The word rendered "anguish" (ovvox") means, him by name. There is not any where an alluproperly, a holding together or shutting up; and sion to his name; nor is it possible now to know then, pressure, distress, anguish-an affliction of it. Is this not a proof that the names of the ofthe heart by which one feels tightened or con- fending brethren in a church should not be put on strained; such a pressure as great grief causes at the records of sessions, and churches, and presthe heart. I wrote unto you with many tears.byteries, to be handed down to posterity? Paul With much weeping and grief that I was constrained to write such a letter. This was an instance of Paul's great tenderness of heart-a trait of character which he uniformly evinced. With all his strength of mind, and all his courage and readiness to face danger. Paul was not ashamed to weep; and especially if he had any occasion of censuring his Christian brethren, or administering discipline. Comp. Phil. iii. 18. Acts xx. 31. This is also a specimen of the manner in which Paul met the faults of his Christian brethren. It was not with bitter denunciation. was not with sarcasm and ridicule. It was not by blazoning those faults abroad to others. It was not with the spirit of rejoicing that they had committed errors, and had been guilty of sin. It was not as if he was glad of the opportunity of administering rebuke, and took pleasure in denunciation and in the language of reproof. All this is often done by others; but Paul pursued a different course. He sent an affectionate letter to the offenders themselves; and he did it with many tears. It was done weeping. Admonition would always be done right if it was done with

tears.

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Discipline would always be right, and would be effectual, if it were administered with

tears.

Any man will receive an admonition kindly, if he who administers it does it weeping; and the heart of an offender will be melted, if he who attempts to reprove him comes to him with tears. How happy would it be if all who attempt to reprove should do it with Paul's spirit. How happy, if all discipline should be administered in the church in his manner. But, we may add, how seldom is this done! How few are there who feel themselves called on to reprove an offending brother, or to charge a brother with heresy or crime, that do it with tears! Not that ye should be grieved. It was not my object to give you pain. But that ye might know the love, &c.

me.

does not here either expressly refer to such a person. He makes his remark general, that it might be as tender and kind to the offending brother as possible. They would know whom he meant, but they had already punished him, as Paul supposed, enough, and now all that he said in regard to him was as tender as possible, and fitted, as much as possible, to conciliate his feelings and allay his grief. He did not harshly charge him with sin; he did not use any abusive or severe epithets; but he gently insinuates that he had caused grief;" he had pained the hearts of his brethren. He hath not grieved me, but in part. He has not particularly offended or grieved He has grieved me only in common with others, and as a part of the church of Christ. All have common cause of grief; and I have no interest in it which is not common to you all. I am but one of a great number who have felt the deepest concern on account of his conduct. That I may not overcharge you all.--That I may not bear hard (Bag) on you all; that I may not accuse you all of having caused me grief. The sense is, "Grief has been produced. I, in common with the church, have been pained, and deeply pained, with the conduct of the individual referred to; and with that of his abettors and friends. But I would not charge the whole church with it; or seem to bear hard on them, or overcharge them with want of zeal for their purity, or unwillingness to remove the evil." They had shown their willingness to correct the evil by promptly removing the offender when he had directed it. The sense of this verse should be connected with the verse that follows; and the idea is, that they had promptly administered sufficient discipline, and that they were not now to be charged severely with having neglected it, Even while Paul said he had been pained and grieved, he had seen occasion not to bear hard on

the whole church, but to be ready to commend them for their promptness in removing the cause of the offence.

VER. 6. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

d Or, censure.

el Cor. v. 4, 5. 1 Tim. v. 20. Sufficient to such a man.-The incestuous person that had been by Paul's direction removed from the church. The object of Paul here is to have him again restored. For that purpose, he says that the punishment which they had inflicted on him was "sufficient." It was, (1.) A suffi cient expression of the evil of the offence, and of the readiness of the church to preserve itself pure; and, (2.) It was a sufficient punishment to the offender. It had accomplished all that he had desired. It had humbled him, and brought him to repentance; and doubtless led him to put away his wife. Comp. Note, 1 Cor. v. 1. As that had been done, it was proper now that he should be again restored to the privileges of the church. No evil would result from such a restoration, and their duty to their penitent brother demanded it. Mr. Locke has remarked that Paul conducts this subject here with very great tenderness and delicacy. The entire passage, (from ver. 5 to ver. 10,) relates solely to this offending brother; yet he never once mentions his name, nor does he mention his crime. He speaks of him only in the soft terms of "such a one,' and "any one:" nor does he use an epithet which would be calculated to wound his feelings, or to transmit his name to posterity, or to communicate it to other churches. So that though this epistle should be read, as Paul doubtless intended, by other churches, and be transmitted to future times, yet no one would ever be acquainted with the name of the individual. How different this from the temper of those who would blazon abroad the names of offenders, or make a permanent record to carry them down with dishonour to posterity! Which was inflicted of many. By the church in its collective capacity. See Note ou 1 Cor. v. 4. Paul had required the church to administer this act of discipline, and they had promptly done it. It is evident that the whole church was concerned in the administration of the act of discipline: as the words "of many," (ἀπὸ τῶν πλείονων,) are not applicable either to a single 64 bishop," or a single minister, or a presbytery, or a bench of elders; nor can they be so regarded, except by a forced and unnatural construction. Paul had directed it to be done by the assembled church, (1 Cor. v. 4,) and this phrase shows that they had followed his instructions. Locke supposes that the phrase means, by the majority." Macknight renders it, " by the greater number." Bloomfield supposes that it means that the " punishment was carried into effect by all." Doddridge paraphrases it, "by the whole body of your society." The expression proves beyond a doubt that the whole body of the society was concerned in the act of the cx communication, and that that is a proper way of administering discipline. Whether it proves, however, that that is the mode which is to be observed in all instances, may admit of a doubt, as the

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So that contrariwise.-On the other hand: on the contrary. That is, instead of continuing the punishment. Since the punishment was sufficient, and has answered all the purpose of bearing your testimony against the offence, and of bringing him to repentance, you ought again to admit him to your communion. Ye ought rather to forgive him.-Rather than continue the pain and disgrace of excommunication. It follows from this, (1.) That the proper time for restoring an offender is only when the punishment has answered the purpose for which it was designed; i. e. has shown the just abhorrence of the church against the sin, and has reformed the offender; and, (2.) That when that is done, the church ought to forgive the offending brother, and adWhen it can mit him again to their fellowship. be ascertained that the punishment has been effectual in reforming him, may depend somewhat on the nature of the offence. In this case, it was sufficiently shown by his putting away his wife, and by the manifestations of sorrow. So in other cases, it may be shown by a man's abandoning a course of sin, and reforming his life. If he has been unjust, by his repairing the evil; if he has been pursuing an unlawful business, by abandoning it; if he has pursued a course of vice, by his forsaking it, and by giving satisfactory evidences of sorrow and reformation, for a period sufficiently long to show his sincerity. The time which will be required in each case, must depend, of course, somewhat on the nature of the offence, the previous character of the individual, the temptations to which he may be exposed, and the disgrace which he may have brought on his Christian calling. It is to be observed, also, that then his restoration is to be regarded as an act of forgiveness, a favour (xaçıoaai, i. e. xáoic, favour, grace) on the part of the church. It is not a matter of justice, or of! claim on his part; for having once dishonoured his calling, he has forfeited his right to a good standing among Christians; but it is a matter of favour, and he should be willing to humble himself before the church, and make suitable acknowledgment for his offences. comfort him.-There is every reason to think that this man became a sincere penitent. he must have been deeply pained at the remembrance of his sin, and the dishonour which he had brought on his profession, as well as at the consequences in which he had been involved. In this deep distress, Paul tells them that they ought to comfort him. They should receive him kindly, as God receives to his favour a penitent sinner. They should not cast out his name as evil; they should not reproach him for his sins; they should not harrow up his recollection of the offence by often referring to it; they

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