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and they might give up their own right, humble or reprove themselves, prefer others to themselves, beg, entreat, exhort (2 Cor. vi. 1, vii. 8, xi. 17, note), at one time treat with greater severity, at another with greater mildness ; and hence Paul, for example, uses the softer word vofit^w, and not Xsyw, ver. 26, 12. lie therefore here also, though without Icnra^v, wrote those things, which nevertheless exactly agreed with the mind of the Lord, who willed it, that this yvw/47 7, opinion , alone should be given. But at the same time, the apostle faithfully informs us, according to what principle every thing was written (a modesty from which how far I would ask, has the style of the Pope departed ?) and furnishes a proof, that those, who have already sufficient assistance [safeguard] from the word and Spirit of God, should not demand anything extraordinary. — kg r)Xsy){iing, as hawing obtained mercy) The mercy of the Lord makes men faithful ; faith makes a man a true casuist. — -weh Kup/ou, from the Lord?) Christ. — cr/crroc, faithful) having faith in the Lord ; evinc- ing that faith both to Him and to men.
26. Aid ry\v Iviffruifuv avdyxriv, for the present distress) The famine in the time of Claudius, Acts xi. 28. It was very long and severe, especially in Greece. Therefore this counsel of Paul was, partly at least, suited to the time. — a^pw-rw, for a man) This term is intended to apply to both sexes. — ourag, so) as he is [in the same state in which he is] : comp, ver. 27.
27. A shim/ — XsXumi, thou art bound — thou art loosed) There is an argument in the very words. When bound to a wife , a man is often prevented, with or without any blame to him, from being able so munificently to practise liberality and the other virtues, as he might wish. In the verb ?J Xvcut, thou art loosed , the participle is latently contained [thou art one untied\ and it has the force of a noun, so that loosed denotes not only him, who is no longer bound to a wife, but also him, who never was so bound. We find a similar phrase in Job xxxix. 5. — //-?}, not) twice, i.e. thou art not forced to seek.
28. Tj] cfapxiy in the flesh) Not in the spirit , to which the trouble is sin — hut in this present case here there is no sin. — iyw hi, but I) He writes to them with the affection of a father, ver. 32. — < psihouai , I spare) It is more difficult and requires
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