must have force to do that which is less that is purifie the flesh and external condition of the man who cometh unto it outwardly onely as the Types did under the Law whereupon an Hypocrite in the Christian Church must be accounted one of the Congregation of the Saints as well as an Hypocrite under the Law was so called because CHRISTS Blood cannot be inferiour to the Types which were of this force to sanctifie men to the purifying of the flesh Or wee may say more shortly There is a sanctification by consecration when any thing is devoted or dedicated unto God and a sanctification by inhabitation of the holy Spirit 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. Of the former sort the Censers of Core Dathan and Abiram are called Holy And the reason is given Because they offered them before the LORD therefore they are hallowed Numb 16.38 And in this sense all the members of the visible Church even such as afterwards do prove Apostates are sanctified because they are offered and offer themselves unto the Lord. But the inhabitation of the holy Spirit is proper onely to the Elect and Gods Children Hence learn 1. That all the members of the visible Church are so confederate unto God that it is sacriledge for them not to seek Gods honour in all things or to bestow themselves any other way than for God 2. Men are reckoned by God so to deal with Christ and his Blood and Covenant and Spirit as they make account thereof as they have estimation of Christ and his Blood and Spirit 3. And their estimation is not reckoned by their words or pretences but by their deeds as these do import so are they judged to esteem 4. Because Apostasie from Christ importeth as much as Hee and his Doctrine are unworthy to be avowed or maintained by consequence it importeth also that Christ was not the Man hee called himself and that all his Spirit had taught them was untruth and therefore justly here doth the Scripture challenge the Apostate of counting Christs blood no better than the blood of a common Malefactor and of giving of the Lie to the holy Spirit So fearful a thing is it to make defection from any known part of true Religion Vers. 30. For wee know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto mee I will recompence saith the Lord. And again The LORD shall judge his People In that hee proveth the certainty of their punishment out of Deut. 32.35 36. Learn 1. That the justice and constancy of Gods Truth in general threatnings is sufficient to prove the certain punishment of particular sins 2. The punishment of Apostates of one kind may evidence the punishment of Apostates of another kind For it is the Jews Apostasie to Idolatry and worshiping of Images which in that place the Lord doth threaten 2. Hee maketh the knowing of God who speaketh a proof sufficient for the certain performance of his Word Then As men understand Gods Nature so will his Word weigh with them And such as know him best will stand most in awe of him beleeve his Word most Vers. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God From this knowledge of Gods Nature hee pronounceth how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of an adversary to be punished Then 1. It is presupposed that such as reject the Mercy of Christ shall not be able to reject justice but must fall into his Hand 2. The eternity of God maketh his wrath terrible For hee liveth for ever to avenge himself on his foes 3. The terror of the Lord what torment hee is able to inflict and that for ever is a fit mean to make men beware to make Apostasie from Christ. Vers. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after yee were illuminated yee endured a great fight of afflictions For a mean to help them constantly to go on hee directeth them to make use of their former patience and experience of troubles for the Gospel Then 1. Even they who have suffered for Christ have need to be stirred up to constancy and to be terrified from Apostasie 2. The more men have suffered for Christ they ought to be the bolder in the profession of his Truth and the more ready for new sufferings 2. He maketh the time of their first troubles to be after illumination Then some do enter into troubles for Religion at their very first conversion and are yoked in battel against persecutors beside other on-sets of Satan and their own nature Vers. 33. Partly whilest ye were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilest ye became companions of them which were so used He maketh their troubles in their own persons by reproaches and afflictions the first part of their fight wherein they were a gazing-stock to the world Then 1. Such as are called to suffer for Christ are set upon a Theater to give proof of their faith and love to Christ before the world 2. The blinde world wondreth at such as adventure to suffer any thing for the truth of Christ and think but ignominiously of Christ and his cause and of those that maintain the same 3. Reproaches and taunts of the godly by the world are reckoned up to them for parts of their Christian cross and their glory before God 2. The next part of their fight was their partaking with such as did suffer the like Then 1. It is the part of true Christians to countenance them that confesse Christ yea and to joyn with them that suffer for him 2. Communion with the sufferings of others is reckoned up for a part of our own sufferings 3. To suffer patiently our selves or take a part with others in their sufferings will cost us a battel Vers. 34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance He cometh to particulars and first their compassion towards himself in his bonds is remembred by him Then 1. Compassion with sufferers especially when it is manifested to the afflicted party for his comfort maketh the compassionate person a partaker with the sufferer 2. Such compassion should be remembred by the sufferer thankfully and recompenced by seeking their eternal welfare who have shewed them such great kindeness 2. Another particular is their joyful enduring the spoliation of their goods Then 1. When trial cometh of mens faith in Christ such as minde to be constant must prepare themselves to quit their goods if GOD please so to honour them with employment 2. When we see we must lose our goods for Christs sake or suffer any other inconveniency we ought to do it chearfully and count our gain in Christ more than our loss in the world And if we finde trouble to let our adversaries know as little of it as we can namely seeing there is no cause of grief if our eyes were opened and our
was no less troublesome to mee than the absence of any father uses to bee from his children Truly I sympathized with you as an orphane brother is wont to symphatize with his orphane brethren For a short Arg. 2. I hope I shall not bee absent from you long but onely for a little time Not in heart Arg. 3. I was not absent from you in heart and affection although in body More abundantly Arg. 4. By how much the more I am troubled for my absence from you so much the more abundantly I desire to see you Vers. 18. Wherefore wee would have come unto you even I Paul once and again But Satan hindred us Arg. 5. I was ready to come once and again that you might bee confirmed in faith but Satan prevented my business and cast many impediments in the way of my coming Vers. 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming 20. For yee are our glory and joy Arg. 6. Confirming the former My hope concerning your perseverance is so great my joy concerning your conversion is so great the crown of my glorying in the fruits of my Ministry and in you is this that yee may bee accounted with the chiefest Churches converted to the faith by my Ministry And unless yee were to bee esteemed such of whom I pray you could I hope well rejoyce or glory Truly yee shall bee esteemed the chief amongst those that are converted by mee in the sight of our Lord at his coming which I confirm to you with a frequent affirmation Therefore bee yee very fully perswaded of my friendly love towards you CHAP. III. IN this Chapter hee goes on to confirm his love towards them and to establish them in the faith which hee had taught them Vers. 1. Wherefore when wee could no longer forbear wee thought it good to bee left at Athens alone For this end hee produces ten Arguments All which prove that the Thessalonians were most dear to the Apostle Arg. 1. By reason of my desire of confirming you in the faith I had rather tarry alone at Athens in many storms of afflictions than that yee should be longer destitute of consolation and confirmation Therefore yee are most dear to mee Vers. 2. And sent Timotheus our brother and Minister of God and our fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your Faith Argum. 2. I have sent unto you Timothy my very familar friend who although hee is my most intimate Brother and a faithful Minister of God and my fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ yet I am willing to bee deprived of his company That yee might receive comfort and confirmation in the Faith Therefore yee ought to bee most dear unto mee Vers. 3. That no man should bee moved by these afflictions for your selves know that wee are appointed thereunto Argum. 3. I was more affraid lest yee should bee offended at my afflictions for the Gospel than I regarded my own trouble Therefore I would have you now strengthened against this scandal 1 Because yee have learned out of the Gospel how it is appointed of God that wee Apostles before all others should suffer many afflictions for the truth of the Gospel Vers. 4. For verily when wee were with you wee told you before that wee should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and yee know 2 Because I had told you before that afflictions for the Gospel did abide for mee as the event hath made it manifest Vers. 5. For this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your Faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labour bee in vain Argum. 4. I feared lest the Devil by some of his arts had moved you from the Faith and so my labour had been lost Wherefore I have sent to you Timotheus who might understand your constancy in the Faith Therefore c. Vers. 6. But now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your Faith and Charity and that you have good remembrance of us alwaies desiring greatly to see us as wee also to see you Argum. 5. I much rejoyce upon the message that Timotheus brought of your Faith towards Christ of your love towards the Saints and of your desire of seeing my face Therefore c. Vers. 7. Therefore Brethren wee were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your Faith Argum. 6. The consolation arising to mee from your Faith hath allayed and excelled all my grief which I took from the afflictions and necessities either lying upon or hanging over mee Therefore c. Vers. 8. For now wee live if yee stand fast in the Lord. Argum. 7. It shall bee certain happiness if you abide constant Therefore it is necessary that yee bee most dear to mee Vers. 9. For what thanks can wee render to God again for you for all the joy wherewith wee joy for your sakes before our God Argum. 8. Confirming the former so great occasion was offered mee of sincere rejoycing in the presence of God for your perseverance that I know not how great thanks to render to God Therefore c. Vers. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly that wee might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your Faith Argum. 9. I continually pray God that I may see your faces and amend the defects of your Faith and encrease the measure of it by opening to you more fully the mystery of the Gospel Therefore c. Vers. 11. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ direct our way unto you Argum. 10. How dear yee are to mee yee may gather out of the summe of my prayer for you There are three Articles of my prayer 1 I alwaies pray that God would grant mee a prosperous journey to you whereby I might confirm you in the Faith Vers. 12. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as wee do towards you 2 Also I pray that God would grant you encrease and abundance of love one towards another and towards all as my love abounds towards you Vers. 13. To the end hee may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints 3 Lastly I pray that God would stablish your hearts and make your consciences unblameable in true holiness which is required before God and our Father that at length at the comming of our Lord with all his Saints that is Angels and men yee may not bee ashamed Therefore do none of you doubt but that yee are most dear to mee CHAP. IV. HEE passes from his praying to God in the end of the former Chapter to the second part of the Epistle which containeth Exhortations and Precepts to duties of holiness The
The most assiduous and painful setting not of the body onely but the spirit on work because it is a charge of Watching 3. The most dangerous of all Charges because the account of lost souls within the Church shall be craved at their hands whether they have 〈…〉 that which became them to do to save them or not 4. The weightiness of their Charge should affect their people and move them to concur for their parts as they are able for their encouragement 3. Another motive is That they may do their work with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable unto you saith he Then 1. Church-mens chief joy should be their peoples obedience unto Gods directions in their mouth and their chief grief if it be otherwise 2. Whether they will get joy or grief from their people they must do their work and follow their Charge 3. The less comfortable people be unto their Leaders their Teachers and Rulers the less profit shall they have by their Ministery Vers. 18. Pray for us For we trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly His craving the benefit of their Prayers for him Teacheth us 1. That albeit the Scripture giveth no warrant to seek the benefit of the Prayer of Saints departed or of Angels yet it giveth warrant for seeking of the mutual concurrence in Prayer of those that are living together and militant here on Earth together 2. That the greatest Apostle hath need of the prayers of the meanest Christian and may be helped thereby 2. He giveth a Reason answering all the calumnies which were spread of him by his Adversaries that they might with greater freedom pray for him as for an honest man Then 1. They who are unjustly reported of must comfort themselves in the Testimony of a good Conscience 2. An honest heart may expect the better fruit of their own prayers and others 3. And such as we know are sincerely set to serve God we may with the better courage pray for them 3. He expoundeth what he calleth a good Conscience by saying that he was willing to live honestly Then the purpose desire and endeavour to live honestly is the evidence of a good Conscience and the ground also of the good Testimony because such a disposition escheweth to do evil and is careful to do good Vers. 19. But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner He joyneth a Reason for their own good to pray for him that the impediments of his coming unto them being removed by their prayers he might come the sooner Then 1. When our own good is joyned with the good of such as call for our prayers we have the more inducements to set us on work 2. Many hinderances of our good and comfort do stand in the way which by Prayer might be removed Vers. 20. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the 〈◊〉 of the Everlasting Covenant Now he prayeth for them whom he had in the former words requested to pray for him Then 1. Prayer is a mutual duty and ought to be made by us for such as we desire to pray for us 2. He stileth God to whom he prayeth first the God of Peace To teach us That Peace proceeded from God and is preserved by him in his Church and that it doth please him well that his children should be in peace and should study thereunto 3. Again he describeth God by the great work of Christs Resurrection wrought by him Then 1. As Christs Resurrection is the work of his own power Iohn 10.18 So also is it the work of God the Father in this place For Iohn 10.30 the Father and Christ in power are one 4. The Props of his faith in prayer are first the office of Iesus who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep Then 1. Those who come under the reckoning of Christs sheep are the onely people of whom he by special Office professeth to take charge 2. Howsoever he imploy the Ministery of men to feed his flock under him yet doth he keep the place and stile of Arch-pastor or Great Shepherd to himself 3. People howsoever they be furnished by Ministers yet they have the Great Shepherd to acknowledge and relie upon of whose care and fidelity for their feeding and preservation they may be confident 5. The next Prop of this Prayer is The power of God who brought again from the dead the Great Shepherd Then 1. The sheep must not think to be above the Shepherd but must resolve for bearing witness to the truth to be put to death as he was if God please 2. Nor need they fear to be used so seeing he is risen again because he that raised the Shepherd for the sheeps cause can raise the sheep from death also for the Shepherds cause 6. The third Prop of Confidence for obtaining this Prayer is The blood of the Everlasting Covenant through which he seeketh his petition to be granted Then 1. It is Christs Blood which hath ratified the Covenant and established our Reconciliation to endure for ever because the vertue of that blood is perpetual 2. It is through that Blood that everything is purchased for which we can pray It is the price of the purchase of Sanctification unto us as well as Salvation Vers. 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen That which he prayeth for here is That they may be made perfect in every good work to do the will of God Then 1. Onely the doing of Gods will and what he hath commanded is to be reckoned for a good work 2. It is not enough to be given to some sort of good work but we must endeavour our selves to work every sort of good work having a due respect unto all Gods Commandments 3. Whatsoever measure we have attained unto we must not stand there but perfection must be aimed at which is still before us until we come to Heaven 2. The way how this may be done he sheweth to be By Gods working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight even through Jesus Christ. Then 1. It is not by any strength of our own whereby good works are wrought but even by the power of God working in us graciously 2. It is through Jesus Christ that this working is procured conveyed unto us and made acceptable unto God 3. He closeth his prayer with ascribing of Glory unto Iesus for ever Amen Then 1. Christ Jesus is true God worthy of Divine Glory for ever 2. The Prayer and Praises which we offer unto God must come from so advised a minde as we may seal the same with Faith and hearty Affection imported in AMEN Vers. 22 And I beseech you brethren suffer the word of Exhortation for I have
other Gentiles I have gained some to God Therefore ought you to hearken to my doctrine Vers. 14. I am debter both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise Argum. 14. By the office of my Apostleship and the special command of Christ I am a debter to all sorts of men to preach the Gospel Therefore you ought to hearken to my doctrine Vers. 15. So as much as in mee is I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also Argum. 15. I have much respect to you Romans and according to the liberty granted of God as much as in mee lyes I am ready to preach the Gospel no less to you than to others for your salvation Therefore you ought to obey my doctrine Vers. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek I am not ashamed Argum. 16. Although the Gospel which I preach is commonly dis-esteemed and goes along with the Cross yet because it is not mine but the Gospel of Christ holding forth that grace which by him is communicated unto us honourable and glorious whereof I am no wise ashamed Therefore you ought to hearken to my doctrine Power Argum. 17. Confirming what was said before The Gospel which I preach is a powerful and effectual instrument of salvation to every one that beleeves without exception of Nation whether Jews or Gentiles the Jews prerogative being regarded to whom the Gospel ought first to bee preached because of the Covenant long since made betwixt God and the Jews Therefore you ought c. Vers. 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith Argum. 18. Confirming the former In the Gospel which I preach is revealed and discovered the righteousness of God from faith to faith which before was hid under Ceremonies and shadows that is to say That means of justifying sinners which God himself hath found out in which onely wee can stand before God and in which alone hee is well pleased To wit the righteousness of Christ our Lord which is made ours from faith to faith i. e. from faith increasing by degrees from less to a greater measure or from faith meerly onely and not of works or our inherent righteousness Therefore ought you to receive the things which I write with all willingness and submission of mind The second part Hee passeth to the second part of the Chapter wherein hee laies down a Proposition to bee confirmed in the following part of the Epistle which is this That Righteousness which is revealed in the Gospel is the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us by the grace of God apprehended by faith alone and not inherent righteousness in men which is works Or which is to the same sense wee are justified by faith in Christ and not by works The Arguments brought to confirm this Position are ten whereof two are contained in this Chapter one in the second the rest in the third Chapter To all which this dis-junction is to bee premised Either wee are justified by Faith or Righteousness freely imputed or by works or inherent Righteousness The Just Argum. 1. By the Righteousness of faith onely wee obtain life Therefore by the righteousness of faith alone wee are justified for by an indissoluble connection Righteousness and Salvation are joyned together and there is the same reason or ground of both This Argument hee confirms by a Testimony Hab. 2.4 Who rejects those as Hypocrites from life that trusted in themselves or their own works and the righteous by faith hee pronounceth heirs of life onely Vers. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Argum. 2. Wee are so farre from being justified by works that the wrath of God openly pursues the unjust and wicked works of all men of the Gentiles and the Jews to wit of those that are out of Christ Therefore wee are justified onely by the righteousness of faith or the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith and through grace imputed unto us The Truth Hee confirms this Argument by several parts and first hee shewes the unrighteousness of men in the example of the Gentiles to verse 24. and the wrath of God poured out upon the wicked and their unrighteousness hee further shewes to the end of the Chapter Hee proves the impiety and unrighteousness of the Gentiles inasmuch as the wisest of men to wit the Rulers and Philosophers among the Gentiles with-held the truth in unrighteousness i. e. That true knowledge which they obtained from God through unrighteousness or the pravity of their own will they suppressed and detained in themselves as a captive whilst they neither communicated it unto others nor shewed it forth in works of piety Therefore they are all impious and unrighteous This Argument is much to the purpose for if this bee true concerning the prime part of man-kinde out of Christ 1 Concerning the wisest Law-makers and Philosophers amongst the Heathens much more is it true touching the rest for if the flower and principal part bee corrupted what shall wee think of the dreggs and lower sort Vers. 19. Because that which may bee known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them 20. For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and God-head so that they are without excuse This Argument hee explains two waies First By shewing that the Gentiles had certain remnants of the light of Nature concerning the worshiping of God because that which may bee known of God by natural light was manifest to them to wit The Eternity Power and Divinity of God with the rest of his Attributes which are apprehended by the light of Nature even from the Creation of the World were manifested by the things that were made clearly as in a glass that they could not plead ignorance Vers. 21. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened 22. Professing themselves to bee wise they became fools 23. And changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things Secondly Hee explains the former Argument by shewing that the Gentiles detained and imprisoned the known truth partly in that they gave not God the glory of his Attributes and divine works as also that they were not thankful for his benefits which the light of Nature would have taught them Partly because they became vain in their imaginations and deceived themselves being blind where they seemed most of all to bee wise leaving
the second assertion follows from a solid consolation which this way of our Iustification affords against wrath and sin The parts of the Chapter are two In the first is propounded a consolation in repeating the several fruits of our Righteousness by Faith in Christ to verse the sixth In the other is set forth the solidity of this comfort to the end of the Chapter Vers. 1. Therefore being justified by Faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. The first part of the Chap. in which hee recites nine benefits or fruits which depend upon each other to shew the consolation which Justification by Faith in Christ affordâ— to us The first fruit is peace or reconciliation with God now appeased by our Mediator or through Christ who hath made peace for us Vers. 2. By whom also wee have access by Faith into his Grace wherein wee stand The second fruit is a daily leading by the hand as it were through Christ by Faith into the favour and grace of God that wee might use and enjoy it more and more and bee even wholly taken into it Stand The third fruit is the confirmation of us in this state of grace that wee may not fall from it but constantly stand And rejoyce The fourth fruit is a rejoycing in the most assured hope of enjoying of celestial glory hereafter with God Vers. 3. And not only so but wee glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope The fifth fruit is a glorying in all tribulations and that in the midst of afflictions to which wee are lyable in this life after wee are justified Knowing The sixth fruit is the giving occasion of rejoycing in tribulations upon a certain knowledge or perswasion of persevering in holiness by the Cross. Because thereby God teacheth us patience and by patience in us affords us new instructions of his grace towards us giving us experience and by experience encreaseth and confirms our faith and hope of present and full freedome hereafter from tribulations Vers. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us The seventh fruit is a certainty of the possession of the good hoped for or freedome from being ashamed which the frustration of conceived hope causeth for hope arising from Justifying Faith after this manner stirred up and encreased deceiveth not nor maketh him that hopes ashamed Shed abroad The eighth fruit confirming the former is a sense of Divine Love towards us shed abroad in our hearts and filling them which as a certain earnest stablisheth us in the hope of future good things The Spirit The ninth fruit is the Holy Ghost more plentifully given to us who believe in Christ which Spirit works in us this sense of Divine Love towards us and witnesses together with our Spirits that wee are the sons of God and works in us all his other works belonging to Regeneration Consolation and Salvation All that are justified by Faith have right to all these priviledges If there bee any that are Babes in Christ or under any tentation and know not that they are justified and are not acquainted with the Consolations of the Spirit and sorrow under their sins no wonder that they receive no comfort from these fruits Vers. 6. For when wee were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die 8. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for us 9 Much more then being now justified by his Blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The second Part. The second part of the Chapter wherein hee shews the solidity of Consolation against wrath and sin by a two-fold comparison whereof the first is of Christ with Christ to ver 12. The other is of Christ which is the second Adam with Adam our first parent to the end There are three members of the comparison of Christ with Christ wherein is proved that they which are justified shall bee saved from wrath by three Arguments The fiâ—st member of the comparison is of the efficacy of Christs love towards us before Justification with the efficacy of his love towards us after our Justification To this sense when wee lay in misery and sin destitute of all strength to deliver our selves Christ in the fulness of time died for us sinners ver 6. Such great love amongst men is scarcely found towards a righteous man unless perchance for a good man and some way profitable to us some would dare to die ver 7. Whereupon the love of Christ is commended to us from this that when wee were yet sinners not yet justified Christ died for us that wee might bee delivered from wrath ver 8. Therefore much more effectual shall the love of Christ bee towards us now justified by his blood that wee might bee delivered by him from wrath ver 9. The Argument is sufficient because the love of Christ towards us now justified cannot bee less than it was towards us when wee lay in our sins This is the first Argument Vers. 10. For if whâ—n wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life The second member of the comparison is the efficacy of Christs death before Justification and of his life after Justification after this manner If when wee were enemies the Death of Christ was effectual for the reconciling of us unto God it shall bee effectual to free us from wrath now being justified and reconciled because it is absurd to determine that Christ being raised from the dead and living in heaven should not preserve us from wrath for whom that wee might bee freed hee both died and arose from the dead And this is the second Argument Vers. 11. And not only so but wee also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom wee have now received the attonement The third member of the comparison is of the efficacy or virtue of Christ to procure and effect that God might bee ours as a thing properly our own which is greater with the virtue and efficacy of Christ to preserve us from wrath which is less To this sense wee have not this advantage only by Christ that wee should bee preserved from wrath but that which is chiâ—fest of all wee make our boast or rejoyce in God as our peculiar possession through our Lord Jesus Christ who hath not only obtained reconciliation for us but hath applyed it to us now justified by Faith and hath made God reconciled peculiarly ours therefore wee are sure to bee preserved from wrath And this is the third Argument In all which is shewed the solid consolation of those which are justified by Faith Vers. 12. Wherefore as by
the dead Argum. 13. That there is a future Resurrection hee proves after this manner Unless there bee a Resurrection of the Dead what benefit will accrew to those that are tossed with the waves of Persecution for some that are dead i. e. for Christ and the Saints that are dead whose Resurrection while they defend they profess and assert the Resurrection of Christ past and of the Saints hereafter for so the word To bee baptized is taken Mar. 10.38 and the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for Act. 9.16 And it is absurd that they who suffer Martyrdome for defending the Resurrection of the Dead should bee disappointed of their hope Therefore there shall bee a Resurrection Vers. 30. And why stand wee in jeopardy every hour Argum. 14. Hee confirms in this the sense of his former Argument If it seem not absurd that other Martyrs should lose their labour all Christians will at least think it absurd that wee Apostles should lose our labour who Preaching and hoping for the Resurrection of the Dead are in continual dangers Therefore there shall bee a Resurrection Vers. 31. I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Iesus our Lord I die daily This Argument hee confirms by the testimony of his own experience seriously affirming how certainly hee gloried with the Corinthians in Christ so certainly did hee dayly undergo one death after another for the Gospel being every day cast into new dangers of his life Vers. 32. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it mee if the dead rise not Let us eat and drink for to morrow wee die 33. Bee not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners In particular hee gives instance of a notable danger in fighting with beasts at Ephesus in a plain sense and as men ordinarily understand this phrase for to condemn to the beasts was an usual kind of death which Christians were allotted to as Histories make mention What need the Apostle undergo this danger To what purpose had this been unless a Resurrection had been to bee hoped and defended Let us eat Argum. 15. If the dead arise not the gluttonous Religion of Epicures was best Let us eat and drink for to morrow wee shall die as some amongst them like hogs began to grunt But this is absurd Therefore the dead shall rise Instead of the Assumption hee forbids that they attend not to these rotten kind of speeches which might infect them either with false doctrine or vicious manners Vers. 34. Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame Further intimating that the Authors and Fomenters of this Error amongst them were sleeping in their ignorance of God in both bodily and spiritual intemperance of this world drunk with pleasures hee therefore exhorts them that they would awake to righteousness i. e. That they which minded their own matters pleasing themselves in their own wit would shake off slothfulness and imploy their wit about good and holy matters rather upbraiding all of them as a shameful thing to suffer those Atheists the Authors of this error Vers. 35. But some men will say how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come The third part of the Chapter follows wherein hee answers three Objections of the Adversaries The first is this It seems impossible that the dead should arise for how should it bee Object 2. No man can describe with what bodies they shall arise Object 3. Vers. 51. What shall become of those that are alive at the coming of the Lord they therefore because they die not cannot rise again Vers. 36. Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die Hee answers to the first Objection It is not impossible that the dead should arise because the seed dies yearly and rises again as it were Vers. 37. And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall bee but bare grain it may chance of Wheat or of some other grain 38. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and to every seed it s own body Hee answers the second Objection That our bodies the same in substance but diverse in quality shall rise again This hee confirms four waies First By the example of Grains of Corn as a bare Grain dry and hard c. It is raised in substance and kind the same but diverse in quality so our bodies the same in substance but of most different qualities shall arise Vers. 39. All flesh is not the same flesh but there is one kind of flesh of men another flesh of beasts another of fishes and another of birds Secondly From the like example of flesh As God can and daily doth produce not onely divers seeds but also divers kinds of flesh for all flesh is not of the same kind so hee can raise the same flesh of the self same man changing his qualities 40. Vers. There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial But the glory of the terrestrial is one and the glory of the celestial is another 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Starrs for one Starre differeth from another Starre in glory 42. So also is the resurrection of the dead it is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 43. It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power 44. It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body Thirdly From the like difference betwixt Stars and terrestrial bodies As God hath beautified celestial bodies with a celestial and terrestrial bodies with a terrestrial glory and hath distinguished celestial bodies amongst themselves with a different glory as is to bee seen in the Sun Moon and Stars So also the body in the resurrection when it is raised it shall differ from it self falling into the grave as that which is incorruptible from that which is corruptible as that which is comely from that which is filthy powerful from that which is weak spiritual from that which is natural That is called a natural body which is quickened by the soul after the manner of living Creatures by means of meats elements c. And that is a spiritual body which retaining the soul is supported by the Spirit of God without means as the Angels Vers. 45. And so it is written The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Hee explains this last difference betwixt a natural and a spiritual body and proves it because the phrase might seem somewhat harsh by leading us to the first Adam as to the Original of our first State in a natural body and to CHRIST the second Adam as to the Original of our second State in a spiritual body and compares these two in a three-fold
manner The first comparison is in the opposite state of a natural and a spiritual body The first Adam was made a living soul not giving life which had a life indeed but supported as other creatures are with meat and drink c. And not such as could continue life to the body without nourishment But Christ the last Adam is made a quickning Spirit who could communicate virtue to those that were his by his Spirit that without nourishments of the body the most blessed union of body and soul may bee preserved Vers. 46. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual The second comparison in respect to Order The first Adam had the precedency in the natural state of the body The second Adam was latter in the spiritual state of the body for the imperfect state ought to precede so God is wont to proceed to the highest perfection Hee saith not simply that Adam was before Christ but that the Natural state of the first Adam is first in time in Adam in Christ and in us And our Spiritual state which is from Christ is latter Vers. 47. The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from Heaven The third comparison in the order and dignity of the person The first-Man meer man is of the earth earthy whose body rose out of the earth and is resolved again into earth upon the substraction of food whereupon hee could communicate unto us nothing but a terrene life But the second Adam is both man and God from Heaven who although hee hath a body from the earth yet because hee is God from Heaven and therefore is called heavenly as hee could support his body that it should not see corruption though in its own nature terrene and resoluble into dust and as it being raised out of the grave hee could make it every way glorious immortal and heavenly not needing earthly supports So in like manner can hee make our bodies such Vers. 48. As is the earthy such are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly From these hee proves the future mutation of the qualities of the body from earthly to heavenly from natural to spiritual by four Arguments Argum. 1. Such as was the earthly Adam the head of our stock after the fleshly propagation such it became us to bee born viz. mortal Therefore as the heavenly Adam our head in respect to regeneration and glorification is after his resurrection viz. Spiritual glorious incorruptible immortal such shall wee bee that are born again of him after our resurrection Vers. 49. And as wee have born the image of the earthy wee shall also bear the image of the heavenly Argum. 2. From its future certainty As sure as wee bear the image of the first Adam in the qualities of our substance being made conform to him in soul and body so sure shall wee bear the image of the second Adam in the glorious qualities of our substance Vers. 50. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Argum. 3. The promises of glorifying our bodies or of bringing us into the glorious Kingdome of God ought to bee fulfilled But flesh and blood i. e. our bodies as now they are corruptible cannot enter into the Kingdome of God unless they bee fitted for that glorious state Therefore our bodies shall bee made meet by the mutation of their qualities to enter into the Kingdome of Glory Corruption By way of confirmation to this reason hee adds Argum. 4. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption Therefore necessary it is that our bodies bee changed in their qualities from corruptibility to incorruptibility Vers. 51. Behold I shew you a mystery wee shall not all sleep but wee shall all bee changed Objection 3. What shall become of those that are alive at the comming of our Lord How shall they arise which shall not dye but bee found alive by the Judge at his comming Hee answers by opening the mystery viz. that all shall not die nor rise again but they shall bee taken that remain alive at the comming of our Lord and changed into an eternal state of immortality either in glory or torments which change shall bee in stead of death and a resurrection Vers. 52. In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last Trumpet for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bee raised incorruptible and wee shall be changed Hee shews the manner of this change that it shall bee in the twinckling of an eye i. e. in a moment all that are alive and dead shall be summoned by a fearful alarum to the judgement of God Vers. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Hee gives two Reasons of this change First Mortality must bee swallowed up of immortality and this mortal body must put on immortality Therefore they shall bee changed that are found alive at the comming of our Lord. Vers. 54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall bee brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up of victory 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Reason 2. The Prophecie of Hosea ought to bee fulfilled chap. 13. v. 14. who fore-told our full victory over death and the grave Therefore they that are alive shall bee changed at the comming of the Lord which shall bee in stead of death Vers. 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law That this victory may appear the greater hee intimates the victory wee shall have over sin and the Law without which the grave cannot prevail any thing over us for unless satisfaction bee given to the Law sin wrath and death remain in full power But after satisfaction is made to the Law for us sin and wrath are taken away wherewith death is armed as with a sting which being disarmed is abolished and triumphed over Vers. 57. But thanks bee to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Hee shews a twofold use of this victory The first is that thanks may bee given to God who hath given us through Christ victory over death sin and the Law yea verily hee hath imputed the victory of Christ to us and hath made it ours for hee hath died for us and by his resurrection hath obtained for us victory over death that hee might make us conquerours Vers. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Another use of this doctrine is this That under hope of the free gift at the day of resurrection wee would persevere constantly in the Faith of the Gospel
and diligently indeavour the bringing forth of the fruits of Faith because in the resurrection the Lord will give us whatever wee have lost with men viz. the reward of good works CHAP. XVI THere are three parts of this last Chapter In the first is contained the last Article of the Epistle concerning a Collection for the poor Jews to vers 5. In the second is contained the conclusion shewing for the most part familiar matters to vers 19. In the third hee mentions salutations of the Saints to the end Vers. 1. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do yee As touching the Collection The famine which was prophesied by Agabus Act. 11.28 as also the persecution did much distress the Churches in Iudea wherefore the Apostles living at Ierusalem exhort Paul and Barnabas that they would take care to make a collection amongst the Gentiles to succour the need of the poor Jewes Gal. 2.20 hee speaks of this contribution commanding that on the Lords Day whereupon all Christians ceased from their labours and met publikely to the Worship of God that every one according to his ability without vain-glory should cast something into the Treasury There are six reasons of his Exhortation The first is from the example of other Churches by name of those which were in Galatia who were bound to the same duty under the same Precepts Vers. 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there bee no gatherings when I come Reason 2. Because nothing is required of them unfitting or burdensome but that once every week in convenient time and place every one would contribute according to that measure wherewith God had blessed him And the manner is plain whereby the collection might bee made publikely every Lords Day and yet every one should lay it by himself i. e. no man knowing the sum We may imagine that they imitated the example of the Antient Church a bored Chest being placed in the entrance to the house where they met for the Worship of God Lest when I come Reason 3. Because hee was about to come unto them to enquire of their obedience Here wee have the fourth Reason lest upon their putting off or neglecting the matter they might bee found unprepared when the Apostles should come and might make their collection not so seasonable with greater difficulty and prejudice Vers. 3. And when I come whomsoever you shall approve by your letters them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem Reason 5. Hee prevents an objection lest there should bee any suspition of laying out their collection Behold I will commit your charitable contribution to bee carried to Jerusalem unto men approved chosen by your selves whom I will send together with you with letters Vers. 4. And if it bee meet that I go also they shall go with mee Reason 6. Because this business so well likes mee that I am ready not only to commend your messengers to the Churches which are in Iudea by our Epistle but if it shall seem meet I also have determined to go along with those whom you commit the charge of this business to The Second Part. Vers. 5. Now I will come unto you when I shall pass thorough Macedonia for I do pass thorough Macedonia 6. And it may bee that I will abide yea and winter with you that yee may bring mee on my journey whithersoever I go 7. For I will not see you now by the way but I trust to tarry a while with you if the Lord permit The second part of the Chapter is the Epilogue of the Epistle containing for the most part matters familiar which also appertained to the edification of the Corinthians The Articles of this conclusion are six The first concerns his coming whereof hee gives them hopes ver 5. and of his stay among them for the confirmation of mutual friendship and their consolation if it was the Will of God ver 6 7. Vers. 8. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost 9. For a great door and effectual is opened unto mee and there are many adversaries Why hee deferred his coming determining to stay longer at Ephesus till the time of the Jews Feast which to that day they that Judaized observed hee gives two Reasons 1. Because God had opened a great door or offered an abundant occasion for the gaining of many or converting them to the Gospel and apparently gave a blessing to his labours which hee calls an effectual door Another Reason because the tumult of adversaries was so great his Presence was most requisite and Satan in his absence did much harm Vers. 10. Now if Timotheus come see that hee may bee with you without fear for hee worketh the work of the Lord as I also do 11. Let no man therefore despise him but conduct him forth in peace that hee may come unto mee for I look for him with the Brethren Article 2. Wherein hee carefully commends Timothy unto them if hee should come to them as his most dear Son who is called the Apostles Son because in Preaching the Gospel hee followed his steps serving God holily as hee did that they would defend him from injuries treat him honourably bring him on his journey when hee returned guard him from dangers by the way that hee might come safe to him Vers. 12. As touching our brother Apollos I greatly desired him to come unto you with the Brethren but his will was not at all to come at this time but hee will come when hee shall have convenient time Article 3. Wherein that the Corinthians might not take it ill that the Apostle while hee came did not send Apollos the Evangelist a man familiar with them who watered the Apostles planting amongst them hee clears himself that hee had not a will then to come but gives them hopes of his coming when hee shall have a fit opportunity Vers. 13. Watch yee stand fast in the faith quit you like men bee strong 14. Let all your things bee done with charity Article 4. Wherein hee exhorts them to five military duties of Christian-souldiers 1. That although neither hee nor Apollos should come unto them yet in the mean time they should keep continual watch lest Satan should come upon them while they were secure and drunk with worldly cares 2. That they should bee constant in the Faith firmly holding the truth of the Gospel being united unto Christ by Faith 3. That they would shew themselves men in every combate against the adversaries of Faith and their salvation 4. That they would bee strong in the Power of God and not faint under the evils they any time met with 5. That they would constitute Charity the Arbitrator of all things both Ecclesiastical and Civil serving the common good in every thing Vers. 15. I beseech you Brethren you know the house of Stephanas that it is the
many months tryal that hee had stayed amongst them In simplicity and godly sincerity I have alwaies behaved my self so as to approve my self to God my own and other mens consciences Therefore there is no reason that you should suspect any change either of my carriage or affection towards you Not with Argum. 2. Hereby hee confirms the former The fountain of my conversation was the Grace of God which is like it self and alwaies constant not that subtil wisdome whereby carnal men for their profits sake counterfeit respect to others which indeed they have not Therefore let no suspition bee amongst you about the change of my carriage and affection towards you Vers. 13. For wee write none other things unto you than what you read or acknowledge and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end Hee confirms what hee had said before adding a third Argument Because his deeds and his writings were answerable to each other wherein hee seems to tax his adversaries who carried themselves otherwise as in the former Argument which hee proves by the testimony of the Corinthians themselves who although they were somewhat disturbed by the whisperings of adversaries yet they acknowledged his sincerity and constancy and hee hoped they would afterwards do the like Therefore c. Vers. 14. As also you have acknowledged us in part that wee are your rejoycing even as yee also are ours in the day of our Lord Iesus Argum. 4. Because in some measure although not with that confidence as became them against the false Apostles the Corinthians boasted of their conversion by the Apostle and the Apostle boasted of them as the fruit of his Apostleship and further hee hoped to glory in the day of judgement Therefore c. Vers. 15. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you afore that you might have a second benefit 16. And to pass by you into Macedonia and to come again out of Macedonia unto you and of you to bee brought on-ward my way to Judea Argum. 5. Because hee had a purpose to go to the Corinthians in confidence of mutual good will that hee might compleat the first benefit of their conversion by confirming their Faith as a second benefit and that hee might receive expressions of their good will towards him in the duties which hee reckons up to the increase of their mutual love Therefore c. Vers. 17. When I therefore was thus minded did I use lightness or the things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh that with mee there should bee yea yea and nay nay Argum. 6. By answering the Objection proposed I have deferred my comming unto you longer than I would not out of the levity of a mind changed but as afterwards it shall appear out of love to you that I might spare you who ought to bee chastised with the censures of the Church had I come to you before Therefore ought you not to suspect the alienation of my mind from you The Objection is propounded in the same terms in which his adversaries did reproach him as vain and light speaking like carnal and unregenerate men and promising what hee intended not to perform as those that sleightly promise and easily change their mind neither whose words and by consequence nor doctrine carryed any certainty to whom therefore no credit was to bee given Vers. 18. But as God is true our word toward you was not yea and nay Hee answers the Objection and because hee is more careful that nothing should bee imputed to his Doctrine as also to his Credit hee answers first for his Doctrine and confirms the truth thereof by five Reasons Reason 1. Because his Doctrine was the Word of God it must of necessity bee true because God is faithful and true whose dictates and precepts onely hee taught among them not sometimes affirming sometimes denying as those that are not constant to themselves use to do Therefore they were to make no doubt of the truth of his doctrine Vers. 19. For the Son of God Iesus Christ who was preached among you by us even by mee and Sylvanus and Timotheus was not yea and nay but in him was yea Reason 2. My Doctrine and the Doctrine of my companions contained nothing but Jesus Christ onely who is the unchangeable Son of God and the eternal verity alwaies constant to himself Therefore you are not to make any doubt of my Doctrine Vers. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Reason 3. Confirming the former All the Promises of God in and through Christ are firm unchangeable and compleat partly inasmuch as hee is the Son of God by whom all things are made partly inasmuch as hee is Mediatour God-man who compleated for us our Redemption and procured it by his merit that the good things promised might bee performed to us and really hee applies them to us Therefore our preaching which contains nothing else is necessarily certain and no doubt to be made of it To the glory of God Reason 4. As the Promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ i. e. that is really and indeed ratified and compleat and so they are acknowledged and preached by us it makes to the glory of God who will not have his Promises fulfilled but in Christ Therefore our preaching is so sure and firm as the purpose of God is in glorifying himself in his Son neither must you doubt any thing in the matter Vers. 21. Now hee which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath annointed us is God 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Reason 5. God is the Author of this our Faith in Christ confirming both the preaching of us Apostles and the Faith of you Corinthians as many of you as are sincere partly by communicating the several gifts of the Spirit as it were an unction from Christ partly by setting to his seal to our Faith making us certain of the Truth of the Gospel and stirs up ineffable and glorious joy in us which is as it were the earnest of our future happiness Therefore our preaching is sure nor ought you to make any doubt of it All these Arguments being weighed upon no ground could the Corinthians suspect that in the preaching of the Apostles so many waies divinely confirmed there could bee any uncertainty or falshood and so hee prevents an Objection as it tended to destroy the Truth of the Gospel Vers. 23. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth Here hee answers the Objection so far as concerned his credit and carriage by shewing the reason of his not comming unto them viz. That time of repentance being granted to the Corinthians hee might spare them i. e. restrain himself from a severe course with them which at present hee was forced to use and hee confirms his Word with
parents if hee would glory in the Nobility of his Race hee sprung from the more Noble Israelites because from the Tribe of Benjamin Benjamin was the Son of Rachel a woman free-born but some Tribes had their original from bond-maids If they strived for the Antiquity of Religion that they remained in the Covenant as true Abrahamites here also hee was equal to any one of them Vers. 23. Are they Ministers of Christ I speak as a fool I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft Sign 3. If they had striven for the dignity of office herein modestly as one compelled hee prefers himself before them in respect of his Apostleship and office granted to him extraordinarily I am greater saies hee because I am an Apostle In labours The fourth Sign of his dignity is sincerity in the administration of his office Of this his sincerity hee produces nine Testimonies First His labours or his diligence Secondly His sufferings in general which belonged to his health and bodily liberty and the dangers of his life Vers. 24. Of the Iews five times received I forty stripes save one Thirdly Hee produces his special sufferings from the Jews that hee was whipped by them five times according to the number of stripes inflicted upon malefactors by the Law for the Jews although they are cruel yet they would seem to contain themselves within the Law Deut. 25.3 Vers. 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day I have been in the deep Fourthly His sufferings from the Gentiles bear testimony that by their Lictours or Sergeants hee was beaten thrice with clubs and whips and once stoned Fifthly That hee thrice suffered shipwrack in one whereof after hee was twenty four hours tossed by the waters in the deep Sea hee was freed by the powerful hand of God Vers. 26. In journying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine own Country-men in perils by the heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils amongst false Brethren The Sixth Testimony of his sincerity comprehends the labours of his journying and eight kinds of dangers which hee found in sundry places and from divers kinds of men Vers. 27. In weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hunger und thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness The seventh hath five sorts of troubles with which while hee fulfilled the work of the Ministery hee was very often exercised wherein being wearied hee was instead of rest forced to take in hand new labours Vers. 28. Besides those things which are without that which commeth upon mee daily the care of all the Churches Eighthly His unconquerable patience in daily publick businesses a solicitous mind for all the Churches of Christ. Vers. 29. Who is weak and am I not weak who is offended and I burn not The ninth Testimony of his Sincerity is his sympathy with all that are afflicted and offended by any scandal Vers. 30. If I must needs glory I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities Hee retorts the Objection of his adversaries But all these things have made thee a contemptible and miserable man Hee answers that hee purposely determined to glory in these as the things which did more commend his sincerity than the prosperous affairs of the false Apostle adorned them Vers. 31. The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is blessed for ever more knoweth that I lye not 32. In Damascus the Governour under Areâ—as the King kept the City with a Garison desirous to apprehâ—nd mee 33. And thorough a window in a basket was I let down by the wall and escaped his hands Lastly Because these things which hee had mentioned may seem incredible viz. that one should bee able to bear so many afflictions premising an oath touching the truth as well of those things that were said already as of those that were to bee spoken hee mentions the special danger of his life out of which there was no apparent escape unless God had kept him safe for the good of the Church and opened a way by his special providence for his escape concerning which Act. 9.23 CHAP. XII HEE proceeds in his holy glorying There are three parts of the Chapter In the first hee explains the heavenly vision presented to him together with the events of the same To vers 11. In the second hee proves that the Corinthians ought to have freed him from this necessity of glorying or defended him To vers 19. In the third hee produces the causes of his troubles Vers. 1. It is not expedient for mee doubtless to glory I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. The Preface being Premised that hee doth not glory for his own sake because that was not expedient for him For this is here somewhat emphatical for mee but for the Corinthians and the Churches sake whom it concerned to preserve the authority of the Apostle intire hee commeth to extraordinary revelations one of which hee begins historically to declare Vers. 2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven I knew a man Hee discovers the excellency of this revelation and his modesty by nine Arguments Argum. 1. That hee scarcely dare publish his name in this business but lest hee may seem to arrogate much to himself hee is compelled to speak of himself in a third person In Christ Argum. 2. That although this revelation may seem to extol him above the common condition of men yet hee doth not affect any other excellence than to bee in Christ or in the number of Beleevers who have renounced themselves that they may glory in Christ alone Fourteen Argum. 3. That silently with himself hee had suppressed the mention of this glorious revelation whole fourteen years never intending to recite it unless hee was compelled by the importunity of his Emulators who endeavoured to diminish his Apostolical authority to the damage of the Gospel and the Church Caught up Argum. 4. That hee was caught up to the upper heaven above all the Stars to the place of the blessed Spirits where God chiefly manifests his glory Whether in the body Argum. 5. That hee is ignorant whether hee was caught up by the local translation of his body into Heaven or whether his soul extraordinarily was separated for that time and lifted up into Heaven concerning the other notwithstanding I am certain Vers. 3. And I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth 4. Hee was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter Into Paradise Argum. 6. That hee certainly knew the matter done and that hee was caught up
of a true Widow or a Christian Widow to bee provided for by the Church Here hee sets down four qualifications 1 It is required that shee bee alone i. e. destitute of Children and Nephews and all humane supply 2 That shee bee faithful trusting in God not getting her living by evil courses but relying upon God 3 That shee bee daily given to the exercises of Piety Vers. 6. But shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth 4 That shee bee not of the number of wanton Widows who indulge themselves in idleness and pleasures not regarding the exercises of godliness Dead The reason of this qualification is given Because those unprofitable women are as it were dead while they live both in respect to God whom they do not serve and in respect to humane society whom they no waies indeavour to benefit by their work Vers. 7. And these things give in charge that they may bee blameless Hee shuts up the Precept of urging any further qualifications of Widows indeed taking a reason from the end that all Widows whoever they are learn to live unblameably Vers. 8. But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house hee hath denyed the Faith and is worse than an Infidel Precept 4. Of censuring those who refuse to provide for Widows their Mothers or Grand-mothers as it is prescribed in the second Precept of this Chapter viz. That they should bee excommunicated by the Church and accounted deserters of the Christian doctrine for Heathens or Infidels till they repent which is the consequence of excommunication Vers. 9. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old having been the wife of one man Precept 5. Of observing three other Qualifications requisite in the admission of Widows to the common table that they may bee sustained by the publick charges 1 That shee bee a Widow sixty years old at the least at which age the desires of the flesh begin to abate and are unable by the labour of their hands to get their living 2 That she hath been the wife of one husband or hath not violated the Laws of Marriage whereupon it may bee hoped shee is a chaste and continent woman Vers. 10. Well reported of for good works if shee have brought up children if shee have lodged strangers if shee have washed the Saints feet if shee have relieved the afflicted if shee have diligently followed every good work 3 That shee have a testimonial of her piety declared in her deeds and works especially in these five which may demonstrate her meet to serve the poor when they are sick viz. 1 If shee bring up her children honestly 2 If shee hath been given to hospitality 3 If shee have submitted to the lowest offices of charity or was ready to submit even to wash the Saints feet if need required 4 If shee have succoured those that were afflicted Finally If shee hath exercised her self in all sorts of good works Vers. 11. But the younger Widows refuse For when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry Precept 6. That they admit not into the Colledge of widows those that are younger Widows When they have c. Hee gives two Reasons Reas. 1. Because there is danger lest being pampered with the Churches bread they begin to waxe wanton against Christ as some younger Widows have done already and despairing of Marriage in the Church they think of falling away from the faith of Christ and afterwards openly revolt that they may marry some infidel out of the Church Vers. 12. Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith Hee seems to point at some Widows of this sort whose condition hee shews to bee damnable and miserable upon this that they have rejected the profession of their faith which they first made in Baptism Vers. 13. And withall they learn to bee idle wandring about from house to house and not onely idle but talkers also and busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not Reas. 2. Because the younger Widows as it seems to bee evident upon experience will become idle wanderers trifâ—ers busie-bodies â—atlers wandring from house to house curiously inquisitive into other bodies matâ—ers and speaking things which they ought not Vers. 14. I will therefore that the younger women marry bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully Precept 7. or Concession That the younger Widows marry in the Lord rather than bee burdensome to the Church and that they look after houshold affairs as it becomes Wives None Hee adds two Reasons of the Precept 1 Lest by their unconstancy and other offences they give occasion to the Adversaries or Infidels to speak evil of the Professorâ— of the Gospel Vers. 15. For some are already turned aside after Satan 2 Because it is found by experience that some younger Widows have declined the true Religion and have betaken themselves to the Tents of Satan out of the Territories of the Church Vers. 16. If any man or woman that beleeveth have Widows let them relieve them and let not the Church bee charged that it may relieve them that are Widows indeed Hee inculcates the second Precept whereof vers 4. of succouring Widows by their Children or Nephews adding two Reasons 1 That the Church bee not burdened with unnecessary charges 2 Lest there should not bee sufficient to maintain those that are Widows indeed From whence it appears that if there were no poor and honest Widows in the Church of sixty years old there was no necessity to make provision for any and by consequence the Ministry of women in the Deaconship was not needful unless by accident they bee maintained by the publick charge that they bee not altogether unprofitable The Third Part of the Chapter Vers. 17. Let the Elders that rule well bee counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine The third part of the Chapter concerning Presbyters contains five Precepts Precept 1. That an honourable stipend bee afforded to the Presbyters who well discharge their duty in feeding the Church And it is said Let them hee accounted worthy because if perhaps in some poorer Churches the maintenance bee not sufficient or if it shall seem good to some Elders upon reasons known to themselves to serve the Church freely in such a case it is fitting that they bee accounted at leastwise worthy of double honour or a liberal stipend whether they exact it or not Especially Hee makes two orders of these Elders one that labour in the word and doctrine such are Pastors and Doctors Another of those that rule well i. e. That endeavour to govern the Church in life and manners but labour not in the word and doctrine such are Elders which are called Rulers 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 12.8 Hee would have both these kindes of Elders rightly managing their Offices accounted worthy of double honour but especially those that labour in
hardness as a good souldier of Iesus Christ. Branch 3. That hee neither fear nor flye from the pains which was required to this double work nor the afflictions or persecutions that followed it but receive and bear them with a good courage As a souldier The Arguments of the Exhortation or Admonition are eleven all which prove that hee ought valiantly to manage his warfare in the Ministry of the Gospel Arg. 1. Because thou are a souldier of Jesus Christ to whom as to thy General thou hast bound thy self by a Military oath And it becomes a Christian souldier to follow the example of Christ not fiercely to strive against his Adversaries but patiently inuring himself to the Cross and in the carrying on of his work contending with difficulties to proceed forwards Therefore thou oughtest to behave thy self couragiously in managing thy warfare in the Ministry of the Gospel Vers. 4. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that hee may please him who hath chosen him to bee a Souldier Arg. 2. Propounded by way of comparison because otherwise thou canst not please thy General Christ unless setting aside all thy occasions that might call thee away from the work of Christ thou addict thy self wholly to his service Therefore c. Vers. 5. And if a man also strive for masteries yet is hee not crowned except hee strive lawfully Arg. 3. Propounded by way of comparison to the sports and noble striving which were amongst the Heathen because thou canst not bee crowned if wearied in the first onset thou retreat out of the field to rest and ease but it behoves thee to strive lawfully and to prosecute the contention so far as the Law prescribes i. e. persevere so long as thou livest in this Christian warfare that aâ— length thou mayest bee crowned Conquerour Therefore c. Vers. 6. The Husbandman that laboureth must bee first partaker of the fruits Arg. 4. Propounded by way of similitude as the former Because it is necessary that thou first labour if thou wilt receive fruit which as an Husbandman without doubt thou shalt reap if thou followest thy work with a good courage Therefore c. Vers. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things That Timothy may gather and conceive more by these similitudes than could bee set down or need to bee explained hee leaves the applications of these similitudes to Timothy and further prayes unto God that hee would open his eyes to see those lessons which here and otherwhere hee might learn for the discharging of his duty for these comparisons were weaker than to reach the excellency of the Christian warfare and the reward of those that labour in the Ministry Vers. 8. Remember that Iesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel Arg. 5. Because Christ the General and Captain of the Army hath conquered all adverse power and death it self by the vertue of his Deity rising again from the dead for us in the same flesh which hee assumed from the Seed of David as I have preached Therefore O Timothy thou mayest hope to bee delivered from all evills and from death it self by the power of Christ very God and very man To which end also hee commands Timothy to remember and keep in minde this Doctrine because this is the chief foundation of faith hope and Christian consolation Vers. 9. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds but the word of God is not bound Arg. 6. From the example of Paul himself I suffer bonds and disgrace willingly in the work of the Ministry Therefore do thou prepare thy self to suffer the like But the word Arg. 7. All the endeavour of the Adversaries of the Gospel comes to nothing while they persecute us the servants of Christ even unto bonds because although they may overcome us professours of the Gospel yet they overcome not nor doth the Gospel suffer bonds or is it hindred in its course Therefore let us confidently carry on our warfare Vers. 10. Therefore I indure all things for the Elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Iesus with eternal glory Arg. 8. The Elect of God are worthy for whose edification and confirmation in the faith to eternal salvation purchased by Christ wee who are the Ministers of Christ suffer all kindes of evills Therefore c. Vers. 11. It is a faithful saying For if wee bee dead with him wee shall also live with him 12. If wee suffer wee also shall reign with him if wee deny him hee will also deny us Arg. 9. Although the flesh hardly admits this saying yet certain it is That our communion with Christs death in induring the Cross is annexed to our communion with the life of Christ And certain it is that they shall reign with Christ who suffer with or for him Therefore must wee bee of good courage in our warfare that wee may live and reign with Christ. If wee Arg. 10. Whosoever being deceived by the terrours of persecution and the allurements of the world cast off the profession of the Name of Christ shall also bee cast off by Christ and perish Therefore c. Vers. 13. If wee beleeve not yet hee abideth faithful hee cannot deny himself Arg. 11. They that are unfaithful although they bring destruction upon themselves yet they shall detract nothing from the truth or glory of Christ who will defend his truth against the power of Adversaries and the perfidiousness of Apostates and will establish whatever hee hath said for his servants and against their enemies Therefore c. Vers. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers Admon 2. That Timothy do not onely inforce the things that are spoken but also take care that the word of God bee wisely handled both by others and himself also for example unto others There are three Branches of this Admonition Branch 1. That in the Name and Authority of Christ hee refrain unprofitable disputations such as theirs use to bee who seek after applause for their accuteness in their Sophistry Unprofitable The Reasons of this Branch are two Reas. 1. Because such contentions produce no profit at all Subverting Reas. 2. Because the faith of some is overthrown who lose the truth in wranglings or giving heed to perplexed disputations Vers. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to bee ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Branch 2. That hee shew himself an example in a prudent administration of the word of God studying to approve himself to God when others look after publick applause shewing himself a faithful workman when others boast themselves as vain disputers Alwayes doing his endeavour that he neither do nor speak any thing unbecoming whereof he may be ashamed in the
is made in his book Vers. 14. Alexander the Copper-Smith did mee much evil the Lord reward him according to his works 15. Of whom bee thou ware also for hee hath greatly withstood our words Artic. 2. It relates to Alexander the Copper-Smith an enemy to the Gospel who earnestly withstood the Apostle in his preaching and was very troublesome to him to whom out of well-tempered zeal in the Spirit of God hee wishes divine revenge as to a malicious and obstinate enemy and hee warns Timothy to take heed of him lest hee receive the like injuries from him Vers. 16. At my first answer no man stood with mee But all men forsooke mee I pray God that it may not bee laid to their charge Artic. 3. Hee mentions four remarkeable things which befell him at his first defence when hee first pleaded his cause before Neroes judgement seat The first is that none in the Church at Rome assisted him or became any waies helpful to him which is an Argument that hee did not succeed Peter there nor that hee was Bishop of Rome which desertion of him hee imputes to the infirmity of the Saints at Rome Therefore hee intercedes to God for them and beseeches him to pardon them Vers. 17. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with mee and strengthened mee that by mee the preaching might bee fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion The second is That the Lord was his help in the defence of his cause and supported him by his Grace against all accusations whereof hee gives the Reason That so the Lord did more illustriously confirm and commend the preaching of the Gospel amongst the Gentiles Out of the mouth The third is That God delivered him from the present danger of death or from the cruelty of Nero and his adversaries which accused him as it were out of the mouth of the Lion Vers. 18. And the Lord shall deliver mee from every evil work and will preserve mee unto his heavenly Kingdome to whom bee glory for ever and ever Amen The fourth is That by this experience God had confirmed his Faith in him that hee would preserve him lest daunted with any danger hee should defile himself in any evil work even until hee should translate him into his heavenly glory upon which account hee gives thanks to God with confidence Vers. 19. Salute Prisca and Aquila and the houshold of Onesiphorus 20. Erastus abode at Corinth but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick 21. Do thy diligence to come before Winter Eubulus greeteth thee and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the Brethren Artic. 4. It contains the salutations sent to Prisca or Priscilla and her Husband Aquila and to the houshold of Onesiphorus Trophimus Artic. 5. Wherein to hasten the comming of Timothy hee mentions the absence of Erastus and Trophimus who might minister unto him and supply the place of Timothy Salutes Artic. 6. It contains the salutations sent from some Saints at Rome who were with the Apostle while hee writ these things Vers. 22. The Lord Iesus Christ bee with thy spirit Grace bee with you Amen Artic. 7. Hee concludes his Epistle wishing the presence of Christ with the spirit and soul of Timothy and praies for grace to the whole Church whom it concerned to understand the Doctrine set down in this Epistle that with the greater reverence they might receive the Ministery and acknowledge the authority of Timothy The Epistle of Paul to TITVS Analytically expounded THE CONTENTS WHen Paul had onely laid the foundation of a Church in the Isle of Crete which is also called Candia making haste to some other place as it became the Apostle of the Gentiles hee leaves Titus and enjoyns him as an Evangelist to prosecute the work But when Paul understood that hee was contemned by some and that hee might bee brought into further contempt by those that were obstinate as if hee had been a common Pastor Paul invests him with Authority and puts upon him as it were his own person as well in making Ministers as in the whole administration of the Church and encourages him to go forward in the work of the Lord. Besides the Preface and Conclusion there are three parts of the Epistle according to the number of the Chapters The first is concerning the Election of Ministers Chap 1. The second is concerning the duties of each ranck in the Family Chap. 2. The third is concerning the duties of all Christians Chap. 3. CHAP. I. AFter the Preface to vers 5. Hee instructs Titus about the chusing of Pastors shewing who are to bee admitted to vers 10. and who are to bee rejected to the end Vers. 1. Paul a servant of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after godliness The Preface contains three things 1 A description of the Pen-man vers 1 2 3. 2 A description of him to whom hee writes 3 A salutation with an Apostolical benediction vers 3 4. In the description of the Pen-man Paul his authority is asserted from these eight heads 1 That hee is a servant of God and that is maintained against the Jews who reproached him as a deserter of the Religion of his Country 2 That hee is an Apostle of Iesus Christ who by an immediate commission to all Nations held the supreme degree of Ministry in the Church 3 That his Doctrine agrees with the Faith of Abraham and the Fathers and all the Elect which every one of them that are elected would receive none but Reprobates would reject because it contains nothing but the known and acknowledged Truth instructing men to godliness and the pure worship of God Vers. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Hee adjoyns the remaining commendations of his Doctrine and the Arguments of his Authority 4 That it brings a lively hope of eternal life to Beleevers 5 That it is upheld by the testimony of God that cannot lye or it is impossible for him to lye or to speak what is not or not to bee able to effect what hee saith 6 That the original of this Truth is most Ancient inasmuch as God hath promised eternal life not onely in the beginning of the world preaching it to our first Parents in paradise but also covenanting with his Son designed to bee our Mediatour about it before the world was made in the Covenant of Redemption 7 That this Truth was most wisely revealed i. e. by degrees and in convenient seasons as it seemed good to God it was made known and now is openly manifested by the preaching of the Gospel Vers. 3. But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching which is committed unto mee according to the Commandement of God our Saviour 8 That the charge of preaching this Gospel by special Ordination and deputation of our Saviour Christ was committed to
perpetual communion with God arising from the confederation of Marriage right whereby the people in covenant become the possession of Gods peculiar love and God becomes a blessed possession to his people and both these God promiseth I will bee their God saith hee and they shall bee my people and I will account them for my people Vers. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord For all shall know mee from the least to the greatest The third promise is of continual instruction and teaching by the holy Ghost so that they shall not fetch the knowledge of God from the decrees and opinions of men nor shall hang their Faith upon the authority of mens teachings nor shall stick in the bare speculation of those things they shall hear preached as it befalls the unregenerate who live not under the New Covenant but by the means of teaching which are of divine institution they shall bee all as well the least as the greatest instructed in and indued with a lively effectual knowledge love and observance of God so that neither in it self nor in the estimation of beleevers hee that plants or hee that waters shall bee any thing in comparison with God But God onely shall 〈◊〉 the teacher who teacheth efficaciously and gives the increase Vers. 12. For I will bee merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more The fourth promise is of eternal remission of sins whereby God for the sake of Christs obedience shews himself reconciled to the faithful that are in covenant Vers. 13. In that hee saith A New Covenant hee hath made the first Old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the words of Ieremy hee infers a twofold consectary The first is the Legal or Levitical Covenant because it is declared by the Prophet to bee Old in the Epithite New it waxeth old and is vanished Now that The other Consectary drawn from hence in the times of Ieremiah the Prophet the Legal or Levitical Covenant was neer its dissolution and vanishing and by consequence after the comming of Christ under whâ—â— all things become new it expired Than which nothing could be more effectually spoken to move the Hebrews that renouncing the Levitical Ceremonies they would consecrate themselves wholly to Christ alone CHAP. IX HEE prosecutes the Comparison of the Levitical Priest-hood with the Priesthood of Christ and further shews the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ There are two parts of the Chapter In the first hee proves by fifteen Arguments that the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical to vers 16. In the second part hee removes the scandal of the Cross or of the death of Christ by demonstrating the sufficiency and necessity of it to the end Vers. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also ordinances of Divine service and a worldly sanctuary As to the first part the seven first Arguments are so many characters of the imperfection of the Levitical Priest-hood from whence the excellency of Christs Priest-hood is commended Argum. 1. The first Covenant appertaining to the Levitical Priesthood had onely shadowed rites of Justification and an earthly Sanctuary Therefore it follows that the Priesthood of Christ which contains true Justification according to the New Covenant and an heavenly Sanctuary as before was shewed is much more excellent Vers. 2. For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the Candlestick and the Table and the Shew-bread which is called the Sanctuary Hee explains this Argument First By describing the parts of the Sanctuary and the sacred things in it further hee describes the typical rites of Justification The Tabernacle that Moses erected had two parts The fore-part was called the Holy the inner part the Holy of Holies in the fore-part was the Candlestick in the South part of the house set on the left hand Against it in the North part of the house was the Table with the Shew-bread so called because they were set before God by which was signified that light and life is vouchsafed to them which come unto God And in this part was the Altar of incense placed before the entrance to the inner part whereby the offering of prayers was signified Vers. 3. And after the second veil the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all The veil that hung in the entrance of this part is here understood to bee the first veil The other veil which divided the fore-part from the Holy of Holies here 't is called the middle veil and the inner house which was behind that is called the Holy of Holies the fore-part figured out the Church upon earth the hinder part figured Heaven or the place wherein God manifests himself to the Church Triumphant Vers. 4. Which had the golden Censer and the Ark of the Covenant over-laid round about with Gold wherin was the golden Pot that had Manna and Aarons Rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant In the Holy of Holies was 1 The Golden Censer which was used by the High Priest entring in once a year fit to signifie the intercession of Christ praying for us and making our prayers acceptable unto God 2 There was the Ark of the Covenant covered over with Gold whence God uttered his voice a fitting type of Christ the word incarnate and opening the Counsel of God to us 3 There was the pot of Manna conveniently signifying that hidden Manna which God truly was in Christ to the faithful for their food unto eternal life 4 There was the Rod of Aaron that budded fitly signifying the effectual blessing which Christ gives to the labours of his Ministers 5 The Tables of the Covenant were put into the Ark which taught us that the fulfilling of the Law is onely to bee sought in Christ. Vers. 5. And over it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat of which wee cannot now speak particularly There were Angels Cherubims with wings towards each other covering the Ark between which wings God as it were saâ—e and gave out answers when hee was enquired of whereby the Ministery of Angels waiting upon CHRIST The great mystery of godliness dwelling in unapproachable light was propounded in the type And because here is enough said of the glory of the outward Tabernacle or of the earthly place the Apostle breaks off his discourse concerning the terrene Tabernacle Vers. 6. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwaies into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God The place hath been spoken of in the next place hee describes the shadowy rites of Justification and first of all those which the Priests daily exercised in the fore-part of the Tabernacle burning incense taking care for bread for the furnishing of the Table oyl for the Lamp and the rest according to the Law Vers. 7. But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year not
born patiently Gods fatherly corrections Therefore wee ought to bear them patiently Vers. 10. For they verily for a few daies chastened us after their own pleasure but hee for our profit that wee might bee partakers of his holiness Argum. 10. If wee have born the chastisements of our Parents who for a short time in looking to our temporal good oftentimes have for their own pleasure unjustly chastised us wee ought much rather to suffer the chastisements of God who for a short time most prudently and justly chastises us for our spiritual profit that hee may make us partakers of his holiness or may sanctifie us to life eternal Vers. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Argum. 11. Answering an Objection Although for the present in the opinion of the flesh no chastening may seem to be matter of joy but onely sadness yet afterwards it will be found by those that have been exercised proved and subdued by it that this Discipline did profit their composed and quiet minds and it will appear that it hath promoted holiness or the fruit of Righteousness Therefore yee ought to suffer afflictions and moreover to take courage and compose your selves to go on constantly in the waies of the Lord which is signified by the lifting up of the hands which hang down and feeble knees Vers. 13. And make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame bee turned out of the way but let it rather bee healed Argum. 12. Unless you patiently suffer afflictions which come upon you for the Gospels sake and go on stoutly in the Profession of the Faith in the waies or streigth paths of the Lord there is very great danger lest halting and inclining to fall away by reason of the afflictions which yee suffer for the Faith yee immediately fall away indeed and altogether turn a side out of the way or renounce the Faith Therefore admit yee of healing by the medicines of Faith and Christian Consolation suffer afflictions patiently couragiously confirm your feet in the waies of the Lord and in his streight paths go forward Vers. 14. Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Exhort 2. That they endeavour to follow peace with all men with those that are within the Church as well as with those that are without as much as possible and also that they endeavour after holiness so that whilst they study peace they neglect not holiness or by doing ill or omitting good they sin not to gratifie prophane men Without which Hee gives the reason why hee joyns the study of holiness with peace because without peace with men they may obtain eternal salvation but they cannot be saved or see the Lord without holiness in whose sight society and fruition in Heaven consists eternal life Vers. 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many bee defiled Exhort 3. Lest any man fail of the Grace of God or abuse it to prophaneness which belongeth to every one especially to Bishops or Governours of the Church as the thing and words intimate because as it is the duty of all so of these especially to study to purge the Church from corruptions of Doctrine and manners by Exhortation to mutual duties of charity and by Ecclesiastical Discipline As for corruptions of Doctrine hee commands them to look diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God or of the sound Doctrine of Grace or lest any man ascribe less unto Grace than is meet and so failing of the truth being left behind by others who make progress in the Faith either cannot or will not agree with them in the Doctrine of Grace hee fail of Grace and so perish Lest any root The Reasons of the Exhortation are six Reas. 1. Belonging to the first Branch Because failing of Grace or the Doctrine of Grace by Infidelity in any member of the Church is like to a most bitter root springing up in the Church of God which is the Vineyard or Garden of the Lord whereby many in the Church may be troubled and infected Vers. 16. Lest there bee any fornicatour or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right As to what concerns corruptions of manners from which also the way is open to falling from the Faith hee forbids lest there be any fornicatour amongst them that is that they should not suffer him but cast out of the Church fornicatours and prophane persons who contemning heavenly priviledges and the good things promised to the faithful and holy do give up themselves to gluttony to their bellies and viâ—ious pleasures like Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right And so hee shewed himself to make more of his pleasure than his birth-right which was a pledge of the everlasting inheritance to be obtained by those that beleeve upon the free Promise of God and did cherish the hope thereof in the families of the Patriarches Vers. 17. For yee know how that afterward when hee would have inherited the blessing hee was rejected for hee found no place of Repentance though hee sought it carefully with tears Reas. 2. Of the Exhortation pertaining to the second Branch Because as it is known out of holy Writ that Esau when repenting and afterwards weeping had solicited his Father that hee might by an hereditary right obtain the blessing was repulsed and rejected from the blessing of the birth-right so the prophane contemners of the grace and holiness of God ought to fear who whilest they hear the voice of God harden their hearts and do not repent when an occasion is offered lest they be excluded from the mercy of God and being shut out finde no place of repentance Therefore the Church is to be purged from such corruptions Vers. 18. For yee are not come unto the Mount that might bee touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest 19. And the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not bee spoken to them any more 20. For they could not endure that which was commanded and if so much as a beast touch the Mountain it shall bee stoned or thrust through with a dart 21. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Reas. 3. To this sense Yee are not called to the Legal Covenant and its terrours to vers 22. but to the Covenant of Grace and to the most sweet society of Christ and his Saints to vers 25. Therefore yee ought to look diligently lest any man fail of Grace or lest any man bee prophane i. e. lest any man detract by his Infidelity from the
himself would by that very thing signifie that there was no virtue of Justification or Sanctification to bee sought in any legal Rites but only in his own blood all those legal Rites being excluded Vers. 13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach 14. For here have wâ—e no continuing City but wee seek one to come 15. By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased From hence the sixth Exhortation is drawn to a prudent imitation of Christ going out of the City and offering up himself to his Father This imitation consists in three things 1 As Christ going without the City renounced the world that hee might do his Fathers Will so wee for his sake ought to renounce all worldly things being ready to leave Father and Mother family and goods unless wee would bee accounted unworthy of his fellowship 2 As Christ hath born his Cross going out into an opprobrious place Golgotha so it behoveth us to bear Christs reproach or our Cross after him that is to prepare our selves to suffer banishments persecutions reproaches and miseries of that kind for his sake For not He gives the reason of this branch because we Believers know that those worldly things are momentary and that there is not an abiding place for us on earth but wee seek a City that heavenly inheritance to the obtaining of which it becomes us to go out of the world with a ready mind and to renounce worldly things By him The third thing in which wee ought to imitate Christs suffering is that resting in his intercession merit and worthiness wee offer to God spiritual sacrifices and acceptable i. e. As Christ hath offered himself to God that by his Passion hee might fulfill and abolish all Levitical types so wee whom hee hath made perfect by his alone Sacrifice as to Justification and hath sanctified us as Priests consecrated to God that legal sacrifices being abolished wee might offer spiritual sacrifices ought to offer up our selves as living Sacrifices for the serving of God and also Sacrifices of Praise Prayer and Thanksgiving which are our first fruits our calves and those spiritual sacrifices which wee ought continually to offer to God through Christ by whose merit wee and our obedience is made acceptable unto God To do good Besides the calves of our lips hee also commands us to do good that is to perform all duties of charity towards all but most especially towards the houshold of Faith With such Hee backs this part of the Exhortation with a strong reason because these kind of sacrifices please God or are acceptable to him as the most sweet fruit of our Faith in Christ and most evident testimony of our sincere love towards God and our neighbour Vers. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves For they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Exhort 7. That they perform diligently the duties which they owe to Pastours and Governours receiving them reverently as the Ministers of God loving them for Gods works sake which is in their hands obeying them in all things which they prescribe out of the Word of God to bee believed or done in the Name of God according to their office endeavouring with as great thankfulness as may bee to recompence their labours and cares They watch There are four arguments of the Exhortation Argum. 1. The Ecclesiastical Ministers your Leaders watch for you praying studying disputing for you preaching the Gospel and exercising Ecclesiastical Discipline amongst you for your good Therefore obey them Account Argum. 2. God requires an account of your souls from them iâ— but one perisheth by their fault Therefore obey them who undergo amongst you so dangerous and hard a task That with joy Argum. 3. If you obey as it becomes you you will rejoyce your Pastours and they will more cheerfully follow their work but otherwise they will indeed do their duty but heavily and with sorrow and so yee that ought to bee acceptable to them will become the cruel tormentors of your Pastours Therefore obey them For that Argum. 4. Preventing an Objection if perchance any amongst them might not care for the troubles griefs and sorrows of their Pastours it will turn to your hurt if Gods Ministers are compelled to mourn through your fault God will hear their groanings and will severely vindicate the contempt of his Embassadors Therefore obey them The Second Part. Vers. 18. Pray for us for wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly The other Part of the Chapter follows wherein is contained the conclusion of the Epistle whereof there are six Articles In the first Because it is the duty of all fellow-souldiers in the Army of the Church Militant to pray mutually for one another The Apostle after his manner about the end of the Epistle commends himself to the prayers of the faithful Hebrews whom hee desires to pray that God would bless him in all things but especially that hee might freely and fruitfully preach the Gospel But hee speaks of himself in the plural number as it appeareth out of the words that follow which belong to his own person from which it is manifest that it was not unknown to the faithful Hebrews that Paul was the Writer of the Epistle which Peter also confirmeth unto us although for the unbelieving Hebrews sake whom hee endeavoured to win hee did not prefix his name which was hateful to them before this Epistle The reasons why Paul would have them prays from himself are two Wee trust Reason 1. Answering an Objection because although my reputation is abused by calumniatours who are enemies of the Gospel and cannot bear my preaching concerning the Grace of Christ and freedome from the Covenant of Works and Levitical Ceremonies yet I am conscious to my self that I have duely discharged my office and of my innocent conversation that I deserve ill of none But hee speaks here most modestly concerning himself lest hee should give any occasion of cavilling Rather Reas. 2. Because if yee shall pray for mee it will come to pass that sooner than yee expect and my prosperous condition may seem to permit I may be restored to your Churches from which I am detained longer than I would being much hindered by divers impediments Vers. 19. But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may bee restored to you the sooner 20. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing
Father of Lights To help such as either could not or else would not profit themselves by that which is already granted in his Bounty by some short and plain manner of writing whereby the weaker judgements might be supported and all Excuse taken away from the witty Sluggard and such whose worldly Employments and great Affairs have seemed sufficient Reasons to excuse their negligence and the small and naughty matters of their own Salvation and the Kingdome of Heaven and Evidences thereof in Scripture And to this purpose I have been very instant with the Godly-Learned of mine acquaintance to take this matter in hand and to divide amongst them the hard parts of Scripture at least that this work might be done by the hands of many which could not be done by one I found their approbation of my desire and inclinable willingness to put hand to work also But some of them for the weight of their ordinary Charge some of them for age and infirmity of body some of them for their hands full of the Lords work in another sort could not adveâ—ture to be straightly ingaged in the work Where-through I was forced either to forsake my Desires which daily were kindlâ— within mee more and more or else come forth with something of this kind as might be and seek amongst my Readers some to take this Matter to heart and to do therein as the Lord should enable them by themselves or by others I have made choice of this Epistle which is a piece of hard Meat in the estimation both of the Apostle the Writer thereof Chap. 5 and 6. and of Peter giving his judgement of it 2 Pet. 1.15 16. That if I should attain any part of mine intent in any measure in so hard a place I might encourage others to take in hand a more easie part of Scripture with more hope of success The Summe of each Chapter or the Contents do stand instead of Analysis and in some places of a Paraphrase The Text doth follow Verse by Verse The Exposition of the Verse serveth for grounds of Doctrines which Doctrines following upon the grounds are joyned most part with the Note of Collection THEN Plurality of Doctrines from the ground or from the Text where the consequence is easie to be perceived is distinguished by figures according to their numbers Terms of Art I have eschewed Because I would be plain to all I have spared all enlargement of the Doctrines which I could spare leaving them as grains of Seed to get their growth in thy mind by Meditation which is necessary for such as love to make use of this sort of writing because I would be short The special handling of such Passages as the Apostle citeth out of the Old Testament I have left to their own proper place Quotations for confirmation of my Doctrines drawn from the ground I have spared also Because I judged If the Doctrine was pertinently collected from the ground the Text in hand was sufficient confirmation And if it be not pertinently collected I am content that thou pass by it and take onely what is pertinent A Quotation could prove the Doctrine true but not prove it pertinent and so not serve my purpose Many more and more petinent Consequences the Learned will finde which I have not observed but not for the Learned or such as are able and willing to make use of larger Writings do I intend this present Therefore do not look how much thou doest miss which might have been said but what in the first frame of this mould could be done in such brevity Which mould I trust the Learned shall help if it please the Lord to stir them up to take this matter in hand I have pressed singly to point out Truth without Partiality not wresting the Text to reach a Blow to any man And what thou shalt make of this present Piece I am not careful if I can obtain thereby that more able Men may be set on work to do what I intend but cannot do If the precious Iewel of the Scripture may be more esteemed of and made use of which is more necessary for our Souls than the Sun in the Firmament is for our bodies and the greatest gift next after our Lord Jesus down-sending amongst us that ever the world saw If I may by this piece I say be an Instrument to stir up any to the love of searching the Scriptures I have not lost my pains whatsoever shall become of this Book Whereunto I have solicited for no Patronage under Heaven but thy Christian Good-will to my Aim to have our Lord the more honoured in the sound Knowledge and right use of His Scripture I am confident that thou wilt easily judge with mee That the proud and prophane Despisers of God are worthy to perish amongst his Enemies but consider and judge again If prophane Despisers of holy Scripture who disdain to read or obey what God commandeth therein be not to be ranked in the same Roll. For God draweth so nigh unto us in his Word speaking unto us as a King unto his Subjects or a Master unto his Servants that the obedience or disobedience which wee give to His Speeches resolveth directly and immediately upon God himself For what is it else to hear and beleeve and obey God but to hear and beleeve and obey His speeches And what is it not to take notice of God to despise and disobey God but not to take notice of his Speeches not to read his Writings and not to care for any thing that Hee commandeth promiseth or threatneth Therefore hath the Lord written the great things of his Law unto us even to be a Touch-stone not onely to try all mens Doctrine thereby but also to try all mens disposition towards Himself and how they stand affected to His Honour whether as Foes or as Friends For What readier way is there to get evidence of a man destitute of the Knowledge Faith Love Fear and the rest of the parts of the Image of God than to finde him destitute of the Knowledge and Love of the Scripture What surer sign of a man who for the present is enemy to God and to the enlargement of His Gracious Kingdome than to finde him traducing the perfect Law of the Lord and marring to his power the free course of the Scriptures light which is the Stepter of Christs Kingdome Again What surer sign of a Child of Promise begotten of God than to see him with David Psal. 119. making more of the Scriptures than of a Kingdome and pouring out all his Affections upon it as upon the nearest Mean whereby Gods Spirit may be conveyed into his soul for perfecting of Holiness and the readiest Chariot to carry up his Spirit to dwell in God for perfecting of his happiness Wee shall finde also answerable to Gods purpose of trying men by His Scripture His Wisdome giving a due meeting unto men as they do make use of His Scripture Do they not read it
So hee but by his Word commandeth and all standeth fast And this his Word is nothing else but his powerful Will ordaining things to bee and continue and powerfully making them so to bee and continue so long as hee will 4. Christ by himself purged our sins To wit by bearing our sins upon his body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.4 Then 1. Our sins are filthiness that must bee purged 2. The satisfactory cleansing of our sins is not a thing to bee done by mens meritorious doings or sufferings but already done and ended by Christ before hee ascended and that by himself alone all creatures being secluded 3. Hee that upholdeth all things by the Word of his own Power and hee that purged our sins by his own Blood is but one self-same Person God and Man is He in one Person 5. Christ sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high That is when Christ had cleansed our sins by his death hee ascended to Heaven and possessed himself as Man in the fellowship of the same Glory which as God hee had before the World was Joh. 17.4 5. Then 1. The Son is joyned in the fellowship of the same Glory with the Father as well in his Manhead after his Resurrection as in his Godhead before his Incarnation For though the glory of Christs Godhead was hid for a while by the sufferings of his Manhead yet was it not abolished nor in it self abated thereby but the Manhead first assumed unto the unity of Person with the Godhead that our Ransome might bee rich and then to the union of the same Glory that the Redeemer after the Ransomes paying might bee altogether glorious 2. Seeing hee that hath cleansed our sins is so glorious a Person all the means of his cleansing us how base soever such as were his Hunger and Thirst his Poverty and Weakness his shameful and painful Death should bee glorious in our eyes also 3. Majesty and Magnificence and Grandeur properly so called is the Lords The highest excellencies of the creature are but sparks of his Majesty and weak resemblances onely albeit their earthly glory often hold mens eyes so as they forget the Lords Greatness Vers. 4. Being made so much bâ—tter than the Angels as hee hath by Inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they 1. Hee proveth Christ to bee greater than the Angels because his Name is more excellent than theirs For they are called Angels and hee Gods Son which hee is said to have by inheritance as due to him both as God by eternal Generation and as Man by assumption of our Nature in unity of one person according to which hee is not the adopted but natural Son of God Filius natus non filius factus Then God giveth not idle titles as God calleth things so they are or are made to be Christ as God is called Gods Son because by eternal Generation hee is so as Man hee is called Gods Son because by assumption of the humane nature unto the personal union of his Godhead hee is made so to be 2. As far as Sonship is above servile imployment so far is Christ more excellent than the Angels Vers. 5. For unto which of the Angels said hee at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and hee shall be to mee a Son 1. Hee proveth this point by Scripture Psal. 2.7 2 Sam. 7.19 and putteth them to improbation of his Doctrine by Scripture if they could Then 1. In the Primitive Church in matters of Religion all Authority was silent and Divine Scripture spake and determined questioned points of Truth 2. The Apostle counted it sufficient to bring Scripture for his Doctrine and permitteth no impugning of it but by Scripture 2. Onely of Christ saith God I have begotten thee Then 1. Howsoever God hath many Sons by Creation by Office by Grace and Adoption yet a Son by Generation a native Son hath hee none but Christ. 2. Christ is of the same Nature and Essence with the Father consubstantial with him because begotten of him in himself without beginning the Son being eternally in the Father and the Father eternally in the Son of the self-same Nature and God-head 3. This day have I begotten thee Being understood of Christ according to his God-head signifieth the Fathers timeless eternal perpetual constant and present Generation of his Son in himself being understood according to his state in his Man-head it signifieth the Fathers bringing forth of the Son to the knowledge of the World and declaring him to bee the Son of God with power by his Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 These places it is true were spoken of David and Solomon as Types of Christ typically in a slender resemblance Psal. 2.7 and 2 Sam 7.19 But the body of the Truth aimed at and signified was Christ resembled by them as here wee see Whence wee learn that typical speeches in Scripture have not their perfect meaning neither can be fully expounded nor truly understood till they be drawn to Christ in whom they have their accomplishment and of whom they mean to speak under the name of the Types And therefore neither could the old Church of the Jews nor can wee get comfort in any of them till Christ in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen be found included in them Vers. 6. And again when hee bringeth in the first begotten into the world Hee saith And let all the Angels of God worship him 1. Hee saith that is the Father saith Psal. 97.7 Then The Scripture which elsewhere is called the Speech of the Holy Ghost is also the speech of the Father 2. Hee bringeth in his first begotten into the World Then 1. The Father is the Author of Christs Incarnation and of his Kingdome amongst Men and of Divine Glory given to him in his Kingdome 2. Christ is the Fathers first begotten both for the eternity of his Person begotten without beginning before the world was and for the excellency of his Person being more glorious than all Angels or Men which get the name of Children either by Creation or Adoption 3. The Father commandeth Let all the Angels of God adore Him Then 1. The Father communicateth to Christ as his own Nature and God-head by Generation so also his own Glory by commanding the creatures to adore him 2. What the creatures adore they acknowledge by adoration to be God so God esteemeth 3. And Christ is the Angels God because they must adore Him Vers. 7. And of the Angels Hee saith Who maketh His Angels Spirits and His Ministers a flame of fire Hee maketh his Angels Spirits c. Psal. 104.5 Then 1. God made not the Angels to get any part of Christs room in the Churches worship but to serve Christ as lowly as any of the meanest creatures 2. And the Angels indeed are as ready to do so and as swift and active in their service as the Winds and fire-slaughts
sinfulness in mind and heart are Preparations to fit us and set us on to joyn in this Covenant wherein God undertaketh to help and remedy all these felt evils through His Christ by putting His Laws in our Mind and writing them in our Hearts For what is this else but tâ— illuminate our Mind more and more with the understanding of his will and to frame our hearts and affections to the obedience of the same 4. That by the Covenant comfort is provided for sinners who are humbled in the sense of their sins and no door opened for presumption nor room given to prophane persons to go on their ways blessing themselves For the maker of the New Covenant presupposeth two things First that his party renounce his own righteousness which he might seem able to have by the Old Covenant Next that he flee for relief to God in Christ to have the benefits promised in this New Covenant Which if he do it is impossible that he can either lean to his own merits or live in the love of his sinful lusts 5. That by this Covenant such an union is made betwixt God and the Believer that the Believer is the Lords adopted childe and the Lord is the Believers God all-sufficient for ever promising to be all to the Believer which to be our God may import and to make the Believer all that one of his people should be Verse 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord For all shall know me from the least to the greatest 1. While he saith They shall not teach every man his neighbour he doth not mean that his Word and Ordinances and Ministry appointed by him or brotherly communion for mutual edification shall be mis-regarded or not made use of But by the contrary That he will himself be their Teacher in these his own means First giving his children a greater measure of the Spirit and a more neer communion with himself than of old 2. Making his children so wise unto salvation as they shall not hang their Faith upon mans authority but search by all means till they understand the minde of God the infallible Teacher as he hath revealed himself in his Word 3. So clearing the Truth which is outwardly taught unto them by his own Instruments after so sure and perswasive a manner by his Spirit inwardly that the outward Teaching shall be no Teaching in comparison of the inward concurrence according as we hear those Samaritans were taught who believed indeed the womans report that they might go to Christ But when they were come to him got so great satisfaction from himself that they said unto her Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed that Christ John 4.42 So will the Lord inwardly make his Truth powerful unto Salvation to his own that they may say to those that are his Instruments Now we believe not because of your saying but because we have heard him our selves Then 1. It is not Gods will that other mens belief should be the Rule of our belief but that we all search to understand the Scriptures and Gods will revealed therein 2. It is easie from this ground to answer that famous question How know you such and such grounds of Salvation We answer It is an Article of the New Covenant They shall be all taught of God 2. He saith They shall all know me from the least to the greatest Then 1. The New Covenant admitteth all Ranks and Degrees of persons and excludeth none high nor low that love to embrace it 2. It may be in sundry points of truth some of them be ignorant and mistaken more than other some But of the saving knowledge of God in Christ they shall all have light in a saving measure 3. The greatest as well as the meanest in whatsoever respect of Place or Gifts must be Gods Disciples in the study of saving Knowledge and hearty obedience Vers. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more 1. To make us believe the former Promises he addeth to a New Article of the Remission of sins because from the Conscience of those ordinarily do arise our doubts and difficulty of drawing near to God Then 1. The conscience of sin must not drive us away from God but rather force us to run unto God more humbly because onely to such as come unto him in his Christ is remission of sin promised 2. Whatsoever sort of sins they be unrighteousness or sin or inquity they shall not hinder God to be gracious to the penitent fleeing to this Covenant for refuge 2. In saying For I will be merciful 1. He maketh his mercy pardoning sin the reason of his bestowing the former good things His giving of one grace the reason of giving another even grace for grace 2. He maketh his mercy the ground of all this favour and nothing in the mans person or works or worthiness of his faith 3. The word Merciful is in the Original Pacified and doth import both Gods respect to the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ which pacifieth him towards us and also our duty in looking towards it as the price of our reconciliation 3. In that the Lord joyneth the promise of putting his Law in the minde and writing it in our heart with the promise of remission of sins he teacheth us That he will have every confederate soul that seeketh the benefit of this Covenant to joyn all these benefits together in their claim with remission of sin seeking to joyn the illumination of their minde renovation of their heart and life at least in their desires and endeavours and not to sever one of them from another but study in uprightness to have them all 4. While he saith He will remember their sins no more he teacheth 1. That he will never forgive sin nor forget it but set it ever in his sight till a man enter into this Covenant with him through Christ. 2. That when he hath forgiven sin he forgeteth sin also whatsoever he remitteth he removeth from his remembrance Vers. 13. In that he saith A New Covenant he hath made the first Old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the name that the Lord giveth this Covenant in calling it New he draweth two consequences The first that the former Covenant by this word was declared old Next that as it was declared old it was so declared shortly after to be abolished Then 1. The least word that proceedeth out of Gods mouth is weighty and worthy of consideration 2. Whatsoever Gods word doth import by due consequence must be taken for Gods truth and Gods minde as if it were expressed 3. Seeing Christ is come and the time is now of this New Covenant we know that by Gods authority the Levitical ordinances and whole form of the Legal
Then 1. Faith resteth on Gods Promise albeit carnal reason seem not to second it 2. Faith maketh us capable of benefits which otherwise wee could not receive 3. The more hinderances that Faith hath it is the more commendable 3. That which upheld her was the faithfulness of God Then 1. The consideration of the properties of God who promiseth is a special help to make us rest on the Promise which Hee maketh 2. Hee that giveth unto God the Glory of Faithfulness shall receive for a Reward the full Performance Vers. 12. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Stars of the Skie in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable The Promise was of innumerable Children as the Stars of Heaven And so was the Performance Then Justifying Faith not onely believeth the great Promise of Redemption but also other inferiour promises which depend thereupon the beleeving whereof giveth evidence of beleeving the main Promise of Salvation through the Messiah And therefore it is that by the Faith of such Promises the Faithful are here declared to bee justified Question How can this be that Abrahams Seed should be so many I answer 1. Because the one is as innumerable as the other For they are compared together in this respect 2. Superlative speeches are to be expounded according to the scope and not captiously to be wrested beside the purpose of the speaker and beyond the common acceptation of the hearer Now the scope of the speech is to raise the dulness of the mind in weighty matters to the due consideration of a Truth in the due measure which otherwise should have been undervalued This is the proper intent of the figure hyperbolick in the ordinary use of Rhetorick Vers. 13. These all died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afarre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the earth Hee commendeth the Faith of the Patriarchs and Sarah that they dyed in the Faith not having obtained the Promises Then 1. Faith loseth the commendation except wee persevere therein even until death 2. Where we have a word of Promise made to the Church or to our selves albeit we see it not performed in our time wee may go to death in assurance that it shall be performed 3. They who would dye in Faith must live in Faith 2. Though they received not the Promises yet they saw them afar off and were fully perswaded of them and embraced them Then Albeit Faith came not unto a Possession yet it cometh unto a beholding of the Possession comming unto a Perswasion of the Possession and a sort of friendly Salutation thereof as the word importeth such as Friends give one to another whilst they are drawing near to embrace one another after a long time separation 3. They confessed in their life time that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the earth This wee read onely of Jacob before Pharaoh But the mind of one of the Faithful in the main matters maketh evident what is the mind of the rest Then 1. It is the part of true Beleevers to profess their Faith before all even before Idolaters amongst whom they live 2. They who know Heaven to be their own Home do reckon this World a strange Country Vers. 14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country 15. And truly if they had been mindful of that Country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned 16. But now they desire a better Country that is an Heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God For Hee hath prepared for them a City From their Profession That they were Strangers hee draweth Consequences thus That they desired an homely Country And if a Country then either their own earthly Country or a better Not their own earthly Country For they might have returned when they pleased Therefore they desired a better Country And if a better Country then an heavenly Country That is They desired even Heaven it self for their Country 1. This deducing of Consequences from the Profession of the Patriarches That they were Strangers Teacheth us 1. So to read the Scriptures as wee may mark not onely what is spoken but also what is thereby imported by consequence 2. That what is imported by a speech is a plain Declaration of the mind of the speaker and not an obscure Deduction as Mockers call it They who say they are Strangers declare plainly that they seek a Country saith the Apostle 3. Yea that it is lawfull to proceed drawing one Consequence after another till we find out the full mind providing the Collection be evident in the course of sound Reason as here it is 2. The Apostle hath proved here that the Patriarchs sought Heaven for their Country because they sought a better than any on earth Then 1. The Apostle knew no place for residence of departed souls better than the Earth except Heaven onely If there had been any other place such as is feigned to be his reasoning had not been solid 2. The Patriarchs after the ending of their Pilgrimage here on earth went home to Heaven 3. Because they counted themselves strangers till they came home to Heaven God is not ashamed to be called their God Then 1. God will honour them that honour him 2. God will avow himself to be their portion who for his cause do renounce the world 3. Yea that the Lord may honour such as honour him hee will even abase himself to exalt them 4. When the Lord hath so done hee thinketh it no dishonour to Himself to do any thing that may honour his servants 4. God did prepare them a City which the Apostle before hath called Heaven or the heavenly Country Then Heaven was prepared for the Patriarchs and the rest of Gods Saints before they had ended their pilgrimage on earth And to put them into Hell or any othâ—r place there must be a Doctrine not from Heaven Vers. 17. By Faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac And he that had received the promises offered up his onely begotten Son 18. Of whom it was said That in Isaac shall thy seed be called Another commendation of Abrahams Faith from the proof given thereof in his tryal about Isaac Whence we learn 1. That where the Lord giveth faith there tryal must be expected And the greater faith the greater trial 2. That faith is most commendable when it standeth strong in tryal 2. He is said to have offered up Isaac by faith Then 1. There is nothing so dear but faith in God will make a man quit it at Gods command 2. The Lord counteth that to be done wich a man is about to do Isaac is counted offered because so was he in Abrahams purpose 3. His receiving of the promises is here in another sense than ver 13. For there to
ver 7. The other Admonition is of poor men to patience to ver 11. The third Admonition is of all that they do not rashly swear to ver 13. The fourth is to the afflicted and sick to ver 19 The last is to all that they recall those that erre into the way ver 19 20. Vers. 1. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you The first Admonition is to rich men abusing their riches wherein he excites them to a serious consideration of their condition and expounds to them nine causes of mourning and weeping 1. Because many miseries hang over you and shortly will come upon you Vers. 2. Your riches are corrupted and your garments moath-eaten 2. Ye are wretchedly covetous who have neither the fruit nor the use of riches your selves nor bestow them upon others but ye had rather your riches should be corrupted in your hands than bestow any of them for the use of the poor Garments 3. Now Gods vengeance hath begun as a leprosie to consume your idol Mammon as it appears by its corruption by moths and rust which as Sergeants sent from God have now invaded your unprofitable riches Vers. 3. Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last days 4. Now the rust moths and putrefaction are ready to witness against you which shall suffice in the day of Judgement to convince and condemn you touching the abuse of your riches Shall eat 5. These witnesses shall be turned into tortures after the last Judgement when ye shall be burned in hell wherein your unhappy souls and bodies shall be eaten up by torments as by fire Treasure 6. When ye think that you have heaped up your treasures against old age and the use of your posterity ye have heaped up treasures of wrath for the last day when Gods vengeance is to be revealed against all the unrighteous Vers. 4. Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth And the cryes of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaâ—â—h 7. Ye have cruelly defrauded labourers of their hire the voyce of whose injuries ascends to God the Judge who hath the hosts of Heaven and earth prepared to revenge and will deal with you for your deserts Vers. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton you have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter 8. Ye are luxurious gluttons securely indulging your selves in pleasures as if every day was a festival or a day of slaughter in which beasts used to be slain for feasting Vers. 6. Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you 9. Because ye have injustly and cruelly advised to condemn and slay the innocent and impotent who could not resist you Therefore ye have just cause to weep and howl over your miseries which shall suddenly come upon you Vers. 7. Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain Admonit 2. To the godly that are oppressed that they patiently suffer the injuries of wicked rich men The Arguments of the Exhortation are eight Vnto Argum. 1. The coming of the Lord shall be the end of afflictions taking vengeance on the adversaries and comforting the afflicted Therefore be ye patient The husbandman Argum. 2. The husbandman patiently upon the hope of harvest or the precious fruits of the earth bears a long time betwixt sowing and reaping betwixt the early rain which falls after the seed is sown and the latter rain which falls about the time of harvest Therefore it becometh you to suffer patiently until the Lords coming under the hope of the fruits of patience or of deliverance which will come from Heaven Vers. 8. Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Argum. 3. The Lords coming is neer for the deliverance of every one out of his tabernacle and the time is short to the last judgement if it be compared either with the time past or with life eternal which is to come Therefore your hearts are to be established and by faith to be confirmed to patient expectation Vers. 9. Grudge not one against another brethren lest ye be condemned behold the judge standeth before the door Argum. 4. Propounded by way of Exhortation ye ought patiently to suffer injuries even from them that are within the Church without murmuring one against another Therefore much more must ye bear injuries patiently that are brought upon you by wicked rich men Lest He confirms this Argument Because otherwise it is to be feared lest ye your selves being guilty of this fault be condemned by God the Judge who stands before the door ready to judge if you grudge one against another Vers. 10. Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering afflictions and of patience Argum. 5. Even the Prophets the Ambassadours of God to the Church did patiently endure injuries from the wicked Therefore it becometh you also to suffer patiently Vers. 11. Behold we count them happy which endure Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pittiful and of tender mercy Argum. 6. We pronounce you blessed that bear injuries patiently Therefore be ye also patient Iob Argum. 7. As Iob did not onely patiently suffer afflictions from his enemies but also the great injuries of his friends and at length he found a joyful issue of all his sufferings So ye if ye suffer injuries patiently may expect a joyful end Abounds Argum. 8. Confirming the former God is very merciful towards the afflicted especially those that are injustly vexed by men and is ready to pardon for his mercy sake notwithstanding he is moved with their afflictions Therefore ought ye patiently to suffer afflictions Vers. 12. But above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Admonit 3. Is not to swear rashly of which vice especially and above all he commands them to beware because it is especially forbidden in the Decalogue And it seems to have been too familiar with the Hebrews and lest they should delude themselves by circumstances he forbids them to swear by creatures which are either in heaven or earth He subjoyns three reasons Let your speech Reas. 1. Because a true affirmation and a negation in daily speech is sufficient if ye use any thing more unless ye have a care ye will fin Any Reas. 2. Because otherwise ye
store reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men Argum. 4. The Heavens which now are and the Earth which now is are by the same word and his efficacious will reserved unto the fire of the last judgement when the wicked and especially the scoffers at the coming of Christ shall be condemned and perish Vers. 8. But Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day Hee takes away an Objection The wicked might say why doth hee defer his coming The answer is threefold First Although the Lord seems to defer his coming yet his deferring ought not to be an offence to any because this delay ought not to be estimated by our sense but out of Gods eternity to whom that space of time which seems to us to be very long is but as one day and with whom one day and a thousand years do not differ as to the proportion of measure Vers. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Answ. 2. This delaying doth not proceed from slackness as some Judge but from the patience of God towards us to wit the Elect whereas many as yet are not converted and whereof God will have none perish but all in his time to come to repentance which cannot be unless the coming of Christ should be deferred to a season For if God should anticipate the time of judgement decreed by himself some of them which hee hath chosen to salvation from eternity should perish Vers. 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Answ. 3. And Argum. 5. Reproving scoffers from the manner of Christs coming which is described in three things 1. It shall be unawares to men as thieves use to come at such a time when they know they are least expected 2. It shall be with the greatest change of the whole universe 3. With the disanulling of all things wherein the Atheists sought their felicity in the world for the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up so that all ought to be sollicitous in preparing themselves rather than to enquire curiously about the manner or time of his coming or to complain of his slackness The Second Part. Vers. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conversation and godliness The second part of the Chapter follows wherein hee draws this Doctrine into use by an Exhortation to follow after godliness and to perseverance in it The Arguments of the Exhortation are eight Argum. 1. By requiring a testimony from their consciences All these visible works especially which are in the earth are to be dissolved Therefore wee ought to follow after holiness Vers. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Argum. 2. Because so it becomes you who expect with hope and hasten with desire to meet the Lord at his coming i. e. it behoves you hoping for the coming of Christ to labour patiently in your vocation and to endeavour after holiness Wherein Argum. 3. Because the coming of the Lord to judgement will be so terrible that the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Vers. 13. Nevertheless wee according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 14. Wherefore Beloved seeing that yee look for such things be diligent that yee may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Argum. 4. Because according to the promises of God Isa 65.17 and 66.22 wee expect new Heavens and a new Earth wherein the just alone shall dwell Therefore wee ought to endeavour after holiness and righteousness who have this hope Hee calls both the Heavens and the Earth the habitation of the just because the world shall be the Possession Palace and Kingdome of the Elect who shall accompany Christ wheresoever hee shall go Be diligent Hee adds Argum. 5. With a repetition of his Exhortation to holiness Being diligent that being without spot and blameless yee may be found of Christ in peace i. e. being reconciled to God and be accounted the friends of Christ by him when hee shall come to judgement Vers. 15. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the wisdome given unto him hath written unto you Argum. 6. With preventing an Objection yee ought to be so far from being overcome with weariness because Christ seems to defer his coming that on the contrary yee ought to account it a sign of salvation given to all of you that this is not delay but rather the forbearance of the Lord and slowness to wrath Even as Argum. 7. Paul in his Epistle written to you Hebrews according to the abundant measure of wisdome given to him diligently exhorts you to follow after holiness and patience under the hope of Christs coming as in many places so especially in the end of Chap. 10.36 verse Therefore ought yee to follow after holiness and patience Vers. 16 As also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Hee takes occasion from the mention hee made of the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews of commending the rest of Pauls Epistles for Canonical and to take away the offence upon the difficulty of some places in his Epistles from this that neither the sayings of Paul nor any other Scriptures are wrested unless by those that are unlearned and unstable or perverse men and that to the destruction of them that pervert them Vers. 17. Yee therefore Beloved seeing yee know these things before beware lest yee also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 18. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to him be glory both now and for ever Amen Argum. 8. Propounded by way of Exhortation to shake off the idleness of the flesh Being fore-admonished concerning the errours of false Teachers by which they seduce their Disciples from the way of Truth and Holiness yee ought so much the more not onely to beware lest yee fall from your own stedfastness i. e. from the Faith and Obedience
an oath because so the gravity of the matter required Therefore not out of any levity did hee defer his comming unto them Vers. 24. Not for that wee have dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith yee stand Hence arises another Objection Therefore thou makest thy self Lord of our Faith as if thou couldest punish when thou wouldest Hee answers by denying any Mastery affirming the power of his Ministery and that to bee imployed to the benefit of the Church that timely Censures according to the Will of Christ being used those that repented might at length rejoyce Hee gives an account why hee denyed any dominion over their Faith because Faith is the bond of conjunction with Christ by which Faith wee stand fast in the Grace of God in right and title unto Christ in the possession of things present and in hopes of future good things Therefore Faith admits no Lord besides God it admits of men onely as Ministers and helpers CHAP. II. THere are two parts of this Chapter In the first hee proceeds in his Apology for his constant good will towards the Corinthians to vers 14. In the other hee begins his Apology for his Ministery to the end In the first to the former Arguments whereby hee proves that his mind was not alienated from the Corinthians hee adds eight signs of his good will towards them Vers. 1. But I determined this with my self that I would not come again to you in heaviness Sign 1. That the cause why hee changed his purpose concerning his comming to them was lest hee should bring sadness to the Corinthians at his comming being compelled more severely to correct their manners which hee did desire might bee amended before his comming Vers. 2. For if I make you sorry who is hee then that maketh mee glad but the same which is made sorry by mee Sign 2. That his sympathy was so much with the Corinthians that hee could not unless they were glad rejoyce neither moderate himself from sorrow so long as any one amongst them by reason of him remained sad Vers. 3. And I wrote this same unto you lest when I came I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoyce having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all Sign 3. That the writing not onely of the former Epistle but also of this second was undertaken for this end lest if hee had come to those and had found them impenitent besides his sorrow for their sin hee might have been forced to a new sorrow which necessary severity would create both to them and himself Having confidence Sign 4. That hee was perswaded that his joy was matter of joy to the Corinthians themselves and their joyes were both to him and them common Vers. 4. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears not that you should bee grieved but that yee might know the love that I have more abundantly unto you Sign 5. That the former Epistle which necessarily was more sharp was not writ by him without tears and truly for that end that hee might testifie his ready mind towards them not that hee might make them sorry Vers. 5. But if any have caused grief hee hath not grieved mee but in part that I may not over-charge you all Sign 6. His friendly mind towards the Corinthians That the Apostle did esteem as nothing that heaviness which the incestuous person had created to him in comparison with that sadness which hee had caused to all the Corinthians Hee addeth in part because his grief was now turned into joy through the incestuous persons repentance Therefore by way of mitigation hee saith that hee added in part for the incestuous persons sake now a penitent lest hee should cast a burden on him already burthened in himself if hee should too much aggravate his sin Vers. 6. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many Sign 7. That now hee was ready to receive the penitent incestuous person into favour and so to give a proof of his lenity and meekness that it might appear that the former severity came not but from love and his desire of advantage to the Church of Corinth To which end hee declareth that the chastisement of this Incestuous person inflicted by the Authority of many i. e. the Governours of the Church the Church it self consenting after his repentance appeared was sufficient Vers. 7. So that contrariwise yee ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such an one should bee swallowed up with over much sorrow That hee might shew his meekness towards the penitent Incestuous person hee adviseth that hee may by the Corinthian Church bee again received into favour for these six Reasons annexed Reason 1. Because they are bound to forgive the penitent and to comfort him no less than they were bound to excommunicate him being impenitent Lest perhaps Reason 2. Because otherwise it was dangerous lest hee should bee swallowed up with over much sorrow except they should now receive the penitent into favour again Vers. 8. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love towards him Reason 3. Because especially they were so desired by the Apostle they are bound to testifie their love towards him to wit by shewing themselves to have excommunicated that man not that they might destroy him but that by repentance they might save him Vers. 9. For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you whether you bee obedient in all things Reason 4. Because by this means they were about to shew themselves obedient to the command of the Apostle in all things as before in excommunicating so now also by absolving him from the bond of excommunication wherein the Apostle did prove their obedience Vers. 10. To whom yee forgive any thing I forgive also for if I forgave any thing to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for wee are not ignorant of his devices Reason 5. Because the Apostle for the sake of the Corinthians had granted him pardon and was about to forgive him Therefore it was meet that they for the Apostles sake should forgive this man also Get an advantage Reason 6. Lest through the craftiness of Satan the Church should suffer harm except now they should forgive him repenting for by ever much severity sinners may bee brought into desperation or a deparâ—ing from the Church because of Satan whose arts and deceits to do harm are not unknown to the Church Vers. 12. Furthermore when I came to Troas to preach Christs Gospel and a door was opened unto mee of the Lord 13. I had no rest in my spirit because I found not Titus my Brother but taking my leave of them I went from thence into Macedonia Sign 8. His constant good will towards the Corinthians That
hee could not any where rest also that great hope of promoting the Gospel being offered as in Troas until hee had known of Titus whom hee had sent to Corinth concerning their affairs for the cause of meeting him hee went into Macedonia that by him hee might bee made more certain concerning the affairs of the Corinthians and that hee might learn whether as yet it was a convenient time to come to the Corinthianâ— All which signs of his ready mind towards the Corinthians being considered the Apostle perswadeth himself that the suspicion that his mind was alienated from them was removed The second Part. Vers. 14. Now thanks bee unto God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The second part of the Chapter follows in which hee defendeth his Ministery and proveth it to bee commendable by five Arguments intimating by the way that hee whilst hee was absent from them was not idle but was busied in the work of the Lord with success Argum. 1. Because Christ in his Ministery and hee himself in Christ did triumph concerning his enemies by snatching many out of the power of Satan and by bringing them to the Faith of the Gospel The savour Argum. 2. Because by his Ministery whatsoever the success were the sweetness of the Gospel and its efficacy was manifested in every place whilst the knowledge of Christ did breathe a quickening life by which sinners are quickened and converted unto God Vers. 15. For wee are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 16. To the one wee are the savour of death unto death and to the other a savour of life unto life and who is sufficient for these things By preventing an Objection that the Apostles and their preaching would give an ill savour to many Hee answereth and adds Argum. 3. That notwithstanding the Apostles themselves with their Ministery were acceptable unto God and through Christ brought an acceptable savour to God no less in the conviction and perdition of the Reprobates to which the Gospel by accident was a savour of death than in the faith and salvation of those that beleeve and are saved to whom the Gospel both in its own nature and proper effect was a quickening savour to life and salvation Who is sufficient Argum. 4. Because seeing that few were fit and sufficient Ministers as the interrogation shews whose Ministery God might prosper and accept that hee was in the number of those that are made fit for these things which are spoken of secretly checking the false Apostles which were not fit Ministers for the conversion of sinners although they did prefer themselves before the Apostles Vers. 17. For wee are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak wee in Christ. Hee confirms the next Argument more openly noting his enemies and those that envy him and also adds Argum. 5. From the unlikeness betwixt himself and many Preachers if they did not mix false doctrine yet they did mingle their own passions with true Doctrine serving their ambition and covetousness and bending the Doctrine to the favour of men But the Apostle 1 In Sincerity i. e. neither mixing false doctrine nor corrupt affections 2 Of God i. e. with confidence and authority knowing from whence it came 3 In the sight of God i. e. calling God to witness and looking at his glory 4 In Christ i. e. hee did speak in the virtue of Christ and acknowledgement of his strength From which it follows that his Ministery was commendable and not to bee contemned in any wise CHAP. III. HEE proceeds to defend his Ministery against slanderers There are two parts of this Chapter In the first hee proveth his Ministery to bee commendable by five Arguments to vers 6. In the second hee illustrateth and confirmeth the last Argument by comparing the Legal Ministery or the Covenant of Works with the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace Vers. 1. Do wee begin again to commend our selves or need wee as some others Epistles of commendation to you or Letters of commendation from you Argum. 1. Of the commendation of his Ministery containing also his clearing himself from the desire of vain-glory The efficacy of my Ministery is so apparent to all the Churches that I need not any commendatory Letters from any particular person or from you or from others neither do I say these things because I care for vain-glory but that I may defend my Ministery against my enemies for your good Therefore my Ministery is commendable Vers. 2. Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men Argum. 2. Because your conversion O Corinthians to the profession of the Faith by my Ministery sufficeth in my conscience and yours for a commendatory Epistle which is understood and acknowledged amongst all Vers. 3. Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshy Tables of the heart Argum. 3. by confirmation of the former Because my Ministery was effectual not onely in bringing you to the profession of the Faith but also to your saving regeneration by the speciall operation of Christs Spirit this is that which hee saith that they were the Epistle which Christ himself by his Ministery hath written by writing his will in their hearts by the Holy Ghost after a more excellent manner than any thing was wont to bee writ with Ink upon Paper or Tables of Stone Vers. 4. And such trust have wee through Christ to God-ward 5. Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Argum. 4. Because hee himself as it becomes a faithful servant doth not ascribe the whole confidence of glorying to himself but to his Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God Which Argument hee illustrates partly by confessing his natural impotency to think that which is good or to the least beginnings of a good work much less to the converting the Corinthians partly by acknowledging the Grace of God as the fountain of his sufficiency in that hee is fitted to communicate so much Grace to others Vers. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth lâ—fe Argum. 5. Because his Ministery is the Ministery of the New Covenant not of the Law and Covenant of Works Hee confirms this Argument with a seven-fold Comparison of the Ministery of both Covenants The second Part. Not of the Letter Compar 1. The Ministery of the Law or the Covenant of Works is onely the Letter written or spoken without efficacy without all spiritual virtue to perform that which it commands But the Ministery of