2 Corinthians 10

Sanctification is still increasing, like the morning sun which grows brighter to the full meridian. Knowledge is said to increase (Colossians 1:10), and faith to increase (2 Corinthians 10:15); a Christian is continually adding a cubit to his spiritual stature. It is not with us…

For as before faith was wrought, carnal reason shows its opposition by using the utmost of its strength to persuade a man of the goodness of his estate though without faith, thereby to prevent the entrance of faith and our seeking after it at all as not needful to change our est…

'More piercing than any two-edged sword.' Now as elsewhere the word is compared to an armory of all sorts of weapons and instruments for war and vengeance — 'the weapons of our warfare are mighty' (2 Corinthians 10:4) for pulling down strongholds and subduing to Christ those who…

It is the common workshop where thoughts are first forged and formed, and as this is, so are they. If imaginations are not first cast down, it is impossible that every thought of the heart should be brought into obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This imagination is natur…

3. Because God makes use of the word preached, for engaging of sinners to Christ, and for making them to take hold of him; it's true, that it is not powerful of itself, and without the Spirit; yet it's the ordinary mean that God makes use of. Therefore, says the Apostle (2 Corin…

Here be great persons in eminent places, and they can lead armies against us, and have in every single soldier, a strong garrison of concupiscence, and fleshly lusts, that war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). And the flesh is a strong Fort-royal, a tower of imaginations, which e…

Christ's yoke is easy, he has not cords and bands to cut the necks of those that follow him. Answer. 1. Indeed but this rod is a rod of love, only used that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:5), for the gaining of the soul (Matthew 18:15), for…

No; angels are made of God, and for God, and to God; then by the Apostle's reason, they could not give first to God, to engage the Almighty to a recompense, they could not first set their free-will to work their own standing in court, before God did with his grace separate them…

Remember that he is said here in the text, first to be at God's right hand, and then to intercede. He treats the salvation of sinners, as a mighty prince treats the giving up some town to him, which lies seated under a castle of his, which commands that town: he stands treating…

This is, first when a man has such respect to all the commandments of God, as that there is none of them but he greatly delights in it (Psalm 119:6) then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all your commandments: He looks at them all with such respect, as the commandm…

And two things there be in having Christ for our Prince, to open them plainly to you. First, when you resign up yourselves, to be wholly ruled by him in all your paths, so as that you lean not to yourselves, not so much as in one thought, but all your thoughts stand in subjectio…

There are some mysteries in the Christian religion, though not against reason, yet above natural reason. Now we must believe them upon Christ's word, Captivantes omnem intellectum in obsequium Christi, (2 Corinthians 10:5). Bringing into captivity every thought into the obedienc…

And for this cause, he had a privilege to preach the truth, so as he could not err in things which he delivered to the church. 2. He preached with authority, as having power to correct rebellious offenders (2 Corinthians 10:6) and (1 Corinthians 4). 3. He preached with unspeakab…

The third, that the whole work of the spirit may be reduced to three actions. The first is, to cast down everything in us, that exalts itself against God (2 Corinthians 10), as namely, to beat down erroneous reason, and rebellious affection, and to put a man out of heart with hi…

When he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not (1 Peter 2:23), as it may appear by that meek answer; If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if I have spoken well, why do you strike me? (John 18:23). Paul has no stronger argument to exho…

On the other side, the Prophet sends us not here to secret revelations, that Christ might reign in us: but he openly extols the outward preaching of the word, and teaches that the Gospel preached and sounded forth, is a royal scepter in the hand of Christ; otherwise he had impro…

In this respect, it was a remarkable display of his firmness, that those, who were highly esteemed by others, were not spared on account of their reputation, but sternly reduced, as they deserved, to their proper rank. And thus ought all godly instructors to be zealous, not to d…

It must be observed, however, that this does not belong to the nature of the Gospel, but is accidental; as Paul also informs us, when, speaking of the vengeance which he tells us that he has it in his power to execute against all unbelievers and rebels, he immediately adds, When…

Ah how unwilling are we to surrender to the Lord the Loan which he lent us! to be disquieted by troubles when at ease in our enjoyments! How unwelcome are the messengers of affliction to the best men! we are ready to say to them as the Widow to Elijah, What have I to do with you…

3. She is terrible as an army with banners: an army is strong and fearful; a bannered army is stately and orderly, under command and readiness for service; an army with banners is an army in its most stately posture. The Church is terrible as such an army, either, 1. considered…

In the second chapter of Isaiah, where the prophet is foretelling God's setting up the kingdom of Christ in the world, he foretells how God will, in order to it, bring down the haughtiness of men, and how the day of the Lord shall be on every high tower, and upon every fenced wa…

Whatever TENDENCY Ordinances have in their OWN NATURE to be serviceable to Men, yet they will not prevail any further than God does bless them. The Weapons of our Warfare are mighty through God, 2 Corinthians 10:4. It is God that teaches Men to profit, and makes them profitable…

The scope and end of the ministry is for the church's benefit and advantage. They must not lord it over God's heritage, as if the church were for them, and not they for the church; nor serve themselves of it, but be the church's servants for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 4:6); the…

We have all of us reason to say, that Jesus Christ is very meek, or else we that have provoked him so much and so often, had been in hell long ago: we owe it to his meekness to whom all judgment is committed, that we have not ere this been carried away with a swift destruction,…

This obedience consists, as in the receiving Christ as our Redeemer, so also at the same time, as our Lord, or King, an entire rendering up of the whole man to his obedience. This obedience then of the only begotten Jesus Christ may well be understood not as his actively, as Bez…

And this King has his throne in the consciences of men, where thoughts are brought into captivity to him. (2 Corinthians 10:5) And he has his royal scepter, (Psalm 110:3) which is called the rod of his strength. And he has his subjects, and they are the saints, (Revelation 15:3)…

Indeed, but that which has been may be again; therefore it is expressed not only by a resurrection, but by a creation (Ephesians 2:10): We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works (2 Corinthians 4:6): He that commands the light to shine out of darkness, has shi…

But on the other side, we have also commission to withhold sins, by threatening the despisers of God's word with God's horrible wrath, and by telling them that when they have shaken their ears, and think themselves to be escaped, the doctrine that they have heard, must be as rop…

For since there is no accepting of persons before God: his word must be handled roundly, and we must not be dismayed at the highness and authority of such as are in estimation among men. For seeing it is God that speaks, his word must pull down all loftiness, according as Saint…

(1.) To try your faith in the great day of accounts: Can you comfort yourselves in the solemn vindication of the day of judgment, and in God's approbation then? (2 Corinthians 10:18) He is approved whom the Lord commends. Men cannot defend you, if God condemns you; they cannot c…

O it shows we are not so dead, at least as we ought to be to credit in the world, to have the glory that comes from God only; his image implanted in us; the testimony of his love to our souls; all clear between God and our souls, and he is not upright whose peace and tranquility…

8. Sin (as was hinted before) is contrary to and opposite against the being and existence of God; it makes the sinner wish and endeavor that there might be no God; for sinners are haters of God (Romans 1:30). And as he that hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15), so (as m…

Now the Gospel comes to throw down these strong towers, to cast down imaginations, to conquer whole armies of thoughts, to reduce these straggling and thievish highway men into good order and obedience. This is the glory of the Gospel (beyond all the philosophy in the world) tha…

Hence it is, the time of the [illegible] of the [illegible] is called the [illegible] and [illegible] day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). [illegible] that of [illegible] (2 Corinthians 10:5): the weapons [illegible] (that is, the [illegible] ministry [illegible] Word [illegible] thro…

So again in (Colossians 1:21) they were alienated from God, and bent upon evil practices; and he adds the root and reason of all, they were enemies to God in their minds, in their apprehensions, or the largest reach of the best reason they had. And in this the Apostle makes the…

There is a sovereignty of [reconstructed: supreme] rule set up in the soul, and therefore it gives law to the whole man, for that is the prerogative of a supreme commander; now there is a repeal of these laws, a crushing, and a conquering of the supreme power by the Spirit of li…

When Paul preached against Diana, all the city was in an uproar: we preach against men's Dianas, those sins which bring them in pleasure and profit, this causes an uproar. 3. From the malice of Satan: the ministers of Christ come to destroy his kingdom, therefore the old serpent…

Many of the Jews perished though Christ himself was their preacher. The other mistake is described by the apostle (2 Corinthians 10:12): they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Here is a double error. They measure themselve…

'Tis the phrase which the Holy Ghost expresss the weakness and impotency of a creature by, Isaiah 31:3. They are men, and their horses are flesh; that is, weak; as on the contrary, when he would set out the power and strength of a thing, he opposs it to flesh, 2 Corinthians 10:3…

This may justifie us in the sight of God and men, for our departure from them, who will force us to venture the life of our souls in such, paper-armour, when God has provided better. Secondly, the carnal Protestant, who fights in fleshly armour. 2 Corinthians 10:3. the Apostle s…

Try it therefore by this one Scripture-stamp. Those weapons are mighty, which God gives his Saints to fight his battels withal, 2 Corinthians 10:4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God.

2. He shows us of a lively faith of Abraham, which wrought with his works, now it is a foolish error to make Abraham's faith, and the faith of believing Rahab of the same nature with the faith of the vain empty hypocrite, whose faith is nothing but fair words, and with the faith…

Obj. 1. Then shall Gospel-obedience be of less worth than law-obedience, which flows not from grace, which Christ has merited by his death? Ans. It's not denied, but it is obedience, so the Scripture (Hebrews 5:9; Romans 1:5; Romans 6:17; Romans 16:19; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Pete…

Thus the Pharisees (those gross self-deceivers) trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others (Luke 18:9); their low rating of others gave them that high rate and value of themselves: and thus the proverb is made good, 'In the land of the blind, the one-eyed…

In a thousand the like, Faith is to improve the free grace, the omnipotence, the unchangeable love of Christ, to promote his own work, and to work in us to will, and to do, according to his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Now for the ingredients of Faith: First, there are in u…

And so these three treatises being of like sort and kind, and properly belonging to that part of theology which we call case divinity; I have therefore in this new edition of the whole ordered to put them together, (which is all the alteration I have made) although in their firs…

3. They are to be repented of; indeed repentance is expressed, as to begin at them. So Isaiah 55:7 — let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts; and a man is never truly and thoroughly wrought on (as 2 Corinthians 10:4-5) till every thought be brought into obedience; which arg…

By them we chiefly sanctify him in our hearts, by them we walk with God, and shall we not make conscience of them? Fourthly, if you look to the work and power of grace, wherein lies it, but in bringing every thought into obedience (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)? This is the glory of our…

Reason 3: Hence it comes to pass, because the word of God is mighty, not only to give light to the simple, but makes the thing we should see, clear and evident (Psalms 119:130). And this springs from the former reasons; there is that in the word, which will soften the most hard…

The Spirit breathes where it wills (John 3:8). If he take pleasure to breathe in a man, there is nothing can hinder him, it will blow upon the most foul dunghill in any place, and be never a whit the more defiled; and he is not only free, but mighty and powerful through God to c…