2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 6. 105
would; and that made him ciy out, ' 0 wretched man that I am,' &c. It is God that ties up our corruptions, that they run not so violently on tho soul at one time as they do at another, for he hath the command of them by his Spirit. There is no Christian but one of these ways he suffers in the greatest time of peace. Especially this way God exerciseth them, that he makes them weaiy of their lives by this spiritual conflict. If they know what the life of grace means, he makes them know what it is to bo ab- sent from heaven. He makes them know that this life is a place of absence ; and all this is to helj) our disposition to salvation, by helping mortification and by helping our desire to heaven. Those that go on in a smooth course, that know not what this inward combat means, and are carried away with their sins, they are so far from taking scandals to heart, that if they see e\il men, they are ready to join with them, to join with blas- phemers and wicked persons ; and instead of sjTupathising with the church of God, they are ready to join with them that censure them, and so add affliction to the afliicted. But to proceed.
* Whether we he comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.^ Of ' comfort ' I spake in the former verse. Only that note that I will briefly commend you to is this, that
Doct. God's children, hap how it tiill, they do good.
Cast them into what estate you will, they do good. They are good, and do good. If they be afflicted, they do good by that ; if they have comfort, they do good to others by that. No estate is amiss to God's children ; and that is the reason of their perfect resignation. The child of God per- fectly resigns himself into God's hand. Lord, if thou wilt have me suffer, I will sufler ; if thou wilt have me afflicted, I yield myself; if thou wilt have me enjoy prosperity, I will. I know it shall be for my good, and for the good of others.
There is an intercourse in the life of a Christian. He is now afflicted, and now comforted, not for his own sake only, but for the good of others ; and when he shall be afflicted, and how long, and what comfort he shall have, how much, he leaves it to the wisdom of God. It is a blessed estate, if we could think of it, to be a Christian, that we need to care for nothing but to serve God. We need to care for nothing, but study to keep a good con- science. Let God alone with all our estate ; for God will enable us to want and to abound in our own persons, and likewise he will sanctify oiu- estate for the good of others.
And a Christian will be willing to be tossed, and to be ' changed from vessel to vessel,' Jer. xlviii. 11, from state to state, for the good of others. If his afflictions may do good to the church, he is content that God should withdraw his blessings from him, and humble him with crosses. If his example may be good to others, he is likewise joyful ; when God gives him rest, and causeth an inward comfort, he knows that this is good for others. He hath learned in his first entrance into Christianity, self-denial, not to live to himself, but for the glory of God and the good of others; as much as he may.
Use. We should labour therefore to content ourselves in all conditions, knowing that all is for the best, not only to ourselves, and God's glory, but for the good of others. God, when he takes things from us, and afflicts us, and when he comforts us, he intends the comfort of others. So we should reason when we endure anything, and when we are comforted, certainly
106 COMMENTARY ON
God intends the good of others by this ; therefore I will have a special care in sulibring, to carry it decently and exemplarily, knowing that the eyes of many are upon mo. I will carry myself so, that God may have glory, and others may have edification and comfort, knowing that 1 am but God's steward, to convey this to others, that are of the same body with myself. Therefore in our communion we have with others, upon any good occasion, we ougbt to express the blessed experience of the comfort of God upon us. This is the practice of holy mun in their meeting with others, to shew them the comforts of God to their souls. ' Come, and I will shew you what God hath done for my soul,' Ps. cxlii. 7, saith the psalmist. All are the better for a good man. He doth good to all ; and therefore Solomon saith, ' When a righteous man is advanced, the city rejoiceth,' Prov. xi. 10. They have cause, for he hath a public mind. Nothing doth more characterise, and is a better stamp of a true Christian, than a public mind.
A carnal man out of self-love may grieve at his own sins, and may la- bour to comfort himself; but a Christian thinks others shall take good by me. It is the mind of Christ, and it is the mind of all the members of Christ, when a man thinks he hath nothing, except he have it to improve for the good of others.