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486

2 Cor. VIII.

Who had largely contributed to the Saints in Judea.

And here it would be a Pleasure to

2 How that in a great Trial of Affliction, the A

bear Record) yea, and beyond their Power, they were willing of themfelves:

3 For to their Power (I

Sect. 13. Phillippi, Theffalonica, Beræa, and other Places in this Province; which has engaged them to exert themselves in a moft liberal and generous Contribution, for the Relief of the poor Saints in 2 Judea. me more particularly to tell you, how in a great bundance of their Joy, and and extraordinary Trial of Affliction, which they their deep Poverty, aboundmet with from their perfecuting Enemies, who ed unto the Riches of their were always fo ready to harrafs and plunder them, Liberality. (Compare Acts xvi. Chap. xvii.) their overflowing Joy for receiving the Chriftian Religion, and with it, if I may fo fpeak, the Depth of their Poverty amidst the Diftreffes of their own, bath fo abounded and furnished fuch Supplies, to the Riches of their Liberality, that indigent as they are, they have done Wonders for the Relief of 3 their yet poorer Brethren. So that I can teftify for them, and I do atteft it with Pleasure, that to the utmoft Extent of [their] Power; yea, and beyond what could have been expected, or on the ufual Principles of Computation, judged to have been in [their] Power (b), [they have been] willing of themfelves, without my Solicitation, to do the moft generous Things for the publick 4 Service; At the fame Time intreating us with much Importunity, that we would receive the Gift which their Bounty had prepared, and [take] a Part of the Miniftration of the Saints, as one of their Commiffioners to convey it to Jerufalem. 5 And this they did,] not merely, as we expected and hoped, but even beyond all we could have imagined; for they first gave themselves, and all they had, intirely to the Honour and Service of the Lord; and having thus furrendered all they were, and all they poffeffed, to Chrift and his Caufe, they in Effect refigned themselves to us by the Will of GOD, putting themselves in this Respect under my Direction, to do what I fhould in Confcience think most adviseable in prefent Circumstances.

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4 Praying us with much Intreaty, that we would receive the Gift, and take upon us the Fellowship of the miniftring to the Saints.

5 And this they did, not their ownfelves to the Lord, as we hoped, but first gave and unto us by the Will of GOD.

(b) To their Power, yea, and beyond that.] This is a noble Hyperbole, like that of De mofthenes, "I have performed all, even with an Induftry beyond my Power,"

(c) Com

6 Infomuch that we defired Titus, that as he had begun, fo he would also finifh in you the fame Grace

487

He enforces the like Conduct on them by the Example of Chrift ; Infomuch that, unable to withstand their preffing Sect. 13. Solicitation, we defired Titus, that as he had begun to do in other Places, fo be would also com- 2 Cor. VIII. pleat this Inftance of Grace and Liberality among you (c), and finish what yet remains to be done, as to collecting the intended Contribution.

alfo.

7

Therefore, as ye abound in every Thing, in Faith, and Utterance, and Knowledge, and in all Diligence, and in your Love to us; fee that ye abound in this Grace

also.

8 I fpeak not by Commandment, but by Occafion of the Forwardness of others,

and to prove the Sincerity of your Love.

9 For ye know the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift,

that though he was rich, yet for your Sakes he became poor, that ye through his Poverty might be rich.

Therefore, my Brethren, as ye abound in every 7
other [Gift,] (1 Cor. i. 4,-7. Chap. xii. 8,-
10.) and particularly in Faith, which rifes to the
fulleft Perfuafion of the Truth of the Gofpel,
and in all Utterance and Ability to inftruct others,
and in the cleareft Knowledge of divine Things,
and in all active Diligence, and in your affectio-
nate Love to us; fo [we exhort] and entreat [you,]
that you would take this Opportunity of fhewing,
that ye abound alfo in this Grace of Chriftian Li-
berality. And here, you will obferve, that 8
I Speak not by Way of Command, fo as to take
upon me to determine how much, or in what
Proportion, ye fhall give; but that I may prove,
by what I have just been faying, of the Diligence
of others, that is, the Macedonians, the genuine
Sincerity of your Love in its most fubftantial Ef-
fects.

you

And I may well expect, that fhould exert
yourselves on fuch an Occafion, in Confequence
of your Acquaintance with the great and most
fundamental Principles of the Gofpel, in which
you have been so faithfully inftructed. For you
know in fome Measure, tho' it is impoffible for
you fully to know, and diftinctly to conceive in
its utmost Extent, the Grace of our Lord Jefus
Chrift, that tho' he was rich in the Glories of the
heavenly World, and in fupream Dominion and
Authority there, yet for your Sakes he became poor,
that
you thro' this his voluntary Poverty, might
not only be difcharged from that dreadful Debt
you had contracted to the divine Juftice, by
which

(c) Compleat this Grace among you.] I doubt not, that xap here fignifies Gift, or Prefent, or Liberality; but I thought, that retaining the Word Grace here, might make the English Reader more fenfible of the Ambiguity and Emphasis of the Word ufually rendered

Grace.

9

6.

(d) To

488

Sect. 13.

9.

And exhorts them to give with a willing Mind.

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Io And herein I give my Advice: For this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but alfo to be forward a Year ago.

I Now therefore pet

form the doing of it; that will, fo there may be a Performance alfo out of that which you have.

as there was a Readiness to

which you were become obnoxious to everlasting Ruin and Condemnation; but that you might 2 Cor. VIII. alfo become rich in the Favour of GoD, and in the Graces of the Holy Spirit now, and at Length for ever rich in the Treasures and Glo10 ries of the heavenly World: And as I cannot but defire, that the Servants of fo excellent a Mafter may herein imitate his Example, and take the most effectual Methods to advance his Honour and Intereft in the World, I give [my] Advice to you in general, to dispatch this Affair vigorously; for this is evidently expedient for you, and confiftent with what you have already in a Manner bound yourfelves to, as you have begun, not only to do fomething, but also to exert yourfelves (d) refolutely and determinately, a Year II ago. I now therefore entreat you not to be offended, if I urge you to compleat your Undertaking, that according to the Readiness which you expreffed to determine, and refolve upon this good Scheme, there may also be the Accomplishment of that Determination, in Proportion to what you 12 have. The smallest Contribution from fuch a Principle will be pleafing to GoD, and moft affuredly draw its Reward after it; for if there be firf a Readiness of Mind, according to what a Man bath, [he is] accepted of GOD, [and] not according to what he hath not: A little in Proportion to his Abilities, is pleafing to GOD; yea, more pleafing, than it would be, if this Proportion were 13 lefs prudently observed. [1 fay this] not by any Means, that [there fhould be] a Reft to others, and other Men be eased, and y-ou Affliction to you, that they should be eafed, and 14 you overburthened; But that of an Equality, on juft and equitable Principles, your Abundance [may be] at this Time, wifely and happily employed, as [a Supply] to their Want: That at fome other Time, if Providence give the Occa

fion

a

ed

12 For if there be first

willing Mind, it is acceptaccording to that a Man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

13

For I mean not that

burdened.

14 But by an Equality,. that now at this Time your be a Supply for their Want, that their

Abundance may be a

Abun

(d) To exert yourselves.] It is evident, that to buy, is an Advance upon roo. So that it muft fignify a refolute and vigorous Determination. Compare Cor. xvi. 2.

5

(e) That

Reflections on the Liberality of the Macedonians;

489

Abundance alfo may be a fion and Opportunity their Abundance alfo may Sec. 13. Supply for your Want, that be [fo] to your Want (e); that there may be fuch there may be Equality;

15 As it is written, He that had gathered much, had nothing over; and he that had gathered little, had no Lack.

How

14.

an Equality in the Diftribution of the good 2 Cor. VIII.
Things of this Life, as our mutual Relation to
each other may require. For the bountiful 15
Providence of GOD hath furnished them out in
fuch an Abundance, and given to fome of you
fuch a Superfluity, that there is Room for a li-
beral Distribution, without injuring the original
Poffeffor, and if fuch a Distribution be made, we
fhall find that, as it is written concerning the
Manna, (Exod. xvi. 18.) he that [bad] much did
not abound, when all came to be divided, and be
that [had] little did not lack (f); so he that
has the greatest Abundance of this World, may
find neceffitous Objects enough, and he that is
moft deftitute, will be competently supplied, if
his richer Brethren do their Duty in this Re-
spect.

IMPROVE MENT.

OW peculiarly amiable does the Chriftian Liberality of thefe Ma- Ver. 1. cedonians appear, when confidered as abounding in a great Trial of Ver. 2. Affliction, and in the Depth of their Poverty; yet a Poverty, mingled with an Abundance of Joy, on Account of that rich and happy State. into which the Gospel had brought them, and the First-fruits of that glorious Inheritance to which they were entitled by the Tenor of it. They were willing of themselves to contribute, even beyond their Power, Ver. as Perfons of common Generofity would have estimated it. Nor did they on their dying Beds repent such a Use of their Property, or wish that it had been spent in gratifying their Appetites, or hoarded for those,

they

(e) That their Abundance, &c.] It might feem obvious to object, that the Corinthians were rich and profperous, the Jews poor and oppreffed; fo that there was no Room to expect that this fhould happen. But it might be replied, "all human Affairs are uncertain; Corinth itfelf from great Profperity had been utterly undone in the Roman War by Memmius fome Time before: Or particular Perfons might be diftreffed, or the whole Body of Christians there reduced, by Perfecutions, tho' their City continued to flourish."

(f) He that had much, &c.] Perhaps nothing could more illuftrate the powerful Agency of the divine Providence, in Events which feem moft contingent, than this, that tho' fuch different Quantities of Manna were gathered by different Perfons, yet on an Average there fhould be an Omer for each.

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And our Obligation to imitate their Example. Sect. 13. they were to leave behind them. Nor do they now regret thefe Liberalities, or complain, that their expected Harveft is perished.

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Ver. 12.

Ver. 9.

Ver. 15.

Let us remember their Example for Imitation; nor let any, who have a Mite to fpare, be wholly deficient, how low foever their Circumftances may be; remembering that gracious Complacency, with which, where there is a willing Mind, the fmalleft Tribute to the Treafury of GoD is accepted, according to what a Man bath, and not according to what he hath not. To animate us to the most generous Efforts of overflowing Benevolence, may we ever bear in our Mind that Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, of which we all know fomething, but which it is impoffible we should ever fully know; because it pafleth Knowledge: That Grace which engaged him, when rich, for our Sakes to become poor, that we might be enriched by bis Poverty. What have we that deferves to be called a Poffeffion, which we do not hold by an Act of Divine Bounty and Grace?

He

Let us confider ourselves as under indifpenfable Engagements in Confequence of it, to confecrate our all to him, confcious that our all is but a low Return for the infinite Obligations under which he has laid us. hath contrived and determined, that the Poor in fome Form or another, we should have with us always, that we may do them Good, as a Token of our Gratitude to him. Let us faithfully aim to fupply their Need, and he who hath moft, will have no Superfluity to throw away upon the Lufts or Vanities of Life; and he who bath leaft, will have no unfupplied Lack: But the Poor will rejoice in the Relief of their Neceffities; and the Rich, in the happiest and most delightful Use of their Abundance.

SECT.

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