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He Speaks of the Corinthians as his Epiftle;

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2 CORINTHIANS III. I.

Do we begin again to com

mend ourselves? Or need

17.

441

their own bafe Mixtures, and retail it, when Sect. 4.
formed according to the corrupt Tafte of their
Hearers; but as of unmingled Sincerity, but as 2 Cor. II.
by the express Command of GOD, in the Pre-
fence of GOD we speak in the Name of Chrift;
delivering every Part of our Meffage, as those
that know, how awful our Account is; and how
impoffible it is to conceal fo much as a single
Thought from that all - penetrating Being, to
whom we are shortly to give it up.

I.

And when I fay this, do we again, as fome 2COR.III. prefume to infinuate, begin to recommend ourwe, as fome others, Epiftles Jelves, and one another, [to you?] Or do we need, as I perceive fome [do,] recommendatory Letters to you from other Churches, or recommendatory [Letters] from you to others?

of Commendation to you,
or Letters of Commenda-
tion from you?
2 Ye are our Epiftle
written in our Hearts, known

and read of all Men:

3 For as much as ye are manifeftly declared to be the Epistle of Chrift, ministered by

Truly I 2
may well fay, you are yourselves our Epiftle,
the best Recommendation from GOD himself,
his Testimonial, as it were, written upon your
Hearts (c) in the glorious Change by our Means
produced there; and the Effects of it are fo ap-
parent in your Lives, that I may fay, ye are known
and read by all Men, who know what you once
were, and
you now are; and they who confider
these Things, must acknowledge, that such Suc-
cefs granted by the Co-operation of Divine Grace,
is as evident a Proof of God's gracious Prefence
with us, as can well be imagined.
[Ye,] whofe
Characters were fome of them once fo enormous,
(1 Cor. vi. 11.) but [are] now fo amiable and ex-
cellent, are indeed manifeft and apparent, as the
Epistle of Chrift which is ministered by us; and
by you Chrift doth, as it were, declare, that he

hath

to the Practice of those who deal in Liquors, which they debafe for their own greater Gain; and it infinuates in ftrong Terms the bafe Temper and Conduct of their falfe Teachers. Bos has finely illuftrated the Force of this Expreffion in his learned and elegant Note on this Text. Exer. pag. 154, 155.

(c) Upon your Hearts.] Some Copies read, our Hearts, that is, always remembered and thought of. But I apprehend, the Apostle means, that the Change produced, not only in their external Conduct, but in their inward Temper, was fo great, that all who could judge of it by intimate Knowledge, (and it is certain, that fome Judgment may be formed,) muft own it a great Atteftation of his Miniftry. The great Enormities, in which they were once plunged, (See 1 Cor. vi. 11, &c.) would much illuftrate this Argument.

VOL. IV.

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(d) To.

3

442

Sect. 4..

3.

Written by the Spirit of GOD, and proving his Miffion.

hath been faithfully preached among you by us; an Epiftle, written not, as Epiftles generally are, 2 Cor. III. with Ink, but by Traces drawn by the Spirit of the one living and true GOD, moving on your Hearts and producing that Variety of Graces, which render many of you fo confpicuous and lovely. And the Infcription is not, (as that boafted Monument, which did fo great an Honour to the Miffion and Authority of Mofes,) written in Tables of Stone, but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart; to which no Hand, but that, by which the Heart was made, could find Accefs, in fuch a Manner as to infcribe thefe facred 4 Characters there. Such Confidence have we towards GOD by Jefus Chrift, that our Miniftry fhall be effectual in other Places, and that the World shall by your Means be perfuaded of our Apostleship.

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by us, written not with Ink, living Gop; not in Tables but with the Spirit of the of Stone, but in fleshly Tables of the Heart.

4 And fuch Trust have ward: we through Chrift to Gon

5 Not that we are fufficient of ourselves to think But our Sufficiency is of any Thing as of ourselves: GOD.

5 We fay this, not as infinuating, that we are
fufficient of ourselves to reckon upon any Thing as
from ourselves (d); we would not infinuate this,
or encourage any others to do it; for we are
upon all Occafions ready moft thankfully to ac-
knowledge, that all our Sufficiency [is] from
GOD; whatever Furniture of any Kind we have
for our Work, we humbly afcribe it to him, and
from him arise all our Expectations of Success.
6 with this Furniture, whatever it be
that great and adorable Author of all good, who us able Minifters of the
allo bath made us, his Apoftles, and others whom
he hath fent into the Work, able Minifters of the
new Covenant, fufficiently qualified to discharge
that important Truft of propofing this gracious
Covenant of GOD, eftablished in Chrift, to our
Fellow-Creatures. For we are indeed Minifters,

From

not

6 Who alfo hath made

New Testament, not of the
Letter,

(d) To reckon upon any Thing as of ourselves.] This feems the most exact Rendering of Roylcaodai Ti Ws Earlwv. Dr. Whitby renders it to reafon, as if the Apostle had faid, we are unable by any Reafoning of our own to bring Men to Converfion; Which gives fine and juft Senfe, but I think only a Part of what the Apofile intended. Compare Acts xix. 27. Rom. iv. 3, 6, 11. Chap. viii. 18, 36. 1 Cor. iv. I. in all which the Word Mayonai has the Signification we here affign it, and fignifies to reckon or account.

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Reflections on the Importance of the Gospel-message;

Letter, but of the Spirit:

For the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life.

6.

443

not of the Letter, but of the Spirit (e); for we Sect. 4.
are enabled to enter into the Senfe and Spirit of
the Law, and other facred Writings, whereas 2 Cor. III.
that Divine Volume is to the Jews, but as a Heap
of Letters and Characters, which they know not
how to read, or understand; and yet pride them-
felves fo much in them, that in that Senfe it may
be faid, they receive Mischief, rather than Be-
nefit, from their own Oracles. Thus the Letter
killeth; the unbelieving Jews are undone by their
obftinate Adherence to it, and more prejudiced
against the Gospel, than those that never heard
any Divine Revelation at all. But when taught
by the Spirit of GOD, speaking in us, they enter
into the fpiritual Senfe and Defign of the Law,
then it giveth Life; it eftablifheth our Faith,
quickens our Obedience, and becomes a Source
of Happiness in this World, and in the next.

of

IMPROVEMENT.

AY the infinite Importance of the Gospel-Meffage be deeply im

MA

preffed on all, who preach, and all who hear it. Life, or Death, Chap. II. 15, is in Question; eternal Life, or everlasting Death: And while it is from 16. Day to Day reviving its Thousands, is it not to be feared, that in fome Places it is, by the righteous Judgment of GOD on hard and impenitent Hearts, aggravating the Guilt and Misery of its Ten-thousands! How awful is, the Work of difpenfing this Gofpel! Who can pretend to be fuf- Ver. 16. ficient for fuch Things, as thefe! Who that confiders the Nature and Importance of the Ministerial Work, can undertake, or pursue it, but with Fear and Trembling!

Yet, infufficient, as they ought humbly to acknowledge themselves to Chap. III. 5. be, to reckon upon any Thing, as from themselves, there is a Sufficiency in GOD, imparted to faithful Minifters; in Confequence of which they

are often made to triumph in Christ, and borne on, in a holy Superiority Chap. II. 14. to all the Difficulties of their Work, and fee their Labour not to be in vain in the Lord. Well may that fupport them, under the Discouragements, which, in other Instances, they feel, when the Fruit of their La

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(e) Not of the Letter, but of the Spirit.] To understand this of an allegorical, rather than literal Explication of the Old Teftament, is very arbitrary and unwarrantable; and I with no Chriftian Commentators had given Encouragement to the Deifts to abuse this Text, in the Manner it is well known they have done.

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444 Sect. 4.

Ver. 15.

Ver. 17.

And of difpenfing it with Fidelity.

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bours does not immediately appear; yea, when the prefent State of many
under their Care, is directly contrary to what they could defire; for
their Work is ftill with the Lord, and they are a fweet Savour to GOD in
them that perish, as well as in them that are faved. Let them therefore
gird up
the Loins of their Mind, and exert themselves with the utmost
Vigour, rejoicing in this, that God will on the whole be glorified, and
they shall on the whole be accepted, and thro' his abundant Grace be
amply rewarded. Yea, GoD will confider, in that Day of final Recom-
pence, the Anguish, which they have felt for the Souls they have seen
perishing under their Miniftrations, as well as the faithful Pains they have
beftowed to reclaim them.

But as they defire to fecure this Acceptance; yea, to secure their own Salvation, let them never allow themselves, by any foreign Mixtures, to adulterate the Word of GOD; but let them fpeak it in its uncorrupted Sincerity, as in the Sight and Prefence of GOD, and as those, who know it is not their Business to devise a Meffage out of their own Hearts, but to deliver what they have received of the Lord. So may they hope, there shall not be wanting thefe, who, according to the Views which the Chap. III. 2. Apostle gives us of thefe Corinthians, fhall appear as Epistles written by the Hand of Chrift himself, in Atteftation of their Commiffion from him.

Ver. 6.

That Minifters may more chearfully hope for, and expect fuch an Honour, let us all pray, that the Spirit of God may lead them into the true Senfe and Meaning of Scripture; that they may not unprofitably amuse themselves and their Hearers, with vain and cold Criticisms on the Letter of it, fo as to neglect and forget what is moft fpiritual in its Defign and Meaning; but that they may, under Divine Illumination, attain to the Mind of the Spirit, and be enabled to make greater Proficiency in unfolding and illustrating the important Myfteries of the KingChap. II. 16. dom of Heaven, and may be to Multitudes a Savour of Life unto Life.

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If the Law were glorious, the Gospel is much more fo :

SE C T. V.

The Apostle farther to recommend the Ministry of which he had been Speaking, falls into a very pertinent and useful Digreffion concerning the comparative Obfcurity of the Mofaick Law, and the fuperior Glory and Permanence of the Gofpel. 2 Cor. III. 7, to the End.

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445

Sect.

7.

5.

2 CORINTHIANS III. 7.
HAVE just been observing, that the Letter
of the Law, in that Senfe in which it is
maintained by the Jews, killeth in itself; it binds 2 Cor. III.
down Tranfgreffors under a Sentence of Death,
and by the Perverseness of their Interpretation, is
the Occafion of Ruin; while the Spirit quick-
eneth. And let me now direct your Thoughts
to the Argument arifing from hence, to prove
the greatly fuperior Excellence of the Gospel :
For if the Mofaick Law, which was indeed the
Miniftration of Death, which was [contained] in
vifible Letters, [and] the most excellent Part
of which was engraven in the two Tables of
Stone, hewn indeed and prepared by God himself,
which Mofes brought down from Mount Sinai
in his Hands, was attended with a fignal and un-
deniable Glory, so that the Children of Ifrael could
not look directly upon the Face of Mofes, because of
the Glory of his Countenance which was so foon to
be abolished in Death; How much more shall 8
that, which may with fo much Propriety be called
the Miniftration of the Spirit, be glorious? Since
the Work of the Spirit of GoD on the Heart of a
rational Being, is fo much more important, than
any dead Characters, which would be engraven
on infenfible Stones.

This may be farther apparent, when we con- 9
fider what I hinted before, concerning the Im-
poffibility of obtaining Life and Salvation by the

Mofaick

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