The firft Verfe concludes the Argument of the latter Part Aving therefore I. (dearly beloved) let Wherefore having fuch full 4. D. 57 Affurance of your being thren, how much it concerns you 2. Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 2. Let me again + request of 3. I do not repeat this anew as of + Ver. 2. See Chap. iii. 1, &c. and Chap. iv. 1, &c. * A. D. 57. of me. For as I have all along professed, I have so juft a Senfe of your Refpect for me, that I could live and die with you. 4. Great is my boldness of speech towards you, great is my glorying of you, I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding ly joyful in all our tribulation. 5. For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every fide; without were fightings, within were fears. 4. 'Tis this Efteem of you that makes me exprefs myself thus plainly and roundly to your whole Church. In you I glory, and under all my Reproaches and Affic tions, comfort myself with the Thoughts and Hopes of you. 5. My Concern for you fufficiently discovered itself at my firft Árrival in Macedonia, when I lay under the utmoft Uneafinefs; partly from the Oppofition I met with againft my Doctrine, and more especially from the Dread I had that your falfe Teachers fhould ftill pervert you, and gain Credit in your Church. 6. Nevertheless, God that comforteth thofe 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 comfort 6. But GOD, the Comforter of the Afflicted, relievd me from thofe Fears by the Account that Titus gave me of you, at his Arrival there. 7. For it was not his Prefence only that rejoyced me, but the comfortable Account he gave of your pious Concern at the Difored in you, when he ders committed among you, and told us your earneft the earnest Regard you had to my defire, your mourning, your fervent mind Advices and Reprefentations. toward me; fo that I rejoyced the more. 8. For tho' I made you forry with a letter, I do not repent, tho' I did repent: for I perceive that the fame 8. Though it might regret me to write fuch a fevere Epistle to you as I did, yet the Effects of it are fo happy, that notwithstanding the prefent Concern it put Fer. 3. See Chap. iii. 1. and Verse 12. you you into, I have no Reason to re- A. D. 57pent the Severities of it. fame epiftle made you forry, though it were but for a feafon. 9. Now I rejoyce, not that ye were made forry, but that ye forrowed to repentance: for ye were made forry after a godly manner, 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. 9. Nay, I heartily rejoyce that 10. For while an anxious and immoderate Grief, at the Loss of worldly Things, is a moft foolish and hurtful Paffion: This Sorrow for our Miscarriages, that brings us to Repentance as the Means and Condition of Salvation, is a Trouble a Man can never repent him of, but will feel an eternal Good and Benefit from it. felves of all Guilt, II. And of this Kind of Grief is that which the Reproofs of my Letter have wrought in you; as appears by your diligent Conformity to my Directions; the earneft Endeavours of the found and fober Part of you, to clear yourfelves of all Guilt, by the Cenfures I prefcribed upon the guilty Perfon; by your zealous Defire Ver. 11 of rectifying what was amifs, and and 12. fear of fuch notorious Offences See 1 Cor. for the future; whereby you have v. vindicated yourselves, and appear to be a well-difpofed People. 12. I am foon reconcil'd. For the Severity I exprefs'd in my Epiftle, proceeded not from any Delight I took in punishing the inceftuous Offender, nor any partial A. D 57. caufe that fuffered Wwrong, but that our care for you in the fight of God might appear unto you. a truth. 15. And his inward affection is more abundantly toward you, whilft he remembreth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16. I rejoyce therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. partial Kindness for the Perfon injur'd by him; but from my fincere Concern for the Credit and Good of your whole Church. 13. This it was that made the Account Titus gave me of the Reformation my Epiftle had made among you, so exceeding comfortable to me, as indeed it was to him to find it fo, and acquaint me with it. 14. Whatever Commendations therefore I have formerly given of you to Titus, I find are now verify'd. And as I have always preached the Truth to you, fo I am glad to fay I have faid nothing but Truth of you. 15. And I must tell you, the refpectful Manner you receiv'd him in, and the Regard you paid to the Orders he brought from me, have very much endeared you to him. 16. Thus the Affurance I give myfelf from this Inftance, how much Respect I fhall alway find from you, is Matter of unfpeak able Satisfaction to me. CHAP. CHAP. VIII. The CONTENTS. He exhorts them to a large and speedy Contribution for the poor Chriftians of Judea, and excites them to it from the generous Example of the Macedonian Churches. Commends the Bearers of this Epiftle to them. 1. Moreover bre thren, we do you to wit of the grace of God beftowed on the churches of Macedonia :. I. Muft now defire you, Bre- 4. D. 57thren, to haften your charitable Collections for the poor and fuffering Chriftians of Judea. And to render them the more large and speedy, I think it proper to acquaint you with the great † and exemplary Liberality lately fhewn to them by the Chriftians of Macedonia, and the neighbouring Parts. 2. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty abounded unto 2 & 3. Namely that, under the moft afflicting and narrow Circumftances, they have been most bountiful to their fellow-fuffering Brethren; indeed beyond what they could well fpare, and with 3. For to their pow- the utmoft Freedom and Heartier (I bear record) yea nefs. the riches of their liberality. and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. 4. Praying us with much intreaty, that we would receive the gift, 4. They did it without any Solicitations; and inftead of my intreating them, they begged of Ver. 1. See 1 Cor. xvi. 1, &c. me +Ibid. Thy Xágir Tü Oi, The Grace of God. The Libe rality Te of God, i. e. The great Liberality. The Name of God joined to any Thing, in the Hebrew Language, is put to magnify it to the highest Degree. So the Cedars of God are the tallest Cedars, Pfal. lxxx. 10. Mofes was fair before God, i. e. exceeding fair. Acts vii. 20. and Chap. x. 4. of this Epiftle, The Weapons of our Warfare are Suvala 7 DIW, powerful to God, i. c. moft powerful. Ibid, Viz. Philippi, Theffalonica, Beraa. |