15. “But St. _Paul_ besought the Lord thrice, and yet he could not escape from his temptation.” Let us consider his own words literally translated. _There was given to me, a thorn, to the flesh, an angel, or messenger of Satan, to buffet me. Touching this I besought the Lord thrice, that it or he might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in these my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses,――for when I am weak, then am I strong._ 16. As this scripture is one of the strong-holds of the patrons of sin, it may be proper to weigh it throughly. Let it be observed then, _first_, It does by no means appear, that this thorn, whatsoever it was, occasioned St. _Paul_ to commit sin: much less laid him under any necessity of doing so. Therefore, from hence it can never be proved that any Christian _must_ commit sin. _Secondly_, The antient fathers inform us, it was bodily pain: a violent head-ach, saith _Tertullian_ (de Pudic.) to which both _Chrysostom_ and St. _Jerom_ agree. St. _Cyprian_[1] expresses it a little more generally in those terms, _Many and grievous torments of the flesh and of the body[2]. Thirdly_, To this exactly agree the apostle’s own words, _A thorn to the flesh, to smite, beat, or buffet me. My strength is made perfect in weakness._ Which same words occur no less than four times in these two verses only. But, _fourthly_, Whatsoever it was, it could not be either inward or outward sin. It could no more be inward stirrings, than outward expressions, of pride, anger, or lust. This is manifest beyond all possible exception, from the words that immediately follow, _Most gladly will I glory in these my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me_. What? Did he glory in pride, in anger, in lust? Was it through these _weaknesses_, that the strength of Christ rested upon him? He goes on; _Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses; for when I am weak, than am I strong_; i. e. When I am weak _in body_, then am I strong _in spirit_. But will any man dare to say, when I am weak by pride or lust, then am I strong in spirit? I call you all to record this day, who find the strength of Christ resting upon you, can _you_ glory in anger, or pride, or lust? Can _you_ take pleasure in _these_ infirmities? Do _these_ weaknesses make _you_ strong? Would you not leap into hell, were it possible, to escape them? Even by yourselves then judge, whether the apostle could glory, and take pleasure in them? Let it be, _lastly_, observed, That this thorn was given to St. _Paul above fourteen years_ before he wrote this epistle: which itself was wrote several years before he finished his course. So that he had after this a long course to run, many battles to fight, many victories to gain, and great increase to receive in all the gifts of God, and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.