XV. XVI not inherit a divine kingdom, nor CHAP will corruption inherit the incorruption of it. CHAP perhaps, or one of the other grains. But God giveth it a body, as it 39 pleaseth him, and to every seed its peculiar body. All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of birds, and another 40 of fishes. There are also heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is one, and that of the earthly is another. 41 There is one brightness of the sun, and another brightness of the moon, and another brightness of the stars; nay, even one star differeth from another star in brightness. stances at. Matt. xxiv. 31. But 54 Behold! I tell you a mystery: 51 we shall not all die indeed, but Circumwe shall be changed in a moment, tending th in the glance of an eye, at the last coming of trumpet; for the trumpet will Christ. sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed; for this corruptible 53 must be clothed with incorruption, and this mortal must_be clothed with immortality. when this corruptible s all be clothed with incorruption, and this mor'So will the resurrection of the tal shall be clothed with immortaand what virtuous dead also be. Man is in tality, then will that scripture be bodies they this world sown unto corruption; fulfilled, "Death is swallowed Isaiah he is to be raised in incorruption; in victory." O grave, where is Hosea he is sown in dishonour, he is to be thy victory? O death where is thy xiii. 14. 43 raised in glory; he is sown in weak-sting? The sting of death is sin; 56 ness, he is to be raised in power; and the power of sin is the law. 44 he is sown an animal body, he is to But thanks be to God who giveth 57 be raised a spiritual body. There us the victory over death through 45 is an animal body, and there is a our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, 58 Genesis, spiritual body; and thus saith the my beloved brethren, be ye stedscripture, "The first man Adam fast, immoveable, always aboundbecame a living animal :" but the ing in the work of the Lord, knowlast Adam is a spirit that givething that your labour will not be in 46 life. The spiritual, however, was vain in the Lord. will have. ii. 7. up xxv. 8. C XVI. tion to vi. gilance, not first, but the animal, and after- Be watchful, stand fast in the CHAP. 47 ward the spiritual. The first a man faith, show yourselves men, be from the ground was dust the se- strong, let all things be done by Exhorta cond a man from heaven, is heaven-you in love. The salutation of me 48 ly. They that are earthy are like Paul, with my own hand. If any &c. the Adam of the ground, and they man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, Conclusion. that are heavenly will be like him let him be separated from you. 49 from heaven; and as we have Our Lord is coming. The favour 23 borne the likeness of the earthy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with man, we shall also bear the like-you. My love be with you all in 24 30 ness of the heavenly. I mean this, Christ Jesus. Amen. brethren, that flesh and blood can As God has prepared suitable bodies for his creatures, birds, beasts, fishes, &c. so we may be assured he will for Christians, when they rise from the dead. * The divinely commissioned Christ "He means, that some will be found alive at the coming of Christ, who shall be changed without undergoing death. As it gives men a strong sense of their sinfulness, by their proneness to transgress it. ST. PAUL'S SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS'. AUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by a divine appointment, and The ad- Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is in Corinth, and to all the saints in 2 Achaia: favour be to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 3 that he has able to administer 2 ledge; and I hope will acknow- CHAP. 3 II. ness of it Now, thanks be to God who CHAP. leadeth us in triumph always in Christ, and maketh known by our and the Blessed be the God and Father means the sweet odour of his know- acceptable The apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ! the Fa- ledge in every place. For we are before thanks God ther of mercies and God of all com- a sweet odour of Christ unto God God. both receiv-fort: who giveth us comfort in among those that are saved, and ed, and is every affliction, so that we are able among those that are lost; to the 16 to comfort those that are in any af- one a deadly savour unto death, comfort. fliction by that comfort with which to the other, a living savour unto 5 we are comforted by God. For as life, according to the suitableness of the sufferings of Christ abound in each. For we are not like many 17 us, so doth our comfort also abound who adulterate the word of God, 6 through Christ. For if we be af- but we speak in Christ, as of sinceflicted, it is for your encourage-rity, as of God, and as in the pre- ♦ ment, and salvation, and if we be sence of God. comforted, it is also for your en- Wherefore, as we have been CHAP. gra- IV. couragement, which showeth itself ciously entrusted with this minisby your enduring the same suffer-try of being apostles, we continue The aposings that we also do. not in what is wrong, but have re- preach For we glory in this testimony of nounced the hidden things of themour conscience, that with the great-shame, not walking in craftiness, selves, but the sincerity with est simplicity and purity, not with nor employing the word of God dewhich he worldly wisdom, but with the ut- ceitfully, but by the manifestation 2 preached most kindness of behaviour, we of the truth, recommending ourthe gospel; have behaved ourselves in the world, selves to every man's conscience in 13 and more particularly to you. For the sight of God. (Now, if our 3 we write to you no other things gospel also be hid, it is hid through than what ye know, and acknow-those destructive sins by which the Declares 12 tles did not Christ. of Macedonia, about October, A. D. 57. The apostle having written his first 2 Part of his comfort arose from the good effect which his former epistle had on the minds of the Corinthians. IV. IV. for a moment, worketh for us a very CHAP CHAP. I god of this present age hath tles dis 7 better life For we know, that if this tent CHAP, V. wherein we dwell, which is fixed on the ground, be taken to pieces, Full confi we have a divine building, an house dence in a not made with hands, eternal in the supported heavens. For indeed in this tent the aposwe sigh with an earnest desire of tles; clothing ourselves with that heaven- 2 ly habitation; if indeed, when we 3 have stripped ourselves, we shall not be found naked. For truly 4 we who are in this tent groan with the weight thereof, not that we wish so much to put off this, as to put on another, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now, he 5 who will accomplish for us this very thing, is God, who hath given us the pledge of the spirit. There- 6 fore we are always of good courage, though we know that whilst we continue in the body we are absent from the Lord; (for we walk by 7 We have, however, this treasure Weakness in earthen vessels, that the extraorof the apos- dinary power which we exercise in played the spreading the gospel, may in every power of thing appear to be from God, and God; not from ourselves. We are press8 ed, but not straitened; perplexed, 9 but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not 10 destroyed; bearing about every where the deadly marks of the Lord Jesus on our body, that the life also of Jesus may be displayed 11 in the same body. For we who are alive are constantly delivered over unto death, that the life of Jesus also may be displayed in this 12 mortal body so that death show-faith and not by sight); we are 8 eth itself in us, but life in you. of good courage, I say, and desir13 Now, having that spirit of faith ous rather to be absent from the spoken of in scripture, "I believed body, and to be present with the and therefore spake;" we also be- Lord. So then it is our ambition, 9 14 lieve, and therefore speak, know-whether present or absent, to be ing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will raise up us also by Jesus, and present us with you. Psalm cxvi. 10. glory. 15 acceptable unto God. For we 10 must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Now, all these sufferings are for and condu- your sakes, that the favour of the ced to his gospel abounding in many, may make thanksgivings abound also Knowing therefore this terror of who had 16 unto the glory of God. Therefore the Lord, we persuade men, and no view to any thing we faint not; for though our outward act openly before God, and I trust but the man decay, our inward man is re-appear plainly also to your con- glory of 17 newed day by day. For our pre-sciences. For we commend not oursent light affliction, which is but selves again unto you, but give you mankind, God, and the good of The prevailing turn and temper. 3 Not clothed with an incorruptible body. 2 The human body. VI. CHAP. an opportunity of boasting of us; that ye may have somewhat to answer those who boast in outward 13 appearance, but not in heart. For, if we were extravagant in our boasting, it was to God, and if we 14 are moderate, it is for you. For the love of Christ is urgent upon us, whilst we perceive that as one died 151 for all, all then were in a state of death, having forfeited life by their sins; and that he died for all, that those who live, should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died and rose again for under the tion of heart and life. 16 them. : VI. tles ap by their xlix. 8. saith, "In the season of acceptance CHAP. So then, we henceforth know no Nothing one after the flesh; and if we have valuable known even Christ after the flesh, gospel, but yet now we know him no more in reforma that respect; so that if any one be in Christ, he is in a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, 18 all things are become new from God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconci19 liation for it is God who is reconciling the world unto himself in Christ, by not imputing their sins Our mouth is opened unto you, II unto them; and who hath given O Corinthians! our heart is enlarg- Associating unto us the doctrine of reconcili-ed. Ye are not straitened in us, ters for 20 ation. We are ambassadors there- but ye are straitened in your own bidden. fore for Christ: as if God were affections. So then, in return, I 13 beseeching you through us, we en-speak as unto children, do ye also treat you in behalf of Christ," Be 21 ye reconciled unto God;" for he made him, who knew no sin, to be treated as one who had committed sin, that we might be justified be-munion hath light with darkness? fore God through him. and what agreement hath Christ 15 And as fellow labourers with with 3 Belial? What part then VI. God, we beseech you also, that this can a believer have with an unbekindness of God, which ye have re-liever? and what consent hath a 16 ceived, be not in vain. For he temple of God with idols? For ye CHAP. with idola enlarge yourselves. Be not asso- 14 1 For the benefit of all, that all seeing the noble example of patience under sufferings which he set, and being convinced of the truth of his gospel, which he scrupled not to die in defence of, might turn from theirsins, and be reconciled to God. The gospel affords new instructions, new obligations, new motives, and new hopes. 3 A false god, that profiteth not. It is a general name, for all the false gods wor shipped by the idolatrous Gentiles. VI. CHAP. are a temple of the living God, as God hath said, "I will dwell Lev. among them, and walk among xxvi. 11.12. them, and I will be their God, and Isaiah, lii. 11. kindness abound unto yourselves, so IX. "He scattered abroad, he giv- Psalm eth to the poor, his kindness abid- cxii. 9. eth for ever." they shall be my people." "Where-ten, СНАР. rity, and XIII use Try yourselves, whether ye be in CHAP. the faith, examine yourselves. Do ve not perceive in yourselves, that and to a Jesus Christ is in you? unless ye right use are without discernment. I trust, own judg Having therefore these promises, however, that ye will be convinced ments. beloved brethren! let us cleanse that we are not without discernExhorta- ourselves from all defilement of ment. But I pray unto God that 7 tion to pu- body and mind, perfecting holi-ye do no evil: I pray not that our to prefer ness in the fear of God. Receive discernment may appear, but that the apostles us with enlarged affection: we ye may do what is right, even though before other have done wrong to no one, we we should appear to be without dishave corrupted no one, we have cernment. For we have no power 8 taken undue advantage of no one. against the truth, but we have for 3 I speak not this to condemn you the truth; and we rejoice when we 9 for I have said before, that ye are in are weak, and ye are strong, and our hearts to die together, and to this is what we pray for, even your live together. perfection. For this cause I write 10 thus, when absent, that I may not use sharpness with you, when present; according to the authority which the Lord hath given me for edification, and not for destruction. teachers; CHAP. to beneficence by 2 ple of Consider the kindness of our VIII. Lord Jesus Christ, now, while he was rich, for your sakes he was poor, that ye through his poverty the exam- might be rich. He who soweth Christ; sparingly, in his bounty to the poor, Finally, brethren, rejoice, make 11 CHAP. will reap also sparingly; and he yourselves complete, encourage each Conclusion who soweth liberally, will reap also other, be of the same mind, live in and bless7 liberally. Let every one give ac-peace, and the God of love and cording as he chooseth in his heart, peace be with you. The favour of 13 not grudgingly, or by constraint; the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love for God loveth a cheerful giver. of God, and the partaking of the 8 Now God is able to make every holy spirit be with you all! In office, in power of working miracles, in knowledge, in the favour of God. • Acted like a servant, ministering to the wants of others, and going about doing them good. In good works, and in well founded hopes of divine acceptance. ing. |