fulfills the description, "out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears.” There is much less of grief than of indignation in these chapters. Paul seems to turn from his faithful followers to the makers of the mischief, who are disposed to do more mischief still. He advises the forgiveness of the chief offender lest he be "swallowed up with overmuch sorrow," but regarding the general company of trouble-makers he expresses his strong, indignant opin

ion.

They had appeared in Corinth, it appears, with letters of commendation; perhaps, as in the case of the Galatian churches, from Jerusalem. They had called themselves apostles. They had boasted of their good birth and of their good works. It is with them in mind that Paul calls to remembrance his own labors and sufferings.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches.

The men who had set the Corinthians against Paul had attacked his character. It is against them that he is defending himself when he says that he and his companions approve themselves as ministers of God by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: : "as deceivers," so they say, "and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." In each of these alternatives the first term is probably a reflection of the criticisms of the "false brethren."

They remarked upon his personal appearance, and upon his defects as a preacher. "His letters," they said, "are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible" (10:10). They inferred from his visions that he was unbalanced in his mind. They even went so far as to suggest that he was making a "collection for the saints" with the purpose of using the money, or some of it, for the relief of such saints as Titus and himself. Paul has to say "I seek not yours, but you" (12:14). “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you," he says, "though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." "Did I make a gain of you?" he asks, “Did Titus make a gain of you?"

Many a minister, subjected to the criticisms of his congregation, has found a store of comfort in this hard experience. He has said to himself, "They criticize me, but so did they criticize St. Paul. Even St. Paul did not please everybody in the parish."

The hostile Corinthians attacked St. Paul's doctrine. "I fear," he says, "lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." The reference is obscure, but if the hostile teachers came from Jerusalem, and preached the sort of doctrine with which they had troubled the Galatians, they probably declared that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews, and not, as Paul preached, the Savior of the world. They sought to limit the great freedom of his Christian hospitality.

Against this he warns the faithful, but with confidence and in brotherly love, "writing," as he says again, "lest being present I should use sharpness." "Finally, brethren," he says, "farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, live in peace; and the God of peace and love shall be with you."

XIX

THE LATER EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL

RITING from Corinth to the Christians in

WRome, St. Paul told them that he was expect

ing to make them a visit. "Having now no more place in these parts," he says, “and having a great desire these many years to come unto you, whensoever I take my journey into Spain I will come to you. But first I must go to Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. When I have performed this, and have sealed them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain." He anticipates, however, that trouble and hindrance may attend the performance of this kindly mission, and he asks the assistance of their prayers. "I beseech you, brethren, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them which do not believe in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints, that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed."

This foreboding of evil was fully warranted by the events which followed.

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The foreign missionary returned from his successful labors, from evangelizations which have affected the whole course of subsequent history, to a community which was in part indifferent, and in part actively hostile to foreign missions. The Jews of Jerusalem, in whose eyes Paul was a rebel and the leader of a revolution, were bitterly opposed to his hospitality to the Gentiles; and many of the Christians of that city, being Christians and Jews at the same time, agreed with them. No record remains of the manner in which the collection was received, whereby Paul had hoped to bring about a better feeling of the Jews for the Gentiles. His fraternal purpose seems to have accomplished nothing. On the contrary he was met with rather formal courtesy, and was immediately made to understand that he was under grave suspicion. "Thou seest, brother," they said, "how many thousands of the Jews there are which believe, and they are all jealous of the law, and they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together, for they hear that thou art come. Do therefore this which we say unto thee." They then proposed that Paul should associate with several brethren who were both Jews and Christians, and who were thus purposing to keep one of the customs by making an offering in the temple.

This he did, and being recognized by Jews from