charge you, that ye do not make so unequal matches for yourselves, as to join yourselves in marriage with infidels.

VII. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Having therefore received such gracious promises of God's presence and fatherly respect to us, upon our separating from infidels and refraining from all communion with them, let us accordingly cleanse ourselves from all filthiness, both of soul and body; not only keeping our consciences free from those heathenish pollutions, but our bodies also from consorting with them; making up our perfect holiness every way, in the fear and obedience of God.

VII. 2. Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, &c.

Let not your hearts be any ways estranged from us; we have done no wrong to any man: if we have been sharp and severe in taxing that crime which was tolerated amongst you, it was but just that we said and did in it, &c.

VII. 3. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

I do not say this, as if I meant to lay any accusation upon you, that you have conceived such an injurious suspicion of me: for I have before professed how sincerely I love you, and how fervently and constantly; even so as I could be content, not only to live with you, but to die for you also.

VII. 5. Our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

We were extremely pressed, both with inward and with outward afflictions: without, we had bickerings with the enemies of the Church, Jews, Gentiles, false teachers; within, we were disquieted with fears of the miscarriages of our weak brethren, and the danger of the success of our adversaries.

VII. 7. And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me.

And, not by his coming only, but by the report and sight of those many and great consolations, which he received in and from you; when he informed us of your earnest desire to be approved of us, your mourning for this just cause of scandal, your fervent affection toward me.

VII. 8. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent.

For, though I did grieve you, with that sharp letter that I wrote unto you; yet now, I am not sorry for it; although I was sorry to think how much you would be troubled therewith.

VII. 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner.

Now I rejoice, not for your sorrow, but for the good issue and success of that sorrow of yours; that it was the occasion of the reforming of that fault, whereof I complained.

VII. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For godly sorrow worketh a repentance, never to be repented of, yea to be joyed in; such a repentance as leads to eternal salvation: but worldy sorrow doth but dry the bones, to no purpose; and, if it be suffered to prevail over the heart, ends in despair and death.

VII. 11. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, &c.

For, behold, this godly sorrow, that my letter occasioned in you, what good effects it hath wrought in you, what carefulness to redress this crime, what apologies for yourselves, of your hearty detestation of the fact, yea what indignation at so foul an abuse, &c.

VII. 12. I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

I did it not so much for any particular man's cause, either the offender's or any other party wronged: but that I might hereby give a proof to you of that exceeding great care, that I have of your good in the sight of God; and that you might be sufficiently, by this means, assured of it.

VII. 14. But as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

For, as all, that we spake to you concerning Titus, is well approved by you, to be true; even so all those holy boasts, that made of you to Titus, are by him found to be truth.

VII. 15. How with fear and trembling ye received him. With what reverence and awe of his ministry ye received him.

VII. 16. I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

I rejoice, therefore, that I find so good reason to be confident of your well-doing, in all things.

VIII. 2. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

How God hath blessed and honoured the Churches of Macedonia, with a double grace: both with much cheerfulness

and joy, in their great trials of afflictions; and with a rich liberality and contribution to the necessity of other saints, notwithstanding their own deep poverty.

VIII. 5. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. And this they did, far beyond our hope: first, giving themselves over to the Lord; and then, yielding themselves to be swayed and disposed of by our ministry, according to the will of God.

VIII. 6. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

Insomuch as we desired Titus, that, as he had begun to move you for your liberal contribution to the same purpose, so that he would follow it home and finish so good a work amongst

you.

VIII. 7. Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

Therefore, as ye abound in every other grace and virtue, in faith, and a zealous expression of it, &c. so also that ye abound in this liberal alms for the relief of other Churches, that are now pinched with want.

VIII. 8. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others.

I do not lay any imperious command upon you, to do thus; but I move and solicit you to it, upon occasion of others' forwardness.

VIII. 10. Who have begun before not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

Who have begun a year ago, not only to do something, but to profess your forwardness to do more, and to undertake a large collection for this use.

VIII. 12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

For God measures our alms, according to the mind of the giver: if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted of him, though it be never so small a gift; for he requires us not to give that, which we have not, but what we have, and in that proportion that we have; and accordingly accepts of what we thus give.

VIII. 14. That their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

That their abundance, when occasion shall be hereafter given, may, in way of requital, supply your wants; that so there may be a just equality of the gift and the retribution.

VIII. 15. As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

According to equality of proportion, which was in the gathering of the Manna in the Law: he, that had gathered much, had nothing more than his fellows, in the sharing of it; and he, that gathered little, had no less than they.

VIII. 18. And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches.

And we have sent with him that brother of ours, even Barnabas, which hath taken much pains for the planting and promoting of the Gospel, and hath justly won great estimation amongst all the Churches.

VIII. 19. To travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory &c.

To travel with us, and to carry this contribution which is raised by us to the glory &c.

VIII. 20. Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

I have sent Titus and Barnabas, for this purpose, that I might hereby take away all suspicion of retaining to myself ought of that abundance of money, which we have procured for this needful relief:

VIII. 21. Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Wherein we were careful to take that course, which might clear our reputation, both before God and men.

VIII. 22. And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

And we have sent with them Titus our brother, whom we have oftentimes, &c. but now much more officious in this service, upon that confidence which he sees I have in you; as knowing, that you will not frustrate my hope and assurance.

VIII. 23. They are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

They are the messengers sent for this purpose by the Churches, and such as by whom Christ hath been much glorified.

IX. 4. Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

I have often boasted of your liberality, in my speech with them of Macedonia: be ready, therefore, with your contribution; lest haply, if they of Macedonia should come with me to you, and find you unprepared, both we, that have boasted, and ye, of whom we have boasted, should be ashamed.

IX. 8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

VOL. IV.

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Neither do ye, in this your liberal contribution, make doubt of your own want, which may follow hereafter; for, be ye assured, that God, for whose sake ye give it, is able to furnish you with abundance of these and all other blessings; that ye always being all-sufficiently supplied by him, may, upon every occasion, give liberally to every good work.

IX. 9. As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: &c. See Psalm cxii. 9.

IX. 10. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

Now, I beseech that God, who is wont to requite abundantly all the good works of our beneficence, and to furnish the sower both with seed and increase, that he will provide liberally for you; and give you a plentiful harvest of the seed, which is thus sown by you; and multiply to you the fruits of this your just liberality.

IX. 15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Thanks be to God, for that grace of Christian bounty towards others, which he hath bestowed upon you; which is a gift of unspeakable value, and worthy of all thankful acknowledgment.

X. 1. Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

I have spoken to you for the poor; and now I solicit you for myself: I beseech you therefore, who might seem to have power to command, not by ought in me, but by the meekness and gentleness of Christ our Saviour; even I Paul beseech you, whose presence, as my adversaries say, is mean and contemptible amongst you, howsoever in my absence I take upon me to deal roundly with you:

X. 2. But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

But I beseech you, that ye will so order the matter, that I may not have cause, when I am present, to make use of that bold and free severity against you, which I purpose to use against some envious detractors, which think and speak of us, as if there were nothing in us but what they see; as if we used worldly craft and policy to get a hand over you.

X. 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

For, though we do indeed live in the flesh and are clothed about with this earthly body, yet we do not live carnally, nor make use of carnal and indirect means to advantage ourselves.