TEXT.

81 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lye not.

32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, kept the city of the damascenes, with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And, through a window, in a basket, was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

PARAPHRASE.

of those things which are of my weak and suffering side. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is 32 blessed for ever, knoweth that I lye not. In Damascus,

3

the governor, under Aretas the king, who kept the town 33 with a garrison, being desirous to apprehend me; I was, through a window, let down in a basket, and escaped his hands.

NOTE.

"to boast;" the apostle, all along, where he applies it to himself, means nothing, but the mentioning some commendable action of his, without vanity er ostentation, but barely upon necessity, on the present occasion.

HE

SECT. IV. N°. 6.

CHAP. XII. 1—11.

CONTENTS.

E makes good his apostleship, by the extraordinary visions and revelations, which he had received.

TEXT.

1 IT is not expedient for me, doubtless, to glory: I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

PARAPHRASE.

1 IF I must be forced to glory for your sakes; (for me it is not expedient) I will come to visions and revelations of

NOTE.

1 a Ei xauxão das dei, "If I must glory," is the reading of some copies, and is justified by ver. 30, of the foregoing chapter, by the vulgar translation,

TEXT.

2 I knew a man in Christ, above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth,) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth)

4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.

6 For, though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

7 And, lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abun

PARAPHRASE.

2 the Lord. I knew a man, by the power of Christ, above fourteen years ago, caught up into the third heaven, whether the intire man, body and all, or out of the body in 3 an ecstacy, I know not; God knows. And I knew such an one, whether in the body, or out of the body, I know 4 not, God knows, That he was caught up into paradise,

and there heard what is not in the power of man to utter. 5 Of such an one, I will glory; but myself I will not men

tion, with any boasting, unless in things that carry the 6 marks of weakness, and show my sufferings. But if I should have a mind to glory in other things, I might do it, without being a fool; for I would speak nothing but what is true, having matter in abundance, but I forbear, lest any one should think of me beyond what he sees me, 7 or hears commonly reported of me. And that I might not be exalted above measure, by reason of the abun dance of revelations that I had, there was given me a thorn in the flesh", the messenger of Satan to buffet me,

NOTES.

and by the Syriac, much to the same purpose; and suiting better with the context, renders the sense clearer.

2,3 Modestly speaking of himself in the third person.

6 Vid. ver. 7.

7d" Thorn in the flesh," what this was in particular, St. Paul having thought fit to conceal it, is not easy for those, who come after, to discover, nor is it very material.

TEXT.

dance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the

flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from nie.

9 And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my "strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly, there fore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

11. I am become a fool in glorying: ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you; for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

PARAPHRASE.

8 that I might not be over-much elevated. Concerning this thing, I besought the Lord thrice, that it might de9 part from me. And he said, My favour is sufficient for thee: for my power exerts itself, and its sufficiency is seen the more perfectly, the weaker thou thyself art. I, therefore, most willingly choose to glory, rather in things that show my weakness, than in my abundance of glorious revelations, that the power of Christ may the more 10 visibly be seen to dwell in me. Wherefore, I have satisfaction in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I, looked upon in my outward state, appear weak, then by the power of Christ, which dwelleth in me, I 11 am found to be strong. I am become foolish in glorying thus: but it is you, who have forced me to it. For I ought to have been commended by you; since in nothing came I behind the chiefest of the apostles, though in myself I am nothing.

SECT. IV. N°. 7.

CHAP. XII. 12, 13.

CONTENTS.

HE continues to justify himself to be an apostle, by the miracles he did, and the supernatural gifts he bestowed amongst the corinthians.

TEXT.

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

13 For what is it wherein ye were inferiour to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

PARAPHRASE.

12 Truly the signs whereby an apostle might be known, were wrought among you, by me, in all patience and submission, under the difficulties I there met with, in miraculous, wonderful and mighty works, performed by

13 me.

For what is there, which you were any way shortened in, and had not equally with other churches", except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this injury.

NOTES.

12 This may well be understood to reflect on the haughtiness and plenty, wherein the false apostle lived amongst them.

19 b Vid. 1 Cor. i. 47.

HE

SECT. IV. N°. 8.

СНАР. ХИ. 14-21.

CONTENTS.

E farther justifies himself, to the corinthians, by his past disinterestedness, and his continued kind intentions to them.

TEXT.

14 Behold, the third time, I am ready to come to you; and will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

15 And I will very gladly spend, and be spent, for you, though, the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

16" But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless being crafty, "I caught you with guile."

17 Did I make a gain of you, by any of them, whom I sent unto you?

18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother; did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit? Walked we not in the same steps?

19 Again, think you that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak

PARAPHRASE.

14 Behold, this is the third time, I am ready to come unto you; but I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not what is yours, but you: for it is not expected, nor usual, that children should lay up for their parents, but 15 parents for their children. I will gladly lay out whatever is in my possession, or power; nay, even wear out and hazard myself for your souls', though it should so fall out that the more I love you, the less I should be be16 loved by you. "Be it so, as some suggest, that I was "not burdensome to you; but it was in truth out of cunning, with a design to catch you, with that trick, "drawing from you, by others, what I refused in per

17

son." In answer to which, I ask, Did I, by any of 18 those, I sent unto you, make a gain of you? I desired Titus to go to you, and with him I sent a brother: did Titus make a gain of you? Did not they behave themselves with the same temper, that I did, amongst you? Did we not walk in the same steps? i. e. neither they, 19 nor I, received any thing from you. Again, do not,

19 d He had before given the reason, chap. i. 23, of his not coming to them, with the like asseveration that he uses here. If we trace the thread of St. Paul's discourse here, we may observe, that having concluded the justifica