c Some doubt, whether 5: Kees ©, in this place, be & welltr..., ** flated in Chriſt z ſo ſignifying, that the Perſon ſpoken of _ Chriftian,one that had embraced the Goſpel; )as by Chriſt (as the Þz:. ticle is ſometimes uſed; ) ſo ſignifying, that this Viſion Was giren to him by the grace and favour of Chrift. The May he ſhea}; of, was doubtleſs himſelf; otherwiſe it had been to him no c©v3 or ground of glorying at all. Thus ſeveral times in Scrinme the Penmen thereof ſpeaking in commendation of themſelves, ther ſpeak in the third Perlon inftead of the firſt.In his ſaying,it was; rs years ago, and in that we do not read that he did ever heyro publiſh it, he avoids the imputation of any boafting, and #lorring- and ſheweth, that had he not been now conftrained, for the ow; of God, and the vindication of his own reputation, to have ſpoken 4 What the circon- ſtances of the Apoſtle were in this Extaſie, he profeſſeth yr t9 know ; and therefore it ſeems too bold for us curiouſly to 19ire, or potitively to determine about it. Tt isnot very probable, that his Soul was ſeparated from his body ; but whether his bod: Was, by ſome Angel, carried up to the {1ght of this Vition, or thinssab- ſent were made preſent to him, the Apoſtle himſelf, being denrired of the uſe of his ſenſes, could not tell. e But ſuch a one (he faith\be knew, caught up into the third Heaven ; by which he means the hizheſt Heavens, where God moſt manifeſteth his Glory, where the ble* ſed Angels {ee his Face, and where are the juft ſouls mate joif:8, 1heScripture, dividing the World into the Earth and the F-rers, calleth all Zeavez that is not Earth or Water ; hence it mentionsth an Aerial Heaven (which is all that ſpace betwixt the Earth andite place where the Planets and fixed Stars are. hence we readof the Fowls of Heaven, Dan. 4.12. of the Clouds of Heaven, Gen. 7 11. of a ſtarry Heaven, where the Stars are ; which are therefore called the Stars of Heaven, Gen. 22. 17. and then the higheſt Mn ; which is meant in the Lords Prayer, when we pray, Our Father which art in Heaven z and is called the Heaven of Heavens. Thisis the Heaven here ſpoken of.
3 And 1 knew ſuch a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth.)
4 How that he was caught up into paradiſe f, and heard unſpeakable words g, which it is not * lawful *0 for a man to utter h. "Y f Some by Paradiſe underſtand a place diftin& from the 16414 Heaven before mentioned ; and think the Apoſtle here ſpeaks ot more Viſions than one. But they ſpeak much more proÞan!Y, who interpret it of the third Heaven before mentioned, callzd 7. diſe, in regard of tnedelight and pleaſures of it. Thus the 1m is uſed by our Saviour to the Thief upon the Croſs, Luk. 23: 43: and thus it is uſed, Rev. 2.7. g. What thele unſpectable words of things viere, which the Apoſtle heard in this Extati2, is vainly inquired ; whereas the Apofile bath told us twice, that he coild nor tell, whether he was in, or out of the body; and that the words or things were ſuch as were unſpeakable. h Such as were either mr poſſible to be uttered, or at leaſt which he was prohibited to utter 5 ſo they could be made known to none but only ro him that Near them. If any inquirerh, for what purpoſe God ſhewed them t0 Paul, if he might not communicate chem tor the good 07 0fcr5 The Anſwer is ealie, That this Viſion might be for his 01 connr” mation, as ſent of God, and for his conſolation under all choſe Fond zards and dangers which he was to undergo in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, to which God had called him. IT»
5 Ot ſuch an oze 1 will glory z; * yet of my {cit tC will not glory &, but in mine infirmities | N
7 The Apoſtle, as appeareth by what followeth, ſpeaker © himſelf; but he does it in a third Perſon. The Meaning _ that man who had been thus dignified of God, in ſuch RN and Vifions, might well glory of ſuch a favour , ut _ = he) of my ſelf 1 will not glory. k But how doth the Apoitie 4d > that of himſelf he will nor glory, if he were the Fer ſon m_— his Anſw. Some ſay he diſtinguiſheth concerning himſeItz a5 70
| inward man, his Soul (which was wrapt into Þ2 t
6) ha hird Heavens/c : 4:4
+ I will come to vitions and revelations of tho 4 V Tt
Chap. X
.
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K thin eve favq Whi ſup him Ir [ ph Wh {ent mo Pow ack Will
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nap. > 47
84 tory; bat as to his Body or outward Mai, he would not glory
1 any thing Which he had done; bur only in what he had ;uttercd.
1 thould racher interpret it thus, in this che Lord greatly dignined m:; bur here was nothing of iny ielf; of my (elf theretore 1 will not Zlory in any thing, except theſe things which 1 have [attered for che name of God.
& For * though I wonld detire to glory, I ſhall not be a fool: For I will ſiy the truth 2. Bur ow I for- Mar, leſt any man ſhonld think of me above that
;ch he ſeeth me 70 be, or that he hearcth of me -
wWhicn 11 1f 1 ſhould have a mind to glory, 7 foul not be 4 Fool, for 1
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je Loo
t Gr, would not glory in things that were not true. And tho' a Man, 1n ”. :; ſpeaking things of himſelf which are true, may ſometimes be-
tray folly, (viz. where he doth it mezrly to {et forth himſelf, and make himſelf to appear a greater Perſon than indeed he 1s) -Yet for a Man to 2lory of himielf, where ths honour of God 1s concerned in ths Vindication of himſelf from Reproaches and Ca- Inmnies, ſpeaks not any folly; » Bur (laith tne Apoſtle) I for- bear, having no defire that any ſhould think of m2 above what he ſeerh in me, or h-areth of me, from others Mouths and not mine OWN.
7 And leſt I honld be exalted above meaſure through the abundance of the revclations o, there was g1ven | , to me * a thorn 1a the fleſh .*., pr" $:r2n to buffet me, lelt I ſhould be cxalred above ”” meaſirep.