as silver is tried in the fining-pot, or gold in the furnace. Whenever a minister is praised, he is tried; his humility is tried, his self-denial is tried; when he is praised by men, he is tried whether he can give the entire praise to God. When people cry up such and such a preacher, they put him into the fining-pot; and he that is but dross, consumes. Let ministers remember there are trials on the right hand, as well as on the left; that passing through honour, and going through good reports, are great trials, as well as passing through dishonour and evil reports. God prepare us for both! 10 As -As deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live ; as chastened, and not killed; sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. As if the apostle had said, Verily our life is made up of seeming, but not real, contradictions. The wise men of the world look upon us as deceivers, but we are the true dispensers of the word of life unto them; we are looked upon by the world as unknown, obscure persons; but we are well known to God and good men by our doctrine and miracles; we are as dying persons daily, by our passing through so many perils, and by being exposed to continual persecutions, and yet you see we are still alive; and we are sometimes chastened by God, as well as persecuted by men, but we are not killed, nor given over unto death. Outwardly we are sorrowful, but inwardly always rejoicing in God, and in the testimony of a good conscience; in worldly goods and outward circumstances we are very poor, yet making many spiritually rich in grace and good works. We have nothing we can call our own, yet in Christ all things are ours. Hence observe, What has been the lot and portion of the faithful ambassadors and ministers of Christ from the first beginning of christianity; the dirt of a thousand scandals have been thrown upon their faces, which in the day of Christ's appearance will be as crowns upon their heads. Observe, 2. That all outward evils are to be received by the ministers and members of Christ, in the same manner, and with the same mind, that good things are received with. Honour and dis honour, good report and evil report, must be entertained with the same evenness and constancy of mind, because God is the same in all variety of estates. Though men change their opinions of us, yet God changes not his judgment concerning us: he loves his ministers and members when poor, as well as when rich; when the world smites us, as well as when it smiles upon us : therefore if God be the same to us at all times, it is our wisdom and duty to keep the temper of our minds, and to be always the same to him, and to ourselves. Whatever we meet with from the world, we have no reason to be dissatisfied if our integrity be safe. Observe, 3. How rich the apostle was without earthly riches, and how abounding in wealth, when he had nothing of worldly treasure to rejoice in: Having nothing, yet he possessed all things. But how? and in what sense? Answer, He and they possessed all things, 1. In Christ, by whom they had a title to all things. 2. They had all things in the covenant, favour, and grace of God; he hath all things, who hath him that hath all things. 3. They had all things virtually in that contentment of mind which they did enjoy: they possessed all things in possessing themselves; and wanted nothing which they could deny themselves. The contented man is only rich; he is not rich that has much, but he that has enough; that man is poor that covets more. They possessed all things eventually; they had the good of all things, when they had not the actual possession of all things; their poverty was a blessing, and their very wants, in the event, worked for good. 5. They possessed all things in future expectation: they looked and longed for heaven and everlasting happiness, which would swallow up their desires with fruition: for he that overcometh shall inherit all things, Rev. xxi. 7. Thus is this apostolical paradox unriddled, As having nothing, and yet possessing all things. True faith apprehends and enjoys all things in God, which it wanteth in the creature. 4. 11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be also enlarged. ye These words are very pathetic and ex pressive of St. Paul's most affectionate and ardent love towards the Corinthians, whom he had been an happy instrument to convert unto christianity. He tells them, his mouth was opened to them, not to receive, but to bestow; his mouth was open to fill them with the treasures of gospel knowledge, not to be filled by them; and his heart, as well as his mouth, was open unto them, and at their service. If therefore they were straitened in affection towards him, who was thus enlarged in heart and mouth, by tongue and pen, towards them, it must be through mistakes and misapprehensions on their part; therefore in a way of recompence he challenges it as just and fit, that the same reciprocal love be bestowed upon him their spiritual father, as he had manifested towards them his beloved children. Learn hence, That there is no stronger love, nor more endeared affection, between any relations upon earth, than between such ministers of Christ and their beloved people, whom they have been happily instrumental to convert to God: Oye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged towards you. 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? The holy apostle closes this chapter with an exhortation to avoid all intimacy with idolaters, either in civil affairs, in marriages, or in religious worship, lest they be brought into communion with their idola try; there being no more agreement be tween a believer and an idolater, than betwixt light and darkness, betwixt Christ and Satan. And, as we must not join with idolaters in spiritual communion or religious worship, so should we have no communion with them in marriages; that having proved a dangerous snare to the souls of many, our divines have justly pronounced such marriages sinful. Nay, it is both wise and safe to have as little civil communion with idolaters as we can; and when we are necessitated to have civil communion with them, we must utterly avoid all sinful communion with them, that is, all communion with them in their sins. Learn, That to as sociate with idolaters, or to join in affinity with them, but especially to communicate with them in their idolatrous worship, is a God-provoking and a wrath-procuring sin: Be ye not unequally and unsuitably yoked with unbelievers. 16 And what agreement bath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. This form of questions evidently implies the absolute inconsistency between believers and idolaters, and the danger from communion with them. And the apostle's calling believers the temple of the living God, represents both their dignity and duty: their dignity, in having the Spirit of God to dwell in them, and walk in them; their duty, to be purified and adorned for his habitation. Observe, Believers are a spiritual temple, in which the Holy Ghost dwells. This dwelling implies propriety, familiarity, authority, residency, and fixedObserve, 2. That the inness of abode. dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in good men, as in a temple, being the highest honour and most perfect felicity of the reasonable nature, should oblige them to universal holiness, and to avoid all communion with idolaters. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. As if the apostle had said, "Go not then to the idols' temples, join not with idolaters in communion to avoid persecution; but come out from amongst them, as an holy people separated to the Lord, and defile not yourselves with any unclean thing; and while you are pure, and cleave to God, he will own you for his sons and daughters." Observe here, 1. A pressing exhortation to make a full separation from unclean persons and things, particularly from all idolatry and idolatrous worship; Come out from among them. The words are taken out of Isa. lii. 11. where the prophet exhorts the remnant of Israel to come fully out of unclean Babylon. Learn hence, That God expects and requires his saints should make a separation from all uncleanness, but especially from the uncleanness of idolatry. God expects a separation from us, from all unclean courses, from all unclean company, from the presence and appearance of all uncleanness, from communion with idolatrous churches, and from communicating with what is sinful in the truest churches of Christ upon earth. Observe, 2. A quickening encouragement to back this exhortation: I will receive you, and be a Father to you. Here is a twofold promise, 1. Of reception, I will receive you. 2. Of adoption, I will be a father to you. God will receive them both into his house and heart. Learn hence, That Almighty God will, as a Father, undoubtedly receive all those into his family and favour who renounce communion with all impurity. As he is Almighty, he is abundantly able, and as he is a Father, he is graciously willing, to recompense all the services and sufferings of his children, for the honour and interest of his name and truth. It is sufficiently known how this text hath been misapplied by separatists to very bad purposes: 1. To justify their schismatical separation from the best and purest of the reformed churches, under pretence of finding greater purity among themselves whereas nothing will justify a separation from a church, but that which makes a separation between God and that church. If the church's way of worship (in their opinion) be faulty, they presently pronounce it false, and they must not join in false worship; whereas no man offers any worship to Almighty God that is not false worship, if all that is faulty be false worship; if Christ doth not disown his church for that faultiness, we ought not to desert her for it. 2. Others would seek occasion from these words, to justify their practice, in refusing to come to the Lord's table where some vicious persons are apprehended to be, lest they should pollute the ordinance, and there touch the unclean thing; whereas the presence of a bad man at the sacrament pollutes the ordinance only to himself; for unto the pure all things are pure; and who will neglect a certain duty, to escape an uncertain danger? True, we must not own such worship, as we know God rejecteth. But as God pardoneth the faulty imperfections of other men's worship, and of our own also, thus must we bear with our own and one another's failings that are tolerable, so far as we cannot cure them. Woe unto us, had Almighty God no more charity for us than we have for one another! A defective worship is not a false worship; sinful defects in the administration of ordinances, do not hinder the saving effects of ordinances; a wise and good man is certainly as great an enemy to separation, as he is to superstition: doctrines crying up purity, to the ruin of unity, reject; for the gospel calls for unity, as well as for purity. H CHAP. VII. AVING therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. These words are argumentative, and infer the indispensable duty of christians to preserve themselves untainted from the idolatrous, impure world, by the consideration of the promises specified in the preceding chapter, I will dwell in you, and walk in you, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; a promise which contains the highest honour, and most perfect felicity, of the reasonable nature. Now from hence he infers, That christians having such promises, such helps and assistances, should cleanse themselves from sinful pollution, and endeavour after perfection in purity and holiness. Having therefore, &c. Observe here, 1. The title wherewith the apostle addresses himself unto them, Dearly beloved: this expresses both the truth and also the strength of his affections towards them: by this appellation he recommends his counsel to their acceptance. For as light opens the mind by clear conviction, so love opens the heart by persuasive insinuation. Observe, 2. The matter of the address; and that is, to cleanse ourselves from all pollution both of spirit and flesh, and the changing of us into the unspotted image of God's holiness. The pollution of human nature is intimate and radical, diffused through all the faculties of the soul, and members of the body; we are therefore to pray for, and endeavour after, renewing grace, and to be always advancing in holiness on earth, till we arrive at perfection in heaven. Observe, 3. The motive exciting hereunto, namely, the exceeding great and precious promises assured to us from the mouth of God: Having these promises, let us cleanse our selves. Observe, 4. The means to help us therein; the fear of God. This grace has an eminent causality and influence in a christian's sanctification; it is a powerful restraint from sin both in thought and act, by considering that God's pure and flaming eyes see sin wherever it is, in order to judg. ment. An holy fear of God, and an humble fear of ourselves, will both restrain us from sin, and engage us to obedience. From the whole learn, That the promises of the gospel are the most powerful obligation upon christians to endeavour after, and strive for the attainment of, pure and perfect holiness. As the pollution is universal, so must the cleansing be; and though thankful we must be for the least measure of sanctifying grace received, yet not satisfied with the greatest, short of our perfection; perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3 I speak not this to condemn you; for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. Observe here, 1. The duty which St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to; namely, to receive him their apostle into their kind affections, into the bosom of their love: Receive us, that is, in your best affections. The ministers of Christ are very desirous of a large share and interest in their people's love; well knowing, that if they be prejudiced against their persons, they will reap no benefit by their doctrine. Observe, 2. The solemn protestation which the holy apostle makes of his integrity and uprightness towards the Corinthians: We have wronged no man, corrupted no man, defrauded no man; that is, we have wronged none in their reputation by slander, we have corrupted no man's judgment by error and false doctrine, we have defrauded no men of any part of their estates, either by force or fraud. Learn hence, That the holy servants of God, especially the faithful ministers of Christ, may justify themselves, and make solemn protestations of their own integrity and uprightness, especially when they fall under jealousy and suspicion by the enemies of religion. As it was the continual practice of the false apostles to discredit St. Paul's ministry, and reflect upon his person; so it was his constant care to counter-work them, by a professed vindication of himself, and all his actions. Observe, 3. The fervour of the apostle's affection towards his Corinthian converts: You are in our hearts to live and die with you; that is, you lie and are lodged so near our heart, that we could live with you, and die for you, to promote your spiritual and eternal welfare. Behold how large a room the people of God have in the affections of his ministers, how near do they lie to their hearts; and so passionately desirous are they of their people's salvation, that they could even lay down their lives, and die, to promote their tenporal and eternal advantage! Observe, 4. How the apostle gloried in, and was comforted by, the Corinthians in the midst of all their afflictions, by the report he had of their repentance, obedience, and liberality: Great is my glorying in you: I am filled with comfort, and exceeding joyful in the midst of all my tribulations. As if he had said, "Verily, the report I have made of your repentance and reformation, upon the receiving of my former epistle, has filled me with such a weight of joy, as overbalances all the afflictions and tribulations which I meet with for the gospel." Learn hence, That the repentance and reformation of any of our people, by the blessing of God upon our ministerial endeavours, is matter of great rejoicing and glorying to us the ministers of God, who desire above all things the conversion, edification, and salvation, of the souls of our people: Great is my glorying in you; I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful. 5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. 6 Nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me: so that I rejoiced the more. Observe here, 1. When the apostle was come from Ephesus to Macedonia, how great a conflict he had, both from without and within from without by persecution and opposition from the Jews and Gentiles; and from within, by fears lest the false apostles should have perverted any of his young converts from the simplicity which is in Christ: or, fearing lest the Corinthians being tender and weak in the faith, the violence of persecution, and the strength of temptation, should cause them to apostatize from their religion, and backslide from their holy profession. Observe, 2. A most endearing title given to Almighty God: He comforteth all those that are cast down. This is his dear title: he esteems himself more honoured with the amiable and endearing title of a Comforter and a Father, than with the glorious title of a Creator and a Sovereign. He is more pleased in doing us good, than we can be pleased in receiving of it; and can as soon forget himself, as forget his children. Ob. serve, 3. The instrumental means which God has made use of for the apostle's consolation, support, and relief; namely, the coming of Titus. First, God comforted us by the coming of Titus. Mark, he doth not entitle Titus, but God, by Titus, to the comfort he received. Whoever is the instrumental cause, God is the principal efficient cause of our consolation and comfort. It shows an holy frame of heart, when we stay not in creatures, but are carried to God as the author of our comforts and crosses. Secondly, the glad tidings and good news which Titus brought, as touching the Corinthians' earnest desire to have all things amiss rectified, their sorrow expressed for the sin reproved, their fervent affection towards the apostle, their grief for offending him, their zeal to vindicate him; all these were matter of comfort and exceeding consolation to the apostle, under all his disquietness in Macedonia. Learn hence, That when troubles both from without and within do oppress the minds, and even sink the spirits, of the ministers of God; if they can but see the success of their labours in the lives of their people, that they are humbled for sin, and turned from it; this is matter of unspeakable consolation at present, and will be their crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ. When Titus told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your ferrent mind, I rejoiced the more. with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry, after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. As if the apostle had said, "Although in my former epistle I wrote somewhat sharply to you, by reason of the many abuses that were crept in amongst you; I do not now repent of that severity, because it produceth a thorough and effectual reformation; at first I did repent of it, being unwilling to put you to grief; for I was troubled myself, because I was necessitated to trouble you. However, now I rejoice, not in your grief as such, but because your sorrow was a godly sorrow, and wrought repentance, which is so necessary to forgiveness: so that my plain-dealing with you has evidently been no damage, but an advantage to you. Learn hence, That the faithful ministers of Christ must by no means omit the duty of sharp reproof, nor neglect to bring the censures of the church upon notorious offenders, how ungrateful soever the work is, either to themselves or others. Learn, 2. That there is good ground to hope, that when the censures of the church are duly executed, they will have their desired effects, by bringing the offenders to repentance; and by repentance to remission and salvation: I rejoice, that ye sorrowed to repentance, for ye sorrowed after a godly sort. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: Note here, That sorrow for sin will be of no advantage or avail upon us, if it be not godly sorrow, or a sorrow according to God, as it runs in the original. Now it may be called a sorrow according to God, when it is a sorrow wrought in us by the Spirit of God, in obedience to the command of God, and with an eye at the glory of God: when it has sin, and not wrath, for its object; sin as a wrong to God, as a contempt of his sovereignty, and a contrariety to his holiness. Again, it is then a godly sorrow, when it puts us upon a high 8 For though I made you sorry prizing of Jesus Christ, who became a |