unto death, as Paul was, he will be indebted foi' his protection, not to the abated hostility of men, but to the laws of the land in which he dwells.]
2. His dangers —
[These were incessant, wherever he moved. Sometimes he was in peril " by waters," that is by rivers, which he was obliged to ford, or more probably by land floods, which he could neither foresee nor escape : sometimes by robbers, who, conceiving him to be carrying money with him from one Church to another, lay in wait to plunder him. Sometimes " by his own countrymen," who were incensed against him for going to the Gentiles : and at other times " by the hea- then," who were indignant at his endeavours to overthrow idolatry. " In the city," he was beset by enraged mobs ; " in the wilderness," by ravenous beasts ; and, " in the sea," by frequent tempests, or by pirates, more to be dreaded than deatli itself.
But who would have thought that persons professing love to Christ should be found adverse to him ; and that he should be in as much danger from their envy and jealousy, their subtilty and malignity, as from the more open assaults of professed enemies ! Yet amidst his other perils he mentions those in which he was *' among false brethren," who sought by misrepresentations to subvert his influence, and by treachery to destroy his life. A.las! alas! that such impiety should ever be concealed under a cloak of zeal for Christ ! Yet the faithful minister shall find that such monsters do exist ; and that there are yet in the Church, no less than in the apostolic age, *' wolves in sheep's clothing," who, if only they can find opportunity to exercise their predominant disposi- tions, will tear in pieces the Church, and spare neither the shepherd nor the sheep'^.]
3. His privations —
[Amidst all his labours, he was often destitute of the comforts, yea, and of the common necessaries of life ; so that, in addition to all the weariness and painfulness of his exei'- tions, he was exposed to " hunger and thirst, and cold and nakedness," not having clothing to protect him from the incle- mencies of the weather, nor food to sustain his feeble body. And, as if all these privations were not sufiicient, he often added to them by voluntary fastings, and by a sacrifice of needful sleep, that so he might be able to support himself without being burthensome to any, and make himself an example to those who accused him of seeking only his tem- poral advancement.
c Acts XX. 29.
2041.1 ^'^' Paul's zeal illustrated. 617
How lightly and thoughtlessly do we read this account, as though there were nothing very extraordinary in it ! But if we had only to spend one single week in such trials as his, we should soon see what astonishing grace he must have had, that could enable him to bear them for a series of years, and even to " take pleasure in them," if only his Lord and Saviour might be glorified by means of them '^l]
4. His cares —
[These, under such circumstances, were truly over- whelming. The Churches every where, whether planted by him or not, looked to him for guidance and direction in all their difficulties ; so that there was a weight upon his mind sufficient to depress any one who did not feel his consolations and supports. The trials of Moses being great, seventy per- sons were appointed to bear the burthen with him. But Paul had to bear his burthens all alone. He was the referee of all ; the counsellor of all ; the director of all. Nor did he attend merely to the general concerns of all the Cliurches : no ; he bore in mind the case of every individual that was brought before him ; and laboured as much for the benefit of each, as if he had no other object to engage his mind. For this he could appeal to the Corinthians themselves ; " Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" If any, through prejudice, or ignorance of Christian liberty, or through any other cause, were weak, he sympathized with them, and accommodated himself to their feeble state, and laboured by all possible means to comfort and encourage them. In like manner, if any were stumbled either by the artifices of false teachers, or the violence of persecution, he " burned" with an ardent desire to restore their minds, and to establish their hearts.]