ſhapes, pretending themſelves to be Miniſters of the Gap gry * to aim at the good of your Souls, by teaching you the Wa) 4 bal r2ouſneſs; a but God will one day judge of their works, an vey" reward at laſt will be according 10 thejr workse
Churches of Macedonia, and by that means he kept himſelf fg being burdenſome to them. q And he tells them, fo he wazragy.
10 * As the truth of Chriſt is in me -, * no ma; *1
ſhall ſtop me of this boaſting in the regions of 4.1 7 The Apoſtle often repeateth this, glorying much in it, that jn 1 this Region of 4chaia, he had preached the Goſpel without charoes,* "i to the hearers; he did fo alſoat Theſſuonica, 1 Thef. 2. 5, 6,9, Bar, 9,
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12 But what I do, that I will do *, that I may cut+o off occaſion from them which defire occaſion tr, thats-in
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16 *1 fay again, Let no man think me a fool b: if 6, otherwiſe, yet as a fool -| receive me, that I may + Or, *ſ- boalt my ſelf a little c.
b 1 know that he, who is much in magnifying and praiſing him-
ſelf, ordinarily 1s judged to be a Foo! ; but tho” T do ſo, Jet me not lie under that imputation. There is arime for al/things; a time for a man to ceaſe from his own praiſes, and a time for him to praiſe himſelf, The time for the latter, is, when the glory of God, or our own juſt Vindication is concerned ; both which con- curred here: The Apoſtle was out of meaſure vilified by theſe falſe Apoſtles; and the glory of God was eminently concerned , that ſo great an Apoſtle and inſtrument in promoting the Goſpel, fhould not be expoſed to contempt as a mean and deſpicable perſon, or as an Impoſtor and Deceiver. c But if you will judge me a Fool, beit ſo; Yet receive me as {uch while I boaſt a little.
17 That which I ſpeak, I ſpeak it not after the Lord 4, but as it were fooliſhly in this confidence of boaſting e.
d 1 do not pretend to have any ſpecial Command of God to ſpeak what T ſhall now ſay in my own commendation; God hath left that to our liberty, which we may uſe or not uſe, as circum- ſtances of time, place and occafion dirett. Or I do not ſpeak accord- ing to the ordinary prattice of Chriftians and Miniſters of the Go- ſpel ; whoſe ordinary prattice is to abaſe and vilify, not to exalt and ſet for:h themſelves, according to the more general Rules of the word. Yet (what the Apoſtle faith) was not contrary to the Lord, or to the direttions of his Word 3 which hath no where commanded us to vilify our ſelves, or to conceal what God hath wrought in us, and by us. e This my confident boaſting hath an appearance of fooliſhneſs in it, tho' really it be not ſo; for nothins can be truly called fooliſhneſs, which hath a dire& and immediate | endency to the glory of God, and is deſigned for that End.
Ml.z. 18 * Seeing that many glory after the fleſh f, I will + glory allo.
f By the fleſh is meant, carnal and. external thingsz which tho' they be the gifts and favours of God, yet do not at all com- mend a man to God. The Apoſtle ſaith, there are many that glory after the fleſh 5 and there needs muſt be ſuch in all places, becauſe there are many that walk after the fleſh: now it is but natural for men to boaſt and glory in theſe attainments, which it hath been the butineſs of their lives to purſue after. Such there were doubt- leſs in this famous Church, who gloried that they were Native Jews, or in their riches, or in their knowledge and learning. Now tho' (faith the Apoſtle) I know there is nothing in theſe things truly to be gloried in, yet others glory'::s in them, I will glory alſo; and let them know, that if T thought theſe things worth the glorying in, I have as much to glory ia of that nature as any of them have.
I9 For ye ſuffer fools gladly, ſeeing ye your ſelves are wiſe p.
THIANS. Chap. XL.