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the allufions to those events in the first epiftle. Now this is a species of congruity of all others the moft to be relied upon. It is not an agreement between two accounts of the fame tranfaction, or between different ftatements of the fame fact, for the fact is not stated; nothing that can be called an account is given; but it is the junction of two conclufions, deduced from independent fources, and deducible only by investigation and comparison.

This point, viz. the change of the route, being prior to the writing of the first epistle, alfofalls in with, and accounts for, the manner in which he speaks in that epistle of his journey. His first intention had been, as he here declares, to "pafs by them into Mace"donia;" that intention having been previoufly given up, he writes, in his first epistle, "that he would not fee them now by the

way," i. e. as he must have done upon his first plan; "but that he trufted to tarry "awhile with them, and poffibly to abide,

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yea and winter with them" (1 Cor. chap. xvi. ver. 5, 6. It also accounts for a fingularity in the text referred to, which must strike

every reader: "I will come to you when I

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pafs through Macedonia; for I do pafs through Macedonia." The fupplemental fentence," for I do pass through Macedonia” imports that there had been fome previous communication upon the fubject of the journey; and also that there had been fome vacillation and indecifiveness in the apostle's plan; both which we now perceive to have been the cafe. The fentence is as much as to fay, "this is what I at last resolve upon." The expreffion “ όταν Μακεδονιαν διελθω,” is ambiguous; it may dencte either "when I

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pafs, or when I fhall have paffed, through "Macedonia ;" the confiderations offered above fix it to the latter fenfe. Laftly, the point we have endeavoured to make out, confirms, or rather indeed is neceffary to the fupport of a conjecture, which forms the subject of a number in our obfervations upon the first epiftle, that the infinuation of certain of the church of Corinth, that he would come no more amongst them, was founded in fome previous difappointment of their expectations.

No.

No. V.

But if St. Paul had changed his purpofe before the writing of the firft epiftle, why did he defer explaining himself to the Corinthians, concerning the reason of that change, until he wrote the second? This is a very fair queftion; and we are able, I think, to return to it a fatisfactory answer. The real caufe, and the caufe at length affigned by St. Paul for poftponing his visit to Corinth, and not travelling by the route which he had at first defigned, was the diforderly state of the Corinthian church at the time, and the painful feverities which he should have found himself obliged to exercife, if he had come amongst them during the existence of these irregularities. He' was willing therefore to try, before he came in perfon, what a letter of authoritative objurgation would do amongst them, and to leave time for the operation of the experiment. That was his scheme in writing the first epiftle. But it was not for him to acquaint them with the scheme. After the epiftle had produced its effect (and to the

utmoft

utmost extent, as it should feem, of the apoftle's hopes); when he had wrought in them a deep fense of their fault, and an almost paffionate folicitude to restore themselves to the approbation of their teacher; when Titus (chap. vii. ver. 6, 7, 11) had brought him intelligence" of their earnest defire, their "mourning, their fervent mind towards "him, of their forrow and their penitence; "what carefulness, what clearing of them"felves, what indignation, what fear, what "vehement defire, what zeal, what re

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venge," his letter, and the general concern occafioned by it, had excited amongst them; he then opens himself fully upon the fubject. The affectionate mind of the apoftle is touched by this return of zeal and duty. He tells them that he did not vifit them at the time propofed, left their meeting fhould have been attended with mutual grief; and with grief to him embittered by the reflection, that he was giving pain to.. thofe, from whom alone he could receive comfort. "I determined this with myself, "that I would not come again to you in "heaviness; for if I make you forry, who

" is he that maketh me glad but the fame “which is made forry by me?" (chap. ii. ver. 1, 2) that he had written his former epiftle to warn them beforehand of their fault, " left when he came he should have forrow "of them of whom he ought to rejoice" (chap. ii. ver. 3); that he had the farther view, though perhaps unperceived by them, of making an experiment of their fidelity, "to know the proof of them, whether they "were obedient in all things" (chap. ii. ver. 9). This full discovery of his motive came very naturally from the apostle, after he had feen the fuccefs of his measures, but would not have been a seasonable communication before. The whole composes a train of fentiment and of conduct refulting from real fituation, and from real circumftance, and as remote as poffible from fiction or impof

ture.

No. VI.

Chap. xi. ver. 9. "When I was present "with you and wanted, I was chargeable to "no man; for that which was lacking to "me, the brethren which came from Ma"cedonia supplied." The principal fact set

forth

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