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Sake, raise up us and all true Chriftians from Death, A. D. 57. by the Power of the fame Jefus, who will then prefent

us to God his Father, as fit and proper Subjects of eter

nal Happiness.

15. For all things are for your fakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God.

16. For which caufe we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight weight of glory;

18. While we look not at the things which are feen, but at the things which are not feen: for the things which are seen, are temporal: but the things which are not feen, are eternal.

15. For your Sakes then, as well as my own, I patiently undergo thefe Hardships; that the more I convert and bring to the Means of Salvation, the greater Glory and Praise may redound to God.

16. And upon these Accounts I profecute my Miniftry with undaunted Zeal; and while my Body labours under Perfecution, my Mind gathers continual Patience, Spirit, and Refolution *.

17. Being fully affur'd, that the fhort and prefent Afflictions of this Life, will be recompens❜d by a vaft Reward that bears no Proportion to them;

18. And having little or no Regard to the Satisfactions of the prefent vifible World, but all my Aims fix'd upon the invifible ones of another; the one being short and momentary, the other perfect and eternal.

С НА Р.

* Ver. 16. Is renewed, i. c. Tÿ wisu, tñ iλaidı, TH duuia, with Faith, Hope, and Courage. Chryfoftom.

CHAP. V.

The CONTENTS.

The fame Argument continued. The Profpect of future Happiness, and the full Affurance of it by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, animates the Apoftle in his Sufferings for the Gofpel; and makes him earnestly (tho' not impatiently) wish to be diffolved from the Troubles of the prefent Life. Juftifies his Behaviour against the Judaizing Faction. Answers their Prejudices against him for embracing the Gentile Converts as equally a Part of the Chriftian Church with themfelves; and proves the Reafonableness of his fo doing.

A. D. 57.1. FOR we know,

that if our earth

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HUS (I fay *) I patiently endure all my bodily Afflictions, upon a fure Prospect, that after I have laid down this frail and earthy Body, God will inveft and adorn me with one that is heavenly and immortal.

2 & 3. In this bodily_State I labour under fo many Preffures and Difficulties, as cannot but make me wifh (tho' not impatiently) after that heavenly Tabernacle. Efpecially upon the Af furance, that when I leave † this I fhall not fail of the other.

4.

In

+ Ver. 2. In this we groan-Ev 17, i. e. in this (bodily, Tabernacle, if it agrees with Txves in the firft Verfe; or elle 11 may fignify now, in the mean while, at this Time. So Ev its fignifies, Luke xii. 1. A&ts xxiv, 18. See Noldius in Heb. Partic. [Bezoth.]

Ver. 3. "E, If fo be, or fince that, ev♪vouevos, being cloathed (feveral Copies read it indusduvos, being un

cloathed,

4. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burden

ed: not for that we would be uncloathed, but cloathed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

4. Indeed the bodily Uneafi- A. D. 57. neffes are fuch, that if it could be helped, I could wifh to be tranflated to my heavenly and hapthe Pains of dying, and be repy Manfion, without undergoing leafed from this painful Life. A Defire which is but natural to one in a mortal and troublefome State, and that is fure of attaining, one Day, to a Condition of perfect Eafe and Happiness. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the felf fame thing, is God, who alfo hath given unto us the earneft of the Spirit.

5. Nor can we but have our Eyes and Thoughts fix'd upon that happy Condition, fince God, who has given us the Promise of it, has already given us a perfect Earneft and Pledge of our future Enjoyment, by the Gifts and Graces of his Holy Spirit now conferr'd upon us. 6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilft we are at home in the body, we are abfent

from the Lord:
try to us, and take
Home.

7. (For we walk by faith, not by fight.)

8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be abfent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

6. This Promife and Pledge fills us with Life and Spirit under the Hardfhips attending our Miniftry, makes us look on this Body as a Tent only for prefent Reception, and this World as a foreign CounHeaven for our lafting and proper

7. (For thus the prefent State is a State of Expectation, not of Enjoyment.)

8. And while thefe Hopes ren→ der me patient and zealous in my Chriftian Miniftry, yet they cannot but, at the fame Time, fill me with earnest Defires, that the Journey of Life were over, and I were with Chrift in a bleffed and eternal Abode.

F f

9. In

cloathed, i. e. of this Body,) We shall not remain naked, but fhall have a heavenly one in its Room. Which indeel is the much clearer Conftructior, it feeming plainly to be oppofed to the syduradas in the ad Verse.

A. D. 57. 9. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or abfent, we may be accepted of

Ch.iii. 1.

him.

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10. For we must all appear before the judgment feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we perfuade men: but we are God, and I truft alfo are made manifeft in

made manifeft unto

9. In the mean while, my utmoft Endeavours are spent in fo difcharging my Office here, as not to fail of an Acceptance with him hereafter.

10. A Matter this of infinite Confideration to us all: For a Day is coming, when every Part of our Behaviour in these Bodies of Flefh, muft be tried at the great and impartial Tribunal of Chrift, and receive a Reward or a Punishment proportionable to the Good or Evil of it.

II. A due Sense of which terrible and just Judgment, renders me the more earnest in perfuading Men to embrace the Gofpel Religion, and to believe me fincere in preaching it. How truly I am fo, is perfectly known to God; and I hope I have given you fuch Teftimonies as may have inwardly convinced you of it too.

your confciences.

12. For we commend not our felves again unto you, but give you occafion to glory on our behalf, that you may have fomewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not

in heart.

13. For whether we be befides our felves, t it is to God: or

whe

12. Nor do I repeat these Affurances of it, as if I wanted Recommendation, or fufpected the good Opinion of the found and fober Part of your Church, but only to stop the Mouths of those boafting Teachers that would undervalue me, while they have really nothing valuable in themfelves.

13. Those Jewish Zealots are fo prejudiced at my embracing the Gentile Converts as equally Mem

+ Ver. 13. Ote, It is to God

juiv, for your Caufe.

The Context in the following Verfes feems plainly to deter

mine the Juftness of my Paraphrafe of this Verfe.

whether we be sober, Members of the Church of A. D. 57. it is for your cause. Chrift with themselves, that they reprefent my Defence of myself in that Point, as a Piece of perfect Madness and Diftraction. Whether it be fo or no, God is the beft Judge, in whose Cause I act. But if this Part of my Conduct be upon juft and good Grounds, you Gentile Chriftians have the happy Advantage of it, while they fhall be condem'd for their rafh and uncharitable Cenfures.

14. For the love of Chrift conftraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all,

then were all dead:

14. For the Death of Chrift extending to the merciful and gracious Pardon of all true Believers among all Mankind, naturally fuppofes that the whole World, Jews as well as Gentiles, were equally in a State of Sin and Death, and confequently ought to make us and them conclude the one to be as capable of the Benefits of his Sufferings as the other, and obliges us to preach the Gospel to them all without Diftinction.

15. And that he died for all, that they which live, fhould not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

15. And this univerfal Redemption of Christ ought to difingage all that embrace his Religion from all felfifh and worldly Interefts; from, all Notions of engroffing the Mercies of God, and the Privileges of his Religion to themselves; (as the Jewish Chriftians are apt to do;) and to promote the Propagation of it among all Nations, to the Honour of that Saviour who died for the Expiation of their Sins, and has given them a full Affurance of Pardon and future Happiness by his Refurrection.

16. Wherefore hence

forth know we no man after the flesh: yea, tho' we have known Chrift after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

16. For this Reafon therefore, I look upon no Man as the better Chriftian upon Account of his Birth, Country, or Extraction, or for his being circumcifed or not. 'Tis true, indeed, even we the Ff2 Apoftles

*Ver. 14. Then were all dead. For the particular Stress of the Apoftle's Argument here against the Jewish Chriftians. See my Paraphrafe on Rom. v. from Verfe 6. to the End.

+ Ver. 16. Chrift after the Flesh. See Rom. ix. 5.

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