For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of that insupportable weight of affliction that over-whelm'd me so in Asia that I despaired even of life:

nay, I abandon'd my self to death, that I might not rely upon my self for deliverance, but on God who raiseth the dead.

for this is to me matter of glorying, the testimony of my conscience, that without artifice, and with religious sincerity, not by worldly wisdom, but by God's favourable assistance I have behaved my self towards all men, but more particularly to you.

not to call upon you as I pass into Macedonia, but in my return from thence, to be conducted by you toward Judea.

for what I, and Timothy, and Silvanus preached concerning Jesus Christ, the son of God, is not inconsistent, but invariably the same.

I call God to witness, and may I die if it is not true, that the reason of my not coming yet to Corinth, was to avoid using any severity towards you.

not that I would arbitrarily prescribe what you should believe, but rather encourage you to go on: for 'tis by faith you have stood.

But I purposed in my self, I would not be the occasion of any uneasiness to you when I come again.

and I wrote to you upon that disagreeable subject, that when I came, I might not receive uneasiness from those from whom I ought to receive comfort, being persuaded that you will all think yourselves interested to promote my satisfaction.

for out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears; not to make you uneasy, but to make you sensible of the overflowing tenderness which I have for you.

The affliction I have had, comes only from a particular quarter, so that my resentment does not affect the whole church.

I was so uneasy in my mind for not finding Titus my brother, that taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

for we are not like others, who adulterate the word of God; but we preach the pure gospel of Christ, as I receiv'd it from God, and as in the presence of God.

Do I begin again to commend my self? or need I, as some others, commendatory letters to you, or from you?

which shows you to be the epistle of Christ, written by my ministration, not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on living tables of the heart.

not that I am sufficient of myself to effect any thing by the strength of my own reason: but my sufficiency is from God.

who also hath enabled me to be a minister of the new covenant, not of the literal sense, but of the spiritual meaning: it is the letter that denounces death, but the spirit gives life.

now if the law engraven on stone, the letter of whose sanction is death, was delivered with such glory, that the children of Israel could not steadily behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, tho' it was transient;

shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious?

and do not act as Moses did, who threw a veil over his face so as to hinder the children of Israel from perceiving the end of that which was to cease:

to those unbelievers, whose minds the God of this world has so blinded, that the glorious lustre of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, does not enlighten them.

for we preach not our selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, professing our selves your servants for his sake.

but this treasure is lodg'd in such earthen vessels as we are, that the exceeding efficacy of it may appear to be from God, and not from us.

I am press'd on every side, yet not crush'd; perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not forsaken; dejected, but not destroyed;

for which cause I am not discouraged, but tho' my body decays, yet my mind is daily renewed.

For I know, that if my body, which is but a tent for my sojourning upon earth, were dissolved, I have what is not fram'd by human art, but by the divine architect, a mansion eternal in the heavens.

tho' should I be divested of this body, I shall not even then be destitute of one.

we that are in this tabernacle do groan under the burden of it: not that we desire to be divested of it, but we desire to have our celestial body, that this mortal state may vanish into immortality.

(for I regulate my conduct by my future expectations, not by visible enjoyments:

and this I say, not to commend myself again unto you, but to give you an occasion of glorying on my account, that you may confront those who make a false show of glorying.

that they who are in a state of life should not live at their own discretion, but to the service of him who died for them, and rose again.

for it is God that has reconciled the world to himself, by Jesus Christ, by not imputing their sins to them; and hath committed to us the gospel of reconciliation.

Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

as for us, we give no occasion of offence, that our ministry may not be blamed:

as unknown, and yet celebrated; as dying, and yet I am alive; as chastised, but not slain;

I address myself to you as a parent, be not you wanting in the returns of filial respect to me.

Are you not become associates with infidels? but what affinity is there between virtue and vice? and what communication has light with darkness?

wherefore come out from among them, be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

I speak not this to your reproach: for I have already assured you, that I am so heartily well affected to you, I could live and die with you.

nevertheless, God who comforteth those that are cast down, gave me comfort by the arrival of Titus: not barely by his presence,

For tho' I was sorry my letter gave you some uneasiness, I do not repent of it, perceiving, that the uneasiness you had from that letter, did not dwell upon your minds.

now I rejoice, not at your uneasiness, but at your repentance which succeeded: for your sorrow was a religious sorrow, such as convinc'd you I had done you no wrong.

'tis observable, even this religious sorrow which you had, what solicitude has it not wrought in you, what apologies, what indignation, what fear, what desire, what zeal, yea, what revenge! so that by your whole conduct, ye have shown your selves to be clear from guilt in this matter.

wherefore, my writing to you so severely did not proceed from any prejudice to him, that had done the wrong, or from favour to him that suffered wrong, but to show my conscientious regard to your welfare.

so that I am not ashamed of the commendations I have formerly given you to him; but as I have always preached the truth to you, so in my commendation to Titus, I have said nothing but truth of you.

in this I only advise you: it being for your credit, since you have not only begun to execute it, but you were the first that form'd the design a year ago.

for what a man gives with a ready mind, according to his abilities, is well received; but not when he goes beyond his circumstances.

my meaning is not, that you should be distress'd to relieve others, I only recommend an equality;

for he not only complyed with my exhortation, but being more than ordinarily concern'd, he voluntarily went to you;

with whom I have sent one of the brethren, who is not only distinguish'd among all the churches, by his preaching the gospel,

yet have I sent the brethren, that my character of you may not appear to be groundless, with respect to that part wherein I said, ye would be ready:

for if the Macedonians should come with me, and find you unprepared, how shall I, not to say you, be ashamed for having had so little ground to boast of you?

I thought it therefore necessary to counsel the brethren to go before, and settle the management of the contribution by this previous notice, that it might have such dispatch, as shows a bountiful, and not a niggardly temper.

for the execution of this charitable office, does not only supply the necessities of the converts, but by the thanksgivings of many redounds also to the glory of God.

I who am a person of a mean presence, when among you, but exert myself upon your account, when absent; I Paul intreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, not to let me exert that authority,

our military arms are not so defective, but divinely effectual to demolish all their ramparts;

for though I should more than ever magnify my authority, which the Lord hath given us for your improvement, and not for your ruin, I should have no reason to be ashamed;

but that I may not seem as if I would strike a terror in you by letters:

for I dare not rank or compare my self with some who vaunt themselves: but they making their self-conceit the only standard whereby to judge of themselves, show their want of judgment.

I will not boast of any thing done without my province, but confine myself within that line by which God has mark'd out my bounds, and in which you are included.

for I do not stretch beyond my limits to take you in; since in preaching the gospel of Christ, we are advanced even to you.

so that I may preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not assume the credit of things ready prepared to my hand, in another man's province.

for not he that commendeth himself, but he whom the Lord commendeth, is the approved.

if he that is come to you, preaches another Jesus whom I have not preached, or if ye receive other gifts of the spirit, than what ye have received from me, or another gospel, than what you have accepted, you might well bear with his pretensions:

for I think I am not at all inferior to the chiefest of the apostles.

if my language is inelegant, my knowledge is not contemptible; but has been fully display'd among you on all occasions.

why so? is it because I love you not? far otherwise, God knows.

therefore it is not strange if his agents are so disguised as to appear like ministers of the gospel; but their end shall be answerable to their actions.

what I say, I say it not as an apostle, but as it were to indulge my vanity in this matter of boasting.

thrice was I whip'd with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I was shipwreck'd; a night and a day I was floating on the deep:

who is afflicted, and I not suffer? who is offended, and I not inflam'd?

Have not I reason to glory? for now I shall mention my visions and revelations from the Lord.

this I know, that he was snatch'd up into paradise, and heard such secrets as it is not lawful for a man to reveal.

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

Am I become vain? 'tis you have forc'd me to it: for I ought to have been commended by you: since I am not inferior to the chiefest of the apostles, tho' in myself I am nothing.

for in what were ye inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? an injury I hope you will easily forgive.

This is the third time I purposed to come to you; but I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you: since it is not expected children should lay up for their parents, but parents for their children: on the contrary,

'tis own'd I did not put you to any charges myself: but was so crafty, as to over-reach you, by others.

do you think I have been making excuses for not coming? as I am a christian, in the presence of God, I have, my beloved, in every thing consulted your advantage.

yet I fear when I do come I shall not find you such as I would, and that you will find me such as you least desire: I am afraid there are among you debates, envyings, animosities, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, arrogance, tumults:

and I am afraid, God will humble me when I come again among you, and I shall bewail many who have formerly sinned, and have not yet repented of their impurity, their fornication, and dissoluteness.

I told you once before, and now being absent I write to forewarn you and all that have sinned, that when I shall arrive, I will not spare them;

Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; bring yourselves to the proof; are you so little acquainted with yourselves, as not to know whether Jesus Christ be in you? but if you are destitute of proofs,

I trust you shall know that we are not so destitute,

now I pray God that I may not punish you; not that I may show you my proofs to your cost, but that by your acting honestly, I may be as if I had no proofs:

these things therefore I write to you being absent, that when I come I may not use severity, according to the power which the Lord hath given me for edification, and not for destruction.