Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

Ch. 3. Spirit II. Corinthians.. and Letter. Ch. 3. I. To God I give Thanks, who caufeth me to rejoyce in the Succefs of my Miniftry for Chrift 3 and wherever I come communicateth Co Men the Knowledge of his Gofpel. "1:5. For we are unto God a Tweet favour of Chriff, in them that are Ca- ved, and in them that perifh. 16. To the one Ire are the favour of death unto death ; and to the other the favour of life unto life.: . r 5, t 6. For our Service to God is an accep- table Sacrifice for the fake ofChrift, both a- bout them that are faved,and them that perifh; to them that abufe and rejeS the Gofpel to their own deftru_Sion, and them that are con- verted and Laved by it: For God will he glo- rified in both, and accepteth our Miniftry to both, notwithstanding the various Succefs. 16. And who. is fufficient for thefe things ? 17. For we arenot as many, which corrupt the word of Clod: but as of fincerity, but as of God, in the fight of God fpeak we in Chrift. 56, 17. So great is this Work, that neither I nor any is frfficieot for it, in.our own Strength, without God's Irritable Help and Grace. Bat I have the Coufeienceofmy Siuce- -rity, that Ido not as do the Corrupters of the Word of God; but I (peak the things of Civili in truth, as God inspired we, and as in his fight. CHAP. III. . O we begin again to com- mend our felves ? or need we. as force others, epifies áf corti- nendations to you, or letters ofcom- mendation from you ? I. And fteiñgthe Reputation ofour Ferfons is fo needful to the Ends of oat Miniftry, let the esepoftulate with you, why you Mould hearken to them who make is needful to vin- dicate your fives? -An, I a Stranger to you Do I need, as force others, to be rccraimend- od to you by. other Meds Letters ? .(h 1,y your Letters to be recommended to or.her_Churchra? Do I not bring with me the Proofofins , A- peftlefhip'. 2: Ye are our epif*1= Written' in ao»ir hearts, ¡c assn and read-df 2. Your own Convection by my Minißry, which is tha rejoycingof nay Heart, is more than a Commendatory Epiftle ; and this may be read of all that know you. 3. For as much as ye are manifeftly declared tobe the epiftle of Chrift, miniffred by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of f}one, butin fiefhly tables of the heart. 3. For your Converíon openly proverb], that you are as it were Chrift's own Epistle by our Miniftry, written by the quickuing Spirit of the Living God, and not with Ink ; not as Mt,s`s Law, on Tables of Stone; but osi your very Hearts. And therefore, as you are the Epiftle or Teftimony of the Work of Chrift, fo of me, as his Minitier. 4. And fuels troll have we through Chrift to God-ward: K. Not that we are fufficient of our felves to think any thing as of our felves : but our fufhciency it of God. 4, 5 It is of God that I have this Conti. detice and Glorying: Far be it from nieto think that I have any filch Sufficiency of my 01f, to convert Souls ; but nay Sufficiency and the Succefs is all of God. 6. Who alto hath ma de us able nniniisefs Of the new Left meat not of the letter, but of the fpirit: for the letter killeth, but the i ririt di- eeth life. 6. It is he that hash made rite an able Mini - fterof the New Covenant ; not a Preacher of the Law of Motet written in Stone, but of the Gofpel ofChrifi, who fendethus forrh by his Spirit, and giveth his Spirit by q -r Miniftry: Fsr the Law of MTi aufrh Sinners, and ffreweth them Sin, add tondenmrdt farm: But the Spirit of Chritt cloth quicken them, and kit their Sinn, and iced them in the way -o& Life. 7. But if the minifi ratir.n ofdeath written and in,raven in flones was ?mifins; fo that the Children of Ii- raei,conld mot itedfaftisr behold the of iv?ofès, for the glory of diis Countenance,' Which glory was tobe done 7. For if that Miniftry 'of T;nfs,' which by confequence was of Death, (or of a Law than `condemned, but gave -not the Srl.ie of Life) Written and engra-veal by Gad in Stones, was eccpgipanied wita fo wee.t Glory, that the 'ráslfres

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