A60194:772
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 8, 9
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.
The second thing that is observable hence out of this first part, which is the negative part, is this, that, Gods children are prone to trust in themselves.
The hearts even of Gods dear children, are prone in themselves (if they be left to their own bent, and weight) to self-confidence, and will 1not hold up in faith and affiance in God, further then they are lifted, and kept up by a Spirit of faith, which God puts into them. It was not in vain that God used this course with blessed St. Paul, here is an end set down, that he might not trust in himself. What, was he in peril to trust in himself? Alas! St Paul, though he were a holy excellent man, yet he was a man, and in the best man there is a double principle, a principle of nature, of corrupt nature, and a principle of grace, and he works according to both principles: there is an intermixture of both in all his actions, and in all his passions too, in his sufferings. Corruption shows it self in his best deeds, and his best sufferings, in every thing. That we should not trust in our selves, that is, in any thing in our selves, or out of our selves, in the creature, it is all one. We see by the example of S. Paul that the best are prone to trust in themselves. All this hard usage of S. Paul that he received the sentence of death, it was that he should not trust in himself. What was there danger in St. Paul, to trust in himself? a man that had been so exercised with crosses and afflictions as he had been, (no man more:) one would think that he had been scoured enough of pride, and self-confidence; the whippings and misusings, the stocks, the dungeons, &c. would not all this work pride, and self-confidence out of the Apostle? No, so deeply it is invested into our base nature, our trusting to present things, that we cannot live the life of faith, we cannot depend upon God whom we cannot see, but with other eyes then nature •h: it is so deeply rooted in our nature, that the blessed Apostle himself must have this great help, to be taught to go out of himself, and to depend upon God; we see in what danger he was (in another place) to be lifted up with the revelations he was fain to have a prick in the flesh, a Messenger of Satan to buffet him.