TEXT.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty.

VII. 1 Having, therefore, these promises, (dearly beloved) let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Receive us: we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that you are in our hearts, to die and live with you.

4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful, in all our tribulation.

5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

6 Nevertheless, God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us, by the coming of Titus:

PARAPHRASE.

touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you to me; 18 And I will be a Father, and ye shall be my sons and daughVII. 1 ters," saith the Lord Almighty. Having, therefore, these

promises, (dearly beloved) let us cleanse ourselves from the defilement of all sorts of sins, whether of body or mind, en2 deavouring after perfect holiness, in the fear of God. Receive me, as one to be hearkened to, as one to be followed, as one that hath done nothing to forfeit your esteem. I have wronged no man: I have corrupted no man: I have defrauded no 3 many. I say not this to reflect on your carriage towards me: for I have already assured you, that I have so great an 4 affection for you, that I could live and die with you. But, in the transport of my joy, I use great liberty of speech towards you. But let it not be thought to be of ill-will, for I boast much of you; I am filled with comfort, and my joy abounds 5 exceedingly, in all my afflictions. For, when I came to Macedonia, I had no respite from continual trouble, that beset me on every side. From without, I met with strife and opposition, in preaching the Gospel: and within, I was filled with fear upon your account; lest the false apostle, continuing his credit and faction amongst you, should pervert you from the 6 simplicity of the Gospel. But God, who comforteth those who are cast down, comforted me, by the coming of Titus:

NOTES.

2 y This seems to insinuate the contrary behaviour of their false apostle.

3 Vid. 1 Cor. iv. 3. 2 Cor. x. 2, and xi. 20, 21, and xiii. 3.

a

5 Vid. chap. xi. 3.

TEXT.

7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the

more.

8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For, behold, this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea, what vehement desire;

PARAPHRASE.

7 Not barely by his presence, but by the comfort I received from you, by him, when he acquainted me with your great desire of conforming yourselves to my orders; your trouble for any neglects you have been guilty of towards me; the great warmth of your affection and concern for me; so that I re8 joiced the more for my past fears; Having writ to you a letter, which I repented of, but now do not repent of, perceiving, that, though that letter grieved you, it made you sad but for a 9 short time: But now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For this proved a beneficial sorrow, acceptable to God, that in nothing you might have cause to complain, that you were damaged by me, 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of: but sorrow arising from worldly interest worketh 11 death. In the present case, mark it, that godly sorrow which you had, what carefulness it wrought in you, to conform yourselves to my orders; yea, what clearing yourselves from your former miscarriages; yea, what indig nation against those who led you into them; yea, what fear to offend me; yea, what vehement desire of satisfying me; yea, what zeal for me; yea, what revenge against yourselves, for

NOTES.

11 St. Paul, writing to those, who knew the temper they were in, and what were the objects of the several passions which were raised in them, doth both here, and in the seventh verse, forbear to mention, by and to what they were moved, out of modesty, and respect to them. This is necessary, for the information of ordinary readers, to be supplied, as can be best collected from the main design of the apostle, in these two epistles, and from several passages giving us light in it.

Vid. ver. 15.

TEXT.

yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you, in the sight 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 spirit was refreshed by you all.

PARAPHRASE.

having been so misled! You have shown yourselves to be set right, and be, as you should be, in every thing, by this car12 riage of yourst. If, therefore, I wrote unto you, concerning the fornicator, it was not for his sake that had done, nor his that had suffered, the wrong; but principally, that my care and concern for you might be made known to you, as in the 13 presence of God. Therefore, I was comforted in your comfort: but much more exceedingly rejoiced I in the joy of Titus; because his mind was set at ease, by the good disposi

NOTES.

* "Clear." This word auswers very well άyvòs, in the Greek: but then, to be clear, in English, is generally understood to signify, not to have been guilty; which could not be the sense of the apostle, he having charged the Corinthians so warmly in his first epistle. His meaning must therefore be, "that they had now resolved on a contrary course, and were so far clear," i. e. were set right, and in good disposition again, as he describes it, in the former part of this verse. + And therefore I think v T рáyμarı may be best rendered “in fact," i. e. by your sorrow, your fear, your indignation, your zeal, &c. I think it cannot well be translated," in this matter," understanding thereby the punishment of the fornicator. For that was not the matter St. Paul had been speaking of; but the Corinthians siding with the false apostle against him, was the subject of the preceding part of this, and of the three or four foregoing chapters; wherein he justifies himself against their slanders, and invalidates the pretences of the ad verse party. This is that which lay chiefly upon his heart, and which he labours, might and main, both in this and the former epistle, to rectify, as the foundation of all the disorders amongst them; and, consequently, is the matter wherein he rejoices to find them all set right. Indeed, in the immediately following verse, he mentions his having writ to them, concerning the fornicator; but it is only as an argument of his kindness and concern for them: but that which was the great cause of his rejoicing, what it was that gave him the great satisfaction, was the breaking of the faction, and the re-uniting them "all" to himself, which he expresses in the word "all," emphatically used, ver. 13, 15, and, from thence, he concludes thus, ver. 16, "I rejoice, therefore, that I have confidence in you in all things." His mind was now at rest, the partisans of his opposer, the false apostle, having forsaken that leader, whom they had so much gloried in, and being all now come over to St. Paul, he doubted not, but all would go well; and so leaves off the subject he had been upon, in the seven foregoing chapters, viz. the justification of himself, with here and there reflections on that false apostle.

TEXT.

14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.

16 I rejoice, therefore, that I have confidence in you in all things.

PARAPHRASE.

14 tion he found you all in towards med.

So that I am not For all that I have said to you is truth; so what I said to Titus, in your com15 mendation, he has found to be true; Whereby his affection to you is abundantly increased, he carrying in his mind the universal obedience of you all, unanimously, to me, and the 16 manner of your receiving him with fear and trembling. I rejoice, therefore, that I have confidence in you in all things.

⚫ ashamed of having boasted of you to him.

NOTE.

13 Vid. ver. 15.

SECTION III.

CHAPTER VIII. 1.-IX. 15.

CONTENTS.

THE apostle having employed the seven foregoing chapters in his own justification, in the close whereof he expresses the great satisfaction he had in their being all united again in their affection and obedience to him; he, in the two next chapters, exhorts them, especially by the example of the churches of Macedonia, to a liberal contribution to the poor Christians in Judea.

TEXT.

1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God, bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2 How that, in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, (I bear record) yea, and beyond their power, 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 ministering to the saints.

5 And this they did, not as we hoped; but first gave their ownselves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that, as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, in utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us; see that you abound in this grace also.

8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

PARAPHRASE.

1 Moreover, brethren, I make known to you the gift, which, by the grace of God, is given in the churches of Mace2 donia: viz. That, amidst the afflictions they have been much tried with, they have, with exceeding cheerfulness and joy, made their very low estate of poverty yield a rich con3 tribution of liberality: Being forward of themselves (as I must bear them witness) to the utmost of their power; nay, and 4 beyond their power: Earnestly intreating me to receive their contribution, and be a partner with others, in the charge of 5 conveying and distributing it to the saints. And in this they out-did my expectation, who could not hope for so large a collection from them. But they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to me, to dispose of what they had, according as 6 the good pleasure of God should direct. Insomuch that I was moved to persuade Titus, that, as he had begun, so he would also see this charitable contribution carried on among you, till it was perfected: That, as you excel in every thing, abounding in faith, in well-speaking, in knowledge, in every good quality, and in your affection to me; ye might abound 8 in this act of charitable liberality also. This I say to you,

NOTES.

1 * Xápis, which is translated," grace," is here used, by St. Paul, for "gift," or "liberality," and is so used, ver. 4, 6, 7, 9, 19, and 1 Cor. xvi. 3. It is called also xápis ou, the "gift of God," because God is the author and procurer of it, moving their hearts to it. Besides, dɛdoμérnu i» cannot signify “bestowed on,” but "given in," or "by."

2 How ill-disposed and rough to the Christians the Macedonians were, may be secn, Acts xvi, and xvii.