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make this the ſenſe of ir, Though God, in the Wiſdom of his Pro- vidence, hath aſligned us in this World a different lot from you, thar you cre full, we empty 3 you tn proſperity, we In adverſity 3 yer we are partakers of the ſam? Faith with you, and are aged from the ſane Spirir that you are: and as Darid's Spirir guided him co 2 profeſſion of his Faich, and a ſpeaking whar he believed, fo we alſo ſpeak, and muſt ſpeak according ro what we believe, And this is manifeſtly the ſenſe of the Words, if we conſider what followeth in the next Verſe, : 14 Knowing that * he which raiſed vp the Lord
Teſus, ſhall raiſe up us alſo by Jeſus, and ſhall preſent
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; Knowing that God the Father, who raiſed up the Lord Jeſus from the dead as the Firſt-truirs of them thar ſleep ; ſhall likewiſe, by the virtue of his Reſurre&ion, and by a Power flowing from him as now alive, and fitting at the right hand of God, quicken our mortal bodjes 3 that both our Souls and Bodies may be preſented wich you to be both eternally glorified ; this maketh us that we do nor fear death, bur are unconcerned, alrhough by wicked men we every day be delivered to ir, and brought within the danger and fighr of ir. Still the Reſurrefion of Chriſt 1s made the Foundation of our Reſurre&ion, and a firm ground for our Faith of it, And we are from this Text confirmed in the truth of chis, Thar alchough the lor of Gods people in this life be very difterent, (ſome are poor, {ome rich, ſome in proſperity, ſome in adverſity, and incompaſled with ſorrows and afflictions) yer if they have all the ſame Faith, they ſiall all meer in the Reſurre&ion, and ſhall by Chriſt, be all preſented unto God as perſons redeemed by him, and waſhed with his Blood, and who ſhall be glorified rogerher.
15 For *all things are tor your ſake k, that the
L1.24 * abundant grace might through the thankſgiving of
many, redound to the glory of God!7. kþ All rhings that Chriſt hath done and ſuffered ; his Death, and
7 I 5s Reſurre&ion from the dead : and all things thar I have done or
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ſuffered, all are for your ſakes. Thar the greater henefic ic be which you receive from God, the greater praiſe, honour, and glo- ry might redound to him by the Thanbſgiving of many, for God can be no otherwiſe glorified by us, than by the predicaring of his Mercy and Goodneſs, and the praiſing of him for the mercies which we re- ceive from him. The more God doth good unto, the more honour, praiſe, and glory redoundeth to his Name,
16 For which cauſe we faint not , but though our outward man periſh », yet * the inward man is renew- ed day by day 0.
# Becauſe of this double advantage which accrueth from our ſufferings, wiz, The furthering of the good of your Souls, and the promoring the glory of God from the thankſgivings of many 3 though we ſuffer many harſh and bitrer things, yer we do nor faint nor fink under the burden of our Trials ; but though as to our outward man, we are every day dying perſons, daily decaying as to the ſtrength, and vigour, aud proſperiry of our outward man, yet the ſirengih and comforr of our Souls and Spirtts reneweth day by day ; we are every day fironger and ſtronger as to the managing of our ſpiritual fight, and every day more cheered and comforted in our ho- ly courſe,
17 For * our light affliction, which is but for a mo- ment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory p. |
p The Apoſtle in theſe words wonderfully lefſeneth his own, and the reſt of the Apoſtles, and all other Chriſtians ſufferings for the Goſpel: He callerch them Light, nor that they were ſo in themſelves,
IL CORINT HIANS.
but with reſpe& to char weight of Glory which he mentioneth in the latter part of the Verſe ; He calleth them momentary, but for a mo- mnt, with reference to that Eternity, which is mentioned, zffli&ions are light, the glory will be a w«2ght 3 the affliions are bur for a 0ment, the glory ſhall be eternal. ' And (faith the Apoſtle) our Aiiftion worketh for us this glory. The glory will not only be a conſequent of theſe afflitions, but theſe afflictions will be a means of It, a furtherance of our Salvation, and may be ſaid ro work this glory for us, by working us for ir, promoting our mortification and ſanRi- hcation, {to which ir is promiſed, Mat. 5.8 ) and ſo making us meer for it, and Subje&s capable of ir,
18 While we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen q: for the things which are ſeen, are temporal r 3 bur the things which
are not ſeen, are eternal 5.
q Two things ſupport the Spirits of Chriſtians under Trials : The ryeing of him who is inviſible 3, this ſupporred Moſes, Heb. 11.27. He endured, as ſeeing him who is inviſible, 2, The feeing by the Eye of Faith the things which ave inviſevle 3 the things which God hath pre- pared in another World for thoſe that love him 3 the things which Eye bath not ſeen, nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive, 7 For (faith the Apoſtle) the things which are ſeen, which fall under the ſenſes of men, they are but temporal, and of a remporary du- rarion, 5 Bur the inviſible things, (rhe eternal and exceeding weight of glory) whichare before mentioned, they are of an eternal durati- 073 and therefore much ro be preferred before thoſe things which endure but for a moment.
CHAP. V.
Hts aſſurance of, and deſires aſter Immortal Glory, 1=—2, and expeftance of the ſuture Fudgment: Wherefore be laboureth to keep a good Con- ſeimce, I-—11, Zotthat he may herein boaſt of himſelf; but that he may live to his Lord, 12—16, and as 4 new Creature, 16—18, and oy Miniſtry of Reconciliation to Reconcile others alſo in Chriſt to God, — 21. Or we know, that if * our earthly houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved «, we bave a building
of God b, an houſe not made with hands c, eternal in the heavens d. Vol. II,