to the first Epistle to the Corinthians.

191 the occasion naturally afforded, of introducing a discourse upon several abuses among them of a higher nature, with respect to the public celebration of the Lord's supper ; leading back their views to the original institution, and inferring from thence the danger of profaning it in the manner they did; (ver. 17, to the end.) Being thus naturally, and as it were accidentally, brought to take notice again of the corruptions prevailing in the Corinthian church, the apostle makes some remarks upon their abuse of the spiritual gifts; observing that they all proceed from the same sacred Agent, and are intended for the edification of the same body, in which all Christians are united; (chap. xii. 1-13.) Inculcating humility in the use of those gifts, and that mutual affection which the Corinthians needed to be taught, he pursues the allegory further, and represents Christians as so united in one body, as to have entirely the same interest; and insists on a tender care of the least member, from its subserviency to the good of the whole, (ver. 15, to the end.) And to engage the Corinthians to cultivate love, as more important than the gifts about which they contended, he gives a lovely description of that excellent grace; concluding it with a reflection on its perpetual duration, in which it exceeds even faith and hope; (chap. xiii. throughout.) After thus inculcating charity and love, a grace which they needed much to adorn their Christian profession, and direct the exercise of their spiritual gifts, the apostle particularly cautions them against their prevailing vain ostentation of the gift of tongues, and reasons with them concerning the absurdity of the manner in which they, some of them at least, abused that gift; (chap. xiv. 1— 19.) And adds, upon the whole, proper motives to prevent that abuse; (ver. 20, to the end.)

Some among the Corinthians doubted, and others denied the resurrection of the dead. To prove and establish therefore this great and peculiar article of the Christian faith, the apostle Paul makes some remarks on the cer

tainty and importance of the resurrection of Christ; (chap. xv. 1-11.) And infers from the resurrection of Christ, the certainty of the resurrection of the dead; urging the importance of this grand fundamental doctrine of Christianity, and mentioning in the series of his argument, that surrender of the mediatorial kingdom which Christ at the consummation of all things shall make to the Father; (ver. 12-24.) After which, he answers objections to the resurrection, drawn from our not being able to conceive of the particular manner in which it shall be effected; and concludes with urging this doctrine, as a noble incentive to the greatest readiness, and the warmest zeal in religion; (ver. 25, to the end.)

This is the connection of the several parts of this excellent epistle, and a sketch of the apostle's design; which was to correct the corruptions and abuses, and answer some queries of the Corinthian church. And though he hath not throughout discussed these two points separately, and with the exactness of systematical method; yet he hath handled his subject in a more natural manner, and given a masterly specimen of the freedom usual in epistolary writings. Before he concludes, he gives some advice to the Corinthian church, relating to the collection proposed to be made for the poor saints in Judea; (chap. xvi. 1-12.) And then closes all, with some particular salutations and directions, with general exhortations to courage and love, a solemn benediction to true Christians, and an awful anathema against those who were destitute of love to our Lord Jesus Christ; (ver. 13, to the end of the epistle.)

The apostle introduces his epistle with a most affectionate and suitable salutation, in which he congratulates the Corinthians on the rich variety of gifts and graces which God had bestowed upon them; and animates their hope of his continued favour in the Lord Jesus Christ, even till the day of his final appearance. 1

Cor. I. 1-9.

1 COR. I. 1.

the will of God, and

1 CORINTHIANS I. 1.

a

SECT

i.

PAUL called to be PAUL, who was in so peculiar a manner callan apostle of Je- ed [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ, not unsas Christ, through dertaking that office of himself, but invested Sosthenes, our broth. With it by the most express declaration of the 1Cor. will of God, signified at the time of that mirac-i. 1 ulous interposition of which you have so often heard; and Sosthenes, so well known unto you, whom I esteem as a dear brother; concur in

er ;

*Called [to be] an apostle.] There is great propriety in every clause of the salutation prefixed to this epistle; and particularly in this, as there were those in the church of Corinth who affected to call the authority of his mission into question. Sosthenes.]

VOL. 4.

This was a Corinthian

26

minister who attended Paul in his travels; Compare Acts xviii. 17. It was both hu mility and prudence in the apostle, thus to join his name with his own, in an epistle in which it was necessary to deal so plainly with them, and to remonstrate against so many irregularities.

194

1 Cor.

Paul, inscribing this epistle to the Corinthians,

SECT. writing this epistle, To the church of God, which 2 Unto the church i. is in the rich, populous, and learned city of Co- of God which is at Corinth, to them rinth, whose chief glory it is that they, (if they that are sanctified in i.2 are what their Christian profession speaks them Christ Jesus, called to be,) are sanctified in vital union with Christ to be saints, with all that in every place Jesus, as well as called with an external voca- call upon the name tion, by which they are separated from the rest of Jesus Christ our of the world [as] the saints of God. And when Lord, both theirs we express our affectionate regard to you, and our good wishes for your edification and comfort, we extend them to all that in every place invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we, and all true Christians, join in acknow!edging and adoring as their [Lord] and ours.

с

d

and ours:

from the Lord Jesus

3 May you experimentally know more of the 3 Grace be unto
privileges and blessings of his gospel; and for you, and peace from
that purpose, [may] grace and peace [be] with God our Father, and
that abundance of Divine influence, which Christ:
you,
may establish your peace and multiply your
prosperity; even from God, the original foun-
tain of all blessings, whom we are now taught
to look upon as our reconciled and gracious
Father, and [from] Jesus Christ our Lord, that
anointed and exalted Saviour, by whom we re-
ceive the adoption, and through whose hands
all its blessings are communicated to us.
4 I cannot address you, my dear brethren, with-
out assuring you in the first place, that Ialways
give humble thanks to my God on your account, God, which is given
whenever I mention you before him in prayer, you by Jesus Christ:
as I frequently do, for the abundant grace of
God given unto you in Christ Jesus; by virtue
of which you have been received into the
Christian church, and are made ornaments to it.

Sanctified in Christ Jesus] I cannot agree with Mr. Locke, in concluding, that this must signify only an external separation of the true religion, as the Jews were externally a holy people, 1 Pet. ii. 8, 9, 10. It seems rather to intimate the persuasion, which he had, that notwithstanding some lamented irregularities among them, which he was faithfully solicitous to reform, they were in the general, a body of sincere Christians, and the exceptions comparatively few.

To all that in every place, &c.] Nothing could better suit the candid and catholic views which Paul was so much

4. I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of

concerned to promote in this epistie, than this declaration of his good wishes for every true Christian upon earth, whether few or Gentile, learned or unlearned, Greek or Barbarian. To limit it, as Grotius, L'Enfant, and some others would do, to the Christians in Achaia, is to spoil all the strength and beauty of the sen timent.

e Invoke the name, &c.] This strongly implies, that it might well be taken for granted, that every true Christian would often pray to Christ, as well as address the Father in his name.

congraulates them, that they came behind in no gift.

195

1 Cor.

5 That in every For ever adored be his holy name, that in all sECT. thing ye are enrich things ye are enriched in him, with a variety of ed by him, in all utgifts and graces, and particularly, that ye are terance, and in all knowledge; made copious in all utterance, and ready [in] is all knowledge of spiritual and Divine things; 6 Even as the tes- As the testimony which I bore to the gospel of 6 timony of Christ was Christ, when I abode so long at Corinth, was confirmed in you. confirmed among yous by such various communications of the Spirit, in consequence of which you became living witnesses of it to all who 7 So that ye come knew you. So that you are deficient in no gift 7 behind in no gift; which can render you useful in the church, ing of our Lord Je. while you are waiting for the glorious manifest

sus Christ:

Christ:

ation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in connection with which, I hope, you will always consider this extraordinary furniture for his service, and improve it so, as to advance your preparation 8 Who shall also for that day : Still keeping up an humble g confirm you unto the dependence on him, who, if you faithfully apend, that ye may be blameless in the day ply to him for the continued communication of our Lord Jesus of his almighty aid, will confirm you to the end; [so that] when so many others shall be condemned, [ye may be] presented blameless and irreproachable, in the great day of our Lord 9 God is faithful, Jesus Christ. Fear not, my brethren, but 9 by whom ye were this blessed day will come, and bring with it called unto the fel- those glories which we have so long been taught lowship of his Son Jesus Christ our to expect. Fear not, but Divine grace will still be effectual to bear you through all difficulties in your way to it: for God [is] faithful, by whom you were called into the communion and society of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that you may participate of the blessings he hath purchased; the grand promises of whose kingdom, ye know, refer to that illustrious day of which I have been speaking. Be therefore courageous and cheerful in the assured expectation of it.

Lord.

That ye are enriched, &c.] These re- suggests a rational and tender argument, spectful congratulations, and acknowl. to reduce them to their former affection to edgments of the things in which they did him as their spiritual father. really excel, had a most happy tendency to soften their minds; and to dispose them the better, to receive the plain reproofs he was going to give them, and which, in their circumstances, faithful love ex

torted from him.

Confirmed among you] As they could not but know they had received these gifts by the hand of Paul, this expression

[That ye may be] blameless, &c.] I think it would make a very low sense of this, to explain it, as some have done, that they would be preserved, if blameless the apostle plainly intends to encourage their hope in that grace which might enable them so to persevere, that they might be found blameless.