An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

The Second Part.

Vers. 12. For wee dare not make our selves of the num∣ber, or compare our selves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves, and com∣paring themselves amongst themselves, are not wise.

The second part of the Chapter follows, wherein hee discovereth the vanity of those that praise themselves, who did so exalt themselves, as if the Apostle durst not equal himself with them. The Apostle compares himself with these in a five-fold dissimilitude.

First, Wee humbly and modestly carrying our selves, surely wee are not like them, who ambitiously and boast∣ingly insult over us (as if wee were not to bee compared with them) commending themselves above that which the thing it self doth admit them to bee commended.

Are not] 2. They shew their own foolishness, mea∣suring themselves by their own esteem, making them∣selves great in their own judgement, and of some like un∣to themselves; wee avoid this vanity.

Vers. 13. But wee will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule

which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

14. For wee stretch not our selves beyond our measure, as though wee reached not unto you, for wee are come as far as to you also, in preaching the Gospel of Christ.

3. Wee do not boast beyond the measure and rule of our gifts and calling, as if wee were sent to preach to those whom wee are not sent to, but wee keep our selves within the measure of our Apostolical calling, assigned to us by God, which allows our preaching to you Corinthi∣ans, who by our means were converted to the Faith: Our Emulators do not so contain themselves, but run to those to whom they are not sent, and do boast above the measure of gifts, and divine benediction upon their la∣bours.

Vers. 15. Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other mens labours, but having hope, when your faith is encreased, that wee shall bee enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16. To preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond you, and not to boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hand.

4. Wee do not boast in the labours of others, as if wee had converted to the Faith those which wee have not con∣verted, as our Emulators, who boast in you Corinthians, which they have not converted; but wee hope, that after you are further stablished in the Faith, that yee may bee confident, and also endeavour to propagate our Gospel, and deal with your neighbours, that they may hear my preaching: For verily I hope that the borders of our Mi∣nistery through you will bee more abundantly inlarged, and that according to the rule of my calling, to whom the Apostleship to the Gentiles is committed. I hope, I say, it will come to pass, that wee may preach the Gospel also in those Regions which are beyond us, that I shall not need to boast in another mans harvest, prepared by the labours of other men, as the false Apostles now do boasting in you, whom I have converted to Salvation, not they.

Vers. 17. But hee that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

5. This hee propoundeth by way of precept. I an A∣postle will boast only in the Lord, not in evil things, not in feigned, or false, nor in the gifts of God as mine, not in my self, as my Emulators do boast in themselves, but as the Lord will allow mee, in God alone.

Vers. 18. For not hee that commendeth himself is ap∣proved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

Hee gives the reason of this, because no man is appro∣ved that commends himself out of his own opinion, but hee that is approved of God, and receiveth testimony from him: The trial of this rule the Emulators of the Apostle could not abide.