where so " many strong men have been slain,” (Prov. vii. 26.) Thus Solomon speaking of the strange woman, says, "Remove thy way far from her, come not nigh the door of her house." (Prov. v. 8.) Here flight is victory; and he is most secure who is most distrustful of himself; to tamper with such temptations, to hesitate when we ought to resolve, is almost the sure forerunner of disgrace. No parley must be held with such a foe-no terms must be listened to. The charming voice of the syren only allures the mariner towards rocks and quicksands. We must avoid every incitement to this vice, especially sloth, idleness, and luxury. It is peculiarly dangerous to youth, when the passions are strong, and the judgment is not matured; and accordingly the Apostle exhorts Timothy to "flee from youthful lusts." (2 Epis. ii. 22.) Thus it was that Joseph obtained so glorious a victory, when tempted to commit adultery; "he hearkened not to his mistress to be with her." (Gen. xxxix. 10.) Besides the danger of being overcome, the Apostle would mention another argument, arising from the fatal consequences of impurity, in ruining the health. Other sins chiefly affect and debase the mind-this weakens and wastes the body, and is the forerunner of disease and death. 66 Every sin that a man commits is without (TOS) the body, but he that commits whoredom sinneth against his own body." Here the Apostle seems to glance at a very common error, namely, that no injury is done to others by the unrestrained gratification of the sensual appetites; it is not like robbery or murder, where the life or property of another is violated. Even allowing that this were true, he answers, yet the greatest injury is done by the sensualist to his own body, which he is bound to honour and to cherish. He enslaves it to his own imperious lusts; and he introduces into it painful and loathsome distempers. The same thing may be said of gluttony and drunkenness. But, indeed, the votary of sensuality does the most serious injury to others, by tempting them to similar excesses, and debasing the public morals by his example. He is, besides, guilty of a species of suicide, 66 as every one must know (to use the words of Mr Scott) who is acquainted with the horrible effects of lewdness in populous cities, and with the vast multitudes who are annually cut off, in early life, and in the most deplorable manner imaginable, by the various diseases with which it hath pleased God to shew his abhorrence of it." It is not therefore true that the body is made for fornication; for "because of these things cometh the wrath of God on the children of disobedience." (Eph. v. 6.) The Apostle further reminds the Corinthian converts, that by indulging in sensual pleasures, they would desecrate the temple of the Deity, who dwelt in their bodies by his Holy Spirit. 19. "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom (v) ye have from (are) God?" He had formerly applied the same figure to the church collectively, (chap. iii. 16.) This being the case, it behoved them to keep their heart with all diligence, and to suffer no impurity to remain within, which would be offensive to the Divine Majesty. But they must be aware, that a mind polluted with sensual desires, and a body given up to illicit pleasures, could never be considered a suitable residence for the divine Spirit. It was rather to be viewed as a "haunt of every foul spirit-a habitation of devils." (Rev. xviii. 2.) This Holy Spirit the Corinthian converts had from God, and he still inhabits the souls of true believers, by his gracious operations, as has been already proved. The last argument which the Apostle adduces, is the consideration of the property which God has in us, not only by right of creation, but by right of redemption: "Ye are not your own," to live according to your own pleasure, or to dispose of your bodies as you think proper; "For ye are bought (zoduri) with a price, (T) therefore glorify God with (1) your body and your spirit which are God's," 20. The same argument is employed by the apostle Peter, "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear; forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed (sauręwent) with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood (TT) of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Epis. i. 1719.) Here the price is expressly specified, which is only understood in the passage before us; a plain evidence of the doctrine of our redemption by the blood of Christ, as is taught in many other passages. (Ephes. i. 7. Rom. v. 9. 1 John ii. 2. Acts xx. 28. Matt. xx. 28). Thus dearly purchased, it behoved them to glorify God with their bodies, by yielding their members as instruments of righteousness unto him. (Rom. vi. 13). Thus our hands should be employed in honourable labour, or in acts of mercy; our feet - should carry us to the courts of the Lord's house-to the bed of the sick or to the cottage of the poor; our tongues should be employed in the instruction of the ignorant, or in celebrating the praises of redeeming grace. We glorify God with our spirits, when we exercise our intellectual and active powers in contemplating his works-in studying his word-in seeking after more comprehensive views of his character, and increasing conformity to his moral image. When, in short, our imagination no longer wanders on forbidden objects, but dwells on the glories of the heavenly state-when our memory is stored with spiritual knowledge-when our affections center in God as our chief joy; and when we devote those talents which he has given us, not to the pursuits of merely secular knowledge, but to the improvement of ourselves and others in virtue and holiness. "Father of light and life-thou Good supreme! From every low pursuit, and feed my soul REFLECTIONS. 1. What a melancholy picture is here given of human nature! How true the declaration, that all flesh has corrupted its way upon the earth! How false the estimate that is often made of the state of the heathen world;-not only among barbarous tribes, but among the Greeks and Romans, were crimes perpetrated without remorse that are not fit to be named. Of course, wherever these vices prevail, the unhappy perpetrators cannot inherit the kingdom of God. How deplorable then the condition of the heathen! Shall we be indifferent to their spiritual necessities, and refuse to send them that life-giving word which alone can set them free? 2. How great the power of divine grace! It can change the heart of the most flagitious. It can cleanse the soul from the deepest stains. Christians may arrive at some happy measure of assurance as to their spiritual state. The Apostle acknowledges the Corinthians as already justified; but this is always accompanied with a change of heart by the Spirit of God. The apos tles lay little stress on the order of arrangement in enumerating spiritual blessings. Justification absolves from guilt, and opens a channel for the communication of sanctifying grace. 3. We are reminded, that even "the covetous man is an idolater," that "he that hateth his brother is a murderer," and that "whoso looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults!" 4. We learn the dignity of the christian character. The saints are bought with the blood of Christ; united to him by an indissoluble bond; formed for himself to shew forth his praise; even their body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, and "he that raised up Jesus from the dead, shall also quicken their mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in them." (Rom. viii. 11). Could more powerful motives to universal holiness be conceived? 5. We see the wisdom and goodness of God, who has hedged up the paths of vice by so many thorns, and who has so identified sin and misery, that the one always attends the other. Well might the Apostle ask "what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed, for the end of these things is death." 6. It is remarkable that the same arguments, refuted in this chapter, have been adduced by modern infidels in defence of sensual gratifications. Lord Herbert, Hobbes, Bolingbroke, Hume and Voltaire, denied that the indulgence of the sensual passions was a subject of moral blame, and maintained that the dishonour connected with it, is merely the consequence of political arrangements, or the dictate of public opinion. (See Horne's Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures, vol. 1. p. 31). 198 CHAPTER SEVENTH. SECTION FIRS T.-VERSES 1-15. ON MARRIAGE. It would appear, from the beginning of this chapter, that the church at Corinth had addressed a letter to the Apostle (which is now lost) requesting his opinion and direction concerning various cases of conscience that were disputed among them. Had that Epistle been preserved, it would have thrown great light on many passages in this letter, which refer to particular enquiries contained in the other. The first question to which he directly alludes "concerning those things about which they wrote to him," is, that which respected the lawfulness or expediency of marriage. Among the heathen nations, this institution had fallen into great confusion; partly by the introduction of polygamy, and the facility with which divorce was obtained on frivolous pretences; and especially by the dreadful prevalence of promiscuous intercourse between the sexes, which was utterly inconsistent with the purity of the Gospel dispensation. On this point the Apostle had already given his opinion in very strong terms, (chap. vi.) and he now proceeds, with great delicacy and propriety of expression, to explain the law of honourable marriage as originally instituted for the good of mankind. It is further to be observed, that the Jewish teachers considered it unlawful for a man, after arriving at mature age, to remain unmarried, and laid down many trifling rules for the conduct of the married pair. On the other hand, an opinion began to be entertained in the church, which afterwards greatly prevailed, that the state of marriage was inconsistent with strict purity, and was unfriendly to the cultivation of the intellectual and moral habits. This opinion seems to have been borrowed from a certain sect of Jewish ascetics, denominated Essenes, who affected an austere and retired life, and who, according to Josephus, "neither married wives nor |