2 Corinthians 13

When sin is mortifying, Satan is crucifying. 3. Self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5): Examine yourselves, a metaphor from metal, that is pierced through, to see if it be gold within. Self-examination is a spiritual inquisition, set up in one's soul: a man must search his heart…

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 2 Corinthians 13:14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.

Thirdly, the ends of it which are, (1.) The gaining of the party offending, by bringing him to repentance, humiliation, and acknowledgement of his offence (2 Corinthians 2:6, 7; 2 Corinthians 13:10). (2.) The warning of others not to do so presumptuously.

Q. How many are the persons in the Godhead? A. They are three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:16-17 & 28:19; John 14:16-17 & 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 5:7). Q. Whether are these three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost several, a…

Secondly, by pronouncing a blessing upon them, according to God's holy word. A form of this blessing we have from the Apostle Saint Paul, who blessed the Corinthians after this sort; The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (or fellowship) of th…

Yet that it is so with many in the world who thereon cry Peace, Peace, while sudden destruction is coming upon them, is openly manifest. See the advice of the Apostle express to this purpose (2 Corinthians 13:8). We may yet farther observe how variously the Apostle treats these…

1 Kings 8:39. and to give to every man according to his ways, that is, 2 Chronicles 6:30. and render to every man according to all his ways. Deuteronomy 19:15. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established, that is, 2 Corinthians 13:1. shall every word b…

And hence the Lord Christ in the trial of his Church, is compared to a refiner with fire (Matthew 3:2), so faith is tried (1 Peter 1:7). And it is the word which our Apostle uses when he enjoins us to try and search ourselves as to our sincerity in faith and obedience (2 Corinth…

Let your great care be to be sound in the faith, as the phrase is (Titus 1:13). And examine yourselves daily, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves (2 Corinthians 13:5). All we can do here, is little enough to prepare and provide for that one hour of death; that tim…

1 Thessalonians 3:2. Now God our father and our Lord Jesus Christ guide our journey to you. 2 Corinthians 13:13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you. And men are baptized in the name of the father, the son, and th…

And he is so termed, 1. in respect of the Father: for as reason and speech has his beginning from the mind without any passion in the mind, so has he beginning from the Father. And as the speech is in the mind and the mind in the speech, so the Father is in the Son, and the Son…

Much water cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, they would greatly contemn it. Therefore (good reader) seeing there is such a similarity and affinity between the temporary professor of the Gospel, and…

4. To comprise all in a few words, whatever maketh for the truth, either with God or men, all that must the people do. We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth, says Paul (2 Corinthians 13:8). To God you must pray, that he would send forth not only laborers, but ch…

There are many believers that fall short; therefore we should never rest, till we have attained sound and saving faith. As in (2 Corinthians 13:5): Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith: prove yourselves, etc. Sirs, see what metal you are made of, whether true gold, or…

1 Thessalonians 3:2. Now God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, guide our journey to you. 2 Corinthians 13:13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you. Some say, this prayer is a perfect platform of all prayers: an…

Have you not in you a reflecting power? Do you not know your own selves, as the Apostle speaks (2 Corinthians 13:5)? Indeed, generally, men never find fault with themselves, upon any such account!

The day comes when many of you, if God graciously prevents not, shall curse yourselves that ever you should have been such fools as to have trusted your own hearts, or to have taken up this opinion of your faith without ground. We would therefore seriously recommend to you the p…

1. To be believers, for without faith you are never over the borders of God's curse; which may lay a chase to you, and put you to the necessity of fleeing to Christ for refuge. 2. To take some pains to try whether you be in the faith, as the Apostle exhorts (2 Corinthians 13:5):…

3. When you have gotten your own righteousness cast away, and Christ's righteousness closed with, there is a necessity to cover and hide yourselves in it, that you may never so much as in the wandering conceit of your mind, be found out of it; It alludes to the city of refuge, w…

This is one of the great uses of all this doctrine. If there be no way but faith, and if, in studying this one way, many go wrong, then as you would make your calling and election sure, study to make this sure, by putting yourselves to the trial, if you be taking this way as the…

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…

(1 Corinthians 15:10) "The grace of God." (2 Corinthians 13:14) "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:15) "He called me by his grace."

It is true of the love of election and reconciliation, in the work of justification; but most false of the love of divine manifestation, in the work of sanctification; as is clear (John 14:21, 23). Nor are men by this taught to seek righteousness in themselves; because they are…

All the three in one deed of life open blind eyes and convert lost sinners (Matthew 11:25, 26, 27; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Matthew 16:17; John 12:32; 2 Corinthians 3:14, 15, 16, 17; John 14:23; John 16:7, 8, 9, 10; John 14:16; Ephesians 2:1, 2, 3, 4; 1 John 2:27; 1 John 5:6, 7). Gra…

And if so be, that God give him any great or eminent gifts of spiritual grace, it is strange to see how they are clad in him, with a garment of Christ crucified, overshadowed in self-denial. As they said of Paul, mean in outward view, and speech of little or no value (2 Corinthi…

Here, tempted by Satan; but ministered to, and attended upon, by a multitude of glorious angels (Matthew 4:11). Finally crucified through weakness, but living by the power of God (2 Corinthians 13:4). He hung dying on the cross; but then the rocks were rent, the graves opened, a…

And again, it must be remembered, that Paul speaks this not privately of himself, but generally in the name of all believers. For he says (2 Corinthians 13:5): "Do you not know that Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?" The use: hence it follows, that they which are true…

He purposed indeed to excommunicate the incestuous person, if he persisted in his sin, yet mark how; in the name, and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:4), in which words the form of proceeding against him is limited, and that according to Christ's instituti…

Christ has subdued death, the world, and the devil, for us. In a word, the Prophet here extols this victory which Christ achieved by his sufferings, who though he died according to the infirmity of the flesh, yet he was raised again by the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit (2 C…

We read in the Gospel that Christ kissed his disciples, which was a custom then in those countries. Of this kiss Saint Paul also makes frequent mention (Acts 20; 1 Corinthians 16; 2 Corinthians 13; Romans 16). Peace be with you all, which are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To which interpretation the phrase of the Apostle agrees very well: for he says he was declared in power, or mightily, because there appeared in him such power, as was proper to God, and proved him most certainly to be God. This power appeared in his resurrection: as in another…

It further appears that assurance is not only attainable in some very extraordinary cases, that all Christians are directed to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, and are told how they may do it, 2 Peter 1:5-8. And it is spoken of as a thing very unbecomi…

The Holy Spirit under the name of the seven Spirits before the Throne of God, because of his various and perfect Operations in and towards the Church, is reckoned up in order before the Son Jesus Christ. And so in Paul's euctical conclusion to his Epistles, the Son is placed bef…

And the ignorance hereof, or negligence herein, with the want of an Experience of the Power of this Work in their own Souls, is one great cause of that lifeless and unprofitable Ministry which is among us. Sect. 27 Secondly; It is likewise the Duty of all to whom the Word is Pre…

We are therefore his, that is, united to him, by a Participation of his Spirit. And hereby Christ himself is in us, for Jesus Christ is in us, except we be Reprobates, 2 Cor. 13. 5. That is, he is in us by his Spirit that dwelles in us, Rom. 8. 9, 11. 1 Cor. 6. 19.

1 Corinthians 1:10. Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 2 Corinthians 13:11. Be perfect…

Neither is it to be omitted, that there is such a coincidence in many phrases, use of words and expressions between this Epistle, and the rest of Saint Paul's, as will not allow us to grant such a discrepancy in style, as some imagine. They have many of them been gathered by oth…

IV. A peculiar way whereby true faith will evidence itself, by bringing the soul into a state of repentance. Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith, prove yourselves, know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be Reprobates (2 Corinthians 1…

He is the God of Glory (Psalm 29:3), full of orient beauty: in comparison of whom both angels and men are but as the small dust of the balance. He is the God of love (2 Corinthians 13:11), who triumphs in acts of mercy. Well may this encourage our approaches to him who delights…

The Scripture plainly supposes gracious Dispositions and Acts to be Things properly under the Eye of Conscience. 2 Corinthians 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves? John 21. 15. Simon Son of Jonas, do you love me? and many other Places.

Whole and complete reformation there is none, while the end and departure out of this life; and so no man is to believe remission of sins, until they be going out of the body. This is the comfortless doctrine of Papists, never to know and be assured of the graces freely given us…

Hereon they live in a general presumption that they shall be saved by Christ, although they know not how. This makes the Apostle so earnest in pressing the duty of self-examination on all Christians (2 Corinthians 13:5). Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith: prove your…

Sometimes the Spirit alone is mentioned. 2 Corinthians 13:14: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This distinct communion of the saints with the Father, Son, and Spirit is very plain in the scripture.

This love in itself is antecedent to the purchase of Christ, although the whole fruit thereof is made out alone thereby, Ephesians 1:4-6. Second, in that distribution made by the apostle in his solemn parting benediction, 2 Corinthians 13:13: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,…

John 1:14, 16, 17. 2 Corinthians 13:14. 2 Thessalonians 3:17, 18.

The joint consent of all the members of it, in obedience to the command of Christ, from a principle of love, to walk together in the universal celebration of all the ordinances of the worship of God, instituted and appointed to be celebrated in such a Church, and to perform all…

This was David's work, when he communed with his own heart, and called to remembrance the former lovingkindness of the Lord (Psalm 77:6-9). This is the duty that Paul sets us to practice (2 Corinthians 13:5). But now, to do it for this end, to satisfy conscience, which cries and…

With multitudes more to the same purpose, which plainly teach Christians to fetch the evidences of their justification out of their sanctification, and to prove their interest in Christ, by the works of his Spirit found in their own hearts. And this is not only a Christian's lib…

But being begotten by the word it pacifies the conscience and stablishes the heart in the bloud of Christ, And purges the heart to make it fit for the Holy Ghost to dwell in, also it works by love and makes a man not churlish and froward but loving, and that even to his very ene…

Now the promise of God is established when it is confirmed and made good. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established — that is, accounted valid and firm (2 Corinthians 13:1). And in 2 Samuel 7:25, when he speaks of God's promises he prays, "Establish…