THE apostle was cast down and disquiet in his spirit. Death in its direst form, affliction in its bitterest, had been before him. As to the first, God had delivered “from so great a death” (2 Cor. 1:1-101Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:1‑10)); as to the latter, the church in Corinth, which had dishonored Christ’s name, and had despised His servant, had been restored to the principles of holiness. But Paul had been terribly weighed down with anxiety; he was a man as well as an apostle, and he gives expression to the feelings of his heart.
Such was the pressure of the distress upon him that when he went to Troas, even though a door stood open for his entry, yet since Titus had not arrived his heart was so tried that he could not rest, but “went from thence into Macedonia” (ch. 2:13). At this juncture, even when he was cast down, he lifted up his soul in the sense of the glory of the gospel, and gave forth one of the most remarkable of the illustrations of its majesty.
He had himself seen, we cannot doubt, the victorious general entering the Roman city in triumph. Before him went the prisoners—some appointed to death, some to life and liberty; in front of his car the incense bearers walked, dispersing abroad sweet odors; after the general came the joyous troops. The people lined the way, the opened temples gave forth incense to the gods―all was glory, the result of victory. The apostle seized upon this figure of the triumphal march, and used it as an illustration of the glory of the gospel. God in Christ led the triumph, and in victory the apostle and his co-workers passed on their way, the gospel itself being like the incense―a sweet savor to God; and the world and its people like the captives before the victor―appointed whether to death or to life (vs. 14 to 16).
Should the heart of any gospel worker be discouraged, let him, in company with the apostle, place himself among the triumphant army. True, the place may be that of but a private soldier; but be that as it may, God in Christ leads as in the triumph, however humble our place may be. Christ is Victor. Before Him, risen from the dead, the captive world proceeds to His judgment seat, while the sweet savor of His name, whether of Saviour or of fudge, ever arises to God as His servants tell it forth.
Preach Christ, speak of Him, and whether men will hear and live, or whether men will be deaf and perish, ever and always the savor of the name of Jesus is sweet to God. Let sorrows and defection occur in the Church, let the world despise the gospel and persecute its preachers, let the pressure of trial east down the faithful hearted, beyond and above these things there is victory in the Victor, triumph in the triumphant Lord, to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
The glory of the gospel should fill our hearts, but if any be cast down, let them encourage themselves in remembering that even Paul the apostle was now and again overwhelmed in spirit. However, he derived fresh strength and energy from the contemplation of the very gospel he preached. Let then its glory and majesty fill the heart. Soon the triumph of Christ will be present. “Yet a little while and He that shall come, wilt come, and will not tarry.”