A pastors love expressed to a loving people in a farewell sermon preached at…A pastors love expressed to a loving people in a farwel sermon preached at…

In these words we have St. Paul laying siege to these Corinthians, and labouring to make a happy Victory, to conquer them with kindness.

St. Pauls heart was a spring of love, his lips were the pipes, the Corinthians were the Cistern in the which this spring did run. This holy Apostle was a mirror or pattern of love; to the sinning Corinthians, Pauls Tears did drop; to the praying Corinthians, his love did burn; holy Paul he was a Ceraphim, his heart did burn in flaming affections to his people, how many appellations do we find scattered in his Epistles, that are witness of his love, he tells his people to whom he sometimes wrote, sometimes preached, 2 Cor. 12. 14. I seek not yours, but you; he looked more after their souls, then after their silver; as a tender Nurse cherisheth her Child with her breast, so did Paul cherish his people with the breast Milk of the word, 1 Thes. 2. 7. we were willing to impart to you our own souls, because you were dear to us, this man of God did not only Preach his Sermons to his people, but would part with his own soul to them; such was Pauls affection to his people, that without a complement he loved them more then his life, Phil. 2. 17. If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I ⟨p. 3⟩joy and rejoice with you all, as if he had said, if it be so that my blood be poured out as a sacrifice, and my death any way serviceable to you, if it may help forward the strength and comfort of your faith, I am willing to dye; I rejoice to do it. So full of affection and bowels was this Apostle, that he could not choose but love his people, although the more he loved them, the less he should be beloved, 2 Cor. 12. 15. O how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with love; If he reproved sin he was angry in love, he dipped the Pill in Sugar,