Fourthly, The grace of God was wonderfully manifest in Paul., By the spirit 1of self-denial, patience, zeal, and courage which was in him, while accomplishing his work. Indeed Paul is like a pleasant and choice Garden, wherein are so many precious flowers, that we know not which to pluck first. Thus Paul was so eminently bespangled with all the graces of Gods Spirit, that we know not which to commend first. His self-denial was admirable, when he complained, All sought their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ. This argued how much he did abhor such courses, Phil. 3. 21. when he was so solicitous to bring off deluded souls from the false Apostles who reigned over them. It was not his honour or glory that he looked at, if so be they would own Christ and his ways in truth; let him be rejected, he mattered it not. This he plainly professeth, 2 Cor. 13. 7. I pray God ye do no evil, not that we should be approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we be accounted as reprobates. It is plain therefore that it was their good, their salvation and glory, not his own that he aimed at. His patience also was no less remarkable, when he could quietly go through all the reproaches and calumnies that the false Apostles did charge upon him, especially his patience was even miraculous in those sufferings he was exercised with, for the Gospels sake. He that informed others, they had need of patience; how much more had he, being put to so many combats as he was? Yet under all this he fainted not, he forsook not Christ, and his cause; yea he rejoiced in his sufferings, and looked upon them as so many marks of honour. 2 Cor. 11. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. you have a long Catalogue of the manifold bitter trials he was put upon; yet he was gold in this fire, he was wheat in this winnowing; he doth not complain of the cause of Christ he had espoused, as Zipporah to Moses, Thou art a bloody husband; yea in all these things, He is more than a conqueror, as Rom. 8. 37. For the greatest Conquerors do for the most part receive some loss; but these tribulations were so far from making him a loser, that he was thereby a gainer. The grace of God was wonderfully in Paul, to make him so zealous for the Churches of Christ as he was; he learned of Christ himself to have the zeal of the Lords house to eat him up, 2 Cor. 11. 29. Who is offended, and I burn not?
Fourthly, The grace of God was wonderfully manifest in Paul., By the spirit 1of self-denial, patience, zeal, and courage which was in him, while accomplishing his worke. Indeed Paul is like a pleasant and choice Garden, wherein are so many precious flowers, that we know not which to pluck first. Thus Paul was so eminently bespangled with all the graces of Gods Spirit, that we know not which to commend first. His self-denial was admirable, when he complained, All sought their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ. This argued how much he did abhorre such courses, Phil. 3. 21. when he was so solicitous to bring off deluded souls from the false Apostles who reigned over them. It was not his honour or glory that he looked at, if so be they would own Christ and his wayes in truth; let him be rejected, he mattered it not. This he plainly professeth, 2 Cor. 13. 7. I pray God ye do no evil, not that we should be approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we be accounted as reprobates. It is plain therefore that it was their good, their salvation and glory, not his own that he aimed at. His patience also was no lesse remarkable, when he could quietly go through all the reproaches and calumnies that the false Apostles did charge upon him, especially his patience was even miraculous in those sufferings he was exercised with, for the Gospels sake. He that informed others, they had need of patience; how much more had he, being put to so many combates as he was? Yet under all this he fainted not, he forsook not Christ, and his cause; yea he rejoyced in his sufferings, and looked upon them as so many marks of honour. 2 Cor. 11. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. you have a long Catalogue of the manifold bitter trials he was put upon; yet he was gold in this fire, he was wheat in this winnowing; he doth not complain of the cause of Christ he had espoused, as Zipporah to Moses, Thou art a bloody husband; yea in all these things, He is more than a conquerour, as Rom. 8. 37. For the greatest Conquerours do for the most part receive some losse; but these tribulations were so farre from making him a loser, that he was thereby a gainer. The grace of God was wonderfully in Paul, to make him so zealous for the Churches of Christ as he was; he learned of Christ himself to have the zeal of the Lords house to eat him up, 2 Cor. 11. 29. Who is offended, and I burn not?
- 14 His patience, self-denial, zeal and courage.
