1 Corinthians 2

Philippians 1:21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Saint Paul was a great admirer of Christ, he desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). No julep to the blood of Christ; and in the text, To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…

2. Christ teaches these sacred mysteries, inwardly, by the Spirit (John 16:13). The world knows not what it is (1 Corinthians 2:14): The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can you know them. He knows not what it is to be transformed by the renewing of the mind (…

2. Great will be our advantage if we love God. God does not court our love that we should lose it (1 Corinthians 2:9): Eye has not seen, nor ear heard the things which God has prepared for them that love him. If you will love God, you shall have such a reward as exceeds your fai…

There is nothing lost by our love to God. [reconstructed: 1 Corinthians 2:9]: Eye has not seen, etc. the things which God has prepared for them [who love him]. Such glorious rewards are laid up for such as love God: That (as Austin says) they do not only transcend our reason, bu…

(Psalm 71:17) O God, you have taught me from my youth. If God be our Father he will give us the teachings of his Spirit: the natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man may have excellent notions in divinity, but God…

God gives the spring flowers and a crop; he settles upon us such a kingdom as exceeds our faith, Praemium quod Fide non attingitur, Aug. Such as mortal eye has not seen, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive (1 Corinthians 2:9). Alas, what an infinite difference is…

'Tis called Regnum paratum, a Kingdom prepared (Matthew 25:34), which implies something that is rare and excellent. God has prepared in his Kingdom, such things as eye has not seen nor ear heard (1 Corinthians 2:9). Heaven is beyond all hyperbole.

In the [illegible] it is frequently [illegible] come, that he shall, and will do such and such things, all of them declaring him to be a person. Thirdly, He has personal properties assigned to him, as a will (1 Corinthians 12:11): He divideth to every man severally as he will; a…

Q. When were all these things decreed by God? A. Before the world was created, even from everlasting (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4; 3:11; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Timothy 1:9). Q. What was the cause of God's decrees?

And although it is true that every man, having the power of reflecting upon his own actions, can discern what thoughts are in him and what affections, and can tell for the matter of them what he thinks on and that he is grieved, etc. — but yet so as he may still question whether…

And in this respect that name 'the accuser' is given this evil spirit in a direct and full opposition to that special name and office of the Holy Ghost, 'the Comforter' or pleader for us. Because as the Holy Ghost makes intercession in our own hearts to God for us, and upon true…

Here then we learn, that the third Heaven is like a piece of work, wherein an excellent workman hath spent his art, and showed his skill; that is, that the highest heaven is a most glorious place, and surpasses all other creatures of God in glory and excellency, so far as therei…

As if he had said, I will communicate and impart my secrets unto you, as one friend does unto another, as far as shall be fit for you to know. And the Apostle saith, 1 Corinthians 2:15. A faithful and a holy man discerneth into the deep counsels of God; which are revealed unto t…

They therefore that deny that liberty to Ministers, are too rough and rugged, and pull out of the hand of the Ministers, one of his weapons, and out of the wings of the Scripture one of her feathers. Yet we must know, that all, or any kind of eloquence is not permitted to a Chri…

For he had respect to all that the Prophets had foretold; all that he was to do in this world, and the consummation of the Church was to ensue thereon, when by one offering he for ever perfected them that are sanctified. And those who were throughly instructed in the privileges…

That is, such a knowledge of the mysterious and sublime doctrines of the Gospel, as those who were completely initiated, and thoroughly instructed, were partakers of. Of this he says [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩] (1 Corinthians 2:6): we speak wisdom among the perfect; or declare the…

The whole work is therefore expressly called the wisdom of God, because of those characters and impressions thereof that are upon it, and because it is a peculiar effect thereof. So our Apostle tells us, that Christ crucified is the power of God and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians…

The things which God proposes to our faith through Christ, are exceeding great and glorious, and such as being most remote from our innate apprehensions, do need the highest confirmation. Things they are, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have they entered into the…

He is hereby Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and end of all (Revelation 1:11), because he is [illegible], the living one, ver. 18. And this life of Christ is the foundation of the efficacy of all his mediatory actings, namely, that he was in his own divine…

In the designation and contrivance of it. So preparation is sometimes used for predestination, or the resolution for the effecting any thing that is future in its proper season (Isaiah 30:33; Matthew 20:23; Romans 9:23; 1 Corinthians 2:9). In this sense of the word, God had prep…

Yes, for this very end our Apostle refused to make use of such a persuasiveness of words and exercise of wisdom, as might give any appearance or countenance to such an apprehension, as though by them this effect were produced. 1 Cor. 2:4, 5. My speech and my preachings was not w…

No, he shall not, he cannot: the terror of the Lord makes him afraid; there is no rest in his soul now by reason of his sin, and the danger that he is in thereby: well then, shall he fall in with the way of the Gospel? He should indeed, but he cannot: for he is ignorant thereof,…

Answ. No, not always: we can neither discern Christ's love to us, nor our love to him, unless the Spirit of God discover the same to us. We are said to receive the Spirit, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthians 2:12). So also those things t…

Did you ever see a need to know the things, that you knew before: to know spiritually, what you know doctrinally; there is a form of knowledge, and of the truth (Romans 2:20). And there is a spiritual discerning of spiritual things, which no natural man has (1 Corinthians 2:14,…

This apprehension of faith, is not performed by any affection of the will, but by a certain and particular persuasion, whereby a man is resolved that the promise of salvation belongs to him. Which persuasion is wrought in the mind by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 2:12). And by t…

First, he asks of God, the spirit of wisdom, whereby the servants of God are enabled to discern out of the word, in every business which they take in hand, whether it be in word or deed, what ought to be done, and what ought to be left undone: as also the circumstances, the time…

1. A righteous man is more excellent than a wicked, in respect of what he is. 1. He is more richly endued with wisdom; he is of a dexterous sagacity, mixing the serpent's prudence with the dove's innocence (1 Corinthians 2:15). He that is spiritual judges all things: As the soul…

He promiseth: We have not only mercies in hand, but mercies in hope; not only obligations, but promises. 'Tis our duty to love God if there were no Heaven; our obligations might suffice: yet what great things has God provided for them that love him? (1 Corinthians 2:9). If a man…

Reason 2. (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man does not perceive the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. In these words Saint Paul sets down these points: 1, that a natural man does not s…

But here is neither. 1. There is a defect and impotency in the faculty; there is a natural blindness in men's minds, not done away but by regeneration (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can…

Other men's judgment of a good man is frivolous, they cannot rightly judge of his state and concerns, but he can make a judgment of theirs. (1 Corinthians 2:15) A spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is judged of no man. No man can make a sound judgment and estimate o…

If men be united into a body politic or incorporate, a man cannot be said to be joined to them by mere hearty affection, unless withal he joins himself to them by some contract or Covenant. Now of this nature is every particular Church, a body incorporate (1 Corinthians 12:27),…

Titus 1:16, they are to every good work reprobate; they cannot judge aright of any good works, as to like, approve and love them, to see a beauty in them as they are good. Romans 8:7, the wisdom of the flesh is enmity with God, for it is not subject to the law of God, the Greek…

A man must have a new heart, and a new spirit created in him, in which heart and spirit the love of God is the reigning principle. And therefore I repeat to you, the things, which eye has not seen — and a crown of life, are prepared, and promised to them that love him (1 Corinth…

The abstract notion of theology — In what sense the scholastics contend it is a science — Their opinion rejected — The apostle proves that theology is alien from all human science, 1 Cor. 2 — The terms "to initiate" (myein), "mystery" (mysterion), "to perfect" (teleioun), "perfe…

And in this its nature is first of all distinguished from all other sciences. For as the apostle plainly declares, "The natural man is not capable of the things of the Spirit of God, nor can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). So the…

Second, he who is imbued with true theology "is light in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8); being called, that is, "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 4:21-24). But notwithstanding that other science, he in whom it inheres is blind (2 Peter 1:9), and darke…

The proper subject of evangelical theology — The division of all mankind into two kinds: the regenerate and the unregenerate — Only the regenerate are Christian theologians — In what sense philosophers exclude young men from the hearing of moral philosophy — It is proved that on…

Theology as a complex of spiritual gifts — Extraordinary or ordinary gifts — Ordinary gifts peculiar to the ministry or common to all — Christ the bestower of all gifts (Psalm 68:19; Acts 2:33; Ephesians 4:8) — The Hebrew word signifies both to receive and to give — Christ the a…

That one Spirit, whom He commanded the faithful to seek with all their prayers from the Father (Luke 11:13), He willed to be all in all throughout the whole of evangelical worship. See (Luke 12:10; John 3:5, 6, 8, 4:24; Romans 7:6, 8:1, 2, 9, 18, 26, 15:30; 1 Corinthians 2:4, 12…

As, therefore, the doctrine itself — which has respect to the faith and obedience of sinners — emanated from pure and unmixed revelation, proceeding from the bosom of the Father through the one Jesus Christ, so also the manner of expounding and setting it forth by the Holy Spiri…

2. More particularly, observe, that Jesus Christ, and what concerns Him, the glad and good news of a Saviour, and the reporting of them, is the very proper work of a minister, and the great subject of a minister's preaching; his proper work is to make Him known, or take it thus,…

For the second, the revealing of the arm of the Lord, by this we do not understand the revealing of it objectively as it is brought to light by the preaching of the Gospel, for thus it is revealed to all the hearers of the Gospel, it is in this respect not kept hidden, but broug…

2. In the solid faith of a believer, there is, as a use-making of Christ crucified solely, as the meritorious cause of justification and life, so he is exercised in this to be solely settled on Him as such. As for presumptuous souls, as they find it easy to believe, so they find…

2. Because, though there be not an evidence to reason in all the things which we believe; yet there is a certainty; and faith gets this name, because it makes men certain of these things which it takes up, as if it were a science or knowledge. 3. To distinguish it from all other…

By that able minister of the New Testament, Mr. James Durham, sometime minister of the Gospel at Glasgow, and solemnly called to a public profession of divinity in the University there, and also His Majesty's Chaplain in Ordinary when He was in Scotland. (1 Corinthians 2:2) For…

For though these who truly believe, ought not to doubt of their belief, yet these who have lamps of faith, and no oil, ought to question, whether there be oil in their lamps, or no, and true faith with their profession, else the foolish Virgins were not far out, who never questi…

But yet they are not Christ's who neither know how they are drawn, nor can give any proofs that they are drawn. The Apostle says (1 Corinthians 2:12), Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely…

Then he who cannot be blamed in not acting cannot be united as one spirit, person with person, with him who is justly to be blamed in not acting. Assertion 4. It must evidently follow that there is in the saints a grace created that is neither Christ, nor the Holy Ghost in perso…

Thus did the Apostles also in their sermons. So Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his sermon to have known nothing but Christ, and him as crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), as Christ above all, so Christ as crucified above all in Christ, as suiting their…