* He died, and is risen again ; who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's people ?' Rom. viii. 3B. Therefore come to the sacrament, that we may grow in assurance of the life of sentence, in removing the guilt of sin. because Christ died for us. And we shall likewise have great increase of
* That is, ' communicated.' — G.
430 COMSfENTARY ON
the inward frame of life and grace. For the more we are assured of for- giveness of sins, and acceptation to life everlasting, the more we live ; as, where many things are forgiven, there is much love, Luke vii. 47. And the more we love, the more willing and cheerful we shall be ; for all obe- dience springs from love. When we love we are ready for all duties. And therefore come with encouragement to increase our union and communion with Jesus Christ, now at this time.
VERSES 12, 13.
So then death icorketh in lis, but life in you. We having the same spint of faith, according as it is uriltoi, I believe, thcirfure have I spoken. We all believe, and therefore we speak.
In the former part of the chapter we have heard how the apostle doth grant freely what might be objected to the disparagement of the ministry of the gospel, in regard of many particulars, and then he retorts, and makes use of all ; as you may see in the several particulars.
We spake the last time of the eleventh verse, which is but the same with the tenth, only a more full expi'ession and exposition of it, by some addition.
I observed divers things from thence.
That God's children must make account of the worst in the world ; ' that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.' Here is the event of the troubles God's children meet withal in this world, and the in- tendment on God's part.
' Made manifest in our mortal flesh.' I did not speak anything of that, therefore I will add something.
' The life of Jesus is made manifest in our flesh,' though mortal, and subject to death ; and mortal, not only because subject to death, but also subject to miseries, which are little deaths. For, beloved, we do not only die when our lives are ended, when the last day of our life is cut off" ; but all that makes way to that is death. All the petty miseries, that by little and little unloose the affections from earthly things, that unloose the soul from the body, all those partial things, they are little degi'ees of that sepa- ration which is in death. So that in our mortal body, that is, our body that is subject to death, and to that that makes way for death.
' Our mortal flesh.' Flesh is a diminishing word in Scripture, implying mortal and frail nature. This is a matter of use, rather than to be unfolded ; the best of us all carry but mortal flesh. We carry our deaths, and our hearse about us ; our life is dying and mortal. It is a matter rather to be thought of to make us wise indeed ; as Ps. xlix. 3, ' I will speak of wisdom.' What wisdom is it that he speaks of ? He speaks of mortality and of death common to all, that is wisdom indeed. And therefore, Ps. xc. 12, the holy man with order teacheth us ' to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom,' There be no wiser thoughts in this world than to judge aright of the condition of earthly things, and of our estate hereafter ; for wisdom is in the judgment of things. When do we rightly judge of our- selves ? When we judge this Hfe to be a dying kind of life, and our estate to be a fading kind of condition. Mortal flesh it is ; ' we are but earthen vessels.' ' Dust we are, and to dust we shall return again,' Gen. iii, 19.
Beloved, think of this. It is but mortal flesh wo carry ; and therefore do not stand too much in adorning of it, in feeding of it, in providing for the lusts of it. How many betray their souls, their better part, by studying
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 12, 13. 437
to give contentment to their mortal flesh ! This is not the life for mortal flesh. The time for that is the hfe to come, at the resiirrection. Then when we shall have other flesh, we shall he all spiritual, even our bodies spiritual, not maintained with moat and drink, as now they are. That is the life of the body, a glorious life. Now it is a mortal life, that must end in dust and rottenness.
It is the vanity, especially of the younger soi't, as if all their commenda- tion were in setting out their bodies in apparel, and such things. It is a poor thing for a man, that hath a reasonable soul, to fetch his commendations from his tlesh, from that which is worms' meat, llath he nothing else to fetch his commendations from but what covereth his body ? What is the flesh but the garment of the soul, and a rotten one ? And what are other garments but a covering of that ? And for a man to seek commendations, which should arise from parts and worth within, to be studying to provide for this mortal flesh, is a course unworthy of them that prove themselves to be Christians.