lity, with prudence and mildneſs are very commendahl- Graces, and in the tight of God of great price, 1 Per. »- 4. And therefore what he doth afterwards exhort to in this F piſtle, doth very well a- grce with what he doth write here. Where (2.) He is treatins of Grace and Godlinefs, whereas in thoſe places to the Cerrarbicns. he writes of ſome certain gifts, which by reaſon of the intinua- tions of falſe Apoſtles againſt him, he was neceflitated in maoni- tying of his Apoftolical Office and Authority, (2 Cer. 10. $.) to mention, being as it were compell'd to it, by the ingratitude of ſome of them at Coriath who had ben infliuenc'd by the falie A po- ftles, 2 Cor. 12. 5, 6. yet you may fee there, he doth not g10ry of himſelf, or his Perſon, but acknowledge his infirmitics, 2 Co. 11. 39. and that unfeignedly, ſpuak the truth, every where, 2 Cor. 12. 6. Which he makes evident to th-m from the nature of the thing it ſ&lf, 2 Cor. 10. 12, 123, 15, 15. and 12. appeal- ng to God, as witnels in the caſe, 2 Cor. 11. 31. referring all the glorying they put him upon, ro the Grace of Ge through Chrift, I Cor. 15. 10s, 2 Cor, 11. 31. When they had -catt contempt on his Miniſtry, 2 Cor. 10. 10, 11, 12, 12, 13. <0 that -in relþÞ-& of
TO 4 4
4-gtirs and external Privileges, wherein are diſtinttions of wwipert-
ours and Inferiours, ch. 3. 4. he doth not urge that every hriftian ſhould prefer every othey to himſelf, wherein 'tis evidert there is a real difference; but in reſpet of the Perſons, the honefty and piety of others in God's tight (left a Man by thinking him{vlf/ome- thing when he isnothing, ſhould deceive himlelf, Gaz. 6. 3.) + ich in his judgment they might be endowed with ſome hidden quality, we know not of, and be accepted with him. He. ce (5.) our Cftimation and preference of others to our ſelves, who as © hri- ftian Brethren are obliged to ſerve one another, G.:. 5. 13. i not taken ttmply, and with an abſolute Judgment, as i: it were neceflary to give them the preheminerc? in all rnings ; but as t09 this, that a Man may think there is ſome d: fe 1 himiel , which It may be is not in another; or with a {ut pention perha's; he is not beter in truthz but contidering mine heart is deceitrui, and poſſibly he may be more without guile, I judg-- it not meet to pre- ter my felt to him God-ward: bur fecing mine own black Luvs, and being bound in love to conteſs mine own, and cover the intir- mities of my Brother, who tabours to walk anſwerable to his Pro” teſhon ; tis ſate for me to preter him who may have ſome ZOO latent which 1 have not, and whereupon he is to be eſteemed by me. Wherefore (4.) ihe right management of the duty which the Apoſfile calls for to preſerve Unanimity, depends upon a righ
and due eftimation of God's divers gifts and grace which flow from the ſame Spirit, 1 C97. 12.4. and an humble tenſe of our own infir- mities: <0 that however one Chriſtian may excel, with ſome fingu- lar endowments; yet he ought to think they were not beftowed upon him, that he ſhould be puff”*d up or value himſelf above what is meet upon that account before God, being he hath receiv'd them of God, 1 Cor. 4. 7. but judge himſelt for his own defe- ctiveneſs and taulcineſs; which will attord himlelf matter of abaſe- menc and humilityz when yet with reſped& to others, vhoſ: hearts he knows not, he in Charity thinketh the beſt, 1 Ce-. 136 4, 5. and if in this caſe he ſhould be miſtaken, his modeſt appre- henitons would be acceptable to God, (detigning to approve rhat which hedoth) and profitable ro himſelf.. o To engage them fur- ther unto Chriſtian concord, he here diretts them as to their aim and ſcope (according ro the import of the word) that it ſhould not be their own private intereft, but th? common good of Chri- ſtianity, becoming thoſe who have true Chriſtian love, 1 Cor. 10. 24. and 12.5. not as if he did diffallow providing for their own, x Tim. 5. 8, or ſtudying to be quiet, and doing their own buti- neſs, 1 Th-fſ. 4. 11. but that every member of Chriſt whiles ke conſiders his own Gifts, Graces, Honour, and Advantage, would remember thar he is not born only to ſerve himſelf or Pharitaical- ly to conceit well of himſelf in the contempt of others, Lutz 18. 11, but alſo, -and that much rather he ſhould contider his relation to the head, and every other member of the Body, and fo confult the
ifts, Graces, Honour, and Edification of others, eſpecially when more eminently uletul, knowing that Members ſhould have the ſame care one for another, 1 Cor. 12. 24, to 23.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but eve- ry man alſo on the things of others. * Let p this niind be in you q which was alfo * 11 Chriſt Jeſus.
p Moſt Tranſlations do expreſs the cauſal or rather illative Greek Particle, which ours doth here omit as an expletive. How- ever the Apoftle doth urge them to the exercile of ſelf-denial, mutual love, and an hearty condeſceation to one another, from the great example of [eſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. $8. 9. q That fo the mind which was in Chriſt, may be perceived in us, who if ſpiri- tual judge all things and have the mind of Chrift, being enlight- en'd by the ſame Spirit, we do judg= as he coming in the fleſh did, 0, Let the ſame attection be found in you, that was really in him, Mat. 11. 29, Fohn 13. 15.
6 Who r * being / in the form of God c, thought ic z not robbery w to be equal with God x.
rho, i.e. Relative to Chriſt Jeſus, the eternal Son of God by Nature, very God, extant with his Father before the beginning, Fon 1. 1. Gal. 4- 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. and 6. 14, 15, 15. Tir. 2. 13s The expreſs image and Character of his Father's Perſon, which implies a peculiar ſubſiſtence diftintt from the ſubiiftence of his Father, Fokn $. 42. 2 Cir. 4. 4. Col. 1. 1%. Feb. 1. 3. concern- ing whom, every word that follows, by reaſon of the Socinians, and ſome Lutherans 15 to be well weighed. [i.e Sul fiſting in op- polition to taking or affuming, v. 7. and therefore doth firmiy prove Chrift, pre-exifting in another Nature, to his ſo doing, namely his actual exiſting of himſelf in tie ſame Effence and Glo- ry he had from Eternity with the Father, Fob» 1. 1, 2. and 17. 5.
2 Cor. $. ge K2v. 1. 4» $,1:. 7 To underſtand which clcarlr, [5M] (1.) The
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