Smyrna times., 1898-05-25
PAULS "THORN IN THE FLESH"
Notes OF a Sermon By Rev. c. A. Hill.

Rev. G. A. Hill, pastor of Asbury NJ.
E. Church, whose sermons are all of
absor bing interest, preached Sunday
morning on much mOOted question
The Thorn in the Flesh'-which was
the sore experience of the Apostle
Paul, and which has been a great puz-
zle to divines, as much so, perhaps, as
any passage in the bible, if we NAV
Judge from the various conclusions
reached. The preacher who has not
dwelt on this subject at sometime of
his pastOrate, is the exception. and
they vary as much to what was Paul's
''thOrn in the flesh, " as do the learned
commentators.
The passage is from II Corinthians,
xii, 7th: ''And lest l should be exalted
above measure through the abundance
of the revelations, there was given to
me thorn in the flesh, the messenger
OF Satan to buffet me, lest I shOuld be
exalted above measure"
He took up the various theories as
advanced by various writer's, and said
in part:
The thorn was some great personal
atfilctlOn. 1t was in his flesh, that is.
in his body. No man can say what it
was, yet of the theories that have been
advanced, one seems to me to be sup
ported by many things in Paul's life
and letters. Some believe it was a be-
setting sin, but this view cannot DOS
sibly be correct, because Christ came
to save us from sin and Paul prayeG to
be delivered from this thorn and to
such an importunate and earnest PRAYER
for delivery from sin there can be but
one answer.
Others, among whom is the profound
ly learned DIR. Wheedon, believe it was
epilepsy or "chronic infrmitv of the
paralytlc sort, the result of nervous
suffering under severe trial. but the
view seems without the plain support
of one single passage either in the Acts
OF the Apostles or in Pauls letters.
Others, among whom is Afford, be-
lleve it was some painful trouble with
his eyes, which at times seriously i'm
paired his vision, and this view seems
to be supported by many indications
both In the Apostles life and epistles.
AT his conversion his vision was des-
troyed by the light brighter than the
MONDAY sun, and the sweet words of
Ananias: Brother Saul, Jesus has
sent me that thou highest receive thy
sight" may have been followed only by
such restoration of his sight as left
his eyes seriously crippled.
In writing his epistles, he generally
dictated them to an amanuensis, yet to
many of his letters he affixed his salu-
tations with his own hand, q fact which
he specifically records. A very pa
thetic, a valuable thing to his friends,
IL tho writing cost him main
To this general rule the letter to the
Galatians is an exception. He wrote
it himself from beginning to end. This
was such an extraordinary thing that
he mentions it, ''You see how large a
letter 1 have written unto you with
my own hand" but this is not one of
his largest letters, it contains only six
short chapters. The fact that be
should write it is a remarkable tbino
only on the theory that it was painfn7
to him to do so.
His failure to recognize Ananias as
the High Priest, recorded in the TWEEN
ty-third chapter of the Acts, supports
the same view. " 70
Lastly his words to the Galatians
ioarth chapter, beginning with the
thirteenth verse, indicates the same
!hlng: "1e know how throuob tbe
lntirmity of the flesh 1 preached the the
gospel unto you at the first. And nv,
temptation, which was in nv fiesb Wy
despised not or rejected. but rec;evssd % 7
me as an angel of God, even as Christ
Jesus. Where is then the blessedness n. aSs
ye spake of? for bear Won record
That If it had been possible. We wonId
nave nave pIucked out your own ewes and
given them to me - y 70 '1O
Dr. Browns comment upon the pas
sage makes it appear almost conclusive
ana Conybeare and Howson in seTbe
LIie LIE and Epistles of st. Pam. +" saw.
1t certainly seems to confirm tIe
view OF those who suppose st. Panl's
malady to have been some disease of
the eyes" '0 VI
Let the thorn in the flesh have bean
what. 1t may, there are some tbinos
about 1t we know with Certainty:
raul earnestly desired to have
II removed. He was no stole. he
shrank from pain. There is no
sancutylng power in pain. and
great sufferers are not necessarilv
great saints" The effect of suffering
upon our character depends upon our