Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

And this not only as it's opposite to gross hypocrisy, and dissimulation, but as it differs from mere moral honesty; he walked not only in a civil moral honest way, as merely moral and civil men use to do, in their Barganings, and other Dealings, but in godly sincerity, doing every thing as in Gods sight; as he says of himself, Chap. 2. v. last. We are not as many, who corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ: The 4. Character whereby he proves that he had this Testimony and was assured of it, is, that he did not what he did by his own strength, or by the strength of nature, but by the grace of God; Which shows (as we said before) that this Testimony reached no further then from the time of his Conversion: The first of these positive Characters, or Evidences shows the singleness of his end; The second, shows his singleness in the way of prosecuting that end; The third shows the principle whereby, or where from he acted; it was not carnal reason that gave him counsel, nor nature that strengthened him, but Grace.

And this not only as it's opposit to gross hypocrisie, and dissimulatiion, but as it differs from meer moral honesty; he walked not only in a civil moral honest way, as meerly moral and civil men use to do, in their Barganings, and other Dealings, but in godly sincerity, doing every thing as in Gods sight; as he sayes of himself, Chap. 2. v. last. We are not as many, who corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ: The 4. Character whereby he proves that he had this Testimony and was assured of it, is, that he did not what he did by his own strength, or by the strength of nature, but by the grace of God; Which shews (as we said before) that this Testimony reached no further then from the time of his Conversion: The first of these positive Characters, or Evidences shews the singlenesse of his end; The second, shews his singlenesse in the way of prosecuting that end; The third shews the principle whereby, or where from he acted; it was not carnal reason that gave him counsel, nor nature that strengthned him, but Grace.

In these words then, we have, First, A short and sweet compend of a Christian and comfortable life, and of the advantage of a good Conscience. 2. We have the way how to attain, and how to entertain, and maintain the same. The Apostle (in a word) being now put to it, and having both Foes and Friends on his top, he taketh a back look of his Life, and reflects on what was his carriage towards all men, and towards the Corinthians more particularly, and finds his Conscience testifying