In the inscription, there are the parties from whom this epistle was writ- ten, ' Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.' And the persons to whom : ' To the church of God at Corinth, and all the saints in Achaia.'
The salutation : ' Grace and Peace ;' in the form of a blessing, ' Grace and peace.'
From whom : * From God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.'
' Paid an apostle,' dc. In this inscription he sets down his office, ' an apostle,' and ' an apostle of Jesus Chi-ist.' How apostles difler from other ministers, it is an ordinary point. St Paul was called to be an apostle by Christ himself, 1 Cor ix. 1. ' Am I not an apostle ? have I not seen Christ ?' It was the privilege of the apostles to see Christ. They were taught imme- diately by Christ, and they had a general commission to teach all, and they had extraordinary gifts. All these were in St Paul eminently. And this was his prerogative, that he M'as chosen by Christ in heaven, in glory. The other were chosen by Christ when he was in abasement, in a state of humiliation. ' Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ.'
* By the will of God.' By the appointment of God, by the designment* of Christ ; for every man in his particular calling is placed in it ' by the will of God. St Paul saith, he was an apostle ' by the will of God, not by the will of man.' This is the same word as is in the beginning of the Epistle to the Phihppians.f
In a word, it teacheth us this first observation, That u-e shoidd think our- selves in our standings and callinrfs to be there by the will of God.
And therefore should serve him by whose will we are placed in that standing. Let every man consider, who placed me here ? God. If a hair cannot fall from my head without his providence, Mat. x. 30, much less can the disposing of my calling, which is a greater matter ; therefore I will seek his glory, and frame myself and courses answerable to the wiU of him by whose will I am in this place.
Men have not their callings only to get riches, and to get preferment. Those are base ends of their own to serve themselves. God placeth us in our particular callings, not to sei^ve ourselves, but to serve him ; and he
* That is, ' designation.' — 6. f This is a slip for Ephesians.— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 1. 9
will cast in those riches, honour, preferment, dignity, and esteem, so much as is fit for us in the serving of him in our places.
The other party* in the inscription, from whom the epistle is, is,
' Timothy our brother.'' He sends his Epistle from Timothy as well as from himself. This he doth to win the more acceptance among the Co- rinthians, by the consent of so blessed a man as Timothy was, who was an evangelist. Unity by consent is stronger. And there is a natural weak- ness in men to regard the consent and authority of others, more than the things themselves. And indeed, if God himself in heavenly love and mercy condescend to help our weakness, much more should all that arc ' led by the Spirit of God,' Gal. v. 18. We are subject to call in question the truths of God. Therefore he helps us with sacraments, and with other means and allurements ; and although that be truth that he saith, yet be- cause he would undennine our distrustful dispositions by all means, he useth those courses. So St Paul, that they might respect what he wrote the more, as from a joint spirit, he writes, ' Paul, and Timothy our brother.'
It was an argument of much modesty and humility in this blessed apostle, that he woiild not of himself seem, as it were, to monopolize their respect, as if all should look to him, but he joins Timothy with him ; so great an apostle joins an inferior.
There is a spirit of singularity in many ; they will seem to do all them- selves, and carry all themselves before them ; and they will not speak the truths that others have spoken before them without some disdain. As a proud critic said, ' I would they had never been men that spake our things before we were, that we might have had all the credit of it' (a). Oh, no ! Those that are led with the Spirit of God, they are content in modesty and humility to have others joined with them ; and they know it is available! for others likewise ; they will respect the truth the more.
And thus far we yield to the papists when we speak of this, whether the church can give authority to the word of God or no. In regard of us, the church hath some power, in regard of our weakness ; but what is that power ? It is an inducing power, an alluring power, a propounding power, to propound the mysteries of salvation. But the inward work, the con- vincing power, is from the evidence of the Spirit of God, and from the Scrip- ture itself. All that the church doth is to move, to induce, and to propound this, quoad nos. It hath some power in the hearts of men.