2 Corinthians 8

That he might take our flesh, and redeem us; that he might instate us into a kingdom. He was poor, that he might make us rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He was born of a virgin, that he might be born of God; he took our flesh, that he might give us his Spirit.

Those services which would have been rejected in the first covenant, are accepted in the second. Here God accepts of the will for the deed (2 Corinthians 8:10); here sincerity is crowned. In the covenant of grace, wherein we are weak, God will give strength, and wherein we come…

The Lord healed the people. The Tribes of Israel being straitened in time wanted some legal purifications, yet because their hearts were upright, God healed them, he pardoned them; God accepts of the good will (2 Corinthians 8:12). A father takes a letter from his son kindly tho…

5. He does really endeavor to obey God's law perfectly, and wherein he comes short, he runs to Christ's blood to make supply for his defects. This cordial desire and real endeavor God esteems as perfect obedience (2 Corinthians 8:12): If there be a willing mind, it is accepted.…

Musculus famous for learning and piety was put to great straits, he was put to dig in a town ditch, and had scarce daily bread, yet content. Indeed, Christ, who was heir of all, yet for our sakes became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9). Let all these examples make us content.

God is the Author and inditer of this Story, and in God's sight and estimation he was offered, though not in the world's: and therefore it is so said, in regard of God's acceptance; because Abraham's purpose was to have done it; and if he had not been stayed, he had done it. Whe…

And if we look to (Luke 8) we will find that he was provided for in his necessity by some few women, such as Mary Magdalen, Joanna, Susanna, and others, who ministered to him of their substance; he lived upon the charity of others. And yet (2 Corinthians 8) by his poverty he mad…

This I consider, either as in the kingdom of grace, or of glory. In grace's kingdom, the saints for their holiness, and Titus and the brethren (2 Corinthians 8:23), are the glory of Christ. I will place (says the Lord (Isaiah 46:13)) salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.

So that all that he does for his members is for himself, as truly, indeed more fully than for them; and his share of glory out of theirs is greater than theirs, by how much the glory of the cause is greater than that of the effect. And thus indeed the Scripture speaks of it: as,…

God becomes a God to me, and to my seed by way of covenant; so (Deuteronomy 29:10-13), both your children of understanding, and your little ones of no understanding, you are all here before God this day, to enter into a covenant with him, to keep his commandments forever; you an…

It is an unreasonable thing you exact of us: for, as for some of us, we have a great family and charge to look to, wife and children to provide for; and for them we must provide, otherwise we deny the faith, and are worse than infidels (1 Timothy 5:8). Others, are poor and needy…

Hence we infer, that all that he enjoined on the rich was, that they should bestow on the poor, according to their own ability, what their necessity required. "Consider to what extent the necessaries of life, which you enjoy abundantly, are wanted by your neighbors, that your ab…

That they may see your good works: for, as Paul tells us, believers must, "provide for honest things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men," (2 Corinthians 8:21.) The command, which he gives shortly afterwards, to seek concealment and a retired situation fo…

Matthew 5. 7. 'Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy.' 2 Corinthians 8. 8. 'I speak not by Commandment, but by Occasion of the Forwardness of others, and to prove the Sincerity of your Love.' James 2. 13, 14, 15, 16. 'For he shall have Judgment without Mercy, tha…

No nor yet meerly for the good and benefit of the Souls of them that do receive them, but for the Edification of the Church, and the furtherance of Faith and Profession in others, [[original in non-Latin script]]; ad id quod expedit, prodest; For that which is expedient, useful,…

For hereon depends our growth and thriving. It is required of us that we give all Diligence to the Encrease of Grace, 2 Pet. 1. and that we abound therein, 2 Cor. 8. 7. abounding in all Diligence; and not only so, but that we shew the same Diligence to the End, Heb. 6. 11. Whete…

You have known Parents that have laid out all their stock of money to purchase Estates for their Children; but when did you hear of any that spent the whole stock and treasure of their blood, to make a purchase for them? If the life of Christ had not been so afflictive and sad t…

Lastly, if life be worth all; then hereby we may take measure of the love and bounty of Christ to poor sinners, who not only spent himself in all to his life, but spent life and all, that they might not perish. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding great towards us, t…

It's a piece of their life and satisfaction, to see the work of the Gospel thrive among the people: We live (says Paul) 1 Thessalonians 3:8. if you stand fast in the Lord. Or, 2. It may look to that which is called for from a people to their ministers, even here, they are to ack…

1 Thessalonians 2:4. God who TRIES our Hearts. The same Word is used in 2 Corinthians 8:8. To PROVE the Sincerity of your Love. So, Galatians 6:3, 4. If any Man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself: But let every Man PROVE his own Work.

But what was borrowed, or the naked ground. O melting consideration! that the glorious Son of God, Ioh, 1. 14. The Lord of glory, Iam. 2. I. The brightness of his fathers glory. Heb. 1. 3. Who was rich, 2 Cor. 8. 9. And it no robbery to be equal with God. Phil. 2. 8. who from al…

Please one another, for Christ pleased not himself (Romans 15:2-3). Be charitable to the poor, for we know the grace of our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9). Wash one another's feet, that is, stoop to the meanest offices of love, for Christ did so (John 13:14; Matthew 20:27-28).

What do those that are gay and brave attire themselves for, but to have the eyes of men drawn after them? Let childrens eyes be drawn after them; but if they have rotten spirits, let them be so looked upon, notwithstanding they be in gay cloaths: but for those that are gracious,…

Thirdly, they reproached him, because he said, God delighted in him; so because the Saints of God do profess their relations to God, and do expect an especial love of God, therefore the world reproaches them. Secondly, it is the reproach of Christ, in regard of the near relation…

3. The fruits of the Spirit, sanctifying and renewing our natures, enabling unto good, and preventing from evil, are so termed. Thus the Lord tells Paul, his grace was sufficient for him: that is, the assistance against temptation which he afforded him (Colossians 3:16; 2 Corint…

It is believers that are mother, and brother of this Solomon (Matthew 12:49-50). They crown him in the day of his espousals, giving themselves to him, and becoming his glory (2 Corinthians 8:23). Thus he sets out his whole communion with his church under this allusion: and that…

He values his saints. Evidences of that valuation: first, his incarnation; second, exinanition (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:6-7); third, obedience as a servant; fourth, in his death, his valuation of them in comparison of others. Believers' estimation of Christ: first, they…

4. Again, there Christ speaks of the general bent of our conversation, and here only of particular and private duties: it would argue too much hypocrisy to do these in public, though the whole frame and course of our carriage before men must be religious in their sight. And that…

No: but to the intent that we should receive that which we lack, according to the measure that it pleases him to deal to us, as we have seen heretofore. And that is the cause why Saint Paul in the second to the Corinthians says, that he became poor to the intent to fill us with…

And what did Jesus Christ? He forgot himself, he regarded not his own person: he that was the Lord of all glory, submitted himself to all reproach: he that was the life from the beginning (John 1:4), made himself mortal: he that was the power of God the father, made himself weak…

Peter's getting out of prison was nothing to it. In comforting: Every grace is a mystery; to depend upon what we see not; to be as a rock in the midst of a storm; dying, yet we live; as poor, yet making many rich (2 Corinthians 8:9-10). All the operations of the Spirit are wonde…

God can soon blast abundance, and can relieve us in the deepest wants. He can give you a sufficiency in your deep poverty (2 Corinthians 8:2). If you should go on carking and caring, and feathering your nests, God may take you off, or set your nests on fire.

2. Sinful thoughts are an abomination in the sight of God: God has a special eye to the thoughts of men's hearts, to them of good men (Malachi 3:16), and to them of bad men (Genesis 6:5). In good men God accepts (very often) the will for the deed, if to will be present with them…

Did the word overpower your heart? Then you are a follower of the faithful ministers of God who left those impressions upon your soul; the word is mighty through God and brings every thought into the obedience of Christ, hence (2 Corinthians 8:5) they gave up themselves to the L…

3. The third privilege is this, if we are children, then God will accept of our imperfect services. A parent takes anything in good part from his child; God accepts of the will for the deed (2 Corinthians 8:12). Often times we come with broken prayers, but if we are children, Go…

The golden mandates of the gospel are comparatively easy. In the gospel, if there is a desire to keep God's commandments, it is accepted (Nehemiah 1:11; 2 Corinthians 8:12): if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted. Though a person had had the best intentions to fulfill…

And so all these being both so excellent, and then so undue, have respect of satisfaction to God. 2. The active obedience of Christ and all that Christ did and suffered were performed by him in his state of humiliation: In which he was poor, [illegible], (2 Corinthians 8:9) for…

How faithful and free in rebuking the Pharisees and rulers, and in declaring the truth of the Gospel, that he was the Son of God, though they attempted to stone him for his free teaching? None mortified to honor as he that refused to be a king (John 6:15), and was willing to be…

5. We are not dead to Mammon: O who is like Christ and refuses to be a rich King (John 6)? Paul (2 Corinthians 8-9): For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor: He had a greater mind than that he could live to riche…

For his friends (John 15:13). Was made poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9). Is our forerunner who has entered into heaven, ⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩, for us (Hebrews 6:20).

The love of Christ himself and his grace are peculiarly exalted in our justification; that all men may honor the Son, even as they honor the father. Frequently are they expressed unto this purpose, 2 Corinthians 8:9. Galatians 2:20.

Question: when a man by restoring shall discredit himself, how shall he both restore and keep his credit? Answer: let him (if the thing to be restored be of small moment) make choice of some faithful and honest friend who may deliver the thing on behalf of the party, concealing…

Philosophy tells us there is a main-business, and a by-business; the same is found in religion also. There are those that give themselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:5), whose way of life or trade is heaven (Philippians 3:18), the end or scope of whose life is Christ (Hebrews 1…

And let another man do many things very weakly, and yet has some care of his heart, God knows how to pardon it; though Asa had many failings (2 Chronicles 15:17), yet his spirit was upright with God all his days, and that covered a multitude of failings that elsewhere were in hi…

The saints, says Saint Augustine, have all the world for their possession. And if it be here demanded how this can be true, since we find the saints of God often in great want, and it would doubtless be sin in them to usurp another man's goods upon presumption of that promise th…