tore they had reformed thoſe abuſes that were amongſt thei, he muſt (az he before ſpake) have come unto chem with a 794. '24 Not for * that we have dominion over your s , cy. faith 7, but are helpers of your joy 5: for + by faith +. 5. ye ſtand z. 1 Per. 5.35 7 Nor ( ſay ſome ) that we pretend or boaſt of any domini-n FRomt. 17, over you, becauſe of your Faith, as if upon that account we 2% would be chargeable, and exa& mcnies of you : Bur their Incer- pretailon 15 berrer, who think that by theſe words the Apoſtle removes from himſelf, and much more from all inferior Miniſters, any power of impoſing upon people to believe any thing bur What God had in his Word revealed as the obje& of Faich He had inthe verſe before uſed the Phraſe (pare you, which he thoughr might ſound harth in their ears, and give ſome occaſion ro carp at tumas if he deſigned ſome Lordly power over them : No, (faith the Apoſtle) though I ſpeak of ſparing you, I intend no exerciſe of Lordly power, 5 bur only to promore your joy, by removing cho/e things which hinder your true rejzcycing. Your preſent glory ing 15 not good, while theſe diforders, contrary to the Will of God, are 2mongſt yen, and you are fuif of contentions and diviſions which hinder your comfortable ſociety and communion rogether, as one Body, ft The m<cſt of you ſtand #1 the Faith, (fo fone in- rerpret the latter part of the verſe ) I ſhould rath:r m:ke this the ſenſe, By Faith you muſt ſtand 3 if you err-in matrers of Faith (as ſome of this Church had done in the buſineis of the Reſur- reQion, as the Apoſtle rold us in the 15 Chaprer of the firſt Epiſtſe) you fll; you no longer ffurd, than you keep the Faith pureand incorrupt. For, becauie of their Errors. as to the RelvreeRion, IT cannot tell how ro make the Apoſtles ſenſe to be what ſome Learned men make it ro bear, Thar he had noching ro blame in them in matters of Faith, bur only in ſome things referring to 0r4+r 3 and therefore they need not toſulpett his execcile of any dominion over their Faith. | SF I The Reaſon why he came not to them repeated, 1, —— 3. What he before wrote coucermng the inceſtuos: perion, was done with tears and tiwough loze to them : and now requirith them to forgive and comfort him leſf by grief be ſhnuld fel! into deſpair, 4, —— -- 11. Bleſſtth God for his ſucceſs in the Goſpel: and declares that his pre :ching was allo an acceptable ſavour in them that periſh: he being upright is bats I2, 17. 1 {3 Ur 1 determined this with my ſelf, that I would
not come again to yon in heavineſs 2.
a One reaſon why 1 pur off my formerly intended journey to you, was, thar I might give you time to repent, and reform thoſe diſorders that were amcngſt you, that my coming co you might neither cauſe heavineſs in you, ſeeing me come with a rod, to chide and reprove you ; nor yer in my ſelf, who do not delight in cenſures and chidings, bur muft mv (elf have been fad ro have ſeen ſuch errors and diſorders amongſt you, as I maſt by my pa- rernal and Apoftolical Authoricy have corre&ed,
2 For if | make you ſorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the ſame that is made forry by me ? 6.
b When IT am there, T have no refreſhment, or joy 1n that part of the Cicizens who are Pagans, all my joy is in char part which are Chriftians, and conſtirure che Church of G2d in thar City ; So as E could have had no pleaſure or joy in my velng there, 1t I had had nothing bur eccafion of ſadneſs and heavinets from you, 1h - whom was all my expectation of any joy or cetreſhing.
3 And 1 wrote this ſame unto you, Icſt when I came. , Cha [ * ſhould have ſorrow from them of whom | ought to , -'t* rejoice, | having confidence in you all, that my joy is + Chay.c, the joy of you all c. ; jo 22,
c This hath been the cauſe of my writing this ſecond Epiſtle to Gl. 5. 19? you, before I my ſelf came in perſon, thar you might have a time more fully and perfe&ly to reform. (uch things as are amits amoneſt you, and I have fermerly given you notice of ; left when
I come, inſtead of rejoycing in you, as I ought to do, or having
any juſt occaſion (0 to do, I might meer with what would give me nothing but trouble and ſadneſs 3 which would not only be grievous to me, but would be contrary to your dury, for I cughr to rejoyce in you, and you ought 1o co behave your ſelyes, that I may have cauſe to rejoyce in you. And I haye confidence in the moft of you, or in all you who are ſincere, that you would all be glad co ſee me glad and chearful, rejoycing in my foctety with you. |
4 For out of much affliction and anguiſh of heart, [ wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye ſhould be grieved, but that ye might know the love which k
have more abundantly unto you 4.
{ Eccce 2, 4 Every
%*
Chap
- IL.
4 Every man that deriveth fr le part of the Divine Narure, that like as God doth not grieve willingly, nor
willingly aMiR the children of Men, ſo neither will he; bur if by | That the Apoſile had intelligence, rhat this perſon ET : in him, he be under :n obli- ! dant ſorrow 3 otherwiſe he would not nes <<prefled 2b
_ reaſon of his office or truſt repoſed 1
| him, and comfort him, leſt perhaps ſuch a one ſhould
parion ſomerimes to ima for their Errors, yet he will ſo do it, as one that hath no pleaſure
and celivhr in ir. Thus the good Judge weeperh, or ar leaſt ſhewerh ſorrow and compaſſion, when he giverh Senrence againſt MalefaRors. So (-aith this great Apoſtle) tro whom God had committed a care over all the Chriſttan Churches, he ſaw a ne- ceſſi:y of reproving this Chureh that was at Corinth for enduring the inceſtuous perſon 1n their Communion, and nor caſting him out 3 for their Errors a'out the Reſurreftion, for their Diviſions, Schiſms, and Contentions, &c. bur he profefſeth, rhart he did this with many tears; and thoſe ner ſhed 1n hypocriſie, bur forced from the an- wiſh and affliction of his heart 3 that he had nothing leſs in his deſign, than to pur them ro any exceflive grief or trouble, bur whac he wrote was out of a Principle of Love and good Will, both to the weltare of their whole Church, and to the good of the p:r:icular Souls of thoſe that were the Members of chat Church. Miniſters or others do no good by their cenſures or reproofs, If they do nor ſo diſpenſe them, as people may fee that whac they
do, orlay, is our of their abundanclove to their Souls, 5 But ifany hath cauſed grieghe harh not grieved me,