not to give him Occafion of exerting his Authority: 3 501 bold towards you, and ufe fo much Freedom and Sect. 16. Our (b) Tho' we walk in the Flesh, &c.] Mr. Cradock explains this fomething differently, "Tho' we are not free from a Mixture of human Infirmities, yet I do not exercife my Apoftolical Power in a weak Manner, as either fearing or flattering Men; but ufe fuch "spiritual Weapons, as Chriftian Fortitude, Zeal, Freedom in fpeaking the Truths of "Gor, and Courage in adminiftring the Cenfures of the Church, which thro' divine "Concurrence are very effectual." (c) Every 502 5 Holds) 5 Cafting down ImagiThing that exalteth itfelf nations, and every high against the Knowledge of GoD, and bringing into the Obedience of Chrift: Captivity every Thought to Since he could avenge all Difobedience in a miraculous Way: Sect. 16. our Warfare by the miraculous Powers of his but mighty through GOD, Holy Spirit; and they are mighty thro' GOD to the are mighty thro' GOD to the to the pulling down of ftrong 2 Cor. X. 4. demolishing Fortifications, Prejudices and Difficulties, that, like fo many impregnable Caftles, lay in our Way, and yet are battered down, and laid in Ruins, by these our fpiritual Weapons. And thus we go on in our Conqueft; for we are continually cafting down the fallacious and fophiftical Reafenings, by which vain Men are endeavouring to expofe our Doctrine to Contempt, and every high Thing which exalteth itself against the Knowledge of GOD, all the proud Imaginations, which Men have entertained of themfelves with Regard to their natural or moral Excellencies, in Confequence of which they neglect the Gofpel, and are indeed ready to live without GoD in the World. And thus we are enabled to bring every Thought, every proud haughty Notion, which Men have entertained, into an humble and willing Captivity (c) to the Obedience of Chrift, the 6 great Captain of our Salvation. 7 And as GOD is pleafed thus to caufe us to triumph in Chrift, with Regard to the Oppofition made by the profeffed Enemies of the Gofpel, fo let Men regard us, as Perfons having it in Readiness, by miraculous Powers and Penalties inflicted by them, to avenge all Difobedience, to chaftife and punish the Obftinacy of thofe, who under a Chriftian Profeffion pretend to oppofe us; now your Obedience is fulfilled, and the founder Part of your Church recovered to its due Order and Subjec tion. 6 And having in a Readinefs to revenge all Difobedience, when your Obedience is fulfilled. This is indeed the Cafe, and I beseech you to 7 Do we look on Things confider it, as it is. Do you look at the outward after the outward Appear Appearance of Things? Do you judge of a Man by his Perfon, or Addrefs, or by any one par ticular ance? (c) Every Thought into Captivity.] The Soul, feeing its Fortifications demolished, fubmits to the Conqueror; and then every Thought, every Reafoning, takes Law from him. Nothing is admitted, that contradicts the Gospel; Chrift being acknowledged as abfolute Mafter. The former Claufe fhews, how ready Men are to fortify themselves againft it, and to raife, as it were, one Barrier behind another to obftruct his Entrance into the Soul. Compare Rom. xv. 18, 19. 5 ས (d) Mira And if there were Need, would act with the Spirit he had wrote. let him of himself think this even fo are we Christ's. 503 ance? If any Man truft to ticular of his Life? Surely you ought not to do Sect. 16. himself, that he is Chrift's, it. If any Man be confident in himself, that he is again, that as he is Chrift's, Chrift's, let him again bethink himself of this, 2 Cor. X. 7. which he will fee evident Reason to acknowledge, if he candidly and feriously examine, that as ke [is] Chrift's, fo we alfo [are] Chrift's; nor can any one produce more convincing Proofs of Chrift's calling him to the Miniftry, and approving his Difcharge of it, than myfelf. For if I should 8 boaft fomething yet more, abundantly more, than I have ever yet done, concerning cur Apoftolical Authority, which I am fenfible the Lord bab given us for the Edification of the Church, and not for your Destruction, or the Injury of any particular Perfon, I should not have any Reafon to be ashamed, having already ufed it in a Manner agreeable to its Defign. 8 For though I fhould Authority (which the Lord hath given us for Edifica. tion, and not for your Destruction) I should not be boaft fomewhat more of our afhamed: 9. That I may not seem Letters. 10 For his Letters (fay they) are weighty and powerful, but his bodily Prefence And this I fay, that I may not feem as if I 9 as if I would terrify you by would by any Means terrify you with my Epiftles, threatning more than I can perform; on the contrary, I might pretend to much more than I have done, and to execute, if Need should require it, much greater Severities in a Way of miraculous. Punishment (d). And the Hint is neceffary; 10 for I know there are fome among you, that would reprefent Matters quite in a different Light. [His] Epiftles, fay they, [are] indeed weighty and firong, but [his] bodily Prefence [is] weak, and [his] Speech defpicable (e); for which indeed they have fome Excufe, as to my Perfon, and the Disadvantages attending my Utterance. But let fuch an one, II whoever he be, reckon upon this as a certain Fact, that fuch as we are in Word, by our Letters, when abfent, fuch shall we be] alfo when present, in is weak, and his Speech contemptible. 11 Let fuch an one think this, that fuch as we are in Word by Letters, when we are abfent, fuch will we be alfo in Deed, when we are prefent. Action ; (d) Miraculous Punishment.] It is to be remembered, it was before this Time that the Apotle had fmitten Elymas with Blindness; and it is highly probable from this Text, and others of the like Nature, that fome other Miracles of this awful Kind had been wrought by him, tho' they are not recorded in Scripture. (e) Speech defpicable.] Chryfoftom, Nicephorus, and Lucian, or rather the Author of the PhiTopatris, relate of St. Paul, that his Stature was low, his Body crooked, and his Head bald; which feem to be the Infirmities here referred to. Some think he had alfo an Impediment in his Speech; but I do not recollect any ancient Testimony to that; tho' it is not improbable. Compare Chap. xii. 7. and the Note there. (f) Measuring 504 For he again intimates, that he would come to them. Sect. 16. Action; our Deeds will fully correfpond to our Words, and we shall do fomething to vindicate 2 Cor. X. these Pretences, if their speedy Reformation do not prevent. II. 12 13 14 For we prefume not to number, or to compare ourfelves, with fome who recommend themselves in very high Terms; but they thus measuring themfelves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves (f), while they proudly overlook the greatly fuperior Characters and Furniture of others, are not wife, nor do they indeed take the most effectual Measures to raise their own Character; but on the contrary, in Confequence of this, fall into many Abfurdities of Behaviour, from which greater Impartiality and Modefty, and a better Knowledge of Men and Things, would fecure them! But we are always careful, that we glory not of a diftinguished Zeal for the Gofpel carrying us beyond [our] Bounds, but only according to the Meafure of the Rule, which GOD bath diftributed to us under the Character of Apostle of the Gentiles, a Meafure to come even unto you; and accordingly we have regularly and gradually advanced towards you, taking intermediate Places in our Way. For we do not extend ourselves exceffively, as not regularly coming to you; like fome who run abruptly from one Church to another, leaving their Work unfinished behind them, when they think they have difco vered 12 For we dare not make ourfelves of the Number, or compare ourselves with fome that commend themfelves: But they measuring themselves by themfelves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise. (f) Meafuring themselves by themselves: saulos saules palpales.] Dr. Whitby would ren der it, measuring themselves by one another; as if they compared themselves with their falfe Apofiles, and grew proud on the Degree in which they refembled them in Acutenefs and Eloquence, or other Things on which thofe deceitful Teachers valued themselves. But it is more natural to think, that the Meaning is, "they looked continually on themselves, fur"veying their own great imaginary Furniture, but not confidering the vaftly fuperior Abi"lities of many others; and fo formed a difproportionate Opinion of themselves." And this is every where one of the greatest Sources of Pride. Bos has taken great Pains to prove, that to measure oneself by onefelf, is a Phrafe which expreffes Modefty, and making a right Eftimate of ourfelves and others; and taking cuneo not for a Verb, but for the Dative of a Participle, would render it, we measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare felves with ourselves, not with the Wife, that is, ironically, not with fuch wife Men as thefe But tho' this Senfe be ingeniously defended by that great Critick, the other feem's most natural. Chrift: 15 Not boafting of Things without our Meafure, that but having Hope, when your Faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abun is, of other Men's Labours; dantly. 505 14. He defired to preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond them: come as far as to you alfo, vered a Place, where they can meet with a more Sect. 16. in preaching the Gospel of pleafant and agreeable Reception. For, as I obferved before, we are by a regular Progrefs, 2 Cor. X. come even unto you in the Gospel of Christ, having faithfully preached in the other Places that lay in our Way: Not like thofe, whom I 15 have had fo much Reafon to complain of, boafting unmeafurably, or in Things beyond my proper Measure, not intruding into Churches planted by the Labours of others, where we have no natural and proper Call; but having an agreeable Hope, [that] when your Faith is increased, as we truft it will abundantly be, even by the Experience of what has lately happened, we fhall, according to our Rule and the conftant Maxim we lay down to ourselves, be magnified by you to as to abound yet more, that is, fhall by your Countenance and Affiftance, be enabled to keep on our Courses beyond your Country into Arcadia, and Lacedæmon, or witherfoever elfe Providence may lead us. For this is greatly in our 16 Hearts, if GOD fhall fmile upon our Purposes, to preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond you (g), [and] not to boast in another Man's Province (b), or Rule, in Things made ready to our Hand; as fome, who are very folicitous about their own Eafe, affect to do, and then pride themselves in fowing the Ground, which others have cleared. But after all, he that boafleth, whether it be of 17 planting or watering Churches, let him boaft not 16 To preach the Gofpel in the Regions beyond you, and not to boaft in another Man's Line of Things made ready to our Hand. 17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. in (g) In the Regions beyond you.] It would certainly have been a great Pleasure to the Apoftle to have gone on to Arcadia, and Lacedæmon, and to have profelyted those to the Gospel, who had been so long celebrated, in the latter of thefe Places, for their Valor and Magnanimity; and in the former for their Wit and Poetry in thofe agreeable and rural Retreats. But we do not read any Thing in the New Teftament, of planting Chriftian Churches in thefe Parts of the Peloponnefus. (b) Another Man's Province, &c.] The Apoftle did indeed go to Places already converted, to confirm and establish his Brethren in the Faith; but this was chiefly where he had himfelf planted Churches, tho' he might take fome others in his Way; which it would have been Affectation and Difrefpect, rather than Modefty to have avoided. But he did not boat in Churches thus vifited, as if he were the Founder of them; as his Oppofers probably did, pouring Contempt on St. Paul's Labours; as if they were hardly to be called Chriftian Churches, which he had left, as they pretended, in fo unformed and unfinished a State. |