Nathan, as he was a man, gave David Uberty to build the temple. He was overshot in it something. But then he goes to God, and consults with him, whether he should or no ; and then Nathan gives Davdd another advice.*
So the prophets and apostles, as men, they might be alterable without sin. For God will allow men to be men, and subject to mistakes. For nescience, not knowing the possibility of things to come, is no sin in man ; because it is an unavoidable infirmity. So that St Paul, as his usual manner is, in promising things to come, things of that nature, he promiseth them under reservation and permission, if God pemiit, if God will ; and he doth not sin, though he be frustrate of his intention.
It is not the onh^ part of a wise man to divine Avhat will be. St Paul had not providence to see whether his journey should be crossed or no ; but out of a Christian intention, he resolved to come, if God did not cross him; that was as a man, and a good man. But as an apostle, his doctrine was without ifs and ands, without exception, as we say, ' if God permit,' &c. ' No,' saith he ; ' as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.' So in the apostles, we must consider a difterence of divine truths that they delivered as apostles, from those things that they purposed as men, and as holy men. Those were subject to be crossed, and without sin too. For God will have men to be men, that is, variable creatures, and such as cannot promise themselves for the time to come any certain thing.
It is God's prerogative to know things to come. We may know them by their causes ; we may know when there will be an echpse a hundred » Cf. 2 Sam. vii. 3, with 4-11.— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, \'ER. 18. 357
years hence ; but to know what weather there shall be, as we may know the eclipse, we cannot ; because there is nothing in the cause. I say, God will have men to be men. St Paul may promise holily, with a reservation to God, as a man, and as a holy man, and without sin too ; but as an apostle, in his doctrine he was not so ; but ' as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay,' but constant as God himself. That shall suflice to satisfy that. Therefore St Paul makes the difference, I promised to come, but I did not ; but ' as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.'
Our voyage to heaven, and the reference we have to a better life, stands not on uncertainties, as the things here in this world. St Paul's journey to Corinth might be frustrate ; but St Paul had another course to heaven ; his religious course stood not on uncertainties. AVhatsoever he taught in a religious course, it was ' yea ; ' as he saith in the next verse, ' Christ the Son of God whom we preach, was not yea and nay, but yea;' that is, infallibly true, perpetually true, necessarily, eternally true.
' As God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.' St Paul labours to establish them therefore in a good conceit of his ministry ; and that made him indeed so much decline the suspicion of inconstancy in other things : because carnal men are prone to think a man in his calling, even a preacher in his doctrine, to be inconstant, if he be so in his common course.
St Paul knew their corruption was such, that from a suspicion of hght- ness in his carriage and common course, they would rise to a suspicion of his doctrine ; therefore he was so curious to avoid the imputation of lightness in his journey, because he would avoid any imputation of lightness in his doctrine. That is it which he more aims at. He stands not on the imputation of lightness in his journey, or such matters ; but he knew the corruption of men is such, that if a man fail in common things, presently they think he is so in his calling. Full of false surmises and suspicions is the nature of man ; and as a man is once, they gather him to be so alway. Therefore he deceiving them in not coming, they might think he would do so at other times too. That makes the apostle labour to clear himself, but especially his doctrine, from all suspicion.
' As God is true, om- word to you was not yea and naj'.' Here is a truth ; and the seal of it.
His averring the truth is this, ' Our word, our preaching,' as it is in the margin (iu). ' Our word,' as it was unfolded, it was not * yea and nay,' it was not uncertain.
And the proof and seal of it, ' God is true,' as it is in the original, which is made up in the English tongue, ' As God is true,' it is in our translation ; but iu the original it is, ' God is true ; ' and as he is true, and constant, and faithful, so our word is constant and faithful ; you may build on it {jjj). ' As God is true,' as God is to be credited and believed, so my word to you is to be credited as ' yea,' as a certain doctrine that is not ' yea and nay.' It is a kind of an oath.