experience was far above that standard. The power of Christ is not only thus manifested in the weakness of his people, but in the means which he employs for the accomplishment of his purposes. These are in all cases in themselves utterly inade- quate and disproportionate to the results to be obtained. The treasure is in earthly vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God. By the foolishness of preaching he saves those who believe. By twelve illiterate men the church was established and extended over the civilized world. By a few missionaries heathen lands are converted into Christian coun- tries. So m all cases, the power of Christ is perfected in weakness. "We have in this passage a clear exhibition of the religious life of the apostle, and the most convincing proof that he lived in communion with Christ as God. To him he looked as to his supreme, omnipresent, all-sufficient Lord for deUverance from " the thorn in the flesh," from the bufietings of the messenger of Satan, under which he had so grievously suffered. To him he prayed. From him he received the an- swer to his prayer. That answer was the answer of God ; it implies divine perfection in him who gave it. To what suffer- er would the favour of a creature be sufficient ? Who but God can say, " My grace is sufficient for thee ? " To Paul it was sufficient. It gave him perfect peace. It not only made him resigned under his afflictions, but enabled him to rejoice in them. That Christ should be glorified was to him an end for which any human being might feel it an honour to sufler. It is therefore most evident that the piety of the apostle, his inward spiritual life, had Christ for its object. It was on him his religious affections terminated ; to him the homage of his supreme love, confidence and devotion was rendered. Chris- tianity is not merely the religion which Christ taught ; but it is, subjectively considered, the religion of which Christ is the source and the object.
10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in re- proaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I strong.
The difference between glorying in infirmities and taking pleasure in them, is that the former phrase expresses the oul- \Y[ivd manifestation of the feeling expressed by the latter.