reap sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully, will also reap bountifully.

7 Let each give, as he had first designed in his heart; not regretfully, or as of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver : 8 and God is able to make every gift abound toward yourselves; so that, having always all sufficiency in all things, ye may abound to every good work; 9 as it is written, "He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his justi"fication remaineth for ever." 10 And he who supplieth seed to the sower, will both supply bread for your food, and will multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your justification;

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11 being in every thing enriched for all bountifulness, which, through us, worketh thanksgiving to God.

12 For, the administration of this service, not only supplieth the wants of the saints; but aboundeth also, in many thanksgivings to God;

13 while, by the experience of that administration, they glorify God for the submission of your profession of the gospel of Christ, and for your bounty to them, and to all men;

14 longing also after you, in their prayer for you, on account of the exceeding grace of God

upon you.

15 Thanks be to God, for his unspeakable gift!

CHAPTER X.

AND I, Paul, do myself exhort you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; who in presence am lowly among you, but, while absent, am bold toward you;

2 nay, I beseech you, that, when I am present, I may not be bold with that confidence with which I think to be bold against some, who account of us as if we walked according to the flesh:

3 for, though we walk in the flesh, we war not according to the flesh:

4 for, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty, through God, to the demolishing of resistances; 5 with which we demolish disputings, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; and bring every thought into captivity, to the obedience of Christ;

6 and are in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be completed.

7 Look ye on things according to the outward appearance only? if any one thinketh he may trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him also think this of himself, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we :

8 for, if I should boast somewhat largely of our authority, which the Lord hath given us c. xiii. 10. for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be shamed:

9 that I may not seem, as if I would only terrify you by my letters:

10 for, his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible: 11 let such an one take account of this, that, as we are in word by letters, when we are absent, such will we also be in deed, when we are present.

12 For, we dare not number, or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but they consider not, that they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves: 13 but, we will not boast of things beyond our measure, but only according to the measure of the rule which God hath measured out for us, and which extendeth even to you:

14 for we do not overstretch ourselves (as if we did not reach to you); for we came even as far as to you, in preaching the gospel of Christ:

15 not boasting, I say, of things beyond our measure, that is, of others' labours; but having a hope, that, when your faith is increased among you,

speech, yet I am not in knowledge; in all things we have been made thoroughly manifest to you.

7 Or, have I committed a fault, in lowering myself that ye may be exalted; because I preach to you the gospel of God, without reward?

8 I robbed other churches, by taking their wages to do your service;

9 and, when I was present with you, and wanted any thing, I was chargeable to no one; for, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my want and in all things I have kept myself unburdensome to you, and so will keep myself.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be silenced in me in the regions of Achaia:

11 why? do I not love you? God knoweth :

12 but what I do, I will still do; that I may cut off all occasion from those who desire occasion to seem even as we, in that in which they glory: 13 for, such are false apostles, deceitful workers, counterfeiting apostles of Christ :

14 and no wonder; for Satan himself hath counterfeited an angel of light:

15 it is no great thing, then, if his ministers also have counterfeited ministers of justifica

tion; whose end will be according to their works.

16 I say again, Let no one think me a fool; but if otherwise, yet receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

17 What I now speak, on this ground of boasting, 1 speak not after the Lord, but as foolishly;

18 since many boast after the flesh, I also will boast.

19 For ye bear with fools. gladly, being yourselves wise: 20 for ye bear with it, if any one enslave you, if any one devour you, if any one take from you, if any one exalt himself, if any one smite you on the face.

21 I speak with respect to reproach, as if we had been weak; yet, in whatsoever any one is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also:

22 are they Hebrews? so am I are they Israelites? so am I are they the seed of Abraham? so am I:

23 are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in prisons more frequent, in stripes above measure, in deaths often:

24 from the Jews, five times I received forty stripes, save one: Deut. xxv.! 25 thrice I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I passed in the deep;

26 in journeyings often; in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles; in perils in the city, in perils in the deserts, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren: 27 in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often; in hunger and thirst, in fastings often; in cold and nakedness: 28 besides the things that are without, that which presseth on me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is made to stumble, and I burn not?

IF

CHAPTER XII.

[F I must needs boast, I will boast of the things which regard my infirmity:

2 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

3 In Damascus, the governor of Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to apprehend me;

4 yet, I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. 5 Must I needs boast? it is not good indeed, yet I will come even to visions and revelations of the Lord.

who, fourteen years ago, was caught up to the third heaven; whether in the body, I know not, or whether out of the body, I know not; God only knoweth :

7 and I know that such a man, (whether in the body, or apart from the body, God only knoweth,) was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

8 Of such an one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, except of my infirmities:

9 yet, if I should wish to boast, I should not be a fool, for I should say the truth: but I forbear, lest any one should, from the very sublimity of the revelations, ascribe to me more than he seeth me to be, or heareth from me:

10 wherefore, that I should not be exalted above measure, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to chastise me:

11 for this, I thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from me;

14 wherefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions and afflictions, for Christ's sake: for, when I am weak, then am I strong.

15 Am I become a fool? ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended by you: for I am inferior in nothing to the very chiefest apostles, although I am nothing.

16 Truly, the signs of an apostle were wrought among you, in me, in all patience; in miracles, and wonders, and mighty deeds:

17 for, what is there in which ye were inferior to the other churches? unless it was that I myself did not burden you: forgive me this injury.

18 Behold, I am ready this third time to come to you, yet I will not burden you; for I seek not that which is yours, but you yourselves: for, the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children:

19 and I will most gladly spend, and be spent, for you; although the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 20 But be it, that though I did not burden you, yet, being crafty, I caught you by guile 21 did I make gain of you, by any one of those whom I sent to you?

22 I desired Titus to go to

:

you, and with him I sent a brother did Titus make gain of you in any thing? did we not both walk in the same spirit, nay, in the same steps, as heretofore?

23 Think ye that we are excusing ourselves to you? we are speaking before God, in Christ; and all, beloved, for the sake of your edification : 24 for I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as ye would not: lest there be contentions, jealousy, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

25 Lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you; and that I shall bewail many who have already sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed.

CHAPTER XIII.

THIS third time that I am go

ing to you, every word shall be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.

2 I formerly told you, and, (as when I was present with you the second time, though now absent,) I forewarn those that have heretofore sinned, and all the rest, that when I come again I will not spare them: