written, I believed, and

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jefus, fhall raife up us alfo by Jefus, and fhall prefent us with you.

And the abundant Grace might redound to the Divine Glory. according to what is written, (Pfal. cxvi. 10.) Spirit, according as it is I bave believed, and therefore bave I spoken (d); therefore have I spoken: we alfo cordially believe the certain Truth of what We alfo believe, and therewe teach, and therefore go on to speak our im- fore speak; portant Meffage, whatever may be the Confequence, fupported by this inward Consciousness of our Integrity, and animated by a powerful Sense of Duty towards GoD, and the Hope of the moft glorious Rewards from his bountiful Grace. Those Hopes rife to compleat an everlasting Happiness; which we continually purfue, as knowing, that if we perfevere in that Service with which he hath honoured us, he who raifed up the Lord Jefus Chrift from the Dead by his almighty Power, will also raife us up by Jefus, whom he will fend at the laft Day, commiffioned to accomplish this great Work; and that then he will prefent [us] with you, before the Prefence of his Glory with exceeding great Joy, in each other, and in him; and will introduce us to that heavenly Kingdom, to the Profpects of which he hath called us by that Gospel, which we have preached, and which you have believFor all thefe great Things [are] prepared, not merely on our Account, but for your Sakes, that the overflowing Grace being compleat in all its diffutive Extent, and exalted Degrees, might abound by the Thanksgiving of many, even of countless Multitudes, who fhall fhare for ever in it, to the Glory of GOD the great Original and End of all.

ed.

15 For all Things are abundant Grace, might for your Sakes, that the through the Thanksgiving of many, redound to the Glory of God.

(d) I have believed, and therefore have I fpoken.] As for the Quotation here, fome think, there is an Allufion to the Confidence, which David expreffes in the preceding Words, of walking before the Lord in the Land of the Living; as if the Apostle had intended to fay, we alfo thall in a nobler Senfe do it. Mr. Pierce fuppofes the Spirit of Faith, here fpoken of, is the Spirit of Jefus, which enabled him thro' Faith in GOD to preach that Doctrine, which he knew would provoke the Rage of a wicked World, fo as to end in his Death, and he undertakes to prove in his third Differtation, that the cxvi. Pfalm, in its original Senfe, is to be understood as fpoken by the Pfalmift in the Perfon of the Meffiah. But I fee no Neceffity for urging this. The fimpler Senfe of the Paffage, as it ftands in the Pfalm, is," Tho' I have been in very great Affliction, and fometimes almoft depreffed, yet Faith in GOD hath fupported me, and put this Song of Praife into my "Mouth." In this Sente of the Words, nothing could be more natural, than for St. Paul to adopt them.

IMPROVE

Reflections on the Divine Supports the Apoftles experienced. 457

IMPROVEMENT.

L our

Ver. 7.

ET us adore the Wifdom and Goodness of GOD, in fending us the Sect. 7. Gospel-Treasure in earthen Veffels, in employing our Fellow-mortals, rather than Angels, under the Character of his Meffengers to us; by which Means we are taught more to depend on GOD for that Efficacy of Power that renders them fuccessful; to acknowledge his Hand in animating and preferving them, and are kept in fuch an Exercise of Faith, as is in this present World moft honourable to God, and most profitable to us. Let the Mortality of Minifters be fuitably remembered, by themselves and others, and improved to the best Purposes; and let us take Care, that we do not think the lefs honourably of the Treasure on Account of the Weakness of thefe Vellels, in which its great Proprietor has thought fit to lodge it.

Let it encourage them, who are struggling with the Difficulties of that arduous and important Work, to think on those Refreshments which the Apoftles experienced; in Confequence of which, tho' afflicted, they were not depreffed, and tho' perfecuted, appeared not to be forfaken; but could Ver. ` 8, 9. boaft, that the Support of their Lives, amidst fo many preffing Dangers, was a Demonftration of the Life of Chrift. We may indeed all fay this, Ver. 11, with Respect to the Support of the fpirital Life, in the Midst of fo many Difficulties. Having obtained Help from him, we continue until this Day; and it is because he lives, that we live alfo. Confiding therefore in him, let us exert ourselves vigorously in this holy Warfare to which we are called; and strenuously endeavour to maintain our Ground against all the Enemies, who prefs hard to overbear and destroy us.

And that we may be thus animated, let us labour to engrave on our Hearts, a more lively and affured Belief of the great and important Things, of which we speak and hear; and that not only in the general, Ver. 18, but in particular Inftances. Let us labour to feel at once their Evidence, and their Energy; having the fame Spirit of Faith, which wrought in the Apostles and Prophets, and engaged them to discharge their Office with such distinguished Fidelity, Fervor, and Zeal. Efpecially let us maintain fuch believing Apprehenfions of this great and comprehensive Truth, that GOD bath raifed up Chrift Jefus from the Dead, and that he will by the Same Power alfo raise up his faithful Minifters, and Servants, who firmly retain that glorious Gofpel; and, as thofe Difcoveries are made for their Ver. 15. Sakes, that they may obtain Salvation by him, and that GOD may be glorified in their united and everlasting Praifes, let us daily fet before our Eyes this rifen and triumphant Redeemer, and look forward to that glo

VOL IV.

Mm m

rious

458

Sect. 7.

The Apoftle expreffes his Confidence and Fortitude,

rious Appearance of his, when he fhall come to be admired in his Saints, and to be farther extolled and glorified, in all them who believe. Amen.

Se&t. 8.

2 Cor. IV. 16

17

The Apostle defcribes the glorious Hopes which he had beyond
the Grave, as his great Support and Ground of Triumph,
under all thofe Trials, which he had been mentioning before;
and endeavours to animate others to Fidelity and Zeal by
that Defcription. 2 Cor. IV. 16, to the
16, to the End. Chap.

V. 1,---10.

WE

2 CORINTHIANS IV. 16.

E have been fpeaking of the great Defign of GoD, in caufing his Gofpel to be revealed to the Children of Men, that the Thanksgivings of many may redound to his own Glory; and on this Account we faint not under any of our prefent Preffures, nor fuffer ourfelves to be borne down by the Affaults of our Enemies; but, on the contrary, if our outer Man perishes, yet the inner Man is daily renewed: The Soul gathers new Strength, as the Body grows weaker and weaker, and we feel our Diffolution approaching: which may well be the Cafe; For we have the firmeft Affurance, that this momentary Lightnefs of our Affliction, which paffes off fo faft, and leaves fo little Impreffion, that it may juftly be spoken of as Levity itself, is working out for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal Weight of Glory (a), the most folid, fubftantial, and lafting Fe

licity...

2 CORINTHIANS IV. 16.

FOR which Cause we

faint not, but though our outward Man perish, yet the inward Man is renewed Day by Day.

17 For our light AfflicMoment, worketh for us a tion, which is but for 2 far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory;.

(a) Are far more exceeding, &c.] This Sentence is one of the moft emphatical in all St. Paul's Writings; in which (as Dr. Grofvenor well expreffes it,) he fpeaks as much like an Orator, as an Apoftle. The Lightness of the Trial is expreffed by το ελάφρον της θλίψεως, the Lightness of our Affliction; as if he had faid, it is even Levity itfelf in fuch a Comparifon. On the other Hand, the x værepßorme ets værepßorur, is, (fays Mr. Blackwall,) in

finitely

in the View of the future eternal Weight of wlory ;

459 licity, the exalted Degrees of which, none of Sect. 8. the boldeft Figures of Speech can paint, nor

any

18.

Stretch of human Thought diftinctly con- 2 Cor. IV. ceive. And we may affuredly promife ourfelves, that this fhall be the bleffed End of all, while we are conscious, that we are not aiming (b) at the Things which are vifible; are not endeavouring to fecure to ourselves any fecular Advantages of one Kind or another; but at those which are invifible. And however vain and visionary fuch Views may feem to the World about us, and we may be defpifed for attending to them, we have full Satisfaction in our own Minds, that we are acting the wisest Part, in such a Choice and Preference; for the Things which are visible, and in that Respect may seem to have the Advantage of others, [are] temporary and tranfient; but those which are invifible, [are] eternal, and therefore fuitable to the Duration of that immortal Soul, which God hath given us, and in the Felicity of which our true Happiness must consist. Nor 2 COR. V. is this an uncertain, or very diftant Hope; for we know affuredly, that if our earthly House of [this] Tabernacle were diffolved, if this mortal Body, conftituted of Duft, were mouldered back to Duft again; or if our Zeal for the Service of the Gospel should bring on Martyrdom, which should deftroy it before its Time; we have, and fhould immediately enter on, a Building of which GOD is the great Architect and Donor; an House, not made with mortal Hands (c), nor to be com

pared

finitely emphatical, and cannot be expreffed by any Tranflation. It fignifies, that all Hyperboles fall fhort of defcribing that weighty eternal Glory, fo folid and lafting, that you may pafs from one Hyperbole to another, and yet when you have gained the laft, are infinitely below it. Blackw. Sacr. Claf. Vol. i. pag. 332.

(b) Are not aiming, &c.] This oxawslav exactly fignifies; and our English Word Scope, or Mark aimed at, is derived from the fame Greek Theme.

(c) Not made with Hands, &c.] Whether we confider this Divine Building, as particularly fignifying the Body after the Refurrection, in which Senfe Dr. Whitby takes it; or any Vehicle, in which the Soul may be cloathed during the intermediate State, confiderable Difficulties will arife. I am therefore inclinable, rather to take it in a more general View as referring to the whole Provifion GOD has made for the future Happiness of his People, and which Chrift reprefents as his Father's Houfe, in which there are many Manfions. To be cloathed upon with an Houfe, is a very ftrong Figure; which yet it is evident, the Apoftle Mmm 2 ufes,

I.

460

Of which GOD had given the Earneft by his Spirit: Sect. 8. pared with the moft magnificent Structure they Hands, eternal in the Heaever raised; exceeding them all in its Luftre, as

2 Cor. V. 1. much as its Duration, tho' that Duration be eternal in the Regions of the Heavens, far above ei2 ther Violence or Decay. And in this View, we groan thro' that Intenfenefs of Soul, with which we are earnestly and perpetually defiring to be cloathed upon with this Houfe, which is from Heaven; 3 Since being fo cloathed upon, we shall not be found naked, and expofed to any Evil and Inconvenience, how entirely foever we may be stripped of every Thing we can call our own, here below. 4 And moreover, we who are yet in [this] Tabernacle, do groan, not only with thefe Longings after a bleffed Immortality, but also being burthened with the prefent Weight of many Infirmities, and many Calamities: For which Caufe nevertheless we would not be uncloathed, or ftripped of the Body; for that is what we cannot confider, as in itself defireable; but rather, if it might be referred to our own Choice, cloathed upon immediately, with a Glory, like that which fhall invest the Saints after the Refurrection; that fo what is mortal, corruptible, and obnoxious to thefe Diforders, Burthens, and Sorrows, may all be fo abforbed and fwallowed up by Life, as if it were annihilated by that Divine Vigour and Energy, which fhall then exert itself in and upon us (d). Now he who bath wrought us to this very Thing, to these noble Views and fublime Defires, [is] GOD (e); who bath alfo given us the Earnest of

5

vens.

2 For in this we grone earneftly, defiring to be clothed upon with our House

which is from Heaven:

3 If fo be that being clothed, we fhall not be

found naked.

4 For we that are in this Tabernacle, do grone, being burdened: Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that Mortality might be swallowed up

of Life.

5 For he that hath wrought us for the selfalfo hath given unto us the fame Thing, is GOD, who his Earneft of the Spirit.

ufes in the next Verfe; having in his Thoughts the Glory which each fhould wear, inftead of being cloathed, as now, with that mortal Flesh, which he calls a Tabernacle, as it is fo mean, inconvenient, and precarious an Abode.

(d) That Mortality may be, &c.] The Expreffion in thefe and the following Verfes, is not perfectly diftinct; but the Meaning feems to be this," that tho' it appeared moft de"fireable of all to pafs to Glory without dying, yet a State in which Mortality fhould be "fwallowed up by Life, was at all Events defireable; and an Abfence from the Body to be, not only fubmitted to, but wished, in a View of being fo prefent with the Lord, as, even "in the intermediate State, they expected to be."

(e) He who hath wrought us to this very Thing, is GOD.] Mr. Howe obferves, that this is a moft emphatical Manner of fpeaking; not only afferting, that GOD is the Author of it, but afcribing Deity to the Author; as if he had faid " none but GoD could have raifed us "to fuch a Temper." Howe's Warks, Vol. i. pag. 680.