And therefore we must labour not to value ourselves by the body, nor by any worth we have in the outward man neither. If we have diseased bodies, or weak bodies, more mortal than others, not to be cast down, even the best are but mortal flesh ; let us value ourselves by that which is to eternity, by the life of Jesus. Learn humility hence, not to be proud of mortal flesh, and sobriety. Many wise observations are from hence, but they are so easy, that the meanest of them, the Spirit accompanying them, may be sufficient to you that be of understanding. Therefore I will not speak of it now, being moi'e largely spoken of in the latter part of the chapter. ' So death works in us, but Hfe in you.' That is the conclusion of the former comparison of Paul's sufiering with the presence of God sup- porting him in his sufierings ; he concludeth them all with this, ' So then death works in us, but life in you.'
Some take this for an irony, or a sarcasm, as we call it, a bitter kind of speech.* You be free from the cross, and from death. But I take not that to be the meaning of the place, but rather this : we die daily, we carry the death of Jesus about us, but life works in you. You have the good of all our deaths, not only we ourselves, that be apostles, but you have life by our death, glory by our shame, happiness by our misery ; you are gainers by it. And indeed so it is. Those that be the grandees f of the church, "when- they die, others live by them, as you shall see.
' So that death works in us.' How doth death work in us ? Death works two ways at once.
It works in the outward man a decay. And then, by a command of a higher power, by God's Spirit, death works life, the contrary in us. Death works in us ; that is, we are subject to death, and dying. It works in us a farther and farther disposition to death. And life is taken away con- tinually by partial deaths, which fit us for the last death ; death as a canker eateth out our life and natures. As he said before, death is not only the conclusion of our life, but it eateth into it continually. Every day taking away a piece of it, especially them that be under crosses, death by little and little worketh a separation of soul from the body. And then death works in us the life of Jesus, that is, not in itself — for it works nothing but dis- solution, and turneth us to our dust out of which we were taken — but death works in us by the command of God, who can raise light out of darkness,
* Cf. Hodge, Stanley, Alforrl, and Wordsworth, in loc. — G. t That is, ' leaders' as explained a little onward. — G.
438 COMMENTARY ON
and life out of deatli, and happiness out of misery. God, who hath all things in ohodionce to him, can raise contrary out of contrary. And there- fore death works in us the life before spoken of, not of itself, but by the command of (lod himself, who extracteth out of death, and mortality, and misery we sufl'er, a farther degree of spiritual life. Beloved, it is a strange thing that death should work ; but consider all things under heaven, even they work not in themselves, but under command and at obedience of the Supreme Worker, who is so excellent and powerful a worker, that he can raise contraries out of contrary, that cannot only raise from death, and make happy after misery, but make happy in misery, in life, in death, he is so powerful a worker.
Use. And of this make this use of it. We are in covenant ivilh a jiinverful God, that can make antj condition ivork to our good. He hath command over life, death, imprisonment, abasement whatsoever. He can raise out of them whatsoever is contrar^^ that no state shall be over-troublesome to us, that we shall not distaste of any condition. Shall we distaste of any conditions, when God can make that condition serve for our best good ? Oh no.
Use 2. Comfort. And let this comfort lis in the greatest miserij. God works life in death. He giveth spiritual life, and makes it appear we are upheld by a divine power, another power than our own ; therefore be not discouraged, and never despair.
But what benefit have they by it 7 Life works in you by our death ; life works in him too. And the life of Jesus is manifested not only in him but them too. God bringeth his own children into great troubles for the good of others. They be the standard-bearers of the church, but he commands their lives to be manifested in their dyings, two or three ways.
(1.) The more he dies, the more death was wrought in him, the more the Spirit liveth in him, the more spiritual life was in him ; that is, a divine power and strength of grace, to enable him in the inward man. And was not this for the church's good, being a public man, as he was ? And there- fore the church loseth nothing by the afflictions of their godly pastors. Oh your Christians, the more they be afflicted, the more free they be to comfort and instruct. Of all physicians the experienced physician is the best. And they be the best teachers, and do most good, that can speak from experience of the life of Christ manifested in them ; in that regard life was theirs, by death working in him.