in any ſenſe, as of on ſelves, It is nor of Goa, in the ſenſe which the apoſtle 1s | eh of z Who is & here ſpeaking of God, as the God of Narure, ( from whom indeed we derive our poiyer of thinking) bur as the God of Grace, from whom we dertve our power of thinking holy thoughts, and ſuch as are truly and ſpirj- cually good. The Apoſtle derermineth all our ſufficiency to ſpiri- tually good aQions, to be from God ; our ſufficiency to the loweſt, («hich is t:inhing good thoughts] as well as to thoſe of the higheſt ſort, am-ngſt which muft thoſe a&ions be accounted, by which men are made workers together with God, in the bringing of Souls our of darkneſs into marvellons light; opening their eyes, turn- 3ng them from da neſs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Afffs 26.18. Our ſufficiency to think any thoughts, or to do any natural or moral a&ions, 1s from God, as he is the G2d of N:ture; bur it appeareth from all the preceding Diſcourſe, That our Apo- file is here ſpeaking of rhat Sufficiency which floweth from God through the Mediation of Chriſt; our power of thinking flowerh from the Providence of God towards all men; And if that had been al which che -p>ſtle had meanr in ſaying, Our ſufficiency is Jrom God, it had been no more than what rhey might have learned from che Heathen Philot-phers, who would have acknowledged, Thar all mens ſuffictency to natural aRions is from the Divine Be- Ing, or the firſt Moyer.
6 Who alſo hath made us able * minifters of the + new Teſtament h, not * of the letter z, but of the Spirick: for the letter killeth /, bat the Spirit || giv- eth life m.
þ This verle plainly openeth what he had ſaid before, and lets us know what S»fſi-ienty of God that was, of which he here ſpake, we were m-t betore, and through the creating Power and Providence of God we had an ability ro think and to ſpeak 3 bur God hath male 1s ſuffs tent, ty a ſupervening a& and influence of his Grice. wo oe Min.ſters of the New Teſtament, thar is, of the Goſpel ; which being the new Revelation of the Divine Will, and confirmed by the Deach of Chriſt, 1s called New Teſtament, 3 By the Letter here, the 4poſtle underneath rhe Law; or the Law 1s called the Letter, Rom 2. 27. and 7,6. Who by the letter and circumciſion doſt tranſgreſs the Law, thir is, while thou. by ſome external aRs profeſleſt a ſul;;-&ion ro the Law (particularly by Circumciſion) in a multt- tude of other actions, (which are more valuable in the fight of God, thin tno'e external as) thou tranſgreſſeſt the Law. | The | Law, in oppofſirion to the Goſpel, is called the Letter, ſometimes a arad Litter vic-vſe 1t was only a Revelation of the Will of God concerning mans Duty, no Revelation of Gods Grace, either in pirdoning men their omiffions of Duty, and doing a&s contrary
I. CORINT HI ANS.
ps 1 would not have you think, thar we judge our ſelves ſuf- | behold Moſes for the Glory of his conntenatiee : Of | this TY
Chap,
34- 29, 30. When Aaron and all the Children of Th ael ſaw Point 10S, Ora
hold the san of his face ſhone, and they were afraid to ny
ſo as It was glorious to be bur a Miniſter _ Law, tim,
the Revelation of the Will of God, as to mans Duty; Wh; bs of
. (faith the Apoſtle?) was to be done away; Moſes his face did lor
| ways ſo ſhine, neither was the glory of his Miniſtracion R_—_
always, burto-ceaſe by the coming in of the New Covenan, 4
{ $5 How ſhall not the miniſtration of the Spirit þ rather glorious? p. | : þ How ſhall not that Miniſtration, which is more ſpiritua]
| the effedts of which are much more ſpiritual, be accounted in
; more glorious ? Thus the Apoſtle doth not only magnifie the Go
-
; abOVe the Law, bur he alſo magnifieth his Office in the Mini}
of the Geſpel; which Miniſtracion he reaſonably concludeth 4
more glorious Miniſtration than that which Moſes had, in W Jews ſo much gloried, 6 hom the
9 For it the miniſtration of condemnation be lor
exceed inplory q.
9 What the Apoſt'e before called the XMiniſtration of Death, he here calleth the Miniſtration of Condemnation; and therein fIVES us reaſon, why he called ir the Miniſifation of Death, becayſe i; led unro Eternal Death, as fhewinng men fin, ſo accuſing and cop, demning men for ſinful a&s. If it picaſed God (faith the APoſte ) ro make thac Miniſtration glorions, that the Miniſter of the Lay ( Moſes) appeared {o glorious in the eyes of Aron and of the Pegs ple 3 the Miniſtratton of Righteouſneſs (by which he means the Gol. pel) muſt needs be more cxceedingly glorious. He tells us, Riv, I. 16, 19. That he was not aſhamed of the Goſpel — For they; the Righteouſneſs of God is revealed from faith to faith ; that is, the Righ. reouſneſs wherein a Soul muſt ſtand and appear Yighteors defore God. The Minifration of Righteouſneſs ſigniftecn the Miniſtrationgf thar Gcſpel, thar Do&rine which revealeth Rizhteouſusſs, Riphre. Ouſneſs is here oppoſed to Condemnation ; and heretore fipnifieth that which is oppoied ro it, viz 7uſtification, For God doth ny lo freely remit fins, but that he dec..res his Righteouſneſs in the remiſſion of them ; and will ſhew himſelf juſt, whiles he ſhexer; himſelf the Fuſtifier of hem that believes in Jeſus, Rom. 3, 26, Ang irom hence ir appearerh, Thar the Goſpel 15 cailed the Minif;g;; of Righteouſneſs, becauſe he that miniſtrech in it, exhiviteth the Righreouſheis of Chriſt co be reckoned to the Soul, as that where) 1c muit be juſtified , for God could nor otherwiſe declare his Righ teouineſs in the remiſſion of fins, nor ſhew himſelf juſt in juſtif; the ungodly. This Miviſtrarion (he ſairh) muſt needs be morey\, rious in che eyes of Men, than the Miniſtration of the Lay; jg that Miniſtraticn afforded nothing but terrour and death, this aff. cth relief; and comfort, and lite,
i For even chat which was made glorious,had nogh-
ry 1n this reſpect, by reaſon of the glory that excellethy,