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God, and they shall be my people. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18. And will be a Father f unto you, and ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord Almighty.

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CHA P. VII.

AVING therefore thefe promises (dearly beloved) let us cleanse our felves from all filthiness of the

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of the midft of her. Jer. sc. 8. Remove out of the midft ofBabylon, and go forth out of the Land of the Caldeans. Jer. 51. 6, 45. Flee out of the midft of Babylon, and deliverevery Man his Soul: be not cut off in her iniquity. My People, go ye out of the midft of her, and deliver ye every Man his 10 Soul from the fierce Anger of the Lord. Acts 2.40. Save your felves from this untoward Generation.

among you, and will be your God, and ye fhall be my People. Ifa. 4. 5, 6. And the Lord will create upon every Dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her Affemblies a Cloud, and fmoke by Day, and the fhining of a flaming Fire by Night: for upon all the Glory fhall be a Defence. And there fhall be a Tabernacle for a Shadow in the Day time from the Heat, and for a Place of Refuge, and for a Covert from Storm, and from Rain. + Ez. 37.26, &c. I will make a Covenant of Peace with them, it fhall be an everlasting Covenant with them, and I will place them, and multiply them, and will fet my San&tuary in the midst of them for evermore. Ezek. 43. 7.-Son of Man, the 20 Place of the Soles of my Feet, where I will dwell in the midft of. the Children of Ifrael for ever, and my holy Name,fhall the House of Ifrael no more defile Rev. 7. 15. Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and ferve him Day and Night in his Temple: and he that fitteth on his Throne

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Rev. 18: 4 I heard another Voice from Heaven, faying, Come out of her, my People, that ye be not par takers of her Sins, and that ye re ceive not of her Plagues.

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18. Jer. 31. 1, 9. At the fame time, faith the Lord, will I be the God of all the Families of If rael, and they fhall be my PeopleI am a Father to Ifrael, and Ephraim is my First-born. Heb. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael, 25% after thofe Days, faith the Lord; I will put my Lawsinto their Mind, and write them in their Hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they fhall be tome a People. † Rev. 21. 7. He that overcometh fhall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he thall be my Son. CHAP. VII. 2 Cor. 6. 16, 18. b Joh. 3. 3. Every Man that that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.

hall dwell among them. Rev. 21.3.30 -Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with Men, and he will dwell with them, and they fhall be his People, and God himself fhall be with them, and be their God.

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17. Ifa. 48. 20. Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Caldeans. + Ifa. 52. 11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, goye qur, 40

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flesh and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Receive us we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 3. I fpeak not this to condemn you: for I have faid before, that you are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4. Great is my boldness of fpeech toward you, great is my glorying of you: Iam filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 5. For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no reft, but we were troubled on every fide; h without were fightings, within were fears. 6. Nevertheless, God that i comforteth those that are caft down, comforted us by the coming of Titus: 7. And not by his coming only, but by the confolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earneft defire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; fo that I rejoiced the more. 8. For though I made you forry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the fame epiftle made you forry, though it were but for a feafon. 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made forry, but that ye forrowed to repentance: for ye were made forry after a godly manner [Or, according to God], that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10. For godly forrow worketh repentance to falvation not to be repented of: but the forrow of the world worketh death. 11. For behold this felf-fame thing that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of your felves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement defire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! in all things ye have approved your felves to be clear in this matter. 12. Wherefore though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his caufe that had done the wrong, nor for his caufe that fuffered wrong, but that our L 3

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h † Deut. 32. 25. The Sword without, and Terror within fhall de ftroy both the young Man and the Virgin.

6. See on 2 Cor. 1. 4.
k † See on 2 Cor.2.13.

8.2 Cor. 2. 4. Out of much Affliction and anguish of Heart, I wrote unto you with many Tears; not that you fhould be grieved, but that ye might know the Love which I have more abundantly unto you.

care for you in the fight of God might appear unto you 13. Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his fpirit was refreshed by you all. 14. For if I have boafted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we fpake all things to you in truth, even fo our boafting which I made before Titus is found a truth. 15. And his inward affection [Gr. bowels] is more abundant toward you, whilft he remembreth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. 16. I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

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CHA P. VIII.

OREOVER, brethren, (1) we do you to wit of the (2) grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their a joy, and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality [Gr, fimplicity]. 3. For to their power (I bear record) yea, and beyond their power,

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16.2 Cor. 2. 9, To this end alfo did I write, that I might know the Proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. † Phil. 2. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,not asin my Prefence only, but now much more in my Abfence; work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling.

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Ver. 8, 21. Though I might be much bold in Chrift to enjoin thee.

Having confidence in thy Obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that 5 thou wilt alfo do more than I fay..

2.

CHAP. VIII.

See on Acts 5.41.

b Mar. 12. 44. All they did

2 Thef. 3.4. We have confidence 10 caft in of their Abundance: but

in the Lord touching you, that ye both do, and will do the things which we command you. + Philem.

fhe of her want did caft in all that he had, even all her Living.

3. See on Acts 11. 29.

(1) Something here is to be fupplied from the laft Verfe of the for mer Chapter, Thus, Moreover, Brethren, in this Confidence of you, we do you to wit, or, we make known unto you, the Grace of God, or, your great Liberality, beftowed on the Churches of Macedonia.

(2) The Word rendered Grace, both here and Ver. 6, and 17. fignifies a Gift, Liberality or Charity; that is, the Gift given by the Churches of Macedonia to the poor Chriftians in Judea. The Jews were wont to exprefs the Greatness and Excellency of any thing, by adding the Word God to it. Thus, Ads 7. 20. the ftrict rendring of the Words would be, Mofes was fair before God; that is, exceeding fair. So here, the Charity of God, figni fies their great Bounty and Charity; or it may be fo ftyled, because they were excited to it by the Giver of this good Difpofition. As a Motive therefore to engage the Corinthians to be liberal, and haften their Charity, the Apoftle acquaints them with what had been done in this gead Wark by the Chriftians of Macedonia,

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they were willing of themselves, 4. Praying us with much intreaty, that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the miniftring to the faints. 5. And this they did, not as we hoped, but firft gave their own felyes to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6. Infomuch that we defired Titus, that as he had begun, fo he would alfo finifh in you the fame grace alfo. 7. Therefore as ye abound in every thing, in faith, in utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us; fee that ye abound in this grace alfo. 8. I fpeak not by commandment, but by occafion of the forwardnefs of others, and to prove the fincerity of your love. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he be came h poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich, 10. And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, fo there may be a performance alfo out of that which you have. For if there be firft a willing mind, it is accepted according

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7. ti Cor. 1.5. That in eveything ye are enriched by him, in all Utterance, and in all Knowedge.

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the Lord; and that which he hath given, will he pay him again. † Mat. 10. 42. Whofoever fhall give to drink unto one of thefe little ones, 5a Cup of cold Water only, in the Name of a Difciple, verily I fay unto you, he fhall in no wife lofe his Reward.

8. f See on 1 Cor. 7.6. 9. Heb. 1. 2. [God] hath in thefe laft Days fpoken unto us by 10 his Son, whom he hath appointed the Heir of all things. Phil 2. 6. Who being in the Form of God, hought it not robbery to be equal

with God.

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Luk. 9. 58. Foxes have Holes, and Birds of the Air have Nefts, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. + Phil. 2.7. But made himself of no Repuation, and took upon him the Form of a Servant.

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10. iti Cor. 7. 25. I give my Judgment, as one that hath obtained Mercy of the Lord to be faith

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12. m Exod. 25. 2. Speak unto the Children of Ifrael, that they bring me an Offering: of every Man that giveth it willingly with his Heart, ye fhall take my Offer15ing. Exod. 35. 5. Whofoever is of a willing Heart, let him bring it, an Offering of the Lord; Gold, and Silver, and Brafs. Prov. 11. 25. The liberal Soul fhall be made 20 Fat. Prov. 19. 22. The Defire of a Man is his kindness. Ecclefiafticus 35.9, 10. In all thy Gifts fhew a cheerful Countenance, and dedicate thy Tythes with gladness." Give unto the moft High according as he hath enriched thee, and as theu haft gotten, give with a cheerful

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R. VIII. to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not 13. For I mean not that other men be eafed, and you burdened: 14. But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a fupply for their want, that their abundance allo may be a fupply for your want,that there may be equality, 15. As it is written, He that had gathered much, had no thing over; and he that had gathered little, had no lack. 16. But thanks be to God which put the fame earnest care in to the heart of Titus for you. 17. For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. 18. And we have fent with him the brother, whofe praise is in the gofpel throughout all the churches: 19. (And not that only, but who was alfo chofen of the churches to travel with us with this grace [Or, gift] which is adminiftred by us to the glory of the fame Lord, and declaration of your ready mind.). 20. Avoiding this, that no man fhould blame us in this abundance which is adminiftred by us: 21. Providing for P honeft things, not only in the fight of the Lord, but alfo in the fight of men. 22. And we have fent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have [Or, he hath in you. 23. Whether any do cnquire of Titus, he i my partner, and fellow-helper concerning you; or our bre thren be enquired of, they are the meilengers of the churches, and the glory of Chrift. 24. Wherefore fhew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our bcafting on your behalf,

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Eye. Luk. 21. 2, 3, 4. He faw alfo a poor Widow cafting in thither two Mites. And he said, Of a truth 1 fay unto you, that this poor Widow hath caft in more than they all. For all thefe have of their Abundance caft in unto the Offerings of Ged: but the of her Penury hath. caft in all the Liying that he had. Rom. 12. 8. He that fheweth 10 Mercy with Cheerfulness. 2 Cor. 9. 7.-Let him give, not grudgingly, or of neceffity: for God loveth a cheerful Giver.

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23.9. Phil.2.25-Epaphrodi tus, my Brother and Companion in Labour, and Fellow-foldier, but your Messenger

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5. Exod. 16, 18. And when 15 9. 21

2 Cor. 7. 14.2 Cor.

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