2 Corinthians 12

There is an immediate passage from death to Glory: It is but winking and we shall see God (Luke 23:43). This day shall you be with me in Paradise; by Paradise is meant Heaven, the Third Heaven into which Paul was wrapped, (which all hold to be the Heaven of the blessed) was call…

Make this prayer to God, Lord do not leave me to myself: If Adam fell so soon who had strength, how soon shall I fall who have no strength? O urge God with his hand and seal (2 Corinthians 12:9). My strength shall be made perfect in weakness. 2. The sin by which our first parent…

Comfort in case of weakness of grace, and fear of falling away: I pray, but I cannot send out strong cries; I believe, but the hand of my faith does shake and tremble: Cannot God strengthen weak grace? (2 Corinthians 12:9). My strength is made perfect in weakness: Most gladly th…

Thus a Christian, who walks with God, has something that bears up his heart from sinking; and it is but waiting a while, and he is sure of those joys which are unspeakable and full of glory. Use 1. Then see that religion is no melancholy thing; it brings joy, the fruit of the Sp…

Temptation is a medicine for security, the more Satan tempts, the more the saints pray. When Paul had the messenger of Satan to buffet him (2 Corinthians 12:8), for this I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. Thus nothing can break off a believer from Chr…

Secondly, labor for humility. 'Tis a kind of self-annihilation (2 Corinthians 12:11). ⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩.

Rest in God's wisdom, in several cases: 1. In want of spiritual comfort: God is wise, he sees it good sometimes we should be without comfort. Perhaps we should be lifted up with spiritual enlargements, as Paul with his revelations (2 Corinthians 12:7). It is hard to have the hea…

As for his accusing, Christ is advocate for the saints, and answers all bills of indictment brought in against them. God will make all Satan's temptations promote the good of his [reconstructed: children]: 1. As they set them more a praying (2 Corinthians 12:8). Temptation is a…

Keep up your authority, and you keep up your honor. 3. Provide for your children what is fitting both in their minority, and when they come to maturity (2 Corinthians 12:14). The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

9. There is kindness in affliction, in that it is preventive. (1.) God by this stroke of his would prevent some sin; Paul's thorn in the flesh was to prevent his being lifted up in pride (2 Corinthians 12:7). As affliction is sometimes sent for the punishing of sin, so sometimes…

He can multiply suggestions so fast, and come in with such a tempest, that as Job complains (Job 9:17) he will not suffer them to take a breath. Therefore the apostle calls them the 'buffetings of Satan' (2 Corinthians 12), because like buffetings they come in thick and threefol…

Yet in the end, when God raised him up again, this Heman — who lived around the time of David and Solomon — is reckoned among the wisest men of his time and one of the four who were next to Solomon (1 Kings 4:31). So that great apostle Paul was a man exposed to the same conflict…

So in Deuteronomy 8:16 the end of the stinging of the Israelites by scorpions — which were types of these stings and terrors — was, as to prove, so also to humble them. And for this end was that buffeting by Satan we have so often mentioned (2 Corinthians 12:7): 'to keep him fro…

And like small birds, are held long under with limed straws of frivolous objections, which great ones fly away with. Saint Paul, being a man of knowledge, was not easily taken with such chaff: 'We are not ignorant of his devices,' says he (2 Corinthians 2:11); and therefore Sata…

Thus he left David to Satan, to provoke him to sin as well as Judas; therefore that provocation to number the people, as it is imputed to Satan and his malice (1 Chronicles 21:1), so also to God and his anger in giving leave first to Satan (2 Samuel 24:1). And as an evil spirit…

This was a notable prerogative, To prevail with the Lord; but yet he must prevail with his foil (Verse 31) and at the same time, and ever after draw one of his legs after him, even to his dying day. Saint Paul was rapt up into the third heaven, into Paradise, and heard words whi…

A most notable virtue in this servant of God: and the like mind bear all those, that have the same graces of saving faith, and true repentance that Moses had. Saint Paul esteemed the Temptations unto sin, which Satan suggested into his mind, to be as beatings and buffetings, and…

The second, because we ask amiss (James 4:3). The third, because sometimes the things which we ask, though they be good in themselves, yet they are not good for us, and for that cause are withheld (2 Corinthians 12:7). The last, because God will for some long time defer the gran…

This is armor of God's making (Ephesians 6:16), and the Lord with his armor gives strength. Alexander might give a coward his armor, but he could not give him his courage; but God infuses a spirit of magnanimity into his people, with his armor he conveys strength (2 Corinthians…

And these things we may certainly and sensibly perceive in ourselves: and when we find them in us, though our unworthiness be exceeding great, it should not hinder our assurance. For God makes manifest his power in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12), and he will not break the bruis…

Help 7. Mourn over the matter to God, and call in assistance from heaven when vain thoughts assault your heart in duty. When the messenger of Satan buffeted Paul by wicked injections, as is supposed, he goes to God and mourns over it before him — 2 Corinthians 12:8. Never slight…

Your prayers may be answered, though the thing prayed for be withheld, yes, or though it should be given for a little while and then taken from you again. There are four ways God answers prayers: by giving the thing prayed for immediately (Daniel 9:23); by suspending the answer…

And if we consider the efficient cause of desertion, which is God's wise dispensation: when Paul has been in the third heaven, on a hyperbole, a great excess of revelations, God thinks then good to exercise him with a messenger of Satan; which by the weakness and spiritual infir…

Position 6. Grace is not educed or extracted out of the potency of any created nature. Grace is born in heaven, and came from the inmost of the heart of Christ; it has neither seed nor parent on earth, therefore the Lord challenges it as his own (2 Corinthians 12:9): "The Lord s…

For we are commanded to confess this to God, as may be gathered from Revelation 3:17, 1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5. We are expressly commanded in the day of trouble and of our temptation to pray and seek help from God under our temptations (Psalm 50:15; Matthew 6:13; 1…

In the sixth place you shall have modesty mixed with much magnanimity, which is rarely found in men, endued only with moral or civil gifts, but in nature the more modest, the less magnanimous. But a Christian, the more modest he is, the more magnanimous; look at Paul, and touchi…

Who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh, for his Body's sake, which is the Church. 2 Corinthians 12:15. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.

Of this you may see an instance in Abraham (Genesis 22:1): And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, that is after he had assured Abraham, that he was his shield, and his exceeding great reward, and given him so many renewed testimonies of his favor. So…

Therefore, when there were any evidences of human frailty, lest the world should be offended, and stumble at it, he was pleased at the same time to give some notable demonstration of the divine power. As on the other side, when holy men are honored by God, something falls out to…

Therefore there was ever some weakness discovered in those that did receive them; Jacob wrestled with God, but came off halting and maimed, though he prevailed (Genesis 32:31): when he came off from seeing God face to face, he halted on his thigh. Paul was wrapped into the third…

After the same manner speaks he also Romans 5: We glory in our afflictions. Also in 2 Corinthians 12: I will glory in mine infirmities. Here Paul shows what is the glory and rejoicing of the Christians, namely to glory and to be proud in tribulations, reproaches, infirmities, et…

This feeling is in our heart, these horrible voices and this fearful show we hear and we see. And this is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12: that the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weakness. For then is Christ almighty indeed, then does he truly reign and triump…

To come to the second point: when Paul says, the Galatians were removed from him that called them, that is, himself; he shows Christian modesty: because speaking things praiseworthy of himself, he speaks in the third person: from him that has called, etc. The like he does (2 Cor…

This is to change the voice. It was the manner of Paul to abase himself, and to mourn for the sins of others (2 Corinthians 12:24), and he reproves the Corinthians that they were puffed up, and did not mourn for the incestuous person. Like was the practice of David (Psalm 119:13…

Secondly, they have this use, to convince the consciences of persecutors, and wicked men, that they are the servants of Christ, which suffer thus for righteousness' sake, for which cause they are here mentioned by Paul. Thus he proves himself to be a member of Christ by the affl…

And we daily behold how they burn, drown, and hang the servants of Jesus Christ, whose death nonetheless is precious and blessed in God's sight. For even as the Cross of our Lord was blessed; so also the gibbets, bonds, chains and deaths which his members endure do partake of th…

But the greatest fault of all was his pride, which after a sort strips men's hearts of all fear of God: for which cause Augustine rightly breaks out into this exclamation: O what and how great is the poison of ambition, which cannot be cured but by a counterpoison! For he had re…

I grant, that the Prophet had respect to the people who were detained prisoners in Babylon: but we ought notwithstanding to make our profit of this doctrine, that although our strength should fail us, so as we should be brought to death's door, yet to remember that it is God's p…

For with what praises shall we sufficiently set him forth, whom the Lord himself immediately after his conversion so highly commended: Calling him a chosen vessel to bear his name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15)? With what speeches shall we…

Temptation is successefull onely by sin, Lam. 1. 14. And it was with respect to an especial Temptation, that the Lord Christ gives that Answer to the Apostle, My Grace is sufficient for you, 2 Cor. 12. 9. It is the Actual Supplie of the Spirit of Christ that does enable us to wi…

For why is it, that the Lord so often hedges up our way with thorns, as it is Hosea 2:6 but that we should not ind our paths to sin? Why does he clogg us, but to prevent our straying from him? 2 Corinthians 12:7 Lest I should be exalted above measure, there was given me a thorn…

Thus Basil was a long time exercised with a violent head-ach, which (as he observed) was used by Providence to prevent Lust. Paul had a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to busset him: and this affliction, whatever it was, was ordained to prevent pride in him, 2 Cori…

But if God afflict his own people with a sanctified rod, it awakens them to a more earnest seeking of God: it makes them pray more frequently, spiritually and fervently than ever. When Paul was buffeted by Satan, he besought the Lord thrice, 2 Corinthians 12:8 We may conclude ou…

So also in ecstasies and ravishments, the body is as it were laid by, as useless and uninstrumental to the soul. I knew a man in Christ about fourteen years ago, (so the Apostle Paul says,) whether in the body, I cannot tell, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knows (2 Corin…

8. Often the having of our eye in prayer upon one particular (suppose upon one comfort) may make us construct our prayers, to have less of an answer than they have, whereas indeed they are not fruitless, but may be answered in other things, which we do not observe. 9. The Lord m…

And this provision is not only for the present, but our care is to extend farther; and according to our ability (bating the expenses of decency and charity) we are to take care for their future subsistence; and if we cannot leave them a patrimony, we are to leave them an art and…

And therefore the wise man tells us (Proverbs 26:20), Where no wood is, the fire goes out; so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceases. The Apostle cautions the Corinthians against this sin (2 Corinthians 12:20), I fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I w…

Or like that new name which no man knows, saving he that receives it (Revelation 2:17). Such truths are better felt than spoken, sooner experienced than expressed, indeed like those [illegible] unutterable words that Paul heard in paradise (2 Corinthians 12:4). Such truths as ar…

You are glad when you have found your strayers; much more is Christ, when he has found a lost soul. O 'tis a great satisfaction to him to see the fruit of the travel of his soul; Isa. 53. Yea, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than ninety nine just pers…

This kept Joseph in that good temper towards his brethren, though he had occasion enough to quarrel with them (Genesis 50:20): you thought evil against me, but God meant it to good. This satisfied Paul, in reference to the thorn in the flesh, that is, the calumnies and oppositio…