ress, but have to come to you in the regular succession of our course, and we have hope that you will not detain us longer on our way, that when your faith is strengthened you will suffer us to pass on, in our glorious Mission to the regions that lie beyond you; for as our works and not ourselves must praise us, we have not entered into other men's labors, nor, like you false Apostles, sought glory in another's sphere, from things which his toil had made ready to their hands. But let him who would glory, glory in his Lord's work done, - for it is not he who commendeth himself that is approved, but he whom his Master commendeth." 3. What might least be expected, it was imputed to some consciousness of an usurped office that he preached the Gospel of God freely, and refused to derive from it the support for which he was dependent on the liberality of other Churches; "Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God without cost? I spoiled other Churches, taking wages from them that I might minister to you; and, when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man, for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my want, and in every respeet I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will keep myself." This peculiar course St. Paul may originally have been led to adopt in relation to Corinth from the noted worldliness and venality of that city, and from the crowd of Sophists and Rhetoricians who, under the name of public Teachers, had become a proverb of pretension and corruption; and it would appear, from the twelfth verse of the eleventh chapter, that he thought his example in this matter necessary to shame and restrain the charge of an inordinate thirst of gain, from those whom he calls the false Apostles: "What I have done, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who seek occasion, -that in that wherein they boast, they may be found even as we." Against such opposition, amidst such low contention, had St. Paul to maintain his way; and it belongs to the inherent greatness of his character, that though we read these things, no association with them attaches to his image in our thoughts. The circumstances, however mean and limiting, which magnanimity conquers, fall away from around the noble spirit, and show it only in the meekness and loftiness of its Power. No life can be low where great ends are followed; and the spirit that will not work its Mission within the trammel of Circumstance will never be a true servant of that Master who came to found a Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth, and who had to associate with him in the work men of another spirit than his own, and even the traitor who sold away his life. It is evident that the self-commendations of these men must have had their effect, else would St. Paul never have exposed the counterfeit by bringing his own merits into contrast; - but as there might be a time when a patriot would have to speak of what he had done without reward, in order to shame some official plunderer on pretence of service, so if the Corinthians, as is stated in the twentieth verse, "bore it patiently when such men brought them into bondage, made a prey of them, took their goods, lorded it over them," it was full time to hear the boasting of one who had truly served them, and sought nothing in return. Such boasting, indeed, Paul repeatedly says, is in itself utterly foolish; but it might do good, if it exposed those who boasted without a cause. How tender is the reproach addressed to the Church whom St. Paul won to the Truth, and whom such men for a moment could deceive! “I am jealous over you, with a zeal for God, for I have espoused you to one husband, and thought to present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve, that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. If, indeed, they that intruded themselves among you preached another Jesus whom I had not preached, or enriched you with a spirit and a Gospel which you had not received from us, then might you have reason to have given them the hearts that were ours, but we are in no respect inferior to the chief of the Apostles, and this has been made thoroughly manifest among you all." And then, he recounts his sufferings, indignities, and humiliations as the world and his enemies would think, but the true honors of him who gloried in some share of his Master's Cross, and thanked God that he was found worthy to suffer shame for his name. We know nothing finer in sentiment, or eloquence, than that passage," If I must boast, I will boast of my infirmities." To boast of degrad ing sufferings, of stonings, stripes, and bonds, of fastings, cold, and nakedness, —this was a glory in which his traducers would not seek to rival him. To suffer, that others may rejoice, - to be poor, that others may be truly rich, to watch and guard, and open our own bosoms to the world, that others may have peace and blessing and the life of Life, — this is the captivity which Christ leads captive, the servitude which God exalts into that Greatness which belongs to those whom He has anointed with His own Spirit. SECTION II. ST. PAUL'S QUALIFICATIONS NOT FROM HIMSELF, BUT OF HIS VISIONS AND REVELATIONS. THE AC GOD'S GRACE. RATION TO A CHRISTIAN MIND MAY REDUCE THEIR APOSTLE TO THE LEVEL OF THEIR BROTHER. EXHORTATION AND BENEDICTION. CHAPS. XII., XIII. XII. 1. BOASTING, indeed, is not expedient for me: I will 2 come then to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ, fourteen years ago, - whether in the body, I know not; or out of the body, I know not; God knows, who was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, whether in the body, or out 4 of the body, I know not; God knows, - how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words 5 which it is not permitted to any man to utter. For such an one will I glory: but for myself I will not glory, un6 less of mine infirmities. For though I should desire to glory, I shall not be a fool, for I will speak the truth; but I forbear, lest any one should account me above that which he sees me, or what he heareth of me. 7 And that I should not be too much exalted through the |