The Apoftle fays, it was not expedient to glory: 521 dinary Powers, by a Succeffion from him, and his Brethren! What Sect. 18. tyranical Infults! What exorbitant Oppreffions! What bafe Methods to enslave the Confcience, the Properties, and the Perfons of Men, Ve. 20. whom they should have refpected, and loved as their Brethren, whom they should have cherished even as their Children! So that one would imagine, they had taken the Picture, which St. Paul here draws of the falfe Apostles, as a Model of their own Conduct; while they have perhaps denied the Title of Minifters of Chrift to thofe, who have much Ver. 23. more resembled the Difpofitions and Circumstances of this his moft faithful Ambaffador. Oh that this might only be the Infamy of the Popish Clergy, with whofe cruel and ufurping Practices fuch Cenfures may feem

beft to fuit! Or rather, would to GoD it were no longer even theirs.

May the GOD and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is blessed for er. 31 evermore, pour out a better Spirit upon all, who profefs themselves the Servants of his Son! That they, whofe Business it is to call others to Christ, may themselves first come, and learn of him, who is meek and lowly of Heart; whofe Yoke is fo eafy, and his Burthen fo light, that it is aftonishing, that any who have themselves felt it, should ever think of binding on others, Burthens heavy, and hard to be borne.

The Apoftle goes on, with great Plainnefs and Freedom, yet at the Jame Time with great Modefty, to give an Account of fome extraordinary Revelations which he had received from GOD, and of those Experiences, which taught him to glory even in his Infirmities. 2 Cor. XII. 1,---10.

2 CORINTHIANS XII. I.:

I.

19.

HAVE fpoken with fome Freedom in the Sect. preceding Difcourfe, of my Labours and Sufferings in the Christian Cause; but whatever they 2 Cor. XII. have been, I well know, that it is not expedient for me to boast; nor would I by any Means indulge myself in fuch a Practice; nevertheless (a), with

(a) Nevertheless.] The Apostle's fpeaking of his Vifions and Revelations, which indeed did him the higheft Honour, could not be a Proof, that he was determined not to boast. VOL. IV. U u u

It

522

I.

Yet that he knew a Man in Chrift,

Revelations of the Lord.

2 I knew a Man in Chrift

above fourteen Years ago (whether in the Body, I of the Body, I cannot tell: GOD knoweth) fuch an

cannot tell; or whether out

Sect. 19. with the Precautions I have already advanced, I will come to Vifions and and with thefe good Purposes continually in View, 2 Cor. XII. that have led me fo far out of my common Manner of speaking, I will now come to fay fomething of thofe Vifions and Revelations of the Lord, with which his unworthy Servant has by his aftonishing Grace and Condefcenfion been fa2 voured. I hardly indeed know how to mention a Name fo undeferving as my own, in this Connection; but I will venture in the general to fay, that I well knew a certain Man in Chrift (b); one, who efteems it his higheft Honour to belong to fuch a Mafter; who, tho' he hath hitherto thought proper to conceal it, was remarkably indulged in this Refpect, above fourteen Years ago. Whether he was then in the Body, during that extraordinary Extacy, I know not; or for a Time taken out of the Body, fo that only the Principle of animal Life remained in it, I know not (c). GOD only knows how that was; nor is it of any Importance too curioufly to fearch into fuch a Circumftance. He had at least no that paffed about him

Confcioufnefs of any thing

at that Time, and all his Senfations were as en

tirely

It is evident therefore, that yap cannot have its ufual Signification, and be rendered for. Our Tranflators take it for a mere Expletive, and therefore omit it. I have ventured to render it, nevertheless, as it is certain it has often various Significations, and muft have this Signification here, if it exprefs any Thing. The Force of but in this Connection would be the fame with nevertheless.

(b) A certain Man in Chrift.] He muft undoubtedly mean himself, or the whole Article had been quite foreign to his Purpofe. It appears from hence, that the Apostle had concealed this extraordinary Event fourteen Years; and if this Epiftle was written about the Year 58. as we fuppofe it was, this Vision must have fallen out in the Year 44. which was fo long after his Converfion, as to prove it quite different from the Trance, mentioned Acts ix. 9. with which fome have confounded it. Dr. Benfon thinks this glorious Reprefentation was made to him, while he was praying in the Temple, in that Journey, Acts xi. 30.. Chap. xxii. 17. and intended to encourage him against the Difficulties he was to encounter, in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. Benf. Prop. Vol. ii. pag. 7. See Vol. iii. Sect. 50. Note (a).

(c) Whether in the Body, &c.] As St. Paul muft know his Body was not actually dead, during this Trance, but that the animal Motion of his Heart and Lungs continued, it would Jead one to imagine, that he really apprehended the Principle of animal Life, to be fomething diftinct from the rational Soul, which he calls himself. It appears at leaft, that he loft all Consciousness of any Thing about him at that Time; and what the Prefence of an immaterial Soul in a Body can be, diftinct from the Capacity of perceiving by it, and acting upon it, I am yet to learn.

4

above fourteen Years before caught up into the third Heaven.

3

2.

523

tirely ceased, as if his Union with the Body had Sect. 19.
been broken. Such an one, I fay, I did moft
intimately know, who was fnatched up even into 2 Cor. XII.
the third Heaven, the Seat of the divine Glory,
and the Place where Chrift dwelleth at the Fa-
ther's Right Hand, having all the celestial Princi-
palities and Powers in humble Subjection to him.
Yea, I fay, I even knew fuch a Man, whether in
the Body, or out of the Body, I now fay not, be-
cause I know not: GOD knoweth; and let him
have the Glory of fupporting his Life in fo ex-
traordinary a Circumftance, whichever might
be the Cafe. And I know, that having been 4
thus entertained with thefe Vifions of the third
Heavens, on which good Men are to enter after
the Resurrection, left he should be impatient un-
der the Delay of his Part of the Glory there, he
was also caught up into Paradife (d), that Garden
of GOD, which is the Seat of happy Spirits in
the intermediate State, and during their Separa-
tion from the Body: where he had the Pleasure
of an Interview with many of the pious Dead,
and beard among them unutterable Words, ex-
preffive of their fublime Ideas, which he was
there taught to understand. But the Language
was such as it is not lawful, or poffible (e), for
Man to utter; we have no Terms of Speech fit
to express fuch Conceptions, nor would it be con-
fiftent with the Schemes of Providence, which
require that we should be conducted by Faith,
rather than by Sight, to fuffer fuch Circumstances

as

(d) Alfo caught up into Paradife.] I have followed Bishop Bull's Interpretation of these Words, in the Diftinction he makes between the third Heavens, and Paradife. See his Works, Vol. i. Serm. 3. pag. 89. To which Dr. Whitby agrees, who alfo fuppofes this not merely a Vision, as I think it was, but a Reality; which if St. Paul had thought it, he muft furely have concluded, that he was not then in the Body.

(e) Lawful or poffible.] I think, with Witfius, that or may comprehend both.-Different Divines have conjectured very differently concerning thefe Things; of which I fuppofe they know nothing. But Mr. Fleming's Conjecture, that he was inftructed in the Doctrine of the first Refurrection; and Mr. Whifton's, that he was inftructed in the grand Secrets contained in the Apoftolical Conftitution, revealed to the Eleven in the Chamber on Sion, and not to be publickly difclofed till many Ages after; may serve as Specimens of the reft. Whift. Prim. Chriftianity, Vol. iii. pag. 32.

Uuu 2

(f) A Thorn

524 Sect.

19.

5.

But left he fhould be exalted above Meafure,

as thefe to be revealed to the Inhabitants of mor-
tal Flesh.
In fuch an one therefore, whoever

5 Of fuch an one will'I 2 Cor. XII. he be, I will venture to boast, fo far as to fay, glory: Yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine Inthat he received a peculiar Honour from our great firmities. Lord, and for the Time was made, as it were, another Man by it. But in myself I will not boaft, unless it be in my Infirmities, in thofe Things which carry the Marks of Weaknefs, which yet in a certain Connection will appear honourable 6 too. For if I should refolve to boast a little, on the Occafion I have mentioned, I fhall not upon the whole be foolish, tho' it be generally fo; confidering the particular Circumftances in which I am: For I fpeak nothing but the ftricteft Truth, how ftrange foever it may feem. But I forbear to infift largely upon it, left any one fhould efteem me, above what he fees to be in me, or, having a fair Opportunity of learning my true Character, hears of me; for inftead of arrogating to myself any undeferved Regards, I would rather decline them, and fhould be fecretly grieved and afhamed, if they were paid to me.

7

I have indeed had my peculiar Priviledges;
but alas, I have my Infirmities, and my Tempta-
tions too.
And left I should be too much elevated,
with the Abundance of thefe extraordinary Reve-
lations of which I have been fpeaking, there was
given me, that is, it pleafed GOD to appoint to
me an Affliction, which was fo painful, that it
was like a pointed Thorn in the Flesh (f), conti-

nually

defire to glory, I fhall not 6 For though I would be a Fool; for I will fay the Truth: But now I forbear, left any Man fhould he feeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

think of me above that which

7 And left I fhould be

exalted above Meafure thro velations, there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh,

the Abundance of the Re

(f) A Thorn in the Flesh.] How much this Thorn in St. Paul's Flefh has perplexed and difquieted Commentators, they who have converfed much with them, know but too well. Many have understood it of bodily Pains; and Mr. Baxter, being himself fubject to a Nephritick Disorder, fuppofes it might be the Stone, or Gravel. The Conjectures of fome of the Ancients are much groffer. I rather acquiefce in that Interpretation of Dr. Whitby, (which the Author of Mifcel. Sacra has adopted, and taken Pains to illuftrate, Efay iii. pag. 22,24.) That the View he had of celeftial Glories, affected the Syftem of his Nerves in fuch a Manner, as to occafion fome paralytick Symptoms, and particularly a Stammering in his Speech, and perhaps fome ridiculous Distortion in his Countenance, referred to elsewhere in the Phrafe of the Infirmity in his Flefh. See Gal. iv. 13, 14.

ii. 3. Compare Dan. viii. 27. As this might threaten both his Acceptance and Ufefulnefs, it is no Wonder he was fo importuate for its being removed; yet being the Attendant and Effect of fo great a Favour, he might with peculiar Propriety fpeak of glorying in it..

there was given to him a Thorn in the Flefh.

the Meffenger of Satan to buffet me, left I should be

exalted above Measure.

8 For this Thing I befought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me..

thee: for my Strength is

7.

52:5

nually piercing and wounding me: And this in Sect. 19.
fuch Circumstances, that one would think it had
been intended on Purpose, that the Messenger and 2 Cor. XII.
Apoftle of Satan, the falfe Teachers whom I have
been defcribing (Chap. xi. 13,-15.) under that
Character, might from thence take Occafion to
buffet and upbraid me: That I, being fubject to
fuch Disorders, tho' naturally refulting from the
Manner in which my Nerves were imprefied by
this Extacy, might not be exceffively exalted; but
might bear away, like Jacob, when he had been fo
fuccessfully wrestling with the Angel, an Infir-
mity in my animal Frame, from which ungene-
rous and cruel Enemies might profanely take an
Occafion to infult me. (Gen. xxxii. 25.)

This was indeed at first so very grievous and 8
mortifying to me, and feemed to have fo un-
happy an Afpect upon my Acceptance and Use-
fulness, as a Preacher of the Gospel, that I was
very importunate in my Petitions, that it might
be removed, and befought the Lord Jefus Chrift
thrice on the Occafion, intreating him that, if it
were his bleffed Will, it might totally depart from
me, or at least be moderated in fome confiderable
g And he faid unto me, Degree.
My Grace is fufficient for tho he did not entirely and fully indulge my Re-
And my Prayer was not in vain; for, 9
made perfect in Weakness. queft, he said to me in great Condefcenfion, My
Most gladly therefore will I Grace is fufficient for thee, to support thee under
rather glory in my Infir- thefe Trials, tho' I permit them to continue, which
I now choose; for my Strength is made perfect,
and illuftrated fo much the more, in the Weak-
ness of the Inftrument, by which I work: And
this general Maxim will take Place with Refpect
to thee. With the greatest Pleafure therefore will
I boaft in my Weaknees, various as they are,
that the Strength of Chrift may, as it were, pitch
its Tent upon me (g), and furround me on every
Side. And therefore I feel a fecret Complacency, LO
rather than Anxiety and Terror, in these Infir
mities, in all the Injuries I fuftain, in all the
Necef-

mities, that the Power of Chrift may rest upon me.

ro Therefore I take Plea fure in Infirmities, in Re

proaches,

(g) Pitch its Tent, &c.] That feems the ftrong Emphasis of the original Word,