of your Members into Defpair, and fo into Deftruc- A. D. 57. tion. For I am well aware, that is one of his curfed Devices for the Ruin of Mankind. 12. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Chrifts gofpel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 12 & 13. And to give you a further Inftance of the real Concern I have for you, and that my not coming to you at the Time prefixed, was out of no Humour or Difrefpect to you: Let me tell you, that as foon as ever I came to Troas, in my Way toward you, and found there fufficient Work to detain me, not finding Titus there to give me an Account of the Success of my laft Letter, and of your State and Welfare; I was under the utmost Uneafinefs, left the Place, and went immediately into Macedonia in Search of him. 13. I had no reft in my fpirit, because I found not Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. 14. Now thanks be 14. At which Place I found unto God, which al- him, and received of him a very ways caufeth us to comfortable Account of your triumph in Chrift, and Church in general; whereupon I maketh manifeft the fa- blefs God for the happy Success vour of his knowledge he is pleafed to bestow on my by us in every place. Labours, in propagating the comfortable Knowledge of his true Chriftian Religion. 15. For we are unto God a fweet favour of Chrift, in them that are faved, and in them that perish. 15. And indeed whatever the Succefs of my Miniftry be, tho' fome (nay the greater Part of) Men refufe its Evidences, and perifh by their wilful Obftinacy, while others embrace and are faved by it; yet are my fincere Endeavours acceptable to God in refpect to all. 16. To the one we are the favour of death - unto death, and to the 16. 'Tis too true, fome People are of an ingenuous and welldifpofed Mind, capable of being wrought into the true Faith and Means of Salvation, while the Majority are of fo corrupt and irreclaimable a Temper, that our and the cleareft Evidences, will Ee 3 not Vol. I. A. D. 57. not avail to reconcile them to Truth, and keep them from Deftruction. The Gospel Miniftry is therefore a difficult and laborious Charge; take Heed what Leaders you follow, for it is not every Pretender that is equal to fo great a Work *. 17. For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of fincerity, but as of God, in the fight of God fpeak we in Chrift. 17. But rely upon me and my Fellow Apostles, who do not, like † your new Teachers, adulterate and pervert the Gofpel-Doctrines to make ourselves Heads of Parties, and for private Gain and Applaufe; but preach them in and Purity, in which CHRIST the fame Plainnefs * Ver. 16. And who is fufficient for thefe Things? Befide the Paraphrafe, which I take to be moft agreeable to the main Scope of the Apostle, there is another Way of fupplying the Senfe of this Claufe, viz. None can answer all the Ends and defired Effects of his Preaching; but fill our Sincerity of Endeavours renders us acceptable to God, as if we had attained them with all Men alike. + Ver. 27. For we are not as many. De oi woλλol, the many, the Generality, the major Part. Which shows that the Principles of thefe Factions St. Paul wrote against, had Spread themselves to a very formidable Degree. Note, The Word oλol is used with the Article but four or five Times in the New Teftament, and is then very emphatical, always denoting, the many, the major Part, or all Mankind. ‡ Karnasvovles, Selling, bartering for Gain. CHA P. III. The CONTENTS. What the Apoftle fays of himself and his own Sincerity, is to be only taken as a Vindication from the Afperfions of their falfe Teachers, and not as any needful Recom mendation of himself to theirs, or any other Churches. Their Converfion to Chriftianity by his Preaching and Miracles, was a fufficient Recommendation. Plain and and undifguifed Preaching beft becomes the Gospel Dif- A. D. 57. penfation; fhewn from a Comparison between it and the Jewish Law, in refpect of the Obfcurity and figurative Nature of the one, and the Plainnefs and Perfpicuity of the other. The Gospel Miniftry more honourable than that of the Law. "D I. B Y thus infifting upon my own Sincerity (Ch. ii. 17.) I would not have any of you imagine I wanted any Recommendations to your Church, or needed your good Word to fet me off to any other Chriftian Churches; as I find fome of your themfelves recommended to you." O we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as fome others, epiftles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you. new Teachers get 2. Ye are our epiftle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. 2. I appeal to the World, whether your wonderful Converfion to the Chriftian Religion by my Doctrine and Miracles, be not a fufficient Recommendation of me as a true Apofle. 3. For as much as ye are manifeftly declared to be the epiftle of Chrift, miniftred by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of 3. Thofe Evidences, by which you were fo fully convinced of the Power and Truth of Chrift's Religion, are beyond the Apand are as clear a Demonftration plaufes of any Tongue or Pen, of a divine Hand, as that of the Ten Commandments upon the Tables of Stone (Exod. xxxi. 18.) And the Power and Efficacy of the Gospel, is as much greater than that of the Law, as can be expreffed by comparing that which is written in a Book, with that which is imprinted inwardly in the very Heart and Soul itself. the heart. E e 4 4. And * Ver. 3. Not in Tables of Stone. By the Comparison here made ufe of between the Legal and Gospel Difpenfation, it appears that the Apoftle's Argument for vindicating his Apoftolical Ministry in this Chapter, was levelled at their Teachers of the Judaizing Faction, and is continued on through the 4th and 5th Chapters. A. D. 57. 4. And fuch trust have we thro' Chrift to God-ward. 4. And I am fully affured from thence, that God will not only juftify my Sincerity, but will con ftantly affift, and ftill give the fame Success to my Chriftian Ministry. 5. Not that we are fufficiency is of God. 6. Who alfo hath 5. 'Tis upon him, and the Powers of his Spirit, that I rely; not upon any Sufficiency of my own Reafoning and Abilities, for converting Mankind to the Gospel 6. His extraordinary Endowments, not my own Qualifications, enable me to propagate the Doctrines of this new Covenant with Succefs; a Covenant far exceeding that of the Mofaical Law, in its Doctrines and Privileges. For while our Breaches of the Moral*, and the natural Infufficiency of the Ceremonial Law, leave us ftill Sinners, and obnoxious to Death and Punishment, the Spiritual and powerful Religion of the Gospel restores us to divine Favour, Life, and Happiness. dren of Ifrael' could' 7. But if the mi- 7 & 8. + And as the Difpenfa+But if niftration of death tion it felf is more excellent, fo , and if written, and ingraven the Chriftian Ministry is proporin ftones, was glori- tionably more honourable than ous, fo that the chil the Mofaical Priesthood. For if not ftedfaftly behold God was pleafed to fhew fuch the face of Mofes, for Teftimonies of Honour and Rethe glory of his coun- fpect to Mofes, the Minifter of an tenance, which glory imperfect and temporary Difpenwas to be done away. fation, by giving a fupernatural 8. How shall not the Luftre and Brightness to his Face, miniftration of theSpi- at its firft Deliverance at Mount rit be rather glorious? Sinai; (which Brightness, like the Law he gave, lafted but for a while) how much more illuftrious and honourable muft you conceive God intends Chrift and his Gofpel-Minifters and Apostles to See Jer. xxxi. 31, &c. Heb. viii. Rom. vi. 4, 15. be, be, who deliver a Difpenfation effentially good, pure, A. D. 57, and spiritual? 9. For if the miniftration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteoufnefs exceed in glory. 9. If, I fay, fuch Tokens of divine Honour and Regards ufhered in that Law that was defective, and but preparatory to the future and perfect Method of Salvation, much more honourable muft the Chriftian Religion and its Miniftry be, which fupplies all the Defects of the other, and gives full Pardon, Life*, and Happiness, to all true Believers? 10. For even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this refpect, by reafon of the glory that excelleth. 10 & 11. Indeed the Difference is fo great, as to admit of no Comparifon between a Religion and a Miniftry that is fhort and temporary, and one that carries fuch internal Excellency, as to which is done away make it conftant and unchangeawas glorious, much ble to the End of the World. more that which remaineth is glorious. For if that 12. Seeing then that we have fuch hope, we use great plainnefs of speech. 12. Now this Excellency and Clearness of the Gospel Religion, and the Affurance I have, by the divine Affistance, of fuccessfully preaching it, is fufficient to juftify that Plainnefs, Simplicity, and unaffected Freedom of Speech, with which I deliver its Doctrines, and vindicate the Honour of its true Minifters. And you ought, upon this Score, to be fo far from undervaluing, as to esteem and respect me the more. 13. And not as Mofes, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Ifrael could 13. For we Chriftian Apostles, have no Occafion to veil and cover the Senfe of our Doctrines, as Mofes did his Face. His covering his Face, the full Luftre whereof the Ifraelites could not bear, fignified the obfcure and typical Nature of the Law he was about to deliver; the not stedfaftly look to the end of that which is abolished. ultimate Ver. 9. The Miniftration of Righteousness, Tys Sinaio ourns, of Juftification. |