much Glory ro Chriſt, Every one that excelieth in the hy; > exercie of Grace, is the Glory of Chriſt, becauſe withou: Chit he can donothing of that nature. T7live, yet not T, out Chiilt liar zn me. The as and exerciſes of Grace are indeed our ag;, by the power by which we do them, is from Chriſt ; we Blory inChrif, and by our holy converſations glorifie Chriſt, and Chrilt glrie 1ncyery pious and holy perſon, as God did concerning Th, Cy, I. 8. and2, 3,
24 Wherefore ſhew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boaſting on your behalf x.
# The Chapter concludeth wich an Exhortation to their liverality, I, It would be an evidence of
Fr would evidence
n vain,
CHAP. IX.
hand, and by divers Reaſons taken from God's liberal Bleſſing, L1:10"d Grace upon them that ſow liberally, ne exhorts them to gir litvilly,
It at al] Materia] |
Y part.
E x Pet. 2,
| Or. gif the Churches to travel with us, with this | grace o '©* which is adwiniſtred by us ti the glory of the ſame Lord, and declaration of your ready mind p, o And that he was choſen by the Churches to go along with Paul and Ttzs to carry the Charity of other Churches to the diſtreſſed Chriſtians in Fud-az which Charity is here again called Grzce, for the reaicn betore mentioned, v. 1. f He declares that their end in this Adminiſtration, was the Glory of God, and the proof and de- claration of theſe Corinthizns ſincerity of brotherly Love, and ready Mend, to yield obedience to the Will of God declared to them.
20 Avolding this, that no man ſhould blame us in
this abundance which is adminiſtred by us 9.
q I have ſent more than one as Witneſſes of what is done in this Service, thatnone might refle& upon thoſe truſted with the Charicy of divers Churches, as if they converted any part of it to their own private ute, and did nor diſtribute it ro thoſe for whom it was given. The Apoſtle here com eth to all Miniſters and Chriſtians, the prudent foreſight of tu ſcandalous impurations, as they may be expoſcd to (be their ſincerity what it will) from the men of the World, whohave no good will towards them ; and a proviſion againſt them, Paul could hive truſted Titus in the diſtribution of theſe Alms, bur he did not know what the World mighr ſay had he dif. charged the truſt alone ; hetherefore takes in one with him to be a witrels of his aQions,
21 *Providing for honeſt things, not only in the I3. ſighr of the Lord, but alſo in the fight of menr.
r He had faid the fame Row, 12. 17. In both placcs he inſtrufeth us, whar Js the grezt Duty of ali Chriſtians, but of Miniſters clpe- cially (whoare as Cities bujl; upon a Hill, and cannot be hid, and againſt whom 1 1 men are much more ready to open their mouths, than ag.inſt private Chriſtians of a more obſcure condition) viz. to Pro:iae things boneſt, not orly in the fight of God, (having an eye ria: in cur ations we do nothing which God hath forbidden'us, nor cmir any thing which God hath commanded us) bur alſo looking that incur converſation. we (as much as in us lies) to thoſe things winchhave a gocd report among men, Phil. 4+ 8. For beſides thar we are obliged to give no offence to Jews or Gentiles, nor any wa to alienace them from the ways of God; we are alſo obliged to do wheat in uslierh to winard gain them to Chriſt 3 to which the doing ot ations which they account diſhoneſt (rho? ic may be ſome are not
|
I——10. 2s alſo from the Thanksgiving that ſhall be mad: firit t God, and the Prayers which ſhall be made for them, 11 — 1s,
I Oras touching * the miniſtring to the Sziats, it x, Is ſuperfluous for me to write unto yous
a I ſhould think the Particle 3p, here tranſlated for, had heen
better tranſlated but, as1n 1 Pet. 4. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 9. our Tranſlators
| do render jr, So theſe words contain an elegant revocation of him-
ſelf from the Argument he had dwelr upon in the whole former
Chapter, and the ſenſe amounts to this: Bur ro what purpoſe do] mulciply words to you to perſuade you to miniſter co the Saints in diſtreſs? As ro you ir is ſuperfluous. By this Arr letting chem know, that he had, no doubr, a confident expeRation concerming them ; the ſuggeſting of which hath alſo the force of another Ar- gument, that they might not deceive the Apoſtles good opinion and confidence of them.
2 For know the forwardneſs of your mind for which I boaſt of. you to them of Macedonis, that Achaia was ready a year ago b, and your zeal hath pro-
voked very many c, n ro 6 He gives them the reaſon why he judgeth it g_— wrice to them, becauſe they had a forward mind ot themle bo and needed not to be ſpurred on. This the Apoſtle tells chem = ne kntw, (he had told them of ir, Chap. 8. 10.) he knev it : _ from themſelves, or from ſome that came from chem uno wat and he had boaſted of them for this their forwardneſs in this Geir work to the Churches of Macedonia, c He tells them _ in warmth unto, and in this work, had kindled an heat ! I in thoſe parts where he was. Having therefore been {0 — this good work, and ſo good inftruments ro kindle an heat 11 _— he would not have them now come behind others, or 89 in it, ſting of 3 Yet have ſent the Brethren, leſt our b03 P you ſhould be in vain in this behalf 4, that, 45 ;
ye may be ready e. = ears
4 I did not ſend the Brethren ſo much to move you - prot or quicken you to ir, for you your ſelves purpoled Jed from your and ſhewed a forwardneſs in it ; the morion proceede
ſo upon a ſtrict inquiry,) is no ficring mean,
: ; ne occaſion ſelves, and you ſhewcd a readineſs ro jt, which gave ro
NE
Pare
man
caſts man | be mj
ceive ſpirit he ſo1 cordin Whenc not he men h
F; ut.tg, lo let * Go Il. mJ ed b "12. as he Out an 0g 5.Live, 4 35.dom a Or upo
hap
= » i ILCORIN
ro boaſt of you to the Churches of Macedonia: but 1 thought you might forget it, and T would not have our boafting in vain on this b-half. e And beſides, 1 would have the work done, that your Alms might not be to gather when T come, (as he had ſaid, L Core 16. 2.) but might be in a readineſs to be taken and carried away, (for that is ſignified here by being ready) nor that readineſs of mind of which he had before ſpoken, and which he had betore men- tioned as what he had found in them, :
4 Leſt haply, if they of Macedonia come with me, 2nd find you unprepared, we (that we fay not you) ſhonld be aſhamed in this ſame confident boaſting f.