nore than meer knowing, it i3 a knowledge upon ſearch, and proof, j as Gold and Silver are known by the 1 onch-ſtone. tryctn the hearts of all men, yet eſpecia
the toregoing ; we ſpeak not as pleating mey, becauſe we know God tryeth our hearts. And this confirms what he ſaid before concerning his exhortation, that it was not of deceit, unc! had, he would have ſo preached as to pleaſe men; 'The Opinions,
the | Luſts, the PraQtices of men, In ſome caſes the A Po |
fe dit (cok to pleale |
And though God | r Ily ſuch as are intrufted with the |
—_ . . d Goſpe!, Or theic laſt words may have a more immediate reference to |
eannels, or guile, If it |
: He adds this to ihew that this was their general Practice « mong others as well as theſe Th-ſulomiaans, They were not pris of flattery, COVEtLOUS deſigns, or 1celc the Glory of men aivu'y
any Churches, or in any place, "Thelr praQtice ;n flicir Nutr, was uniform, and in all places upright and fincere. © 7 me Vet able to be in, or for & burd:n, Hebraiſm: By burilen bMe U'e: ſtand Authority, q. 4d," We might have uſed our Minilictal Ati rity more than we did, whereby to get greater honour and re* lpett to our perſons among you. And indecd all Authoiity ©
Honour haye their weight and burden, Others by bu
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rden, une
ſtand maintenance, And that he means we mi,,it —_—_ © : chargeable to you, according to the power #2v61 by - _ hom Eney 0!
s from them to w! they ot | hem forth in 5J#4'*, | be maintained
his Apoftles, to reap carnal thing, ed ſpiritual things. And at the firſt jending, t It was ſo ordained by Chriſt, that they thou! De 445 5A; the Peoples charge, lee 1 Cor, 9, But they were lo Far from +” and nels, that they took not all that was their due, and wat CE) m_— their outward ſubſtance, and from ſeeking thew 0%" os that they did not uſe what Authority they might 62 DT.
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- nurſe cheriiheth her children x,
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++ 2:n0ns them. For they laboured with their hands night and day, (that they might not he chargeable, ver, 9. Though they might ave challenged not Only maintenance, but honourable maintenance, ; Jim,
Go IT |
- But * we were gentle -| among you w, even as 4
w Ho next gives account of their carriage morc r7olitiyely : And acit ti ſpeaks of their gentleneſs among, them. + gm9, the Latin
-< it for vim infants, we were as Intantsto you, as Nurles are Infants with their Infants, and Children with Children. I his 1s one of the Fruits of the Spirit, Gat. <, 22. It ſtands oppofite to zor0{tne!t, aufterity, and roughneſs or temper, and is commen- table in all, cſpzcially Miniſters, 2 71m, 2, 24. And- was eminent in Chriſt, as wes Prophetied of him, ſa. 40, 11, and 42, 3. and the contrary he reproveth in Fames and Fobn, Luke g. 54. It ſprings rom Humility, Neeknefs, and Patience, as the contraries, Pride, Patton, and FrowardneS, In ſome calſcs ſharpnels and ſeverity may ful, prudence is co dirett therefore our Carriage, © The iz had now to do with young Converts, and under the Try- © Perſecution, and not Apoftates, and obſtinate Sinners, againft
': 3 oe. 5 i ©
i”
hom we find he was ſometimes ſevere and ſharp, as Fude requi- :c, ver, 22, 23. x And he repreſents this gentlenels by that of 1 Nurle to her Children; not of an hired Nurſe, but a Mother Nurſe, Numb. 11, 12, who uſeth all tenderneſs towards them, bcareth with their frowardneſs, condeſcends to the meanett Othces and Employments, and draws out her Breaſts to them, and lays then 1a her Botom, and ' all this to cheriſh them. And ſhe doth: this not out of hope of gain, but out of motherly affettion, Thus faith the Apoftle, were we gentle among vou- As he convert- & them to Chriſt, he was their Spiritual Father, but his gentle- nels was like that of a Mother, nurſing her own Children, He conſulered their weakne(s in their firſt believing, and bore with it ; their many Infirmities, Temptations, Affitions that were upon them, had compaſſion over them, and ſapported them under them, aid cheritht them with the fincere Milk of Goſpel Truths; and + &i1 all this not for gain,. but out of fincere Affettion, and willing mal, Some extend the word, we render Nurſe, to brute Creatures Ciinictves, epecially Birds who hatch, and then cheriſh their young with the warmth of their own body, and care in feeding them ; Tpoges, tbo word bignihies a feeder, and fo may have a more general fignifica- tion, tee Fob 39. 14s
$ So being affectionately deſirous of you y, we were willing to have imparted to you not the goſpel of God only, but alſo * our own Souls, becauſe ye were dear
- unto us <,
y A further account of their behaviour among them. The former verſe ſhewed their great gentleneſs, this their great loye; expreſt frſt in their affeCtionate deſire of them 3 as the Latrzz Phraſe, Cu- pidiſimus fut imports, love to the Perſon, And it was the = of their Salvation, firſt in their believing, and then perſeverance and progreſs in Faith, Tt was themſelves, and not their Goods they deſired, as Part cliewhere faich, We ſeek not yours, but you, Secondly, In the effec of it, which was imparting the Goſpel to them; whereby they might be fave ; which is amplified by two things. 1, That they dic this willingly, not out of meer neceffity, with a backward mind ; the word is evSx#wep, we were well-pleaſed to preach, and with compla- cence of mind, 2, That they were willing to impart their ſouls to them z that is, to hazard their lives for them in preaching to them, as Ats 16, "The ſame word fiznifieth both the Soul and Life. And hc that dies tor another, gives his Life to them. Or it may refer to cir labours and hardſhips, wherchy they endangered their Lives for them, labouring night and day, vr, 9, Others underftand the words
vly as an expreſſion of their great affettion to them ; a man imparts