him and perſecuted him becauſe of - his communion with the Greeks and other Gentiles, which occaſion'd his Impriſonment = at Rome, Chap. 2. 1. & 4. 3,18. Affs 21. 28, 29. & 26. 17, 18. #4 Eph. 3. 1. yet this did not deter him from his office, but he 1; took pleaſure in doing his duty, As 5. 41. 2 Tim. 2. 10. gladly ſpending himſelf and being ſpent for their Souls, 2 Cor. 12. 15. "Thy for their Edification and Conſolation, 2 Cor. 1. 6, 7. Phil. 1. | 12, 13. g And the copulative is uſed as cauſal, fil up not ſim- | | ply, but in ones turn, implying a contradiftintion betwixt MN what Chriſt ſuffered for the Apoſtle, and what the Apoſtle ſuf- * io tered in Chriſt; Chrift in his rank ſuffered what was neceſſary for my Redemption; now I in my turn (by his Gift, Phil. 1. 29.) of | undergo what Affidions are uſeful for his Glory. He purchas'd "OO Wh Salvation by his Croſs, I advance his Kingdom and Cauſe by my j Combats. q One learned Man renders the next Clauſe (what remains concerning the AffiiQtions for Chrift in my Fleſh) however if we conceive of things diftinaly, we may retain our own Tran- ſlation, conſidering Pau!'s filling up is either (1.) with reſpe& oh B54 to Chriſt, ſo he doth not. mean what Chrift ſuffered in his own \ proper Perſon during his tabernacling here; for neither Paul nor any other Pen-man of the N. T. doth uſe the term Affliction, {45 4g to expreſs the Sufferings of Chriſt whereby he appeaſed God's 26k Wrath and ſatisfied his Juſtice; that he finiſhed in his own Per- | ſon when, he gave up the Ghoſt, Fohn 19. 30. he perfetted all compleatly, verſe 14. 22, nothing will be required from any Believer upon that account, Kom. 6» 9, 10. Heb. 10. 14. there be no remains upon that account, all was fill'd up by Chrift him- ſelf, All can be imagin'd that Paul ſhould mean in this reſpe& would be only from Chriſt's leaving an example, 1 Pet. 2. 21. q 4, As Chrift hath ſuffered for my Salvation, ſo in like manner ollowing him, T bear his Croſs, ſuffermg for his Goſpel and Glory, or, (2.) with reſpe& to Paul himſelf; the ſgpſe is, q« 4+ As I have born a great part of AffiQtions for the name of Chriſt, and in his glorious Communion, 2 Cor. 1. 5. Gal. 6.17. 2 Tim. 1» * 444 | 8, 10 So in like manner I fill up the remains of them aſſign'd its © 's to me a Member of the myſtical Body in conformity to the Image Hh. 2M of him who is the Head} Rom. $. 18. 1 Per. 4. 13. I do by little and little accompliſh in my preſent Sufferings (which makes a part of it) the portion allotted to me in the ſame AfMiQtions, nr which are accompliſhed and accompliſhing in our Brethren, that
are in the World, 1 Pet. 5-9. in time and degree according to
God's Council whereby the Head was proclaim'd to ſuffer, A#s *t. 4. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 20.) which apportion'd to every Member what: |
ſhare it is to bear, till it be perfely conform'd to Chriſt, Phit. 3- IO, 12, 21. Theſe Sufferings as Chriftians, 1 Petr. 4. 12g, 14, 16. (which the Members undergo in their cauſes) may be | Wb
ſaid to be the AfMiQions of Chriſt (1.) being for his cauſe and Foad® 0 glory, the Troubles they receive upon his account may be called |
his, the Badges of his Family and Followers, Gal. 6. 17. #tb. Ii. 26, {2.) becauſe of the Union betwixt Head and Members, 1 Cor. 12, 12. they being given to the whole Body, the Wounds of his Members are his, As 9. 4, 16. he doth ſympathize with them ; but as he finiſh'd his work of proper Sufferings, while” in WOE 46d the Fleſh, ſo the Apoſtle's Expreſſion intimates here, their Sut- 7 Lnthe] ferings ſhall not laſt longer than they are in the Body, they TTY need not fear any Purgatory afterwards. r And whiles Pau 4 thf ſuffered here, he adds another Reaſon for the ſupporting and F chearing of him, viz. the uſefulneſs of them for the whole Church, the myſtical Body of Chriſt, as verſe 18. which conti- ; ration might ſweeten his bittereſt Affliftions, not only becauſe LY L it was in their ſervice to further their Faith that he was ſo perſe- f cuted, but for their Edification and Conſolation z this was the
ſcope of his patience, Phil. 1. 12, 13, 14+ to encourage thoſe
who knew his Teſtimony to embrace the Truth, 2 Tim. 2. 10s
What the Rhemiſts and other Papiſts infer hence that the Apoſtle
ſatisfied for the Sins of other Believers by his Sufferings contribut-
ing tothe Churches Treaſury of Satisfa&tions for temporary Puniſh-
ments is altogether groundleſs. *Tis brutiſh to conclude be- |
cauſe he ſuſtain'd Affiftions for the Edification of the Church, if that therefore he ſatisfied for the Sins of the Church ; becauſe he #4 if} was ſpent for the Corinthians, that he anſwered for their Faults,
2 Cor. 12. 15. he was not Crucified for any, 1 Cor. 1. 13. To |
make Paul's Sufferings ſatisfafory is to derogate from Chriſt's Mt Merit; none is without Sin as Chriſt was, and 'tis neceſſary for th
him that ſatisfieth, Prov. 20. 9. Chriſt's Sacrifice became expi- atory being offered by the eternal Spirit, #6. 9. 14. he having 0,7 born the Sins of Believers in his own natural Budy upon the y Croſs, and that by himſelf, there needs no ſupplements (could any be found) from others, Fob 1. 29. Heb. 1. 3, 8. 1 Pet. 2. 24. 1 Fohn 2. 2. To conceit there is any need of humane Satif- factions as ſupplies to Chriſt's Sufferings, is to croſs the Apoſtle's main drift here, verſe 12. 13, 14, 20, 22. he was far from ſa- tisfying for himſelf, Phil. 3. 9, 12. and ſhews that every one ſhall bear his own Burden, Gal. 6. 5. however he ſhould en- | deavour to honour Chriſt, and edifie his Church, 2 Cor. 12.
LO.
4
25 Whereof I am made a miniſter / according to UH $f 4 the diſpenſation of God z, which is given to me tor TOOTH LANES you, + * to fulfil the word of God #. + Or, fully _ SH.
to preach LIIhs of {See under what title he ſuffers for the Church, becauſe a mi- the word of | © 8 r n
nifter (in the more general acceptation of the word) as v. 23. not 294 *Rom-. L g-
(as one of the ancients ſaith) to give the price of Redemption but ate!"
to preach. He look'd not on his Apoſtleſhip as a domination, but 79+ WG if
miniftration, 2 Cor, 5. 18, and tho? in regard of his call he was TORLTT bf
an extraordinary Apoſtle, yet he (remembring his Maſters 4. |
Injuntion, Matthew 20, 26.) no more than Peer, did aftett Me bt. [5 O 2] dominion TEs.
Chap. TI.
* 2 Cor.
2.14.
* Rom 9.
27.
+ Or, a- M0rg ous
* Eph. 5.
27»