destroyed by the wild beasts with which he had to contend, or to be destroyed by the people. This was one of the instances undoubtedly to which he refers in chap. xi. 23, where he says he had been "in deaths oft." And this was one of the many cases in which Paul was called on to contemplate death as near. It was doubtless one cause of his fidelity, and of his great success in his work, that he was thus called to regard death as near at hand; and that, to use the somewhat unpoetical, but deeply affecting lines of Baxter, expressing a sentiment which guided all his ministry, and which was one source of his eminent success,

"He preached as though he ne'er would preach again, As a dying man to dying men."

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves.-Marg. "answer." The word rendered "sentence," (amóкpipa,) means properly an answer, judicial response, or sentence; and is here synonymous with "verdict." It means that Paul felt that he was condemned to die; that he felt as if he were under sentence of death, and with no hope of acquittal; he was called to contemplate the hour of death as just before him. The words "in ourselves" mean, against ourselves; or, we expected certainly to die. This seems as if he had been condemned to die, and may either refer to some instance when the popular fury was so great, that he felt it was determined he should die; or more probably to a judicial sentence, that he should be cast to the wild beasts, with the certain expectation that he would be destroyed, as was always the case with those who were subjected to the execution of such a sentence. That we should not trust in ourselves.-This is an exceedingly beautiful and important sentiment. It teaches that, in the time to which Paul refers, he was in so great danger, and had so certain a prospect of death, that he could put no reliance on himself. He felt that he must die; and that human aid was vain. According to every probability, he would die; and all that he could do was to cast himself on the protection of that God who had power to save him even then, if he chose, and who, if he did it, would exert power similar to that which is put forth when the dead are raised. The effect, therefore of the near prospect of death was to lead him to put increased confidence in God. He felt that God only could save him; or that God only could sustain him if he should die. Perhaps, also, he means to say, that the effect of this was to lead him to put increased confidence in God after his deliverance; not to trust in his own plans, or to confide in his own strength; but to feel that all that he had was entirely in the hands of God. This is a common, and a happy effect of the near prospect of death to a Christian; and it is well to contemplate the effect on such a mind as that of Paul in the near prospect of dying, and to see how instinctively then it clings to God. A true Christian, in such circumstances, will rush to His

arms, and feel that there he is safe. But in God which raiseth the dead.-Intimating that a rescue in such circumstances would be like raising the dead. It is probable that, on this occasion, Paul was near dying; that he had given up all hope of life-perhaps, as at Lystra, (Acts xiv. 19,) he was supposed to be dead. He felt, therefore, that he was raised up by the immediate power of God, and regarded it as an exertion of the same power by which the dead are raised. Paul means to intimate that, so far as depended on any power of his own, he was dead. He had no power to recover himself, and, but for the gracious interposition of God, he would have died.

VER. 10. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us :

m 2 Pet. ii. 9.

Who delivered us from so great a death.-From a death so terrible, and from a prospect so alarming. It is intimated here, by the word which Paul uses, that the death which he apprehended was one of a character peculiarly terrific-proably a death by wild beasts. Note, ver. 8. ́He was near to death; he had no hope of rescue; and the manner of the death which was threatened was peculiarly frightful. Paul regarded rescue from such a death as a kind of resurrection; and felt that he owed his life to God as if he had raised him from the dead. All deliverance from imminent peril, and from dangerous sickness, whether of ourselves or our friends, should be regarded as a kind of resurrection from the dead. God could with infinite ease have taken away our breath, and it is only by his merciful interposition that we live. And doth deliver.-Continues yet to deliver us; or preserve us-intimating, perhaps, that danger had continued to follow him, after the signal deliverance to which he particularly refers, and that he had continued to be in similar peril of his life. Paul was daily exposed to danger; and was constantly preserved by the good providence of God. In what manner he was rescued from the peril to which he was exposed, he has nowhere intimated. It is implied, however, that it was by a remarkable divine interposition; but whether by miracle, or by the ordinary course of providence, he nowhere intimates. Whatever was the mode, however, Paul regarded God as the source of the deliverance, and felt that his obligations were due to him as his kind Preserver. In whom we trust that he will yet deliver -That he will continue to preserve us. We hope; we are accustomed to cherish the expectation that he will continue to defend us in the perils which we shall yet encounter. Paul felt that he was still exposed to danger. Every where, he was liable to be persecuted, (comp Note, Acts xx. 23,) and every where he felt that his life was in peril. Yet he had been thus far preserved in a most remarkable manner; and he felt assured that God would continue to interpose in his behalf, until his great purpose in regard to him should be fully accomplished, so that at the close of life he could look to God as

us.

Ye also helping together by prayer for us.Tindal renders this, in connexion with the close of the previous verse, "we trust that hereafter he will deliver us, by the help of your prayer for us." The word rendered "helping together," means co-operating, aiding, assisting; and the idea is, that Paul felt that his trials might be turned to good account, and give occasion for thanksgiving; and that this was to be accomplished by the aid of the prayers of his fellow Christians. He felt that the church was one, and that Christians should sympathize with one another. He evinced deep humility and tender regard for the Corinthians, when he called on them to aid him by their prayers. Nothing would be better calculated to excite their tender affection and regard, than thus to call on them to sympathize with him in his trials, and to pray that those trials might result in thanksgiving throughout the churches. That for the gift bestowed upon us.-The sentence which occurs here is very perplexing in the original, and the construction is difficult. But the main idea is not difficult to be seen. The "gift" here referred to, (rò xápioua,) means, doubtless, the favour shown to him in his rescue from so imminent a peril; and he felt that this was owing to the prayers of many persons on his behalf. He believed that he had been remembered in the petitions of his friends and fellow Christians, and that his deliverance was owing to their supplications. By the means of many persons.-Probably meaning that the favour referred to had been imparted by means of the prayers of many individuals who had taken a deep interest in his welfare. But it may also imply, perhaps, that he had been directly assisted, and had been rescued from the impending danger by the interposition of many friends who had come to his relief. The usual interpretation is, however, that it was by the prayers of many in his behalf. Thanks may be giren by many on our behalf.-Many may be induced also to render thanks for my deliverance. The idea is, that, as he had been delivered from great peril by the prayers of many persons, it was proper also that thanksgiving should be offered by as many in his behalf, or on account of his deliverance. "Mercies that have been obtained by prayer should be acknowledged by praise."-Doddridge. God had mercifully interposed in answer to the prayers of his people; and it was proper that his mercy should be as extensively acknowledged. Paul was desirous that God should not be forgotten; and that those who had sought his deliverance should render praise to God: perhaps intimating here that those who had obtained mercies by prayer are prone to forget their obligation to return thanks to God for his gracious and merciful interposition.

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For our rejoicing is this.-The source or cause of our rejoicing. "I have a just cause of rejoicing, and it is, that I have endeavoured to live a life of simplicity and godly sincerity, and have not been actuated by the principles of worldly wisdom." The connexion here is not very obvious, and it is not quite easy to trace it. Most expositors, as Doddridge, Locke, Macknight, Bloomfield, &c., suppose that he mentions the purity of his life as a reason why he had a right to expect their prayers, as he had requested in ver. 11. They would not doubt, it is supposed, that his life had been characterized by great simplicity and sincerity, and would feel, therefore, a deep interest in his welfare, and be disposed to render thanks that he had been preserved in the day of peril. But the whole context and the scope of the passage is rather to be taken into view. Paul had been exposed to death. He had no hope of life. Then the ground of his rejoicing, and of his confidence, was that he had lived a holy life. He had not been actuated by fleshly wisdom," but he had been animated and guided by "the grace of God." His aim had been simple, his purpose holy, and he had the testimony of his conscience that his motives had been right, and he had, therefore, no concern about the result. A good conscience, a holy life through Jesus Christ, will enable a man always to look calmly on death. What has a Christian to fear in death? Paul had kept a good conscience towards all; but he says that he had special and peculiar joy that he had done it towards the Corinthians. This he says, because many there had accused him of fickleness, and of disregard for their interests. He declares, therefore, that even in the prospect of death he had a consciousness of rectitude towards them, and proceeds to show (ver. 13-23) that the charge against him was not well founded. I regard this passage, therefore, as designed to express the fact that Paul, in view of sudden death, had a consciousness of a life of piety, and was comforted with the reflection that he had not been actuated by the "fleshly wisdom" of the world. The testimony of our conscience.-An approving conscience. It does not condemn me on the subject. Though others might accuse him, though his name might be calumniated, yet he had comfort in the approval which his own conscience gave to his course. Paul's conscience was enlightened, and its decisions were correct. Whatever others might charge him with, he knew what had been the aim and purpose of his life; and the consciousness of upright aims, and of such plans as the grace of God" would prompt to, sustained him. An approving conscience is of inestimable value when we are calumniated ;-and when we draw near to death. That in simplicity, (ἐν ἁπλότητι.)

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-Tindal renders this forcibly "without doubleness." The word means sincerity, candour, probity, plain-heartedness, Christian simplicity, frankness, integrity. See 2 Cor. xi. 3. It stands opposed to double-dealings and purposes; to deceitful appearances, and crafty plans; to mere policy, and craftiness in accomplishing an object. A man under the influence of this, is straight-forward, candid, open, frank; and he expects to accomplish his purpose by integrity and fair-dealing, and not by stratagem and cunning. Policy, craft, artful plans, and deep-laid schemes of deceit belong to the world; simplicity of aim and purpose are the true characteristics of a real Christian. And godly sincerity.Gr. "sincerity of God." This may be a Hebrew idiom, by which the superlative degree is indicated, when, in order to express the highest degree, they added the name of God, as in the phrases mountains of God," signifying the highest mountains, or "cedars of God," denoting lofty ced irs. Or it may mean such sincerity as God manifests and approves; such as he, by his grace, would produce in the heart; such as the religion of the gospel is fitted to produce. The word used here, ipveig, and rendered sincerity, denotes, properly, clearness, such as is judged of or discerned in sunshine, (from ¿ïλŋ and Koivu,) and thence pureness, integrity. It is most probable that the phrase here denotes that sincerity which God produces and approves; and the sentiment is, that pure religion, the religion of God, produces entire sincerity in the heart. Its purposes and aims are open and manifest, as if seen in the sunshine. The plans of the world are obscure, deceitful, and dark, as if in the night. Not with fleshly wisdom.-Not with the wisdom which is manifested by the men of this world; not by the principles of cunning, and mere policy, and expediency, which often characterize them. The phrase here stands opposed to simplicity and sincerity, to openness and straight-forwardness. And Paul means to disclaim for himself, and for his fellow-labourers, all that carnal policy which distinguishes the mere men of the world. And if Paul deemed such policy improper for him, we should deem it improper for us; if he had no plans which he wished to advance by it, we should have none; if he would not employ it in the promotion of good plans, neither should we. It has been the curse of the church and the bane of religion; and it is to this day exerting a withering and blighting influence où the church. The moment that such plans are resorted to, it is proof that the vitality of religion is gone, and any man who feels that his purposes cannot be accomplished but by such carnal policy, should set it down as full demonstration that his plans are wrong, and that his purpose should be abandoned. But by the grace of God.-This phrase stands opposed, evidently, to "fleshly wisdom." It means that Paul had been influenced by such sentiments and principles as would be suggested or prompted by the influence of his grace. Locke renders it, "by the favour of God directing me." God had shown him favour; God had directed him; and he had kept him from the crooked and devious ways of mere worldly policy. The idea seems to be not merely that he had pursued a

correct and upright course of life, but that he was indebted for this to the mere grace and favour of God, an idea which Paul omitted no opportunity of acknowledging. We have had our conversa- | tion.-We have conducted ourselves, (avarpi. nuer.) The word here used means literally, to turn up, to overturn; then to turn back, to return, and in the middle voice, to turn one's self around, to turn one's self to any thing, and, also, to move about in, to live in, to be conversant with, to conduct one's self. In this sense it seems to be used here. Comp. Heb. x. 33; xiii. 18. 1 Tim. iii. 15. 1 Pet. i. 17. The word conver sation, we usually apply to oral discourse, but in the Scriptures it means conduct, and the sense of the passage is, that Paul had conducted himself in accordance with the principles of the grace of God, and had been influenced by that. În the world. Every where; wherever I have been. This does not mean in the world as contradistinguished from the church, but in the world at large, or wherever he had been, as contradistinguished from the church at Corinth. It had been his common and universal practice. And more abundantly to you-ward.-Especially towards you. Į This was added doubtless because there had been charges against him in Corinth, that he had been crafty, cunning, deceitful, and especially that be had deceived them, (see ver. 17,) in not visiting them as he had promised. He affirms, therefore, that in all things he had acted in the manner to which the grace of God prompted, and that his conduct, in all respects, had been that of entire simplicity and sincerity.

VER. 13. For we write none other things unto you than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

For we write none other things, &c.-There has been much variety in the interpretation of this passage, and much difficulty felt in determining what it means. The sense seems to me to be this. Paul had just declared that he had been ! actuated by pure intentions and by entire sincerity, and had in all things been influenced by the grace of God. This he had shown every where, but more particularly among them at Corinth. That they fully knew. In making this affirmation, they had full evidence, from what they had known of him in former times, that such had been his course of life; and he trusted that they would be able to acknowledge the same thing to the end, and that they would never have any occasion to form a different opinion of him. It will be recollected that it is probable that some at Corinth had charged him with insincerity; and some had accused him of fickleness, in having promised to come to Corinth, and then changing his mind, or had charged him with never having intended to come to them. His object in this verse is to refute such slanders; and he says, therefore, that all that he affirmed in his writings about the sincerity and simplicity of his aims, were such as they knew, from their past acquaintance with him, to be true; and that they knew that he was a man who would keep his promises. It is an instance of a minister who was able to appeal to the people among

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whom he had lived and laboured, in regard to the general sincerity and uprightness of his character-such an appeal as every minister ought to be able to make to refute all slanders; and such as he will be able to make successfully, if his life, like that of Paul, is such as to warrant it. Such seems to me to be the sense of the passage. Beza, however, renders it, "I write no other things than what ye read, or may understand," and so Rosenmüller, Wetstein, Macknight, and some others, interpret it; and they explain it as meaning, "I write nothing secretly, nothing ambiguously, but I express myself clearly, openly, plainly, so that I may be read and understood by all." Macknight supposes that they had charged him with using ambiguous language, that he might afterwards interpret it to suit his own purpose. The objection to this is, that Paul never adverts to the obscurity or perspicuity of his own language. It was his conduct that was the main subject on which he was writing, and the connexion seems to demand that we understand him as affirming that they had abundant evidence that what he affirmed ‚¦ of his simplicity of aim, and integrity of life, was true. Than what ye read, (avayivwOKETE.)—This word properly means to "know accurately;" to distinguish and in the New Testament, usually to "know by reading." Doddridge remarks, that the word is ambiguous, and may signify either to acknowledge, to know, or to read. He regards it as here used in the sense of knowing. It is probably used here in the sense of knowing accurately, or surely; of recognising from their former acquaintance with him. They would see that the sentiments which he now expressed were such as accorded with his character and uniform course of life. Or acknowledge, (Eπɩɩνώσκετε.)The preposition ἐπὶ in composition here is intensive, and the word denotes to know fully; to receive full knowledge of; to know well; or to recognise. It here means, that they would fully recognise, or know entirely to their satisfaction, that the sentiments which he here expressed were such as accorded with his general manner of life. From what they knew of him, they could not but admit that he had been influenced by the principles stated. And I trust ye shall acknowledge.—I trust that my conduct will be such as to convince you always that I am actuated by such principles. I trust you will never witness any departure from them-the language of a man of settled principle, and of fixed aims and honesty of life. An honest man can always use such language respecting himself. Even to the end.-To the end of life; always. We trust that you will never have occasion to think dishonourably of us, or to reflect on any inconsistency in our behaviour."-Doddridge.

VER. 14. As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

q Phil. iv. 1.

As also ye have acknowledged us.— -You have had occasion to admit my singleness of aim, and purity of intention and of life, by your former acquaintance with me; and you have cheerfully

done it. In part, (àñò μépovç.)—Tindal renders this, "as ye have found us partly." The sense seems to be, "as part of you acknowledge;" meaning that a portion of the church was ready to concede to him the praise of consistency and uprightness, though there was a faction, or a part that denied it. That we are your rejoicing. That we are your joy and your boasting. That is, you admit me to be an apostle. You regard me as your teacher and guide. You recognise my authority, and acknowledge the benefits which you have received through me. Even as ye also are ours.-Or, as you will be our rejoicing in the day when the Lord Jesus shall come to gather his people to himself. Then it will be seen that you were saved by our ministry; and then it will be an occasion of abundant and eternal thanksgiving to God that you were converted by our labours. And as you now regard it as a matter of congratulation and thanksgiving that you have such teachers as we are, so shall we regard it as a matter of congratulation and thanksgiving-as our chief joy-that we were the instruments of saving such a people. The expression implies that there was mutual confidence, mutual love, and mutual cause of rejoicing. It is well when ministers and people have such confidence in each other, and have occasion to regard their connexion as a mutual cause of rejoicing and of Kavɣnμa, or boasting.

VER. 15. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

r Or, grace.

And in this confidence.-In this confidence of my integrity, and that you had this favourable opinion of me, and appreciated the principles of my conduct. I did not doubt that you would receive me kindly, and would give me again the tokens of your affection and regard. In this, Paul shows that however some of them might regard him, yet that he had no doubt that the majority of the church there would receive him kindly. I was minded.—I willed, (¿ßovλóμnv ;) it was my intention. To come unto you before.Tindal renders this, "the other time." Paul refers, doubtless, to the time when he wrote his former epistle, and when it was his serious purpose, as it was his earnest wish, to visit them again. See 1 Cor. xvi. 5. In this purpose he had been disappointed, and he now proceeds to state the reasons why he had not visited them as he had purposed, and to show that it did not arise from any fickleness of mind. His purpose had been at first to pass through Corinth on his way to Macedonia, and to remain some time with them. See ver. 16. Comp. 1 Cor. xvi. 5, 6. This passing through Corinth on his way to Macedopurpose he had now changed; and instead of nia, he had gone to Macedonia by the way of Troas, (chap. ii. 12 ;) and the Corinthians having, as it would seem, become acquainted with this fact, had charged him with insincerity in the promise, or fickleness in regard to his plans. Probably it had been said by some of his enemies, that he had never intended to visit them. That ye might have a second benefit.—Marg. “ grace."

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