2 Corinthians 7

Notes

Ver. 1. Having therefore an interest in, and in some measure the possession of, all these exceeding great and precious promises, let us, my dear brethren, in a dependence on God's promised grace, and in hopes of his promised glory, by believing applications of Jesus' word, blood, and Spirit, and by careful watchfulness over our hearts and lives, and impartial mortification of our indwelling corruptions, labour to purify ourselves from all uncleanness, drunkenness, intemperance, and other fleshly lusts which render us like to brute beasts; and from all falsehood, pride, malice, and other vices which immediately pollute our souls and render us like devils; and let us press after universal perfection in holiness, under the influence of a holy and filial reverence of God in his greatness, majesty, and mercy.—2. And to return to the point in hand, see that ye receive us faithful ministers into your most cordial affection, embrace the doctrine which we preach in Christ's name, and submit to the authority which we have received from him; for God and your consciences know that we never wronged your persons, characters, or estates, nor ever corrupted your minds by errors, flatteries, or bribes, nor ever overreached you for our own secular advantage. 3. I do not mention these things as if I thought the better part of you had ever reproached us with them; for, as I have already hinted, such is our ardent affection to and entire confidence in most of you, that we could venture our character and life in your hands; and if God did not call us to labour in other places, we could willingly spend and be spent for you, and cheerfully live and die with you, as our beloved and affectionate friends. 4. It is from a tender concern for you that I so plainly warn you against every disorder; and it is from the firm confidence that I have in the generality of you that I so rejoice in and glory of you as my obedient children in Christ; and amidst all my reproaches and sufferings it is an inexpressible comfort to my spirits that things are much better among you than I feared. 5. For when I came in great anxiety from Troas to Macedonia to find Titus, and be by him informed concerning your spiritual estate, the anxiety I felt from not finding him, the fears I had concerning you, and the contests I endured with surrounding adversaries, rendered me for a time restless in both body and mind. 6. But at length our gracious God, the Father of mercies, who always takes a peculiar pleasure in comforting those who are dejected and distressed, greatly comforted me by the seasonable and happy arrival of Titus. 7. Not so much indeed by his safe return as by the delightful accounts of his satisfactory reception among you, and how earnest ye were to comply with the injunctions I sent you, and of your deep lamentations over the offences which had happened among you, and of your affectionate zeal for and regard to my person, character, and authority as an apostle of Christ. 8. For though it was with no small concern that I wrote my former reproofs, and not without great fear lest some might abuse them to their own hurt and the dishonour of Christ, yet, now that they have produced such happy effects, I do not repent the freedom which I used; for though it pained you at first, it nevertheless quickly influenced you to rectify your disorders. 9. I therefore now heartily rejoice, not in your vexation and grief, but that it issued in an ingenuous and sincere repentance for the evils amongst you; for, like true penitents, ye mourned with a self-abasing and heart-broken sense of your sin as against God, and with hatred and humble confession of it, and a full purpose to turn from it to him, by the assistance of his Spirit, and to the glory of his name. Thus, instead of being either provoked or discouraged by my letter, ye were greatly profited by it. 10. For spiritual brokenness of heart like yours, which is produced by apprehensions of the mercy of God in Christ, affects persons with a sense of their sins as committed against God and his law, and works that thorough change of mind, heart, and life which issues in, and gradually prepares for, a complete deliverance from sin and misery, and advancement to perfect and eternal holiness and happiness; and so ye will never need to repent of it, but to rejoice in and bless God for it: but the anxiety, trouble, and vexation of spirit which unregenerate men have on account of their worldly losses and troubles—or on account of apprehended wrath and undoing for their sins, promote spiritual death, prepare for eternal death, and even hasten natural death, by methods more or less violent. 11. But think what blessed fruits demonstrate the gracious and acceptable nature of your repentance; what care and diligence to rectify what was amiss! what concern to manifest your aversion at the least fellowship in sin! what hatred of and warm resentment against everything sinful, and what loathing of yourselves on account of it! what holy awe of God and his righteous judgments! what earnest desire to have your hearts, lives, and church purged from everything sinful, and to perform whatever tends to the glory of God, or your own or others' edification! what holy zeal for the honour of God, and the purity, peace, and order of his church! what holy resentment against yourselves, or the scandalous offenders! Thus ye have manifested that your hearts are purged by the blood of Christ, and that as a church ye are no more chargeable with your former disorders. 12. This cannot but exceedingly delight me; for though I wrote unto you with some sharpness, particularly about the incestuous person, I did it from no angry resentment at him, or partial regard to his father, who had been so horribly injured; nor was it barely to reclaim the one and do justice to the other, but principally from a deep concern that God and Christ might be honoured, and your church preserved from that infection and reproach which his continuance among you might have occasioned. 13. We were therefore greatly refreshed to hear that, for your own peace and comfort, ye had in an orderly manner excommunicated that heinous transgressor, and rectified your other disorders, and to find that Titus, your most affectionate friend, had been so greatly revived, cheered, and delighted with your reformation and Christian behaviour. 14. And as I always in the greatest sincerity preached to you the pure truths of the gospel, I am now extremely glad that your conduct hath answered to the high commendations which I had given of you to Titus; 15. Whose very heart and bowels of love are warmed as often as he thinks on your ready obedience to my injunctions, and on my deep concern that he might not meet with anything to grieve his spirits in any contempt of his faithful, kind, and tender advices to you. 16. It is therefore an inexpressible pleasure to me that, instead of being disappointed in my expectations concerning you, I have now further evidence that ye will pay a dutiful respect to my character, and religious regard to my apostolic injunctions, when I shall be permitted to visit you.

Ver. 10. Godly sorrow is so called because it is commanded by God, Joel 2. 13: it is wrought by his Spirit, and it has authority, mercy, and glory for its object.—Sorrow of the world. Such as arises from a sense of the injury that worldly men have done to themselves—to their peace of mind, their reputation, their health, or their property: and not from any regard to the law they have violated, or the God they have denied, Ps. 14.1; Tit. 1. 16. C.

Reflections.—Gospel promises afford abundant assistance and encouragement for daily progress in true holiness of heart and life. With boldness and freedom may ministers deliver their messages and bear their troubles when their hearers cannot but attest their integrity and disinterested concern for their spiritual welfare. But it is painful to be obliged to distress those whom we wish to comfort. And it is a great honour to Christians when they are manifestly and evangelically penitent for their sins, and are an honour to Christ and comfort to his ministers.