8 Ev παντι θλιβομενοι, ξέμενοι, αλλ' ૪૮ ૬૦PL μενοι 8 We are troubled on every fide, yet not diftrefled; αλλ' ε ςενοχωρεμένοι απο we are perplexed, but not in defpair; lighted lamps in earthen pitchers, when they attacked the Midianites. But others, with more probability, fuppofe the allufion is to the ancient method of hiding treasures of money in earthen veffels, or pots. The apostles are called earthen veffels, for the reafons to be mentioned in note 3, on this verse. 2. The excellency of the power. The power by which the gospel was established in the world, confifted, First, in the excellency of its doctrines, precepts, and promifes; all of them perfectly agreeable to the condition and neceffities of mankind, and to the character of God their author, though many of them in the eye of the heathens, appeared abfolute foolishness. Secondly, in the great miracles by which the apostles proved their miffion from God, and in the fpiritual gifts which they imparted to their difciples, for the confirmation of their faith in the gospel. Thirdly, in the bleffing of God, which every where accompanied the preaching of the gospel, in fuch a manner as to difpofe mankind to receive it. But the greatnefs of this power, can only be estimated by the greatness of the obftacks which it had to remove, and by the greatness of the effects which it then produced. No fooner was the gospel preached in any country, whether barbarous or civilifed, than great numbers forfook idolatry, and devoted themfelves to the worship of the true God. Moreover, instead of wallowing as formely in fenfuality, and practifing all manner of wickednefs, they became remarkably holy. But it is evident, that before fuch an entire change in the faith of any heathen could take place, the prejudices of education were to be overcome; the example of parents, relations, and teachers, was to be fet afide; the reproaches, calumnies, and hatred of perfons moft dear to the convert, were to be difregarded; the refentment of magistrates, pricfts, and all whose interests were any how connected with the established religion, was to be borne; in fhort, the ties of blood and friendship were to be broken; confiderations of ease and intereft were to be filenced; nay the love of life itself was to be catt out; all which were obftacles to the heathens changing their faith, next to infurmountable.-With refpect to the change which was produced by the gofpel, in the temper and manners of thefe men, it is certain that before this could be accomplished, their lufts and paffions must have been fubdued; which, when ftrengthened by inveterate habit, as was the cafe, with most of the converts from among the heathens, could not be overcome by any natural power, which the first preachers of the gospel can be supposed to have poffeffed. 3. Might be God's, and not belonging to us. All the apoftles, except Paul, being men of low birth, they had not the advantage of a learned education all of them before they became apostles, spent their lives in laborious occupations: none of them in their own country had any office in the ftate, to clothe them with authority: and when they went : among I 8 WE ARE pressed on every SIDE, but not flraitened; perplexed, but not in despair; 2 3 8 The power by which we are preferved is from God; for we are prefed on every fide by our enemies, but not ftraitened so as to be unable to continue the combat ; ftunned by the blows we receive, but not in defpair of obtaining the victory; per among the Gentiles, having no retinue to defend them, they were liable every hour to be broken or deftroyed by their enemies. Well, therefore, might Paul call himself and his brethren apoftles, earthen vessels, into which the treasure of the gofpel was put.-Now being fuch fons, can any impartial judge fuppofe them to have been the authors of the gofpel. It was a fcheme of religion far above their ability to contrive. They must therefore have received it by infpiration from God, as the apostles themselves with one voice all along declared.—Next, in relation to the conversion of the world, confidering what hath been faid above, concerning the number and greatnefs of the obftacles which were to be removed, before any heathen embraced the gofpel, no candid fearcher after truth can fancy, that a few ftrangers of the loweft rank in life, coming from a diftant despised nation, and who, befides, were naturally ignorant of the languages of the people they were to addrefs, could prevail with any number of men, and far lefs with multitudes in every country, to renounce their native religion, embrace the gofpel, and forfake their evil practices, merely by the power of words. So total an alteration in the minds and manners of mankind, certainly could not be accomplished by any natural means in the power of the apoftles, but must have been produced by the agency of God accompanying their preaching, and confirming their doctrine by great and evident miracles, as the Chriftian records teftify. We therefore conclude with the apostle Paul, that the treasure of the gospel was committed to earthen veffels; that is, to perfons of low birth, deftitute of literature, and of every thing which could give them influence with mankind, and utterly unable by their own power to defend themselves against their enemies, on purpose that the excellence of the power by which the gospel was contrived, and the world was perfuaded to embrace it, might plainly appear to belong to God, and not to them. See I Cor. i. 27. note. 1 Tim. iii. 16. note 6. Ver. 8.-1. We are pressed on every fide. In this and what follows to verse 10. the apoftle is fuppofed to allude to the combats in the Grecian games. When therefore he fays, Boμevo, we are pressed on every fide, he reprefents himself and the other apoftles, as wrestlers who were hard preffed by the ftrong gripes of their adverfaries. 2. But, & voxwpapevol, not traitened, so as not to be able to continue the combat. For soxapoda, to be fraitened in wrestling, is to be fo fqueezed in the arms of one's antagonist, as to be vanquished. In the Syriac and Arabic verfions it is, and not fuffocated. See Ifaiah xxviii. 20. LXX. Στενοχωρεμενοι & δυνάμεθα μάχεσθαι. 3. Per 9 Perfecuted, but not forfaken; caft down, but not deltroyed ; 10 Always bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jefus, that the life allo of Jefus might be made manifeft in our body. II For we which live, are alway delivered unto death for Jefus fake, that the life alfo of Jefus might be made manifeft in our mortal fefh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the fame fpirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I fpoken : we Ο Διωκόμενοι, αλλ' εκ εδ καταλειπομενοι καταβαλλομενοι, αλλ' εκ απολλυμένοι 10 Παντοτε την νεκρωσιν το Κύριε Ιησε εν τω σωματι περιφεροντες, ἵνα και ἡ ζωη το Ιησε εν τω σωματι ήμων Φανερώθη. 11 Αει γαρ ήμεις οι ζωντες, εις θανατον παραδιδομεθα δια Ιησεν, ἵνα και ζωη τε Ιησε φανερώθη εν τη θνητη σαρκι ἡμων. 3. Perplexed, but not in defpair. The word απορεμενοι, tranflated per plexed, fignifies perfons involved in evils, from which they know not how to extricate themfelves. If the apoftle had the combat of boxing, πυγμής in his eye, the word perplexed will denote, to be stunned with the blows of one's adverfary. Accordingly the Syriac version has here, conquafamur, we are faken or ftunned, but, εκ εξαπορεμενοι, not in defpair. This word commonly fignifies, to be reduced to defpair by the impoffibility of efcaping. Here it denotes to despair of victory. Ver. 9. -- I. Purfued, but not utterly for faken. The critics, who think the apoftle alluded here to the combat of the race, tranflate the claufe thus, Purfued, but not left behind. The propriety however of that allufion does not appear, as the apostle's enemies could not be faid to contend with him, in the Chriftian race. 2. Thrown down, but not killed. Though they were thrown down * by their adverfaries, they were not by the fall, either killed, or difabled from rifing and continuing the combat. This is supposed to be an allufion to the Pancratium. Ver. 11.-1. For always, we who live. Taylor thinks Ημεις, δι ζώντες, may be tranflated, We the livers ; an appellation which the apoftle gave to himfelf and to his brethren on account of their hope of eternal II For always we who live, are expofed to death, for the fake of preaching the refurrection of Jefus, that the life alfo of Jefus fince his refurrection, may be manifefted in our weak flesh, by his preferving us alive, amidst the dangers to which we are expofed. 12 So that death verily worketh ftrongly in us, he attacks us in various forms, but fpiritual life worketh in you, by the afflictions we fuftain for the ftrengthening of your faith. 13 Yet though we thus expose ourselves, it need not furprise you; because having the fame ftrong faith which David fhewed, according to what is written, I believed God's life. But I rather think the apoftle is here affigning a reafon for God's expofing him and the reft continually to death; namely, that the power of God might be manifefted in their prefervation. 2. Are expofed to death for the fake of Jefus. Probably the apoftle's enemies affirmed, that the evils which he and the reft fuffered for preaching the refurrection of Jefus, was a proof that Jefus was not rifen; because if he were alive, and poffeffed the power they afcribed to him, he would have defended them from all evil. In anfwer, Paul told them, that the life of Jefus fince his refurrection, was proved by these evils, feeing he preferved his fervants from being killed by their perfecutors. This the apoftle had faid before, ver. 10. But he repeated it here, to make the Corinthians the more fenfible, that a dead impoftor could not preferve his difciples in fuch perilous fituations. VOL. II. A a Ver. 13 alfo believe, and therefore fpeak : 14 Knowing, that he which raised up the Lord Jefus, fhall raife up us alfo ελαλησαν και ήμεις πιςεύο μεν, διο και λαλέμενο 14 Ειδοτες ὅτι ὁ εγειρας τον Κυρίου Ιησεν, και ήμας by Jeius, and fiali prelent us δια Ιησε εγερει, και παρα with you. 15 For all things are for your fakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thank giving of many, thanksgiving redound to the glory of God. 16 For which caufe we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; ζησει συν ὑμῖν. 15 Τα γαρ παντα δὲ ὑχαρις πλεονα μας, ἵνα ἡ σασα, δια των πλειόνων την ευχάριςιαν περισσευση εις την δοξαν το Θε8. 16 Διο ४ εκκακέμεν, αλλ' ει και ο εξω ήμων αν θρωπο διαφθειρεται, αλλ' ο εσωθεν ανακαινεται ήμερα και ήμερα. 17 Το γαρ παραυτικα ελαφρον της θλίψεως ήμων, καθ' υπερβολην εἰς ὑπερβο λην, αιωνιον βαρά δόξης κ τεργάζεται ἡμῖν· Ver. 13. I believed, therefore I have spoken. In fpeaking these words David, according to Mr. Pierce, perfonated Meffiah: confe. quently the fame fpirit of faith, is the fame ftrong faith which Meffiah poffeffed. But I rather think, David fpake this in his own perfon, and that his meaning is, " Though I have been in great affliction, "yet faith in God's promifes hath fupported me, fo that I can say, I « believed, therefore I have fpoken in praife of his goodnets.” In this fenfe, the application which the apostle made of the paffage to his own cafe, and to the cafe of his brethren, is most natural and beautiful: We having the fame fpirit of faith, that is, the fame frong faith with the Pfalmift, therefore fpeak. Ver. 16. Although our outward man is wafted, yet the inward man is renewed. For the phrafes, outward and inward man, fee Rom. vii. 17. note 1. only it is to be obferved, that in this paffage, the outward man means the body principally. Ver. 17. - 1. Befides, το παραυτικα ελαφρον, the momentary light thing. In this tranflation I have followed Beza, who fays, Demofthenes used the phrafe ή παραυτικα ήδονη, to denote a momentary pleafure. If the ordinary meaning of the Greek word napautixa the prefent, is retained, it |