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. 11. I am become a fool in glorying, yee have compelled mee: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles, though I bee nothing.

The second part of the Chapter contains his glorying in the manifestation of his Apostleship powerfully and sin∣cerely administred amongst the Corinthians: Hee clears this glorying from that folly which some might object, laying the fault upon the Corinthians, from whose neglect the necessity of the Apostles glorying did arise: For they ought to assert his dignity against the false Apostles. Hee saies, I ought to bee commended by you, or it was your part to defend mee: hee brings nine Reasons of this Proposition, and also of his glorying.

For in nothing] Reason 1. Because although the A∣postle was nothing in himself, yet by the Grace of God hee was not inferiour to the chief Apostles, the Corin∣thians being his witnesses: Therefore hee ought to bee defended and commended by them.

Vers. 12. Truly the Signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Reason 2. Confirming the former. Because amongst you the signs of my Apostleship appear, partly in my patient enduring of labours, troubles and injuries, partly in the effects and signs of my Apostleship, in miracles and powerful works: Therefore I ought to bee commended by you.

Vers. 13. For what is it wherein yee were inferiour to other Churches, except it bee that I my self was not burdensome to you? forgive mee this wrong.

Reason 3. Because the Corinthian Church is endowed with such illustrious gifts of the Holy Ghost, by my Mi∣nistery, as any other Church, founded either by o∣ther Apostles, or by my self: Therefore my Ministery ought to bee defended by you.

Except it bee that] Reason 4. Because his zeal in propagating the Gospel amongst them, was so great, that hee preached the Gospel to the Corinthians freely, wherein if there was any wrong, by a civil Irony hee asks pardon, intimating the benefit which was vouch∣safed to them: Therefore hee ought to bee defended by them.

Vers. 14. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not bee burdensom to you, for I seek not yours, but you: for the Children ought not to lay up for the Parents, but the Parents for the Chil∣dren.

Reason 5. Confirming the former. Because the Apostle was still of the same mind towards them, not to take any wages of them for the future, when hee shall come to them, for now hee prepared himself for comming the third time, although his second in∣tention

to come was hindered, As it is 1 Corinth. 1.

Yours] Reason 6. Confirming the former. Because hee sought the salvation of the Corinthians, and not to convert their goods to his own proper use: Therefore they ought to defend him.

For I seek not] Reason 7. Because although hee bee their spiritual Father, who ought to bee nourished by his folk or his children, yet hee endeavoured to imitate na∣tural Parents, who ordinarily lay up for their children. Otherwise if the Parents bee in want, it is not to bee doubted, but children ought to do their mutual duties to their Parents, and to honour them by nourishing them.

Vers. 15. And I will very gladly spend, and bee spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be beloved.

Reas. 8. Because hee was ready to spend his goods and life it self for their salvation, which vehement love hee amplifies from the ingratitude of the Corinthians, who in the mean while did not make return of his love, but re∣ceived the false Apostles, his Emulators, and made more of them, than the Apostle himself, their Father.

Vers. 16. But bee it so: I did not burden you: ne∣vertheless being crafty, I caught you with guile.

17. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

18. I desired Titus, and with him I sent a Brother: did Titus make a gain of you? walked wee not in the same Spirit? walked wee not in the same steps?

Reason 9. In which hee prevents an objection; some might say, although thou thy self hast not received of them wages, yet perhaps thou hast drawn much from them by those whom thou ••ast sent. Hee answers, that his companions and Embassadors, which hee had sent to the Corinthians, have taken the same care, lest they should burthen the Corinthians. But by the way hee checks his adversaries, whilst hee clears himself from those arts which those crafty workmen did use, who when they would seem to receive nothing themselves, did sub∣born others, who should receive for their use whatsoever they could squeeze from the Corinthians: Therefore the Corinthians ought to defend Paul, and stop the mouths of his accusers in his absence.