2 Cor. 7 2 Cor. 7:1 Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to purity of life, 2 Cor. 7:2 and to receive him, who had done nothing to forfeit their esteem. 2 Cor.

Having therefore these promises; i.e. of God’s dwelling in us, and walking with us; of God’s being our Father, and making and owning us as his sons; which promises are made to true penitents that will touch no unclean thing.

Receive us; let us have a room in your hearts and esteem, or (more generally) accept us, as you ought to receive and accept the ministers of Christ. As our heart is enlarged towards you, so let your hearts be enlarged towards us; we have done nothing to alienate your hearts from us.

The apostle deals very tenderly with this church, which was (as he knew very well) full of many touchy members; who upon all occasions were ready to reflect upon him, and to take occasion from any expressions of his in letters, as well as other things, to that purpose; to obviate whose whisperings,…

Great is my boldness of speech toward you; because I so dearly love you, therefore I speak so boldly and freely to you (as men use to speak most freely to those whom they most love). Great is my glorying of you; I boast of your obedience to others, and therefore would be far from exposing you.

Of this motion of the apostle’s into Macedonia, what he did and suffered there, we have a short account, Acts 20. He saith his flesh had no rest, he met with incessant storms of persecution; and was troubled both by Jews and Gentiles in all places where he came.

God, that comforteth those that are cast down: it is observable, how careful the apostle is to ascribe all the supports and reliefs of his spirit unto God.

And not by big coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you: I was glad to see Titus, but that was the least of that consolation which he brought me.

For though I made you sorry with a letter; the apostle doubtless meaneth the former Epistle to this church. I do not repent, though I did repent: as to which, he saith, that although he was sometimes troubled, because (probably) he understood that some truly pious persons in this church were…

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: the apostle takes all advantages to insinuate himself into the good opinion and affections of the members of this famous church, and to obviate any misrepresentations of him to them from those false teachers that were…

Godly sorrow; that sorrow which is according to God, either commanded by him, (as sorrow for our own or others’ sins, or for the judgments of God, as they are the indications of God’s wrath and displeasure for sin), or which he, as the God of grace, worketh in the soul, touching the heart by the…

The apostle having showed the mischievous effects of worldly sorrow, all which he comprehended under the word death, here showeth the blessed effects of that sorrow which is according to God.

I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong; for the cause of him that had abused his father’s wife, not out of any particular hatred or ill-will I had to him; nor for his cause that suffered wrong; nor for the sake of him whose wife was so abused; nor for my own sake, who had been so…

We were comforted in your comfort; the comfort which your letters brought us, and so came from you; or the comfort which you received upon your reformation of those things which were amiss amongst you.

The apostle here multiplieth expressions to sweeten the Corinthians, by all manner of ways declaring his value for and affection towards them. It appeareth by this, that the apostle had at some time before spoken something to Titus in commendation of this church of Corinth, which he here calleth a…

By your obedience to my admonitions and exhortations, you have not only obliged me in a debt of love to you, but Titus also; who joyfully remembers, with what fear and trembling you received him, lest he should find any thing amongst you that should grieve and offend him.

That I can write and speak to you with confidence that you will hearken to my admonitions and exhortations, and that I can confidently boast and glory concerning you.