An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

2 CO•. 1. 8. So that we despaired even of life.

This last aggravating particular in the description of Paul's trouble in Asia, hath been explained, and in some measure enlarged. The sum whereof was, That grace even in a Paul, doth not wholly remove the natural fear of death. Grace doth regulate and direct Nature, but not extinguish it. Stoicism and Christianity differ as much as Heaven and Earth. Not to fear, not to grieve about due objects in a due manner, is a sin, not a virtue. But though grace doth not extirpate this natural fear of death, yet it subdueth and conquereth the sinful fear of death. Our natural fear doth quickly become immoderate, and so offensive unto God. Therefore the proper work of grace is to mortify this, that it may not be over-fearing, that this fear may not prove a temptation to sin.

THis last aggravating particular in the description of Paul's trouble in Asia, hath been explained, and in some measure enlarged. The summe whereof was, That grace even in a Paul, doth not wholly remove the natural fear of death. Grace doth regulate and direct Nature, but not extinguish it. Stoicism and Christianity differ as much as Heaven and Earth. Not to fear, not to grieve about due objects in a due manner, is a sinne, not a vertue. But though grace doth not extirpate this natural fear of death, yet it subdueth and conquereth the sinfull fear of death. Our natural fear doth quickly become immoderate, and so offensive unto God. Therefore the proper work of grace is to mortifie this, that it may not be over-fearing, that this fear may not prove a temptation to sinne.

Our work therefore in the next place, is to direct a Christian in the discerning between a Natural fear, and a Sinful fear, that he may know what is of ¹