world are here enumerated; would to God such crimes were not found among those who profess the true religion! Some have attempted to prove that the expressions rendered covetousness and extortion refer to the eager desire of sensual pleasure; but surely the inordinate love of money is as pointedly condemned in scripture as the indulgence of the animal passions. The Apostle makes a similar declaration, Gal. v. 19-21.

He now reminds the Corinthians, that such had been the condition of some of them in their unconverted state. But the Gospel had wrought a happy change in their state and character 11. "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Formerly, they were defiled by the pollution of sin; now, they had been cleansed (axıλovrard) from its impurity, of which the washing of the body with the water of baptism was only an emblem; formerly they were unholy in their character, now they were sanctified (ayers) and set apart for the service of God; they were then exposed to the wrath of Heaven, and under the condemning sentence of the divine law, now they were justified from all things, and treated as righteous (dixie) in the sight of God: and this change had been effected, not on account of any merit in them, or by any exertion of theirs, but by faith in the blood of Christ, in whose name remission of sins is proclaimed, and the gift of righteousness is imparted, and through the effectual energy of the Spirit of God, whose office it is to enlighten the understanding, and to renew the heart. Dr M'Knight paraphrases this verse as follows: "But ye are washed with the water of baptism, in token of your having vowed to lead a new life, and ye are consecrated to the service of God, and ye are delivered from heathenish ignorance by the power of the Lord Jesus, and by the influence of the Spirit of the God of us christians given to you." Thus, all these lofty expressions are made to signify merely the possession of the external privileges of Christianity. This is to take an unwarrantable liberty with the language of Scripture; to be justified in the name of Jesus is certainly to receive remission of sins by believing in him. Those who enjoy this happy privilege, have peace with God through. our Lord Jesus Christ; they are no longer under condemnation, (Rom. viii. 1. v. 1.) To be "sanctified by the Holy Spirit," is to be sealed by his gracious influences unto the day of redemp tion. Many are washed with the outward element, who are pure

indeed in their own eyes, "but are not yet washed from their filthiness," (Prov. xxx. 12.); and many are delivered from heathenish ignorance, who are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation, nor delivered from the dominion of sin. The Doctor seems indeed to have been aware that the view he had given was hardly tenable, and therefore he adds in a note, passage may be restricted to those who were true believers, and really holy persons." Yes! we believe that the Apostle describes the character and privileges of genuine saints, and such, notwithstanding the disorderly conduct of some, he considered the generality of the Corinthian converts to be.

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In the remaining part of this chapter the Apostle seems to argue with certain individuals in the church at Corinth, who maintained that the indulgence of the sensual appetites was not forbidden under the Gospel dispensation. They pretended that, as the Gentiles were exempted from the observance of the Mosaic law, respecting circumcision and the distinction of meats, they were also freed from those obligations which prohibited the indulgence of the animal passions, particularly fornication, though this was expressly declared by the apostles, to be one of those necessary things from which the believing Gentiles were required to abstain. (Acts xv. 20.) It is also to be observed, that by the same decree it was forbidden to eat things sacrificed unto idols, (verse 29.) yet we find, from the letters addressed to the seven churches in Asia, that there were persons who continued to teach the disciples to eat idol sacrifices, and to commit fornication, (Apoc. ii. 14, 20.) Such doctrines were peculiarly pernicious to the Greeks, and especially to the disciples at Corinth, who had been addicted to these vices in their heathen state. There were various arguments used by those teachers in support of their opinions; these the Apostle proceeds to notice, for the purpose of refuting them. 12. First, they pleaded that "all things were lawful for them," or in other words, that the grace of the Gospel set them free from the moral law as a rule of duty; an opinion in which they have unfortunately had too many followers in every age. Particularly, they insisted that all kinds of food were lawful to them, and that it made no difference what idolatrous use had been made of it, or in what place it was eaten. This sentiment the Apostle afterwards discusses more at large. (chap. viii. and x.) In the mean time, he merely observes, that though he might lawfully partake

of all meats, "yet all were not expedient," (vμg). Even with respect to such indifferent things, it might not always be proper to use our liberty; for example, if it would grieve a weak brother, or embolden him to sin: In that case, it would be most conducive to the advantage of another, that we should abstain. Dr Macknight says, "all meats are not proper, because they may be hurtful to the health, or too expensive." This is indeed true, but does not seem to be the meaning of the passage. Though no such danger were to be apprehended, though all kinds of food might be lawful in themselves, or free for use, yet he would not suffer his appetites so to enslave his judgment, that he could not readily deny himself when occasion required: "I will not be brought under bondage (ižovriarInoqua:) to any." It is unworthy of a christian to make a god of his belly, or to be delicately nice respecting the pleasures of the table.

13. Another argument used by those who pleaded for such indulgences, was this, that the Creator, by furnishing such a varie ty of provision for the human race, evidently intended that they should freely avail themselves of the means of enjoyment which his bounty had provided, that in short, it was the design of food to satisfy the appetite, and that the body was so organized as to require and relish its proper nourishment. Their favourite maxim was, "meats for the belly, and the belly for meats." This is true, in a restricted sense, when moderation and temperance are observed. But it was never designed that the gratification of the bodily appetites should constitute the main business of life, or be viewed as the proper happiness of man. The necessity of daily nourishment proves the frailty and imperfection of our present condition. It is peculiar to that state, and shall cease with the dissolution of our mortal part; God shall destroy, or abolish, (xaragou) both the meats and the digestive organs. The body shall be raised from the grave spiritual and incorruptible, it shall no more feel hunger or thirst, and shall leave all its infirmities behind. "They that shall be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, neither can they die any more, for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (Luke xx. 35, 36.) But if the indulgence of the fleshly appetite were essential to our well-being, it would not be done away in the glorified state.

The abettors of the same licentious doctrine, maintained that the gratification of the sexual passions was an original law of nature, arising from the constitution of the body, and therefore it was equally harmless as the indulgence of any other appetite. They maintained, in short, that "the body was for fornication;" and it is observable that a similar argument has been employed by modern free-thinkers. Now, though the Creator had provided for the welfare and continuance of the species, by making the sexes dependant on each other, it could never be supposed that he had formed the human body for the unhallowed purpose of prostitution. This would entirely defeat the original design of marriage, would introduce wretchedness and misery into the world, and would place man on a level with the irrational creatures. On the contrary, he had made man after his own image, for his own glory, and to act as his obedient child. Even his body had been designed as a living temple for himself to dwell in, and his soul was endowed with suitable faculties to know, love, and enjoy him, "The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." This is especially true respecting his redeemed people. He has bought them with an infinite price, and constituted himself their true portion and happiness. He consecrates their body to himself as his holy temple, and he died to redeem the body, as well as the soul, from eternal death. In token of this, he had assumed our nature into union with his own, " and God had both raised up the Lord Jesus" in the same body from the grave, as a pledge and pattern of the resurrection of the just, "and shall (in due time) raise us also by his own power," 14. As the body is destined to this high honour, we are bound to preserve it pure, by chastity and temperance. Every christian should know "how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles who know not God." (1 Thess. iv. 4, 5.)

The next argument which the Apostle brings forward to shew the importance of chastity, is taken from the close union that subsists between Christ and the members of his mystical body. So intimate is this union, that even the bodies of believers may be considered as constituting a part of himself. Thus he asked the Apostle before his conversion, while engaged in injuring his saints," Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts ix. 4.) and he considers the favours bestowed on them as done to him

self: “In as much as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.” (Matt. xxv 40.) So here, 15. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? Let it not be (un To)." Let not such an impious thought be entertained for a moment; let not that body, which has been redeemed at such a price, be degraded to so base a purpose. They might startle at this bold figure; yet such would be the undeniable consequence of indulging their sensual passions. Besides, it was strictly agreeable to the spirit of the Old Testament Scriptures; "did they not know that he who is joined to an harlot is one body (with her)?" This could not be doubted; for the Creator, when instituting the law of marriage, had represented the union between husband and wife as so intimate, that they may be said to have no longer a separate existence, “The two ( dvo) he said, shall be one flesh," 16. Now the same might be said of the unlawful intercourse between persons of different sexes; not that such temporary connections can be viewed as equivalent to regular marriage, as some profanely infer, but that those who live in whoredom must be considered as having the same mind, and the same vicious dispositions. Consequently, the slave of sensuality effectually separates himself from the glorious Head of the Church, and has no longer any vital union with the Lord Jesus. This follows from the nature of this mystical union; for as the married pair are considered as one flesh, so "he that is joined to the Lord is” viewed as “one spirit with him," 17.; not that his soul is lost or swallowed up in the Deity, according to the doctrine of the mystics, but because he is spiritually united to the Saviour by an intimate bond. They are one in sentiment, in affection, and in interest. Nothing shall separate us from his love, and we should therefore study to have the same mind in us that was also in him, to imbibe his heavenly disposition, to walk in his footsteps, and to imitate his example. But nothing can be more contrary to the mind of Christ, than the indulgence of vicious passions. "They that are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom. viii. 8.)

18. The Apostle would therefore earnestly warn them to flee fornication, as they would escape from a most dangerous and powerful enemy, from whom it is better to retreat, than to run the hazard of being defeated by engaging in an unequal contest