When these words were written, the soul of the Apostle was evidently stirred within him, by various and conflicting emotions; in which, however, the spirit of love was manifestly predominant. In his former epistle to the Corinthian Church, he had been compelled to speak of strife, and envyings, and divisions, and other outbreakings of the carnal mind; and to threaten that he would come among them; and know, not only the speech but the power, of them that were swelling, with factious insolence, against him that had begotten them in the Lord. He had to ask the children who were given to Him, What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod; or in love, and with the spirit of meekness'? And, worse than all, he had to speak of impurities, such as had never once been named, even among the Gentiles ; such as called upon him to deliver the transgressor unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh; that the spirit might be saved, in the day of the Lord Jesus 2. But now the time was come, when the rod might be cast aside, and the Spirit of meekness might rule alone, and Satan should have no part or lot in the correction of the offending brother. The word of authority had effectually done its office; or, if it had not altogether silenced the gainsayers, it, at least, had done enough to impel the Apostle to exclaim, with reference to this, and other victories, Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. And, as to the incestuous man, the danger now was, not lest he should infect the Church with the deadly leprosy of his example ; but lest he should, himself, be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow for his crime. And, if any man will meditate upon the words in which the Apostle sheds the healing balm upon the wounded hearts of his repenting children, he will see what it is for a human soul to be under the guidance of the spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound mind. For they are words of courtesy, such as might almost become them that are clothed in soft raiment, and 1 1 Cor. iv. 21. 2 Ibid. ch. v. 1-5. |