A60194:620
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
A COMMENTARY upon the first CHAPTER of the second Epistle of S. PAU… › Commentary on verse 6
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.
And then that which afflicts most of all, the affliction of all afflictions, the inward combat between the flesh & the spirit, which God usually takes up 1in persecution, and outward troubles: Gods dear children in persecution find little molestation from their corruptions, because God will not lay more upon them, then he will give them strength to bear; and now when he singles them out to outward crosses, he subdues their corruptions, that they do not vex them as before. ⟨p. 113⟩In the time of peace, he lets loose their corruptions, sometimes anger, sometimes pride, sometimes one base affection, sometimes another; and think you t his is no grief to them? Oh yes, it grieves them, and humbles them more then any cross would do: St. Paul was grieved more at this, then at all his sufferings, it made him cry out, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? He doth not say, oh wretched man who shall deliver me from crosses and afflictions; though they made him wretched in the eye of the world, yet he rejoiced in those: but his grief was that he could not do the good that he would, and that made him cry out, Oh wretched m•n that I am, &c. It is God that ties up our corruptions, that they run not so violently on the soul at one time, as they do at another, for he hath the command of them by his spirit There is no Christian, but one of these ways he suffers in the greatest time of peace, especially this way God exerciseth them, that he makes them weary of their lives, by this spiritual conflict, if they know what the life of grace means, he makes them know what it is to be absent from Heaven, he makes them know that this life is a place of absence, and all this is to help our disposition to salvation, by helping mortification, and by helping our desire to Heaven. Those that go on in a smooth course, that know not what this inward combat means, and are carried away with their sins: they are so far from taking scandals to heart, that if they see evil men, they are ready to join with them, to join with blasphemers, and wicked persons. And instead of sympathizing with the Church of God, they are ready to join with them that censure them, and so add affliction to the afflicted.
And then that which afflicts most of all, the affliction of all afflictions, the inward combat between the flesh & the spirit, which God usually takes up