15 your want, so that there may be an equality. As it is written, He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little did not fall short."*

16

17 for you

Now thanks be to God, who putteth the same earnestness in the heart of Titus. For he indeed received an exhortation, but from an extraordinary earnestness he was going 18 to you of his own accord. Now with him we have sent the 19 brother whose praise is by the gospel throughout all the con

gregations. And not only so, but he hath been chosen by the congregations to accompany us with this bounty; the distribu20 tion of which we have undertaken for the glory of the Lord 21 and your readiness, using this precaution that none may

IX.

blame us in the distribution of this large sum; being careful to conduct ourselves well, not only in the sight of the Lord, 22 but also in the sight of men. And with them we have sent that brother of ours whose diligence in many affairs we have many a time experienced, and who is now more than ordinarily intent on this from the great confidence which he hath in you. 23 Now with regard to Titus, he is my partner and fellow labourer for you; and as for our brethren, they are messengers 24 of congregations, a glory of Christ. Display therefore for them, and for the view of these congregations, the demonstration of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf. For with regard to the contribution itself, which is for the saints, 2 it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I know the forwardness of your minds, and boast of it on your behalf to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago. And this zeal 3 of yours hath been a spur to the multitude. Now I have sent these brethren, that this boast of ours on your behalf may not, 4 in this instance, be vain-that, as I said, you may be ready prepared; lest if some Macedonians should come with me and 5 find you unprepared, we, not to say you, may be put to the blush for this confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort these brethren to go before to you, and to get your bounty, of which you had given previous notice, completed before hand, that so it may be ready as a

6 bounty, not as an extorted gift. Now considering this, that he who soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and that he who 7 soweth bountifully will reap bountifully, let every one give

as he is predisposed in his heart, not with regret, nor reluct 8 ance; for God loveth a cheerful giver: and God is able to make every bounty redound to your advantage.

That you having always a sufficiency in every thing, may 9 abound to every good work, (as it is written, "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness shall endure for10 ever;*" and may He who furnisheth abundantly seed for the

sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed, and 11 increase the products of your righteousness!) you are enriched in every thing for every act of bounty, which operateth through us to produce thanksgiving to God.

12

Because the distribution of this religious offering not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but also superaboundeth with 13 many thanksgivings to God-(by the experience of this distribution they glorify God for your avowed subjection to the glad tidings of the Christ;) therefore, for the liberality of this con14 tribution for them and for all; and for the supplication which is made for you by them who love you on account of the su 15 pereminent favour of God for you, thanks be to God for this his unspeakable gift.

X. Now I Paul myself exhort you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, (I "who when present am indeed lowly 2 among you, but being absent am bold towards yout") and I pray this, that I may not when I am present presume upon that confidence, with which I lay my account to act boldly against some who reckon us as walking after the flesh. For walking 3 in flesh, not after the flesh, we are carrying on a war (the wea 4 pons of our warfare being indeed not carnal but mighty

through God for the demolition of fortifications) demolishing 5 surmises and every mount raised against the knowledge of God, and bringing every sentiment captive to the obedience

*Ps. 112. 9. This which I have marked as a quotation, I take to be a reflection thrown upon him by his opponents at Corinth, and in v. 10, a continuation of it.

6 of the Christ; and being in a state of readiness to punish eve. ry act of disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

7

9

Consider what is before you. If any one is confident in himself that he is Christ's; let him again reckon this from himself, that as he himself is Christ's, so we also belong to 8 Christ. For though I should boast even somewhat more of this power of ours, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I shall not be put to shame. In order that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by 10 my letters, ("For his letters, saith one, are indeed weighty and 11 strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his words contemptible,") let such a one reckon upon this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will actually be in deed when we are present. For we do not presume 12 to rank or compare ourselves with some of them who commend themselves, but are not aware that they are measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with 13 themselves. As for us we will not boast of things not measur

ed out to us; but according to the measure of the rule of measure which God measured out to us to have come even to 14 you; for we did not stretch ourselves out beyond bounds as

not reaching you; for even to you we came the first with the 15 glad tidings of the Christ; not into what were not measured 16 out to us, boasting in other men's labours; but having a hope,

on your faith being increased, to be by you farther enlarged, according to our allotment to publish the good tidings in the 17 regions beyond you; not in another's allotment-in places ready prepared, for the sake of boasting. But let him who boasteth, boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commendeth himself, who is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth.

XI. I wish you would bear with me a little in this folly. Do 2 but bear with me; for I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy. For I fitted you for one husband only, that I might pre3 sent you as a chaste virgin to the Christ; but I am afraid lest by some means as the serpent by his subtilty deceived Eve, 4 so your affections should be corrupted from their singleness for the Christ. For if indeed he who cometh, proclaimeth another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed; or if you receive

another spirit which you have not received, or other glad 5 tidings than what you have accepted, you did well in bearing. 6 For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the chiefest apostles; and though I am but RUDE in speech, yet I am not in knowledge: but in every respect we have been manifested to you in all things.

7 Did I commit a fault in abasing myself that you might be

exalted, because I proclaimed the glad tidings of God to you 8 gratis? I took spoil of other congregations, having received 9 wages for my attendance on you. Even when present with you, and in want, I was burthensome to no one; for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my want, so that I 10 kept myself from being in any wise burthensome to you, and I will continue to do so. It is a truth of Christ in me that 11 this boasting shall not be stopped against me in the regions of 12 Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knoweth

that what I do and will do is that I may cut off the advantage of those who are wishing for an advantage-that in what they 13 boast, they may be found acting as we do: For such as they 14 are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves

into apostles of Christ. Nor is this to be wondered at; for Sa15 tan himself putteth on the appearance of an angel of light: No wonder, then, if his ministers transform themselves to appear like ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.

16

Again, I say, let not a certain person think me a fool; but if he should, bear ye however with me as a fool, that I also may 17 boast a little. What I am going to say, I do not say according to the Lord, but as with folly on the subject of this boasting. 18 Since many boast after the flesh, let me also boast. For wise 19 as you are, you easily bear with fools; for you bear, if one en20 slaveth you; if one devoureth; if one receiveth; if one exalteth . himself; if one openly insulteth you.

21

In regard to reproach; as, "That we are weak"-I say 22 that on whatever any one can presume (I speak foolishly) I can

do the same. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israel23 ites? So am I. Are they of the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak with an excess of folly)

I am more so-more abundant in labours; far surpassing in

1

24 stripes; more frequent in imprisonments, often in deaths. Of the Jews I five times received forty stripes save one. Thrice 25 I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Thrice I have 26 been shipwrecked. In the deep I spent a whole night and day. On journeys I have been frequently in dangers from rivers; in dangers from robbers; in dangers from my country27 men; in dangers from foreign nations; in dangers in cities; in dangers in a wilderness; in dangers at sea; in dangers among false brethren: In toil and fatigue, in watchings many a time, 28 with hunger and thirst; in fastings many a time, with cold and nakedness. Beside these things from without, I have this disturbance daily crowding upon me-the anxious care of all 29 the congregations. Who is weak and I not weak? Who is 30 offended and I not inflamed? If I must boast, let me boast of 31 things regarding my weakness. The God and Father of our 32 Lord Jesus Christ--the self-existent, ever blessed being

knoweth that I do not lie. At Damascus the governor under 33 king Aretas posted guards in the city of the Damascenes, with a design to seize me, whereupon I was let down in a basket, through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. XII. To me indeed it is of no advantage to boast; for I will 2 come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ, that fourteen years ago such a one was suddenly conveyed to the third heaven, (whether in the body I do not 3 know or out of the body I do not know, God knoweth) and I 4 know that such a man was suddenly conveyed to paradise

(whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knoweth) and he heard unutterable things which it is out of 5 the power of man to express. For such a one I may boast, 6 but for myself I will not boast, except of my infirmities.

Though should I indeed have a mind to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I will speak truth. But I forbear, lest any should 7 ascribe to me beyond what he seeth me, or heareth. of me. Indeed that I might not be too much elated by the astonishing greatness of these revelations, there was given me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of satan to buffet me, that I might 8 not be too much elated. For this I besought the Lord thrice, 9 that it might depart from me. Whereupon he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is perfected in