476 Sect. 11. 2 Cor. VI. 13. 14 13 Now for a Recom pence in the fame (I fpeak enlarged. as unto my Children) be ye And exhorts them not to be unequally yoked with Unbelievers; motion. ge And how fhall that Love be expreffed? Truly by no Method can it more effectually be manifefted, than by taking all the Care you poffibly can, for your own Security and Happiness. In which View, I muft particularly urge it, that ye be not unequally yoked either in Marriage, or any other intimate Friendship with Unbelievers; for what Participation bath that ftrict Righteousness, to the Practice of which the Gospel calls you, its fincere Votaries, with that Unrighteousness, in which they are fo generally plunged? Or what Communion bath the Light, into which you by the Divine Mercy are brought, with that deplorable Darkness of Ignorance and Vice, in which 15 they continue to be loft? Or what Concord [is there,] or can there be, between Christ, to whom ye are united, and Belial, who reigneth in the yoked together with Unbe 14 Be ye not unequally lievers: For what Fellow fhip hath Righteousness with Unrighteoufnels? And what with Darkness? Communion hath Light 15 And what Concord hath Chrift with Belial? Or lieveth with an Infidel? what Part hath he that be Children of Difobedience? Or what Part bath Idols, (a) Be ye alfo enlarged] Perhaps the Apoftle's Meaning may be this, "Give me that "Pleafure which my paternal Tenderness towards you will find, in having it in my Power "to do you Abundance of Good, thro' your Readiness to receive what we are fo ready to "impart, and to fall in with my Attempts of Ufefulness among you." (b) Temple of GOD.] There feems a peculiar Strength in this Interrogation. If GoD would not endure Idols in any Part of the Land, in which he dwelt, how much lefs would he endure them under his own Roof. Since they had the Honour to be the Sons of GOD. as God hath faid, I will 477 16. with Idols? For ye are the Idols, which would by this Means be, as it were, Sect. II. Temple of the living Gop; erected in it; or at least placed fo near, that it dwell in them, and walk in must be polluted by them? It is a proper Quef 2 Cor. VI. them; and I will be their tion, and a juft View in which to state the Point; GOD, and they fhall be my for ye are the Temple of the living GOD, as GOD People. himfelf bath faid; I will, in the most intimate Manner, dwell in them (c), and walk among [them,] and I will be their GOD, and they shall be my People. (Lev. xxvi. 12.) Now tho' this immediately refers to GoD's extraordinary Prefence among the Jews, yet, when we confider the Conftitution of the Chriftian Church, we cannot poffibly imagine, that God is lefs favourable prefent with it, than he was with the Jewish. We may therefore confider the Exhortation fo 17 naturally grounded on such a Promise, and may, as it were, hear GOD calling to us, and faying, as to Ifrael, with Refpect to Idolaters of old, (Ifai. lii. 11.) Come out from among them, and be ye feparate (d), faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean Thing; and, if ye behave in a Manner thus worthy your profeffed Relation to me, I will then receive you, which, till then, I cannot do; And will be a Father unto you (e), and 18] my Sons and Daughters, ye shall be to me for Sons and for Daughters, faith the Lord Almighty. Now furely if the Almighty GOD will fay thus unto us, we ought to be much affected with it, and neglect nothing that is neceffary to enfure fo great and invaluable a Privi-. ledge. Having therefore, my beloved Brethren, 2 COR. Such 17 Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean Thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and fhall be faith the Lord Almighty. 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 1. Having therefore thefe Pro miles, (c) In the most intimate Manner dwell in them.] No Words I know in our Language, can equal the Force of the Original, vono valois, I will take up my Indwelling in them. This was a Promife made to the Jews on their being converted; and confequently refers to their Priviledges, as Members of the Chriftian Church; which fhews the Propriety of the Application, Jer. xxxi. 33. Chap. xxxii. 37, 38. (d) Be ye feparate.] As God's Promife of dwelling in a peculiar Manner among the Fews, obliged them to separate themselves from the Converfe of their Heathen Neighbours, that they might not be infnared with their Superftitions; much more are Chriftians obliged, by that peculiar gracious Prefence of GOD which they enjoy, to feparate themfelves, from all im pure and idolatrous Worship. Exod, xxix. 45, 46. Lev. xxvi. 11, 12. I. (e) I will be a Father, &c.] It is queried, where Gon fays this? Some anfwer, Jer. xxxi. But that does not fufficiently exprefs the paternal Relation. Others refer to 2 Sam. vii. 8, 14. which may be applied to Chrift, and, in him, to Believers. Compare Heb. i. 4, 5. Some think, it is not exprefsly to be found any where, and that it refers to all the Scriptures, where GOD calls his People by the Title of Children. VII. 1. 478 I. Reflections on our Obligations to Holiness. Filthinefs of the Flefh and Sect. 11. fuch gracious Promifes of GoD's Abode among mifes, dearly beloved, let us, his dwelling in us, and his adopting us into us cleanse ourfelves from all 2 Cor. VII. the Number of his Children, let us act worthy Spirit, perfecting Holinefs in fo high a Relation; and as GoD is perfectly holy, the Fear of Gou. let us labour to the utmost to purify ourselves from all Pollution, both of the Flefb and of the Spirit, from every Impurity of Life, and from every fenfual Affection, which might defile our Hearts, and render them difpleafing to him. Nor let us reft merely in this negative View of Religion; but let us endeavour to be perfecting Holiness, and lay the Foundation of it, in the Fear of GOD, in whofe Prefence we always are, and by whom all our Actions are examined, and to whom our Hearts are open: well knowing, that we cannot fecure to ourselves thefe Bleffings, without fuch a Care; and that it is what Gratitude most powerfully dictates, where we have the highest Hopes, that we are interested in them. Ver. 11. Ver. 12. TH IMPROVEME N T. HUS may cordial Love open the Mouth of Chriftian Ministers, when addreffing their People; and thus may the Love of Chrif tians to each other in every Station of Life exprefs itself, and produce for a Recompence a mutual Enlargement. This is one of the sweetest Pleafures, and richest Bleffings of Friendship, when wifely and happily contracted. Let us therefore cultivate fuch Friendships; and be very careful, that we do not form others, which may properly be called, being Ver. 14-16 unequally yoked. We profefs to be pursuing Righteoufnefs, to be Light in the Lord, to be united to Chrift, to be confecrated to GOD: Let us not then have an intimate Converfe with the Slaves of Unrighteousness, the Children of Darkness, the Sons of Belial, the Votaries of Idols. Far from fubjecting ourselves to fuch dangerous Snares, let us rather be earneftly feeking every Advantage, for making the nobleft Improvements Chap. VII. 1 in Religion. Let us examine our Lives and our Hearts, that we may be cleanfed from all Pollutions of the Spirit, as well as of the Flefb. Let us labour after fublime Ideas of the Perfection of Holiness, and after a Temper of Mind correfpondent to thofe Ideas. In order to attain which, let us often be furveying our high and glorious Priviledges, and thofe exceeding rich and precious Promifes, which God by his GofChap. VI.17, pel is making to us; feparating ourfelves from all Evil, that he may re 18. 5 ceive He reminds them of his upright and difinterefted Conduct; 479 ceive us, that he may dwell with us, and walk among us, that he may Sect. 11. confecrate us a holy Temple to himself; yea, that the Lord Almighty may become a Father to us, and own us for his Sons and bis Daughters. To us is the Word of this Promise fent, this is the Hope of our Calling: Let us make it fure, let us daily furvey it, that it may produce and cherish a correspondent Sanctity and Zeal. Amen. The Apostle farther expresses his Affections to the Corinthians, as illuftrated by the Pleasure, with which he received good Tidings from them by Titus, and by the Part he took in the Sorrows which his neceffary Reproofs had occafioned, and his prefent Foy in that thefe Sorrows had issued on their Reformation. 2 Cor. VII. 2, to the End. 2 CORINTHIANS VII. 2. wronged no Man, we have corrupted no Man, we have defrauded no Man. 2. UT to return from this Digreffion, to the Sect. 12. Attempt I was making to remove fome Prejudices, which, much to your own Detri- 2 Cor. VII. ment, I know that fome of you have imbibed against my Perfon and Ministry. Give me Leave, my Brethren, to intreat you, that ye receive us with that Affection, which is due to the faithful Servants of Chrift, and to those who have been Inftruments in your Converfion and Edification. For, whatever may have been infinuated by illdefigning Perfons to the contrary, we have injured no Man in his Perfon, we have corrupted no Man in his Morals, we have not defrauded no Man (a) in his Property, by any of these Artifices which Covetoufnefs fometimes practifes under very fo lemn (a) Defrauded no Man.] The Word, shovexnoauer, fignifies to indulge a covetous Temper, and make a Prey of others by it; and perhaps intimates, that the falfe Teachers, of whom he had fo much Reafon to complain, had done it. (b) Exceed 480 And mentions the Anxiety they had given him: Sect. 12. lemn Forms. I speak not [this] to condemn [you] demn you: For I have faid 3. 3 I fpeak not this to con of Ingratitude, or Infidelity, tho' I have been are in our before, that y 2 Cor. VII. obliged to find fome Fault with you; for I have Hearts to die and live with told you before, that ye are in our Hearts with you. fuch Tenderness, that if it were the Will of GOD we could be glad, both to live and to die with [you] to fpend the Remainder of our Lives at Corinth, or to end them there, did not the Purposes of our Mafter's Glory call to other, and many of them lefs grateful and agreeable Scenes. 4 5 Great, as you fee, [is] my Freedom of Speech to you upon this Subject; and great is alfo Boafting concerning you, as to the Affurance which I have of your Regards for me: And, on this Account, I am filled with Confolation in the Remembrance of you; I do exceedingly abound (b) in Joy, in the Midst of all our Affliction, when I think. how well you behave, and how happy an Alteration is prevailing among you. An Inftance of this affectionate Regard I have lately had an Opportunity deeply to feel, and very naturally to manifeft: For when we came into Macedonia, our Flesh had no Reft, but we were afflicted in every [Place] and Circumftance, thro' the Rage and Malice of our Enemies; yet thefe Alarms could not caufe us to forget you; but while without there [were] continual Fightings, with the moft furious and cruel Oppofition, within there were Fears and Anxieties on your Ac6 count. But the bleffed GOD, who is pleased to wear it among his other Titles, that he is the Comforter of thofe who are brought low by Affliction and Diftrefs, and owns it as his Prerogative to bear up the human Heart, comforted us by the coming of Titus; who arrived fo feasonably at Macedonia, at a Time, when both our Circumftances and Frame of Spirit needed all the Affiftance, that fo pious and delightful a Friend could give. 4 Great is my Boldness of Speech toward you, great is my Glorying of you: I am filled with Comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our 5 For when we were come into Macedonia, our Flesh had no Reft, but we 6 Nevertheless, GOD that comforteth thofe that are caft down, comforteth us by the Coming of Titus: (b) Exceedingly abound.] The Word, vivua, has an inexpreffible Energy; and is, if I mistake not, a Word of the Apostle's own making. (c) However |