Chap. | had the Divine Nature perſonally uniced to his humane Nature; which 1s cal'ed the Spirit, Mzrh 2.8. Bur ſome think, that the Ar- ricle here, is not meerly Prepoſitive, but Emphatical, and fo refer- reth to 2. 6. where the Goſpel (the ſubſtance of which is Chriſt) was called the Spirit. _ So ic 15 judged by ſome, thar che Apoſtle pre- venteth a Queſtion which ſome might have propcunded, tjz. how the V2! ſhould be taken away >y mens turning unto the Lord ? Saith the Apoſiie, The Lord is a Spiric, cr he 1s that Spirir men- rioned, y, 18. He '£ a Spirit, and he gives our of the Spirit unco his People, the Spiric of Ho.inzis and SinRification, 4 And where the Spirir of the Lord 1s, (char holy {arQifying Spiric, which is of- ren called the Spiric ot Chriſt ) there is 1i5»»ty; (for our Saviour told the Jews, fob. 8. 36. I} the Sor mzke you jree, then (hall you be free indeed.) Aliberty trom the yoke of rhe Law, from Sin, Death, Hell; but the liberty which ſeemeth here to be chietly inrended, is a liberty from thar blindneſs and hardneſs which is upon meus hearts, until they have received the holy Spiric.
18 But we all with open face behclding * as in a glaſs * the glory of the Lord e, 7 are changed into the ſame image from glory to glory f, even as || by the Spirit of the Lord g.
e Some by | we ] here underſtand all Believers; others think it 1$ better underſtood of Miniſters: but the univerſal particle ll, rather guideth us to interpret it of the whole bcdy of Believers, of whom the Apoſtle ſaith, Thar chey all behold the glory of God with open face, thar is, nor under thoſe dack Types, Shadows and Pro- phecies, thar he was of old revealed under, bur as in a Looking- glaſs, which repreſents the face as at hand; nor as in a PeripeRive which ſheweth things afar off. f We behold him in the gals of the Goſpel, fully opened and preached ;. and chis fight of Chriſt in the Goſpel, 1s nor a meer uleleſs fighr, bur ſuch a fight as changerh the Soul into the image and likeneſs of Chriſt, from glory ro glory, carrying on the Souls of Believers from one degree of Grace to an- other z or making ſuch a glorious change in the heart, as ſhall not be blotred our uncil a Soul comech intro thoſe poſſeſſions of Glory which God hath prepared for his People. g And all this is done by the Spirit of the Lord, working with the Word of God inthe mouths of his Miniſers; bur fo, as the Spiric hath che prin- cipal agency and efficiency in the wort:
GHAP. Iv.
His ſmcerity aud diligence in this Miniſtry, 1, 2. From whom the Goſpel # bid : by whom and by what power it is known, 3—1. This power ſeen in the Apoſtles. Their overcoming Affiftions, 8 12. Their enco:= ragement under them, from the example of David: The 6/eſſ*d Re- ſurreftion: God's providence in them and their End : The renewing of the inward man; and the greatneſs of the eternal Glory, 13— 18.
I "nn ſeeing we have this miniſtry, * as we * 1 Cor.5.
have received mercy, we faint not a :
a Ic is the opinion of Beza, Thar the Traducers of this great Apoſtle rook advantage from his great Tryals and afflitions, by reaſon of them, to conclude him no ſuch man as he was by ſome re- preſented; and that the Apoſtle upon that rakes advantage to magnifie his Office. God (faith he) having intrufted us with ſo glorious a Miniſtration, as I have proved thar of che Goſpel to be, accordingto the meaſure and proportion of Gifts and Graces which God hath beſtowed upon us, or by reaſon of thar infinire Grace and Mercy which God hath ſheved us, in calling us to ſo honou- rable a Station and Office, though we meer with many Adverſaries, many affligions, many difficulcies, yer we bear up and fink notun- derthem, nor faint in our ſpirits becauſe of chem.
ſhoneſty b, not walking in craftineſs c, * not handling the word of God deceitfully d, but * by manifeſtation of the truth, * commending our ſelves ro every man?s conſcience in the ſight of God e. |
b Though we be expoſed ro many ſorrows and ſufferings, it is
nor for any diſhoneſt or unwarrancable behaviour amongſt men; * Chap. 5+
nay, we have not only declined openly diſhoneſt ations, bur any
ſecret or hidden diſhoneſt behaviour, * Poſlibly he refleteth upon * Chap. 6.
choſe, whether Teachers, or orhers in this Church, who though | they behaved themſelves very ſpeciouſly in their more external | converſation, yer it was a ſhame ro ſpeak whar things were done ; of them in ſecret, We (faith the Apoſtle) have renounced all ſe- cret, diſhoneſt, ſhameful aRions. «c It hath not been our defign co carry our ſelves crattily, ro cheat people with a fair outſide and ex- rernal demeanour. d Nor in our Miniftry haye we cheated and deceived people, inſtead of inſt-ufing them in the Truth 3 crying, Peace, Peace, when God hath ſaid, there is no peace to the wicked, and rempering our diſcourſes to all mens humours, nor ſpeaking right things, but ſmooth things. e Our buſineſs in the courſe of our Miniſtry, hath been ro commend our ſelves to every man's Conſct- _—_ as in the ſight of God, by manifcſting ro chem the Truth of God.
3 But if our goſpel be hid, * it is hid to them that are loſt f.
mentality in the promoting and publiſhing of ir. His meaning is, if the Do&rine of the Goſpel, which I am an inſtrument to preach, be hidden, ſo as there yer be any Souls that do nor underſtand, receive and believe ir, the fault is not in the Word we preach, nor yer in our preaching of ir (which hath been in all fimplicicy and. plain- neſs, without craftineſs or deceit) bur in themſelves, who fayour and indulge their luſts co that degree, as that they deſerve to be loſt, or are at preſent in their fintuL ſtate ; in which ſenſe all men are in the Parables compared to 7oſt Sheep, or loft Goats; and Chriſt is ſaid to have come to ſeek, and to ſave thoſe that are loſs, Men, mad upon their laſts, may nor underſtand the Doctrine of the Goſpel which we preach, bur orhers underſtand and believe it. I had ra- ther underſtand the rerm loft in this ſenſe, than as expreſſing Re- probatesz for it ſcemeth ſomething harſh ro make this Phraſe co
ſ1gnifre
f The Apoſtle calls the Goſpel, bis Goſpel; becauſe of his inſtru- :
IV.
” x Cot. I3. 12.
* Chap. 4: 4,6 1Tim, I, 1.
* x Cor. IS. 49» Col. 3 10, Or, of the Lord the Spirit,
23s
2 But have renounced the hidden things * of - di- * Rom. :,
I6.,
fGr. ſhame, * Chap. 2.
7.”
1 Thell. 2.
3» 5
It.
4»
+ 1Cor. 1: 18,
Chap. 2.