he looked upon himself as a dead man but when he had thus sentenced himself, a divine power, which wrought above all his thoughts and rational conjectures, reprieved him, and revived him. Hence learn, that the almighty power of God sometimes works beyond all creature expectations, beyond all human probabilities, beyond all rational conjectures, to help and deliver his people in hopeless and helpless troubles.

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us ;

Observe here, The deliverer, God; the delivered, St. Paul, and the saints that were in Asia with him; the deliverance itself, or the imminent and impending evil delivered from, death, great death, so great a death. Learn, 1. That in times of great and imminent danger, God, and God alone, is the immediate deliverer of his children and people. Learn, 2. That is the property of a gracious heart to magnify and enhance the deliverance of a gracious God: He hath delivered us from so great a death, &c. Learn, 3. That past and present experience of God's power and goodness towards his people may and ought to encourage them to trust in him for time to come: former experience ought to encourage us to future dependence; when we can say, God hath delivered, and doth deliver, let our faith add, In him we trust that he will yet deliver.

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Our apostle having commemorated the goodness and power of God in former deliverances, and expressed his assurance of present and future deliverances, doth in this verse excite and exhort the faithful at Corinth to help and further him with their prayers: You also helping together by prayer for us. Where observe, The humility of the apostle in desiring the people's prayers for himself. Such as are most eminent in gifts and office, yea, and in grace too, do really want, and heartily desire, the help and benefits of their prayers who are far inferior to them in the church of God. And verily the people do owe unto

their spiritual guides, as a debt of service, their earnest prayers for them; herein they are not only serviceable to them, but kind to themselves. Observe farther, The great reason why St. Paul was so desirous of the Corinthians' prayers; that deliverance and mercy being obtained thereby, praise and thanksgiving night be rendered to God on his behalf. Learn, That when by prayer any mercy is obtained by us, it is our duty by praise and thanksgiving to acknowledge the same to God. What is obtained by prayer, should be owned by thankfulness; God forbid we should be clamorous in asking favours, and dumb and tongue-tied in returning thanks.

12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

Observe here, 1. That though St. Paul did not put confidence and trust in his sincerity and christian grace, yet he did rejoice, and holily glory, in the evidence of his grace, and in the testimony of a sincere and upright conscience: Our rejoicing is this. Learn hence, That an holy glorying and rejoicing in the grace of God, which upon good and sufficient grounds we find evident in ourselves, is lawful and allowable. A christian may and ought to rejoice not only in the confidence of Christ's merits, but also in the conscience of his own sincerity. Observe, 2. The particular grace evidenced, which the apostle took comfort in his sincerity and godly simplicity; that is, his uprightness both of heart and life, his freedom from guile and hypocrisy. Thence note, That the conscience of sincerity is such a crown of rejoicing, as will support a christian's spirit under and against the greatest difficulties which may arise in any condition. This sincerity discovers itself in its acting by a right rule, from a right principle, and to a right end; and it supports a man's spirit in the duty of prayer under the burden of slander and reproach, in the dark night of affliction, in the disconsolate hour of death, and at the dreadful day of judgment. Observe, 3. That it is not a single act of sincerity, but a constant course of upright walking, that our apostle rejoiced and took comfort in: We have had our conversation in the world in all simpli

city and godly sincerity. It is not a single action, but a series of good actions, that administers comfort: as God doth not judge of our state and condition by a particular action, no more should we, but by the general bent of our resolutions, and the constant course and tenor of our conversations: Our rejoicing is this, that by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world.

13 For we write none other things unto you than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end:

The apostle having asserted his own sincerity and upright conversation in the former verse, he doth in this verse make his appeal to the consciences of the Corinthians for his justification. It is a good demonstration of our uprightness, when we can not only appeal to God as touching our sincerity, but dare appeal to the consciences of men; for if through prejudice they will not with their mouths vouch our integrity, yet secretly with their conscience they cannot but bear witness to it. Observe, 2. The apostle's having declared that he had his testimonials not only from his own conscience, but from theirs also; he adds, that he trusted this would hold and continue even to the end, that is, to the end both of his and their lives. As if the apostle had said, "My conversation hath hitherto been acknowledged by you to be sincere and upright; and I hope, as you shall never see it otherwise by me, so you will persevere and continue in your good opinion and right judgment concerning me to the end of your and my life.”

14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Observe here, 1. The great trial which St. Paul met with from the Corinthians, whose spiritual father he was: though he had served them with great faithfulness, yet they did acknowledge him but in part. There was a time when he was high in their esteem. Who but Paul! None but he! but now a great part leave him, and admire others. Learn hence, What great levity, fickleness, and inconstancy, may be found in good men in general; and what great mutability and changeableness of affection in particular to their ministers and spiritual guides, though never so sincere

and faithful. Although St. Paul, with a laborious diligence, and divine success, had planted and propagated the christian faith amongst them; yet now not only his person, but his very office, falls under contempt by many of them. None more than ministers do experience this truth, that nothing is so mutable as the mind of man. Though ministers are the same, and their message the same; though they continue burning and shining lights, though they burn out, and consume life, health, and estate, among and for their people; yet it is only for a season, for an hour, for a short time, at their first coming amongst them, that they rejoice in their light: You have acknowledged us in part. Observe, 2. That notwithstanding the contempt cast upon St. Paul by some in the church of Corinth, yet there were others among them who did greatly rejoice in him, and bless God for him, and he for them: We are your rejoicing, and ye are ours, as being converted by us; and I trust we shall be a farther joy and mutual rejoicing each to other in the day of our Lord Jesus. Learn hence, What unspeakable rejoicings and joyful congratulations there will be in the day of Christ, between laborious faithful ministers and their believing obedient hearers. "Lord! will the christian say, this was the blessed instrument, under God, of my happy illumination and conversion; by the blessing of the Spirit upon his ministry, my soul was begotten unto Christ." But on the other hand, if we be ignorant or lazy, unskilful or unfaithful, in our office, our people will come in against us as swift witnesses in the day of Christ: and, Lord, what an intolerable aggravation will it be of our misery in hell, to have any of our man! that sawest my soul in danger, but people thus upbraiding us! never dealt faithfully and plainly with me; the same time that we spent together in sin and vanity, in sensual mirth and jollity, might have been instrumental to save us both from this place of torment." Let ministers consider themselves as witnesses for God, and their people as witnesses for or against them; and under that consideration, so study, preach, and pray; so live, walk, and act, that they may, with this great apostle, take God to record, that they are free from the blood of all men.

"O cruel

15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

Observe here, 1. The apostle's steady purpose, and fixed resolution, to come and spend some time amongst the Corinthians: I was minded to come unto you. Where a faithful minister has good hopes and confidence of doing good amongst a people, there is great encouragement for coming to them, and abiding with them. When the ministers of Christ find that God has farther converting work, or edifying work, for them to do in a particular place amongst his people, they will not, they must not, yea, they dare not, forsake them for outward advantages. Observe, 2. The end of St. Paul's purpose and resolution to come unto them: That they might have a second benefit. The first benefit was their conversion, the second benefit was their confirmation; confirmation in the faith, and reformation both in life and manners. It is not sufficient that by our ministry we plant a church, and gather a people out of the world, by external and visible profession; but there is farther need of daily industry, and continual care to water what we have planted, to cultivate and dress that corner of our Lord's vineyard which is under our particular inspection and care. O that our people had hearts to cry out, and say, Lord! not the first time only, but the second, yea, all my life, make me partaker of this benefit.

16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judea.

Observe here, 1. How the heart of this holy apostle was carried forth in the service of God and souls, and how accordingly he orders all his journeys from one place to another, and determines his continuance and stay, longer in one place than another, as the glory of God, the advantage of the gospel, and the church's necessities, did require: I design to pass by you into Macedonia, &c. It is the duty of the ministers of Christ not only to lay out themselves for the glory of God, and the good of souls, but to project, forecast, and contrive how they may do it in the best and most advantageous manner, for the furtherance of the gospel. Yet, 2. Observe the difference between this extraordinary apostle then, and ordinary pastor of the church now. The apostles had an universal commission to plant churches in all places; they were to be in constant travels up and

down the world, itinerary preachers from place to place; but the office of an ordinary pastor now is, to watch over a particular flock, and to keep constant residence amongst them. Yet though by actual relation he is tied and bound to a particular flock, he is by habitual and aptitudinal disposition a minister of the universal church, and a debtor to the public good thereof. He is first made a minister in the universal church, and then a pastor of a particular congregation; and accordingly, though he seeks to serve the interest of his own flock first, yet it is his duty, by prayer, by study, by preaching, by writing, by all other edifying ways and methods, to promote the universal good and benefit of the whole church of Christ according to his power, both far and near.

17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay?

Here our apostle begins to make his apology and defence for himself, for changing his purpose in coming to Corinth according to promise, and to free himself from the imputation of levity, inconstancy, and falsehood, cast upon him by his back friends, the false apostles, for promising to come to Corinth, and not performing it; for they aggravated the matter so far, as if he were

one that said and unsaid, one that took no care about keeping his word; and thence inferred, that no regard was to be had to any thing that he delivered. "He that is not to be relied upon, say the false apostles, in his ordinary promises, how can you depend upon what he says to you in his preaching?" Hence learn, That lightness and inconstancy is a great sin and reproach in any, but especially in the ministers of the gospel, who yet are often charged with it, when they are in no degree guilty of it. Observe, 2. As our apostle frees himself from the charge of inconstancy, so from the suspicion of acting for worldly advantage: The things which I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh? that is, for carnal ends or secular interest, that with me there should be now, Yea, Yea, and anon, Nay, Nay? Behold here what truth and steadiness was found in and with our holy apostle; how his words and intentions, his tongue and his heart, his pen and his purpose, were one, namely, in reality