A60194:19
A learned commentary or exposition
A learned commentary or exposition: upon the first chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Being the substance of many sermons formerly preached at Gray's-Inn, London, by that reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher to that honourable society. Published for the public good and benefit of the Church of Christ. By Tho. Manton, B.D. and preacher of the Gospel at Stoke-Newington, near London.A learned commentary or exposition: upon the first chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Being the substance of many sermons formerly preached at Grayes-Inne, London, by that reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher to that honourable society. Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ. By Tho. Manton, B.D. and preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington, near London.
London: printed by J.L. for N.B., 1655
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There is a diversity of gifts as there is of tempers, and of tempers as there is of faces, that in all this variety God may be the more glorified: The Pen-men of Scripture that all wrote by the same Spirit, and by an infallible Conduct, do not write in the same stile: In the Old Testament there is a plain difference between the lofty Courtly stile of Isaiah, and the Priestly grave stile of Jeremiah; In Amos there are some marks of his Calling in his Prophecy: In the New Testament you will find John sublime and Seraphical, and Paul rational and argumentative; 'tis easy to track both by their peculiar phrases, native elegancies, and distinct manner of expression: this variety ⟨image 4⟩and *manifold grace still continueth, the stones that lye in the building of Gods house are not all of a sort, there are *Sapphires, Carbuncles and Agates, all which have their peculiar use and lustre, some are doctrinal, and good for information, to clear up the truth, and vindicate it from the Sophisms of wretched men; others have a great force and skill in application: Some are more Evangelical, their souls are melted out in sweetness, others are sons of Thunder, more rousing and stirring, gifted for a rougher strain, which also hath its use in the art of winning souls to God: *'twas observed of the three Ministers of Geneva, that none thundered more loudly than Farell, none piped more sweetly than Virett, none taught more learnedly and solidly than Calvin: so variously doth the Lord dispense his gifts, to show the liberty of the Spirit, and for the greater beauty and order of the Church; for difference with proportion causeth beauty, and to prevent Schism, every member having his distinct excellency, so that what is wanting in one, may be supplied by another, and all have something to commend them to the Church, that they may not be despised; as in several Countries they have several Commodities, to maintain traffic between them all: we are apt to abuse the diversity of gifts to divisions and partialities, whereas God hath given them to *maintain a communion; in the Churches Vestment there is variety but no rent, varietas sit, scissur a non sit.