2 Corinthians 12:7-10

(7) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (8) For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It would lead into a very extensive subject of enquiry, and after all be only matter of conjecture, what this sharp exercise of the Apostle consisted in. Some have thought, that by a thorn in the flesh, is meant heavy sickness of the body. Others, the lusts of the flesh, corruptions, temptations to uncleanness, and the like, and which are in the fullest and most grievous sense of the word, thorns in the flesh. And some have thought that in the latter days of the Apostle, he had an impediment in his speech, and which mightily afflicted him, because he could not speak of the glories of Christ with that eloquence as heretofore. And from what Paul himself hath said in this same Epistle, it is very probable that he was so afflicted. See chapter 10:10 (2 Corinthians 10:10 ). Others accept the words in their literal sense, and conclude that this messenger of Satan acted upon Paul as he had upon Job, personally tempting and buffeting the Apostle. But the Holy Ghost is silent upon the subject of what nature the affliction was, only relating enough to shew, that it bore hard upon Paul, to compel him to fly to Christ. And also observing, (and which is highly important to regard,) that the permission of this exercise was, lest from the abundance of revelations with which Paul was blessed, temptations of a different nature, to induce spiritual pride, might arise.

Reader! before we proceed, let us pause over this view. Here is an Apostle of Christ brought under humbling providences of very sore temptations, lest from an abundance of grace, his mind should be lifted up with a supposed excellency in himself, as if his merit, and not grace alone, was the sole cause of the distinguishing mercy. And doth it not teach us, among other blessed things, to form those profitable conclusions, and which, under grace, may be highly improved. As first, that where the Lord gives great grace, there may be expected in the same persons, great occasions for the exercise of it. Grace and corruption are near neighbors, and dwell close together. A child of God, when regenerated, is holy altogether in spirit, while in body altogether sinful; hereby sin appears more clearly what it is, exceeding sinful. Hence many of God's dear children, which have large portions of grace, have large portions of corruptions, which need the Lord's grace to keep under. And blessed, yea, very blessed it is, when a child of God feels the aboundings of indwelling sin, to feel also the more abounding manifestations of grace, that sin shall not have dominion over him!

Secondly. Nothing under the influence of God the Spirit; tends so effectually to keep open a constant spring of true sorrow in the soul, as a constant sense of those thorns in the flesh, in the remains of indwelling corruption. Self loathing, and self abhorring, are sweet tokens of holy mourning. A man will go softly all his day, as long as those thorns goad and prick him. The Lord's account of his people, under those humbling circumstances, is very striking: And there shall ye remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled: and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed: and ye shall know that I am the Lord, Ezekiel 20:43-44 .

And, thirdly, as a very blessed property which springs out of those thorny dispensations, nothing can operate so effectually, under the Lord's grace, to hide pride from the eyes, and to throw to the ground every budding forth of self-righteousness, as the conscious sense of daily infirmity. Reader! depend upon it, nothing is more odious in the sight of God, than when dust and ashes become proud. When a child of God is tempted, after many humblings, by reason of sin, yet still to take up with the supposed idea of somewhat good in him. This dreadful weed, which is the very ground-sill of our nature, planted by the devil, is rooted in our very inmost affections. And the humblest of God's people too often discover, when grace enables them to discern spiritually, the buddings forth again and again of the baleful blossom. Now, it is the Lord's mercy, when, like Paul, lest there should be an exalting above measure, a thorn in the flesh breaks out afresh.

And what is infinitely above all; fourthly, and lastly, let me observe, nothing preacheth Christ in his Person, glory, and absolute necessity, as when from messengers of Satan, and thorns in the flesh, my soul daily feels my whole need of Jesus. Oh! how precious Christ is, when the enemy cometh in like a flood? Oh! who knows the value, the infinitely precious value of Christ, but he who feels most his utterly lost estate without him. Reader! what are your views of these things?

The earliest cry of Paul, and the repeated cry of thrice, and, no doubt, with great vehemency, may best serve to shew how the affliction pressed upon him. But what I particularly desire the Reader not to overlook, is, that the cries were directed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul remembered how Jesus delivered his people from the influence and dominion of Satan, when He was upon earth, and, therefore, to Him he looked for deliverance now He was in heaven. Sweet is it to learn from hence, how specially and personally Jesus little ones are to look to Him under their temptations. He who was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, knows in his own experience what temptations are, and how to succor the tempted. And; as an angel was sent to Christ, in his unequalled hours of sorrow; so will He impart all suited strength to the sorrows of his tempted people, Matthew 4:11 ; Luke 22:43 ; Hebrews 2:14-18 . Christ's answer to the Apostle, upon this occasion, is most blessed, full, sufficient, and abundantly satisfactory. And what is never to be lost sight of, this answer, though addressed to Paul for the moment of his immediate necessity, is as much in reality said to every child of God, under similar circumstances of exercise and trial, and equally to be brought into use by the whole redeemed family. It is as if Jesus said to you, to me, to each, to all, my grace is sufficient for thee; meaning, that there is a sufficiency of grace laid up for each and for all, and always ready to be given out in the very moment of need. Christ's grace is in exact correspondence to the want of each. It is laid up for that child from everlasting. It is, as if Jesus said, I foresaw the very portion which would be required, and have kept it, and do keep it, for the time foreseen, and provided for! Our Jesus is El-shaddai, God all-sufficient. And his mercies are mediator-mercies, that is God-man mercies. His Godhead providing an everlasting fulness of supply. And his Manhood sweetly assimulating them to our special joy and comfort, coming also from and through, and in a nature like our own. My grace, my mediator-grace is sufficient for thee! And both the occasion for the display of it, and the opportunity for the magnifying of it are in exact proportion to the precise wants of my people, my strength becoming the more conspicuous to their view in their creature-weakness. Reader! pause over those gracious words of Christ, and may the Lord give both to Writer and Reader of this Poor Man's Commentary unceasing evidences of their sweet application upon every occasion of their exercises.