dience he could not yet glory ; but yet he hoped well, and MIC" fore ſhould wait, until by the uſe of all fair means (ſuch a5 £370” who tations and Arguments) he had reduced as many of thcil, ©. gre
: . * 1 3-4 ;atruſted couid unto Obedience. But that being, done, God had 11Fruier hat
— him with another Weapon, with which he would, in th2 027 ane of t dif02d0128ce You,
by the authority of God, revenge his Glory upon th2 4109 1 of others. Herein the Apoſtle hath ſet a Rulz and i att-r7 70 « e
: . . ” © Fas of E 00 Churches, where are multitudes that walk diforder!y ; my D Dt I haſty in Excommunicating them, but to proceed gradually; et fur
- " 6. . . au the AV uling all fair means, and waiting with all patience tor Be ont noe | con them to their duty, who will by any gentle and fair 3.207 = tn duced ; and then revenging, the honuur and glory vi C06 vW?7 ©:
on {uch as will not be reclaimed. | Fs. þ . 0 arurarc NNC2- « 7 Do ye look on thiags after the outware 21re-" we - _ - a4alF rhar fb 15 os rance 2 ? * If any man rtruit co hip mat re too ws . . "— . Fa F157 AD Ae 7 Chriſts o, let him of himſelf chink this agalf, 45 02; jy, bog ne zs Chrilts, even fo are we Chruts p. you . * 4 +hinss mRcerty : n Are ye ſo weak as to judge of Perſons and t1g5 7 ET I from their Faces, Pretences, or outward ApPearunee>e nh, f, M.15, 7s, ( magnify theſe falſe Apoſtles and Teachers, mevriy preonem el )
\/ rio loo : Pong Veries. 1 calling it a WWarrirg, he lets us know that it is, _—
ILCORIN
F "W.- | magnify themſelves Hecauſe they take up a great! y Faith je a h oo hots 44 | et forth, and magnity themielves, or becaule they taceup a great; your taith is increaſed, that we inal] be enlarged by Ft Or,map- [| i
& Chap. X:
breadth im the World, and live in alittle ſtate acd ſplendor ? 0 1
any of them do judge that he 1s tne ſervant, or the Minifter of |
Chrift, why ſhould he not think the ſame of me ? What hath he to ſay to prove his relation to Chrift more than I have? What hath he to glory in upon that account more than I have ? [Ch 1: BS FOr though I ſhould boaſt ſomewhar more oe-* our * a1thority (which the Lord hath given us for edifica- *C1.12-5- 7500, and not for your deſtruction q) * I ſhould not be aſhamed 7.
q Here is a remarkable Maxim, a Rule by which all Eccleſia- ſtical Superiours ought to meaſure their actions. God hath given 19 29 Superiours 4 power for deſtrution of the Flock, but only for Edifica- tion; ſoas that no ſuch can pretend to a power received from God, to do, or exatt any thing which may any ways hinder che Salvation of the Souls put under their truſt; they ought to command or ex- att nothing, nor to do any thing, but what may probably tend to the promoting of peoples Faith, and Holineſs, and Eternal Salva- tion. This Maxim the Apoftle puts in a parenthefis in this Verle, to ſweeten what he had before ſpoken, concerning his readineſs to revenge the diſobedience of ſuch who ſhould appear to be ſtubborn and contumacious. » But ne tells them, he ſhould not be aſhamed if he did boaſt ſomething more of a juſt and due authority than the falſe Apoſtles and Teachers had, who vilifed him ; for he was an Apoſtle, and had a more iunmediate authority than they who were ordinary Teachers.
9 That 1 may not ſeem as if I would terrify you by ſetrers /-
F This was one 'imputation upon the Apoſtle (as we may learn by the next Verſe) T tell you (faith the Apoſtle) that T have an Authority, and a further Authority than thoſe who vilifie me can pretend unto : but I alſo tell you, I have no Anthority to do any harm to any of you all the Authority I have is for your Fdification, as much as lyeth in me to promote the butineſs of your Salvation ; So that I need not be reported as one that went about to terrifie you by my Letters;yet 1 know there are ſome who ſo repreſent me unto you.
10 For his letters (| fay thev) are weighty and powerful, but bzs bodily preſence i weak, and his ſpeech contemptible e.
: There are {ome among you that tell you, that indeed (when abſent) I write ſeverely, and with authority ; but when I am there with you, neither my behaviour, nor my ſpeech, ſpeaks any ſuch Authority.
11 Let ſuch a one think this, that ſuch as we are in word by letters when we are abſent, ſuch willwe be alſo in deed when we are preſent #.
u T would have no ſuch perſon think ſo of me, for he ſhall find me the ſame in deed when 1 come, that 1 have ſpoke my ſelf to be by my Letters. Ido not write vainly, meerly to terrifie you, but what 1 truly intend to do; and when I come he ſhall find that I will do, ; ©... 12 * Forwe dare not make our ſelves of the num- $12. ber, or compare our ſelves with ſome that commend
themſelves : but they meaſuring themſelves by them- ſelves, and comparing themſelves among themſelves, Ir, 59- ACE *- NOL wiſe w. jd it w This whole Verſe is a refleion upon the falſe Teachers of the } Church of Corinth, from whoſe manners Pau! purgeth himſelf. 1 (faith he) durfſt not,as ſome others,magnifie my ſelf nor compare my ſelf with thoſe that do ſo. Neither is it any wiſdom in them to
0: th
| Gr, faith
7THIANS. Chap, XI.
: you, according to our rule ahundantly =. nijied iz 7 50 that although we have boatted of you, we have not boaſted 1
of things withour our meaſur2; that is, of things that are'not, or
(as the Apoſtle expounds himſelf) of things that wer? not done by
him, but by other men; for his line did reach unto them, and his
Labours had- been imployed, and made fſucceful amons them.
And he declares his hope, that when the Goſpel ſhould have had its
full ſucceſs among them, and their faith ſhould be increaſed ; (i-
ther by the addition of more perſons to the Church among, them,
or by tie perfecting of their Taith, and other Graczs;) thev who
were Apoſtles and the Minifters of the Goſpel to them, ſhould by
it be magnified, or made great, to wit by their means, who ufing
much Navigation, would have opportunities to commend the Go:-
pel, and the Miniſtry of it, to other people, among whom they
ſhould come : Wherein yet they ſhould not exceed thoir Rules, for
though ordinary Miniſters be fixed in particular Churches and
places, yet the Apoftles Rule was to go and preach the Goſpel
over the whole World, being tied tono certain pcople or places. 16 To preach the goſpel in the reg:ous beyond you :
2, ad not to boaſt in another mans Þ line of things T fy
made ready to our hand 6.