2. Remark, again, that St. Paul finds the parallel of Christian liberality, not in the literal acts, but in the Spirit of Christ. The liberality asked from the Corinthians, was the giving of money; the liberality of Christ, was the giving of Himself. Literally, there was no resemblance; but the spirit of both acts was the same sacrifice was the law of both. In the act of giving money out of penury, the eagle eye of St. Paul discerns the same root principle the spirit of the Cross which was sacrifice. the essence of the Redeemer's This is the true use of the Life of Christ; it is the spirit of that Life to which we should attain. It is not by saying Christ's words, or by doing Christ's acts, but it is by breathing His spirit, that we become like Him. For "if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Let us observe the feeling with which St. Paul regarded Jesus, as we find it expressed in the ninth verse of this chapter. We cannot but remark how incompatible it is with the Socinian view of Christ's person. The doctrine taught by Socinianism was, that Christ was a mere man. The early followers of this creed held this doctrine on the authority of Scripture. They said, that the Apostles never taught that he was more than man; and they explained away all the passages in which the Apostles seemed to hint at the reverse. But here is a passage which defies misconstruction : "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.' When was Christ rich? Here on earth, never: He whose cradle was a manger, and for whom the rich provided a grave! There can be but one interpretation of the text. Christ was rich in that glory which He had with His Father before the world. There can be no mistake about what St. Paul thought. We hold this passage to be decisive as to St. Paul's feeling. Nor can you say that this belief in Christ's Divinity was a dogma separable from St. Paul's Christianity; this belief was his Christianity. For the difference between what he was from the hour when he saw his Master in the sky, and what he had previously been, was exactly measured by the difference between the feeling with which he regarded Jesus, when he considered Him as an impostor to be crushed, and the feeling in which he devoted all the energies of his glorious nature to Him as his Lord and his God, whom to serve he felt was alone blessedness. 3. Again, in St. Paul's spirit of entreaty, we remark the desire of reciprocity (ver. 13, 14, 15). It might have been supposed that because St. Paul was a Jew, he was therefore anxious for his Jewish brethren; and that in urging the Corinthians to give liberally, even out of their poverty, he forgot the unfairness of the request, and was satisfied so long as only the Jews were relieved it mattered not at whose expense. But, in answer to such a supposed reproach, the Apostle says, "I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burden- . ed" but I desire an equality, I ask that the rich may equalize his possessions with the poor. This is now a remarkable expression, because it is the watchword of Socialists. They cry out for equality in circumstances; and the Apostle says, "Let there be equality of circumstances." It is worth while to think of this. The principle laid down is, that the abundance of the rich is intended for the supply of the poor; and the illustration of the principle is drawn from a miracle in the wilderness: "As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over: and he that had gathered little had no lack." Here, then, in the wilderness, by a miraculous arrangement, if any one through greediness gathered more manna than enough, it bred worms, and became offensive; and if through weakness, or deep sorrow, or pain, any were prevented from collecting enough, still what they had collected was found to be sufficient. In this miracle, St. Paul perceives a great universal principle of human life. God has given to every man a certain capacity and a certain power of enjoyment. Beyond that he cannot find delight. Whatsoever he heaps or hoards beyond that, is not enjoyment, but disquiet. For example: If a man monopolizes to himself rest which should be shared by others, the result is unrest the weariness of one on whom time hangs heavily. Again, if a man piles up wealth, all beyond a certain point becomes disquiet. Thus thought St. James: "Your gold and silver is cankered." You cannot escape the stringency of that law; he that gathereth much, hath nothing over. How strangely true is that old miracle! How well life teaches us that whatever is beyond enough breeds worms, and becomes offensive! We can now understand why the Apostle desired equality, and what that equality was which he desired. Equality with him meant reciprocation — the feeling of a true and loving brotherhood; which makes each man feel, "My superabundance is not mine; it is another's not to be taken by force, or wrung from me by law, but to be given freely by the law of love. After Observe, then, how Christianity would soon solve all questions. Take as instances: What are the rights of the poor ? What are the duties of the rich? how much does possession become superabundance ? When has a man gathered too much? You cannot answer these questions by any science. Socialism cannot do it. Revolutions will try to do it, but they will only take from the rich and give to the poor; so that the poor become rich, and the rich poor, and we have inequality back again. But give us the Spirit of Christ. Let us all become Christians. Let us love as Christ loved. Give us the spirit of sacrifice which the early Church had, when no man said that ought of the things he possessed was his own; then each man's own heart will decide what is meant by gathering too much, and what is meant by Christian equality. We shall answer all such questions when we comprehend the principle of this appeal: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." LECTURE LIV. MARCII, 1853. 2 CORINTHIANS, viii. 16-24. "But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind: - Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:- Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. — And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. - Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ. Wherefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf." 2 CORINTHIANS, ix. 1 – 15. — “ For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you :- For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. — Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:- (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) — Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. — For the - : administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God ; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men ; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." THE ninth chapter continues the subject of the collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, and with it we shall expound the close of the eighth chapter, which we left unfinished in our last lecture. We take three points for consideration: I. The mode of collecting the contribution. III. The measure of the reward. Í. Mode of collection. St. Paul intrusted this task to three messengers: to Titus, who was himself eager to go; to a Christian brother whom the churches had selected as their almoner; and to another, whose zeal had been tested frequently by St. Paul himself. The reasons for sending these messengers are given in an apologetic explanation. The first was, to give the Corinthians time, in order that the appeal might not come at an inconvenient moment: "I have sent the brethren," writes St. Paul, "lest our boasting of you should be in vain on this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready." Observe the tender wisdom of this proceeding. Every one knows how different is the feeling with which we give when charity is beforehand, from that with which we give when charitable collections come side by side with debts and taxes. The charity which finds us unprepared, is a call as hateful as that of any creditor whom it is hard to pay. St. Paul knew this well - he knew that if the Corinthians were taken unawares, their feelings would be exasperated towards him with shame, and also towards the saints at Jerusalem, to whom they were constrained to give. Therefore, he gave timely notice. |