men. Paul says, that he and his fellow-labourers to be true, and to be in accordance with what he had such views of the truth, and glory, and holi- knows to be right. Conscience is that faculty of ness of the Christian scheme, as to lead them the mind which distinguishes between right and solemnly to abjure and abhor all such dishonest wrong, and which prompts us to choose the fortricks and devices. Truth never needs such arts; mer and avoid the latter. (John viii. 9. Note, and no cause will long succeed by mere trick and Rom. ii. 15. 1 Cor. x. 25, 27-29. 2 Cor. i. 12.) cunning. The hidden things of dishonesty.-Marg. It is implied here, (1.) That a course of life, and "shame." The Greek word most commonly a manner of preaching that shall be free from means shame, or disgrace. The hidden things dishonesty, and art, and trick, will be such as of shame here mean disgraceful conduct; clan- the consciences of men will approve. Paul sought destine and secret arts, which were in themselves such a course of life as should accord with their shameful and disgraceful. They denote all un- sense of right, and thus serve to commend the derhanded dealings; all dishonest artifices and gospel to them. (2.) That the gospel may be so plans, such as were common among the heathen, preached as to be seen by men to be true; so as and such probably as the false teachers adopted to be approved as right; and so that every man's in the propagation of their opinions at Corinth. conscience shall bear testimony to its truth. Men The expression here does not imply that the do not love it, but they may see that it is true: apostles ever had any thing to do with such arts, they may hate it, but they may see that the truth but that they solemnly abjured and abhorred which condemns their practices is from heaven. them. Religion is open, plain, straightforward. It This is an exceedingly important principle in has no alliance with cunning, and trick, and artifice. regard to preaching, and vastly momentous in It should be defended openly, stated clearly, its bearing on the views which ministers should and urged with steady argument. It is a work have of their own work. The gospel is reasonof light, and not of darkness. Not walking in craf- able. It may be seen to be true by every man tiness. Not acting craftily; not behaving in a to whom it is preached. And it should be the crafty manner. The word here used, (πavovoуía, aim of every preacher so to preach it, as to enlist from wav, all, pyov, work, i. e. doing every thing, the consciences of his hearers in his favour. And or capable of doing any thing,) denotes shrewd- it is a very material fact, that when so preached, ness, cunning, and craft. This was common; and the conscience and reason of every man is in its this was probably practised by the false teachers favour, and they know that it is true even when in Corinth. With this, Paul says he had nothing it pronounces their own condemnation, and deto do. He did not adopt a course of carnal wis- nounces their own sins. This passage proves, dom and policy, (Note, chap. i. 12;) he did not therefore, the following things: (1.) That the attempt to impose upon them, or to deceive gospel may be so preached as to be seen to be them, or to make his way by subtle and deceit- true by all men. Men are capable of seeing the ful arts. True religion can never be advanced truth, and even when they do not love it, they by trick and craftiness. Nor handling the word can perceive that it has demonstration that it is of God deceitfully, (coλovvτeç.)—Not falsifying, from God. It is a system so reasonable, so well + or deceitfully corrupting or disguising the truth established by evidence, so fortified by miracles || of God. The phrase seems to be synonymous and the fulfilment of prophecies; so pure in its with that used in chap. ii. 17, and rendered nature, so well adapted to man, so fitted to his rupt the word of God." See Note on that verse. condition, and so well designed to make him It properly means to falsify, adulterate, corrupt, better, and so happy in its influence on society, by Jewish traditions, &c. (Robinson, Bloom- that men may be led to see that it is true. And field, Doddridge, &c.) Or it may mean, as in this I take to be the case with almost all those our translation, to handle in a deceitful manner; who habitually attend on the preaching of the to make use of trick and art in propagating and gospel. Infidels do not often visit the sanctuary; defending it. Tindal renders it, "neither cor- and when they are in the habit of doing it, it is rupt we the word of God." But by manifestation a fact that they gradually come to the conviction of the truth.-By making the truth manifest; i. e. that the Christian religion is true. It is rare to by a simple exhibition of the truth. By stating find professed infidels in our places of worship; || it just as it is, in an undisguised and open man- and the great mass of those who attend on the Not by adulterating it with foreign mix- preaching of the gospel, may be set down as tures; not by mingling it with philosophy, or speculative believers in the truth of Christianity. traditions; not by blunting its edge, or conceal- (2.) The consciences of men are on the side of ing any thing, or explaining it away; but by an truth, and the gospel may be so preached as to open, plain, straightforward exhibition of it as it enlist their consciences in its favour. Conscience is in Jesus. Preaching should consist in a simple prompts to do right, and condemns us if we do exhibition of the truth. There is no deceit in wrong. It can never be made to approve of the gospel itself; and there should be none in the wrong, never to give a man peace if he does manner of exhibiting it. It should consist of a that which he knows to be evil. By no art or simple statement of things as they are. The device; by no system of laws, or bad governwhole design of preaching is to make known the ment; by no training or discipline, can it be truth. And this is done in an effectual manner made the advocate of sin. In all lands, at all only when it is simple, open, undisguised, with- times, and in all circumstances, it prompts a man out craft, and without deceit. Commending our- to do what is right, and condemns him if he does selves to every man's conscience.-That is, SO wrong. It may be silenced for a time; it may be j¦ speaking the truth, that every man's conscience" seared as with a hot iron," and for a time be shall approve it as true; every man shall see it insensible, but if it speak at all, it speaks to

ner.

cor

poses it means the brightness, or clearness, of the doctrine wherein Christ is manifested in the gospel. It is all light, and splendour, and beauty, compared with the dark systems of philosophy and heathenism. It is glorious, for it is full of splendour; makes known the glorious God; discloses a glorious plan of salvation; and conducts ignorant, weak, and degraded man to a world of light. No two words in our language are so full of rich and precious meaning, as the phrase "glorious gospel." Who is the image of God.Christ is called the image of God, (1.) In respect to his divine nature, his exact resemblance to God in his divine attributes and perfections. See Col. i. 15, and Heb. i. 3; and, (2.) In his moral attributes as Mediator, as showing forth the glory of the Father to men. He resembles God, and in him we see the divine glory and perfections embodied, and shine forth. It is from his resemblance to God in all respects that he is called his image; and it is through him that the divine perfections are made known to men. It is an object of especial dislike and hatred to Satan that the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on men, and fill their hearts. Satan hates that image; he hates that men should become like God; and he hates all that has a resemblance to the great and glorious Jehovah.

VER. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

placed directly before us, and are placed directly between us and the glory of the gospel. And the trifles of wealth and of fashion; the objects of pleasure and ambition, are made to assume an importance in view of the mind which wholly excludes the glory of the gospel, and shuts out all the realities of the eternal world. And he does it, (e) By the blinding influence of passion and vice. Before a vicious mind all is dark and obscure. There is no beauty in truth, in chastity, or honesty, or in the fear and love of God. Vice always renders the mind blind, and the heart hard, and shrouds every thing in the moral world in midnight. And in order to blind the minds of men to the glory of the gospel, Satan has only to place splendid schemes of speculation before men; to tempt them to climb the steeps of ambition; to entice them to scenes of gaiety; to secure the erection of theatres, and gamblinghouses, and houses of infamy and pollution; to fill the cities and towns of a land with taverns and dram-shops; and to give opportunity every where for the full play and unrestrained indulgence of passion; and the glory of the gospel will be as effectually unseen as the glory of the sun is in the darkest night. Lest the light, &c.This passage states the design for which Satan blinds the minds of men. It is because he hates the gospel, and wishes to prevent its influence and spread in the world. Satan has always hated and opposed it, and all his arts have been employed to arrest its diffusion on earth. The word "light" here means excellence, beauty, or splendour. Light is the emblem of knowledge, purity, or innocence; and is here and elsewhere For we preach not ourselves.-The connexion applied to the gospel, because it removes the here is not very apparent, and the design of this errors, and sins, and wretchedness of men, as verse has been variously understood. The conthe light of the sun scatters the shades of night. nexion seems to me to be this. Paul gives here This purpose of preventing the light of the gos- a reason for what he had said in the previous pel shining on men, Satan will endeavour to ac- parts of the espistle respecting his conduct in the complish by all the means in his power. It is ministry. He had said that his course had been his grand object in this world, because it is by open, and pure, and free from all dishonest arts the gospel only that man can be saved; by that and tricks, and that he had not corrupted the word that God is glorified on earth more than by any of God, or resorted to any artifice to accomplish thing else; and because, therefore, if he can his designs. (Chap. ii. 17; iv. 1, 2.) The reason prevent sinners from embracing that, he will of this he here says is, that he had not preached secure their destruction, and most effectually himself, or sought to answer his own interest. show his hatred of God. And it is to Satan a He regarded himself as sent to make known a matter of little importance what men may be, or Saviour; himself as bound by all means to proare, provided they are not Christians. They mote his cause, and to imitate him. Other men may be amiable, moral, accomplished, rich, ho- -the false teachers, and the cunning priests of noured, esteemed by the world, because in the the heathen religion-sought to advance their own possession of all these he may be equally sure of interest, and to perpetuate a system of delusion their ruin; and because, also, these things may that would be profitable to themselves; and they contribute somewhat to turn away their minds therefore resorted to all arts, and stratagems, and from the gospel. Satan, therefore, will not op- cunning devices to perpetuate their authority, and pose plans of gain or ambition; he will not extend their influence. But the fact that Paul oppose purposes of fashion and amusement; he and his associates went forth to make known the may not oppose schemes by which we desire to Lord Jesus, was a reason why they avoided all rise in the world; he will not oppose the theatre, such dishonest arts and artifices. "We are the ball-room, the dance, or the song; he will merely the ambassadors of another. We are not not oppose thoughtless mirth; but the moment principals in this business, and do not despatch it the gospel begins to shine on the benighted as a business of our own, but we transact it as mind, that moment he will make resistance, and the agents for another, i. e. for the Lord Jesus, then all his power will be concentrated. The and we feel ourselves bound, therefore, to do it glorious gospel-Gr. "The gospel of the glory of as he would have done it himself; and as he was Christ," a Hebraism for the glorious gospel. free from all trick, and dishonest art, we feel Mr. Locke renders it, "the glorious brightness bound to be also." This seems to me to be the of the light of the gospel of Christ," and sup-design of this passage. Ministers may be said to

preach themselves in the following ways. (1.) sential to their success in all their attempts to When their preaching has a primary reference convert the Jews: and to do this will be no less to their own interest; and when they engage in important in all attempts to bring the Jews now it to advance their reputation, or to secure in or in future times to the knowledge of the truth. some way their own advantage. When they aim No man can be successful among them who is at exalting their authority, extending their in- not able to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. It fluence, or in any way promoting their own wel- is not indeed so vital and leading a point now in fare. (2.) When they proclaim their own opin- reference to those to whom the ministers of the ions and not the gospel of Christ; when they de- gospel usually preach; and it is probable that the rive their doctrines from their own reasonings, importance of this argument is by many overand not from the Bible. (3.) When they put looked, and that it is not urged as it should be l themselves forward, speak much of themselves; by those who "preach Jesus the Lord." It in- | refer often to themselves; are vain of their powers volves the whole argument for the truth of Chrisof reasoning, of their eloquence, and of their tianity. It leads to all the demonstrations that learning, and seek to make these known rather this religion is from God; and the establishment than the simple truth of the gospel. In one word, of the proposition that Jesus is the Messiah, is' when self is primary, and the gospel is secondary; one of the most direct and certain ways of prov when they prostitute the ministry to gain popu- ing that his religion is from heaven. For (a) It larity; to live a life of ease; to be respected; to contains the argument from the fulfilment of the obtain a livelihood; to gain influence; to rule over prophecies-one of the main evidences of the a people; and to make the preaching of the gos- truth of revelation; and (b) It involves an exapel merely an occasion of advancing themselves mination of all the evidences that Jesus gave that in the world. Such a plan, it is implied here, he was the Messiah sent from God, and of course would lead to dishonest arts and devices, and to an examination of all the miracles that he wrought trick and stratagem to accomplish the end in in attestation of his divine mission. The first view. And it is implied here also, that to avoid object of a preacher, therefore, is to demonstrate all such tricks and arts the true way is not to that Jesus is sent from God in accordance with preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ. But Christ the predictions of the prophets. (2.) To proJesus the Lord. This Paul states to be the only claim the truths that he taught. To make known purpose of the ministry. It is so far the sole de- his sentiments, and his doctrines, and not our own. sign of the ministry that had it not been to make This includes, of course, all that he taught reknown the Lord Jesus, it would never have been specting God, and respecting man; all that established; and whatever other objects are se- he taught respecting his own nature, and the cured by its appointment, and whatever other design of his coming; all that he taught respecting truths are to be illustrated and enforced by the the character of the human heart, and about huministry, yet, if this is not the primary subject, man obligation and duty; all that he taught reand if every other object is not made subservient specting death, the judgment, and eternity-reto this, the design of the ministry is not secured. specting an eternal heaven, and an eternal hell. The word "Christ" properly means the anointed, To explain, enforce, and vindicate his doctrines, i. e. the Messiah, the anointed of God for this is one great design of the ministry; and were great office, (see Note, Matt. i. 1;) but it is used there nothing else, this would be a field sufficiin the New Testament as a proper name, the ently ample to employ the life, sufficiently gloname that was appropriate to Jesus. Still it may rious to employ the best talents of man. The be used with a reference to the fact of the Mes- minister of the gospel is to teach the sentiments siahship, and not merely as a proper name, and and doctrines of Jesus Christ, in contradistinction in this place it may mean that they preached Jesus from all his own sentiments, and from all the as the Messiah, or the Christ, and defended his doctrines of mere philosophy. He is not to teach claims to that high appointment. The word science, or mere morals, but he is to proclaim "Lord" also is used to designate him, (Mark and defend the doctrines of the Redeemer. (3.) xi. 3. John xx. 25 ;) and when it stands by itself He is to make known the facts of the Saviour's in the New Testament, it denotes the Lord Jesus, life. He is to show how he lived; to hold up his (Note, Acts i. 24;) but it properly denotes one example in all the trying circumstances in which who has rule or authority, or proprietorship; and he was placed. For he came to show by his life it is used here not merely as a part of the appro- what the law required, and to show how men priate title of the Saviour, but with reference to should live. And it is the office of the Christian the fact that he had the supreme headship, or ministry, or a part of their work in preaching lordship over the church and the world. This "Christ Jesus the Lord," to show how he lived, important passage, therefore, means, that they and to set forth his self-denial, bis meekness, his made it their sole business to make known Jesus purity, his blameless life, his spirit of prayer, his the Messiah, or the Christ, as the supreme head submission to the Divine will, his patience in sufand Lord of people; i. e. to set forth the Messiah-fering, his forgiveness of his enemies, his tendership and the Lordship of Jesus of Nazareth, appointed to these high offices by God. To do this, or to preach Jesus Christ the Lord, implies the following things. (1.) To prove that he is the Messiah so often predicted in the Old Testament, and so long expected by the Jewish people. To do this was a very vital part of the work of the ministry in the time of the apostles, and was es

ness to the afflicted, the weak, and the tempted; and the manner of his death. Were this all, it would be enough to employ the whole of a minister's life, and to command the best talents of the world. For he was the only perfectly pure model; and his example is to be followed by all his people, and his example is designed to exert a deep and wide influence on the world. Piety flourishes