of worldly prudence, or shew any dread of exceeding a fair proportion in this matter; but the Apostle could testify that they had voluntarily exerted themselves to the utmost of their power, yea, their inclination went beyond their ability. Instead of pleading their deep poverty as a reason for doing nothing, they seemed to forget their own necessities in their anxious care of others: 4. "With much entreaty (xaganos) praying us that we would receive the gift, even (xx) the communion of the ministry (or ser vice, dianovias) to the saints." The Apostle seems to have been apprehensive lest they should injure themselves, and scarcely leave a sufficiency for the supply of their own wants; he appears to have felt a reluctance to receive at least the whole sum which they had collected; but they would take no denial; they were grieved that he should even hesitate to comply with their wishes; they were afraid of being deprived of the luxury of doing good; they pressed their bounty upon him, and prayed that they might be allowed to share in the delightful fellowship of ministering to the saints.

5. In all this, they far exceeded the most sanguiné expecta tions of the Apostle: "And not as we hoped, or expected (ov nakus Aμ), but first gave themselves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God." There is an obscurity attaching to the first clause of this verse. M'Knight renders it, "not as we feared;" that is, the Macedonians did not, as the Apostle apprehended, plead their inability and poverty as an excuse for not contri buting; but the word, is never used in this sense in the New Testament. Parkhurst, with others, proposes to insert the word voy before the verb, and to read, "This they did not merely as we hoped;" so the French translators render the passage, "Et ils n'ont pas seulement fait ce que nous avions espéré d'eux." This renders the sense clear. Not only had they surrendered themselves at first to Christ, when they turn ed from their dumb idols to the faith and obedience of the Gospel, but in this instance, they first submitted themselves to him by the will of God, that they, their property, talents, and influence might be disposed of to his glory; and then they surrendered themselves to the Apostle, to be guided by him, in all respects, as should be most agreeable to the divine will. By mentioning the alacrity of the poor Macedonians, the sacred writer obliquely reproves the backwardness of the Corinthians, who were free from persecution, and placed in opulent circumstances.

6. The amiable conduct of these christians had produced such an impression on the Apostle's mind, that he could not help proposing it as an example to the church at Corinth. He was unwilling that they should be outdone by their poorer brethren; and he therefore requested Titus to pay them a second visit, for the purpose of hastening their contributions. He accordingly adds," so that we exhorted Titus, that as he had before begun (omegro) so he would finish in you (us pas) the same grace (or gift, xag) also." This minister, during his former visit, had happily commenced this good work among them; but the contribution was still unfinished when he left them, and the Apostle thought he would be the most suitable person to bring it to a prosperous issue. The church at Corinth was already distinguished by every variety of spiritual gifts; and Paul would not have them fall short of other churches, in the exercise of Christian beneficence: 7. "Therefore, (aλλa) as ye abound in every thing ( a, in every gift,) in faith, and in utterance, and in knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, (see) that ye abound in this grace also." They excelled in a firm persuasion of the truth of the Gospel (l) and in a realizing sense of the glory and certainty of eternal things; they had many individuals among them endowed with the gift of tongues, and with eminent powers of utterance (λoy), for the instruction of others. They possessed a knowledge of the mysteries of Christ (you) above many. They shewed the greatest diligence (rrovon) in promoting the interests of divine truth, and in restoring, by a wholesome discipline, the purity of the church; nor were they deficient in their attachment to the Apos tle as their spiritual father; and he wished them also to abound in the duty of brotherly love, without which all other gifts would profit them nothing, (1 Epis. chap. xiii.) We have already endeavoured to ascertain the nature of the spiritual endowments here enumerated, (1 Epis. chap. xii. 8-10.)

In saying this, he did not mean authoritatively to enjoin, what sum of money each individual should give: this must be left to his own judgment; and the whole must appear to be the spontaneous effect of christian principle; but he took occasion from the diligence of their brethren in Macedonia, to provoke them to emulation, and in this manner to ascertain by experiment, whether they indeed felt that sincere affection for him which they

professed: 8. "I speak not by commandment (xar Exam, quasi imperans-Vulg. as an injunction, McKnight) but on account of (dia) the readiness (ovdas) of others, and as trying the genuineness of your love, (ymotor doxicalar)." As a farther inducement, he would only remind them of the condescension and goodness of their divine Redeemer, of which they had often heard, and in which they professed to believe: 9. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich (s), for your sake he became poor, that ye by his poverty might be made rich." Here we have an explicit declaration of the supreme glory of our Saviour, in his pre-existent state: He was infinitely rich in the possession of divine honours, in his own essential sufficiency as God, and in the dominion of the universe, which was created and sustained by his power; yet he voluntarily emptied himself of his original dignity, and appeared in the form of a servant, submitting to a life of poverty, reproach, hardship, and suffering, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, (Taxives, he made himself poor.) It was his choice to be born of a poor virgin, to be laid in a manger, and to labour with his own hands. Though he was Lord of all, he had not where to lay his head. To this humiliation, he stooped for the sake of poor, sinful, and perishing men, who had rebelled against him, and had forfeited all claim to his favourable regard; and his merciful design was, that they, through his poverty, that is, by virtue of his sufferings and death, might not only be redeemed from endless woe, but enriched with all the blessings of grace,, and glory,-pardon, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life. This passage is exactly parallel with the account of our Saviour's humiliation, in Philip. ii. 5-11.; there he is represented as being in the form of God, before he appeared in the likeness of men. Nothing can be more futile, than the attempts of the Socinians to explain away these proofs of the pre-existence and deity of Christ. His being rich, must refer to his glory as a divine person antecedently to his incarnation. It cannot apply to him during his abode on earth. To explain it of his possessing miraculous powers, is to trifle with the common sense of the reader, and only exposes the weakness of that cause which must be supported by such evasions. Does not our Lord himself speak of the glory which he had with the Father, before the world was? (Johii. 5.) And do we not read that that Divine Word which

was in the beginning with God, became flesh and dwelt among us? (chap. i. 1, 14.) Merely to say, that our Saviour did not employ his miraculous powers to enrich himself, is to say nothing more than what is true of all the apostles and prophets; but to inform us, that He who was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God, took on him the form of a servant, and became obedient to the death of the cross, affords the most glorious instance of compassion and love which the world ever saw. Nothing could be more to the Apostle's purpose. If the Corinthians really had just impressions of such unparalleled goodness, they could not surely refuse those small sacrifices which they were called on to make, on behalf of their suffering brethren; and this inference is so obvious, that the Apostle does not think it necessary formally to announce it, but leaves it to their own judgment. He would therefore advise them to make up their contributions without further delay: 10. "And herein ( TOUTN) I give my opinion (youn), for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be willing a year ago (ano Tiguri)." It was for their own advantage (ovμigu) that he urged this point; he knew he was addressing persons who had, long ago, manifested unusual alacrity in this labour of love. If, therefore, they had any regard to their reputation, they ought not to lose any more time in making up their collection. He now begged they would carry their intention into effect, that their actual contributions might bear some proportion to their professed seal, and to their respective ability. 11. "Now, therefore, finish (a) the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may also be to accomplish, out of that which ye have." The readiness to perform would thus correspond with the readiness to resolve ;-το ποιησαι is opposed to το θέλειν.

REFLECTIONS.

1. There are many calls, in the present day, for the exercise of christian benevolence. Let us emulate the example of the churches of Macedonia, who, out of their deep poverty, displayed the richest liberality. How few are there who give according to their ability-who are willing of themselves, and who earnestly desire opportunities of ministering to the saints!" All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's;" and many who begin to

will, with apparent alacrity, are lamentably deficient in the perfor mance of virtuous actions. Let us see that we love, "not in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth;" but let our first care be to give ourselves to the Lord; otherwise we may give all our goods to feed the poor, and it will profit us nothing.

2. Observe how every precept of the New Testament is enforced by evangelical motives. Are we commanded to love one another? It is because Christ also loved us, and gave himself as a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour. Are we enjoined to forgive one another? It is because God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us. Are we exhorted to the exercise of benevolence? We are reminded of the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, for our sake became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich." He, therefore, who hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John iii. 17.)

SECTION SECOND.-VERSES 12-24.

SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

THE Apostle had exhorted the Corinthians, to make up, as soon as possible, the collection which they had begun nearly a year before, for the poor christians in Judea, and had adduced, for their encouragement, the noble example of the Macedonian churches. In doing this, he further intimates, that no member of the church ought to be discouraged, though his circumstances might not permit him to give as much as others: 12. "For if a willing mind be first present (ει γαρ ή προθυμία προκειται), a man is accepted (sugordinτos), according to what he hath, not according to what he hath not." The first clause is well rendered by the Vulgate, "Si enim voluntas prompta est." In all contributions of this nature, the great prerequisite is readiness of mind, inclining the individual to give from a sense of the goodness of God, from an experimental knowledge of the value of the Gospel, and from love to the brethren, for Christ's sake; and the rule of acceptance in these