q The Apoſtle here calleth the things which he had ſuffered for the Goſpel, and the propagation of it, his i; firmities; and faith, that he choſe thoie thinzs to glory in. He would not glory of the divers Tongues with which he ſpake, nor of the Miracles which he kad wrought; but being by the ill Tongues of his Adverſaries Put upon glorying, he chole to glory of what he had ſuffered for Cod. For as the mighty Power of Chrift was ſeen in ſupporting him, and carrying htm through ſo many hazards and dithculties ſo theſe things (probably) were ſuch as his Adverſaries could not m1 glory in. Beſides, that theſe things had not that natural tendency to lift up his mind above its due meaſures, as Gifts had, viick >metimes puff vp(as th? Apoſtle ſaith concerning Knowledg:) And al'o the were things which flzſh and blood commonly ftart- }-th at, and flieth from. Thuchis Gifts, and miraculous Opera- tions {pake the Power of God in him, and the kindneſs of God to him, in inabling him to ſuch Eftedts, rather than any goodneſs in him(clf; but his Patient bearing the Croſs, ſpake in him great meaſures of Faith, Patizace and S2If-denial, and love to God: and ſo really were greater and truer cauſes of boaſting, than thoſe things could be.
31 * The God an41 Father of our Lord Jeſus
lie not 7.
7 Whether this Phraſe be the form of an Oath, or a meer aſ- ſertion of Gods knowledge of the heart, is a point not worth the arguing. If we look upon it in the former notion, it 1s no pro- fane Oath, becauſe made in the name of God; nor no vain Oath, becauſe it is uſed in a grave and ſerious matter, and for the ſatisfa- Qtion of thoſe who were not very eafie to believe the Apoſtle in this matter. But I had rather take it as a ſolemn aſſertion of Gods particular knowledge of the truth of his heart in what he had ſaid. - The Term, bleſſed for evermore, may either be applied to the Father, or to Feſus Chriſt. Tt is applied to the Creator, Rom. 1. 25. and to Fe-ſ»s Chriſt, Rom.9.5. It is here ſo uſed, as thar it 1s ap- plicable either to the firit, or ſecond Perſon. The uſage of it in tlizſe three Texts, is an undeniable Argument to prove the God- head of Chriſt, The Apoſtle, in theſe words, ſeemeth rather to refer to what he had ſaid before, of his various labours and ſuffer- ings, than to that which followeth : which was but a fingle thing, and a danger rather than a ſuffering.
32 In Damaicus the governonr under Aretas the
king, kept the city of the Damaſcenes with a garriſon,
© deſirous to apprehend me.
33 And thorow a window in a basket, was I let down by the wall, and eſcaped his hands s. s Luke hath ſhortly given us the Hiſtory of this danger, As g. 2,24, 25. S00n atter Paul was converted from the Jewiſh to the Chriftian Religion, he diſputing with the Jews, which dwelt at "Damaſcus, contounded them by his Arguments, proving Jeſus was the Chrift (as we read there v. 29.) This ſo inraged them, as that they ſought to kill him, v.23. And (as we learn from this Text) to effect their deiign, they had by ſome atts or other brought over the Goveraor to fayour their dehign ; (which Governor was a Subſtitute under 4r2r.45 the King, who was Father-in-law to #-rod.) For (as Foſephys tells us) Herod put away his Wite, the Daughter of this Arcrzs, when he took Herodias. The Jews had got this Deputy Heathen Governour ſo much on their ſide, that he thut up the Gates, keeping his Soldiers in Arms. But (as S. Luke tells us, Adits 9.24.) Pai coming to the knowledge of this deſign, tho' they watched the Gates dav and night, yet he found a way of eſcape by the help of thoſe Chriſtians, who at that time were in Damaſcus, V.25. The Diſciples took him ly night, and let him down by a wall in a basket. Two Queſtions are ſtarted upon this paſſage of Pau!'s life ; t. Whether it was lanf:1l for him to flie ? But beſides the particular licence our Lord in this caſe, had given his firſt Minifters, Mar. 19.23. Paul did in this caſe no more than what Divines make law- ful for a more ordinary Miniſter, viz. ro fiie, when the perſecu- tion was directed againft him in particular, leaving ſufficient ſup- ply behind him. The ſecond Queſtion raiſed is, 1/herher it being egtinſt humane Laws to go over the walls of a City or Garriſon, Paul did not fin in this eſcaye? But that is ealily anſwered ; For 1. This was lawful in ſome caſes. 2. God's glory, and the good of Souls, were nore concerned-in Pay7's life, than to have ir tacrificed to a punctilio ot obedience to an humane Law made upon a meer poli- tick confideration.
of it, he would not now have mentioned 1t.
THIANS,
GH AP. XI.
For commending of bis Apoſtl:ſhip, he might glovy of Fi woyde;ſy; lations, 1 — 4. but he chooſerh 10 plory in bis Infimi1j-, proba he was buffeted ;, kis Prayer and God's Anſwer ; they My Pom ſenſible of the true Evidences of his Apeſtleſbip, 5 © 12. : ada that now the third time be will come to them 5 but not to * Fay Fuca "(12S ro them, as neither were others ſent by bim, 14. — 19, ;, Fo Me them that they amend their faults, that he 10 bis (; es: Fonss Ps to uſe his Apoſtolical Power on ſuch, 20. 21. © © 900 Jorced
1 JF 1 is not expedient for me, doubtleſs, to elory ,.
Lord b.
a It isneither comely, nor of any advantage to my ſelf tq -1
. . . EOS - - 3 SIOrVs nor would I dg it but in this caſe of neceſſity, where 91org;,,- neceſlary for the glory of God, and for your Food, to vindicq.” ſelf to you from the imputations that ſome others lay upon. -, b Do any of them boaſt of Viſtons and Revelations from Gy; Th. ſomething of that nature to glory in as well as they. Some wh this difference betwixt Viſons and Revelarions;, that Viſto en Appritions, the meaning of which, thoſe that ſee them, dy _ derftand : Revelations fignifie the diſcoveries of the Mind ang _ of God to Perſons immediately, either by Dreams, or by { i andible Voice, which may be without any Object repreſenteg the Eye. Pharaohand Nebuchadnezzar ſeem to have had ſuch I as they did not underſtand, till interpreted by Foſeph and n..., But undoubtedly Pau?'s Viſions were not ſuch. The differercs therefore ſeems rather to be, That in al! Viſfons, Which Good ney Holy Men had, there wasa Revelation z but every Revelation not ſuppoſe a Viſion. Ta
2 I knew a man in Chriſt c above fourteen ye; azo (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth 4) ich an one * caught up to the third heaven e. ns