Chapter 7

  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sactification in the fear of God.  

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  Receive us. We have injured no man, we have corrupted no man, we have overreached no man.  

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  I speak not this to your condemnation. For we have said before, that you are in our hearts, to die together, and to live together.  

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  Great is my confidence for you, great is my glorying for you. I am filled with comfort: I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation.  

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  For also when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we suffered all tribulation; combats without, fears within.  

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  But God, who comforteth the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus.  

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  And not by his coming only, but also by the consolation, wherewith he was comforted in you, relating to us your desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.  

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  For although I made you sorrowful by my epistle, I do not repent; and if I did repent, seeing that the same epistle (although but for a time) did make you sorrowful;  

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  Now I am glad: not because you were made sorrowful; but because you were made sorrowful unto penance. For you were made sorrowful according to God, that you might suffer damage by us in nothing.  

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  For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.  

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  For behold this selfsame thing, that you were made sorrowful according to God, how great carefulness it worketh in you; yea defence, yea indignation, yea fear, yea desire, yea zeal, yea revenge: in all things you have shewed yourselves to be undefiled in the matter.  

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  Wherefore although I wrote to you, it was not for his sake that I did the wrong, nor for him that suffered it; but to manifest our carefulness that we have for you  

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  Before God: therefore we were comforted. But in our consolation, we did the more abundantly rejoice for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.  

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  And if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken all things to you in truth, so also our boasting that was made to Titus is found a truth.  

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  And his bowels are more abundantly towards you; remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you have received him.  

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  I rejoice that in all things I have confidence in you.  

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