Reflections on St. Paul's difinterested and prudent Conduct. again, my Gor will humble me among you, and that I fhall bewail many which have finned already, and have not repented of the Uncleanness, and Fornication,and Lafcivioufnefs which they have committed. 21. 531 21 And left when I come tempt. [And] indeed on the whole, I am Sect. 20. very apprehenfive, left my GOD Should humble and mortify me, when I come among you again; 2 Cor. XII. fo that my Spirit fhould even be dejected and broken, on Account of the fad Change which hath paffed fince I left Corinth; and left I should find Cause to mourn over many who have finned already, and who, tho' feveral others have been wrought upon by my Admonitions, have not repented of the Uncleanness, and Fornication, and Lafcivioufnefs, which they have committed; against whom therefore, I fear, I fhall find myself obliged, in Virtue of my Office, to pass fuch Cenfures, as it pains and pierces my Heart so much as to think of. H IMPROVEMENT. WOW amiable was the Goodness of the Apostle, in adding all Patience to those Signs of his divine Miffion, which were with fo Ver. 12: much Splendor given among the Corinthians, when there were so many Things to have excufed, or rather to have vindicated his Severity. Such Meekness had he learned of Chrift, fuch does he teach to fucceeding Minifters and private Chriftians. How difinterested was his Behaviour in every Part of it, not Jeeking their Subftance but their Souls! And indeed Ver. 14. what is the greatest Gain, which Avarice in its most artful and successful Forms, can make of the Miniftry, when compared with winning Souls to Chrift, and bringing them into the Way of Salvation! Who that deferves the Name of a Minifter, would not gladly facrifice the Views of worldly Interest to this, and rejoice in an Opportunity of spending, and Ver. 15. of being Spent for this! Yet we fee, that even this cannot always command the Returns of Love: But the Love, as well as the Praife, of Men is, in Comparison, a Matter of small Importance. It will furely engage the Approbation of GOD; and all the Slights and Injuries over which this benevolent Difpofition triumphs, will be remembered by him, with proportionable Tokens of his gracious Acceptance. Happy was that Prudence, which made the Proof of Integrity fo Ver. 16,-18. clear, and the Appeal to the whole World fo confident, as it here appears. So may we avoid every Appearance of any Thing, which might beget a Sufpicion of finifter Designs; that we may vindicate ourselves from every such Infinuation, with the noble Freedom of those who are ap X X X 2 proved 532 The Apoftle again mentions his Defign of coming to them Sect. 20. proved to GOD, and the Confciences of Men. To preferve this, may we always fpeak and act as before GOD, in Chrift, and do all Things, not for the Gratification of our own Humour, or Advancement of our fe-· cular Intereft, but for the Edification of others. Ver. 19. Ver, 20. Ver. 21. The Minifters of the Gospel cannot but be bumbled, when any Thing contrary to the Rules and Genius of it, is to be found among the People of their Care and Charge; whether they be Pollutions of the Flesh, or of the Spirit: And they may be in fome Inftances, as effectually mortified and diftreffed, by Debates, Envyings, Strifes, Backbitings and Whifperings, as by Uncleanness, Fornication and Lafcivioufnefs. But when any of thefe Things occur, as it is to be feared that in most Christian Societies, or at least in fuch as are confiderable for their Numbers, they fometimes will; let it be remembered that they happen by the Permiffion of Providence. GOD hath his wife Ends in fuffering, what is indeed so lamentable: Thus bumbling the Shepherd, that the Flock may be farther edified; that he may approve his Fidelity in more vigorous Efforts for Reformation; and may not be exceffively exalted by that better Success, wherewith in other Instances GOD may crown his Endeavours. Sect. 21. 2 Cor. XIII. I.. SECT. XXI. The Apofile concludes his Epifle with affuring the Corinthians very tenderly, how much it would grieve him to be obliged to fhew his Apoftolical Power, by inflicting any miraculous Punishment on those who continued to oppofe bim; fubjoining at the End of all proper Salutations, and bis folemn Benediction. 2 Cor. XIII. 1, throughout. BUT 2. CORINTHIANS XII. I. 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. F. I am coming to you: In UT I will now return from that Digreffion, THIS is the third Time which hath carried me away from what I was entering upon before. [It is] now, as I faid (Chap. xii. 14.) the third Time, that I tell you, I am coming to you (a); and as feveral Cafes will come (a) The third Time I tell you I am coming: piler Toto oppoμear. I So the Words may be taken, though I own them ambiguous. Perhaps this may intimate, that this was the third Epiftle And declares, In the Mouth of two or three be eftablished. 2 I told you before, and foretel you as if I were prebeing abfent, now I write to them which heretofore have finned, and to all other, that if I come again, I will not spare: fent the fecond Time; and 3 Since ye feek a Proof of Chrift fpeaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. 4 For though he was crucified through Weakness, I yet that then he would not fpare them. I. 533 come before me, on which it will be neceffary Sect. 21. thofe Epiftle he had wrote to them, in which he had mentioned his Purpose of coming, but we cannot certainly infer it. He feems here to refume the Sentence he had begun, Chap. xii.. 14. Such Interruptions are frequent in St. Paul, and in many other Writers, who have not a Regard to an artificial Drefs, and do not stand to correct every little Inaccuracy, but abound in Quickness and Variety of Thought, as Mr. Locke justly obferves. (b) I will not spare you.] It is (as Bishop Burnet very juftly obferves,) a great Confirma-tion of the Veracity of the Apostles, that when Factions were raised against them, they used none of the Arts of Flattery, however neceflary they might feem; but [depended on the Force of a miraculous Power to reduce Offenders; which it would have been a most abfurd Thing to have pretended to, if they had not really been confcious to themselves, that it was engaged in their Favour. Burnet on the Art. pag. 62. See 1 Cor. iv. 21. Note (f). I (c) Already wrought.] This may, as Mr. Cradock and others obferve, very probably refer to some miraculous Punishment, inflicted lately on the inceftuous Corinthian. L (d) Examine 3 534 They should examine, whether they were in the Faith, Sect. 21. thofe Infirmities of mortal Flesh, which put him yet he liveth by the Power into the Hands of his Enemies, and waving the of GOD: For we also are weak in him, but we fhall live with him by the Power of GoD toward you. 4. 2 Cor. XIII. Exertion of that miraculous Energy, by which he could fo foon have rescued himself, and deftroyed them; nevertheless he now liveth by the Power of GOD the Father, whereby he obtained a glorious Refurrection, and is now afcended to a Seat of uncontrouled and univerfal Authority. And thus we his Apoftles, tho' we are also weak in him, and to them who regard only external Appearances, may feem contemptible, neverthelefs fhall live with him by the Power of GOD, manifefted to you in our Favour, to give a Kind of Refurrection to that Apoftolical Authority, which may have feemed for a while dormant and dead. 5 You examine and try me; but let me admonish you to turn the Search inward, and to examine and try yourselves, that you may certainly know, whether ye are in the Faith, whether ye be true Chriftians, or not. For if you on a ftrict Inquiry find, that you are, you will therein find a Proof of my being a true Apostle; as it is by Means of my extraordinary Gifts, that you are become fo. Prove yourfelves (d), my Brethren, whether you can, or cannot, ftand the Teft. Do ye not know your felves, when the Subject of Knowledge lies fo near you, and is always before your Eye? Are you not fenfible that Jefus Chrift is dwelling in you by the fanctifying and transforming Influences of his Spirit; unless ye are mere nominal Chriftians, and fuch as, whatever your Gifts be, will finally be difapproved (e) and rejected, as reprobate Silver, that will not ftand the (d) Examine yourselves-prove yourselves.] Whether you be donio, fuch as can fand the Teft; or adonijo, fuch as cannot, for that is the proper Import of the Word which we render Reprobates. The Difference between espalle, and doxale, feems to be gradual: Examine, and thoroughly prove. << un (e) Unless ye are difapproved.] Dr. Guyfe paraphrafes the Words un To adoxies $58, lefs there be fomething very difapproveable in you;" and it certainly expreffes the Senfe with great Propriety; but as the Apostle fuppofes this to be fomething, which would prove that Christ was not dwelling with and among them, it feems that it must be extended to the Senfe given in the Paraphrase. (f) Have that they might have a Proof of his Apoftolical Authority. probates. 7 Now I pray to GoD that ye do no Evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye fhould do that which is honeft, though we be as Reprobates. 2 Cor. XIH. 535 6 But I trust that ye shall the Touchstone? But whatever be the Cafe Sect. 21. know that we are not Re- of any of you, I hope ye shall foon know that we are not disapproved, and have not loft (f) our Evidence of the divine Prefence and ApprobaBut I am far from defiring to produce 7 tion. fuch Evidences of it, as would be grievous to you; and can truly fay, that I wish to GOD ye may do no Evil in any Refpect, and not that we may be manifefted [as] approved, by fuch awful Methods as those to which I refer: But on the contrary, that ye may do what is good, beautiful and amiable, that which will adorn your Profeffion in the most effectual Manner; tho' we should be as if we were disapproved, and upon a Level with those who have no Teftimonials of an extraor dinary Miffion to produce. For we are not 8 able to do any Thing against the Intereft of that important Syftem of Truth, which God hath intrufted us with; but must strenuously act for the Service of the Truth, and Support of the Gofpel, and not act by perfonal Inclinations and Affections, of Refentment on the one Hand, or Tenderness on the other. 8 For we can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak, and ye are ftrong And this also we wish, even your Perfection. I wish the Regularity of your Behaviour at all Events, as I declared above; for we rejoice, when we are weak, or feem fo by not exerting any miraculous Powers to the Purposes we have hinted; and when ye, our dear Converts and Brethren, are Strong in Gifts and Graces, in Faith, and good Works: And this also we wish [even] your being fet in perfect good Order (g). Your intire Reformation wonld give us the greatest Pleasure imaginable, a Pleasure far beyond what we could derive from the most astonishing Interpofitions of GOD, to chastise those that rebel against us. There Have not loft, &c.] It feems that the Poffibility of lofing extraordinary Gifts by the Abuse of them, is finely infinuated in this oblique Manner; and it might, if rightly underftood, have its Weight with many of them. (g) Being fet in perfect good Order.] This I think the Import of xalaplow, that perfect Reformation which was not yet wrought, though fomething confiderable had been done to wards it. 9 1 (b) Attend |