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A
VOCrir dRtCr*'v/AuLV ^*Vir/:|.*v^ti ^I^^^^'^'^^r r^rC*- -
/ffa^frrr^O\
t rrf;
PAUL'S Eoiftle to the Romans.
CHAP. I.
P
AUL a fervant of Jcfus Chrid, gra- cioully conitituced an apolllc, and Ly a particu- lar deiignation appointed to proclaim the good tidings of that revelation,^
2 which God by the an- ticnt prophets formerly de- clared he would publiih to mankind.
3 This difpenfiidon was firil introduced by his fon Jellis Chrill our Lord,Vvho with regard to his humanity lineally defcended from Da- vid.
4 This mod holy and vir- tuous perfon was moft power- fully afcertained and demon-^ 11 rated to be tl>e fon of God J by his refurredtlon from the dead.
5 By him have I been gra- ciouHy in veiled with the apo- llolic office — that I might propagate the doctrines of his religion amono; all the He;.- thens. ^
6 Of thcfe you conftitute a part, v/ho have been inVitcd into the Chriftian profefTion.
7 This epiftle I fend to all the Chriftians in Rome — the favoured friends of God — \
Vol. II.
bleffed with the diftinguiiliing privileges of the gofpel — af- fectionately wilhing you every iavour and felicityj from God our fupreme parent, and from Jefus Chrifl our Lord.
^ — S First of all let me afliire you, that 1 pay my fer- vent gratitude, on your ac- count, to my God through Jefus Chrill, that your be- lief of Chrillianity is cele- brated throughout the whole world.
9 For I folemnly call the oTeat God to witnefs, to whofe lervice in preaching the goipel oi his fon I freely devote all my poweus, that I am never unmindful of you in my prayers :
I o conilantly imploring the Deity, that, if it be agreeable to his will, I may now at laft have a profperous journey to you.
I I For I am extremely de- firous to fee you, that 1 may communicate to you fome fpi- ritual and miraculous endow- ment, in order that you may be immoveably cllablilhed in your Chriftian profefiion :
1 2 that is, that you and I may enjoy a reciprocal confo- lation by means of our mu- tual belief of the gofpel. B 13 F'^^''-»
t Paul's
1 3 For^ my Chriftian bre- thren, 1 would not have you be ignorant, that 1 have often propofed to vifit you, but have hitherto been always prevent- ed — in order that my mini- ilry might have that fuccefs among you, with which it hath been crowned in other heathen countries.
14 For as I am obliged by my office, to preach the gofpel to the Greeks and to the Bar- barians, to the learned and to the unlearned ;
15 fo am I extremely wil- ling and defirous to impart to you in Rome the joyful truths of the Chriftian revela- tion.
16 For I am not ailiamed of the Chriftian religion --for it is a glorious effort of the Deity, to promote the ever- lafting happinefs of every one indifcriminateiy who embraces it — whether they be Jews — to v/hom it was/r/?publi(hed — or whether they be Hea- thens.
1 7 For by this difpenfation is the abfolute forgivenefs of God announced to every per- fon who cordially believes it — to which the following words of the prophet may be fidy applied, " He, who is ac- quitted from a principle of belief, {hall live."
1 8 For the indignation of the Almighty is now revealed
Eplfile . Chap. 1.
from heaven againft all the horrid impieties and atrocious immoralities of men — who retain indeed the principles of true religion, but corrupt it with the vileft enormities.
19 For thefe are accurate- ly acquainted with all the great knov/n truths relating to the Deity — becaufe the Deity hath' in the cleareft manner exhibited them be- fore their eyes :
20 For his eternal om.ni potence and divinity, his be- ing and perfedions, tho* in accefTible to mortal view, have ever fmce the foundation of the world been moft illuftri- oufly difplayed and manifeft- ed by the frame and ftruc- ture of the univerfe — fo that their conducl is abfolutely in- excufabie.
2 r Becaufe when they had the cleareft perception of the exiftence of the Deity, they did not pay him that venera- tion and gratitude which his charader demands — but they formed the moft frivolous and abfurd reafonings, and bewil- dered their undifcerning infa- tuated minds in the mifts of darknefs.
22 Notwithftanding their arrogant pretenfions to fupe- rior wifdom and erudition, they were guilty of the moft egregious ignorance and folly.
23 For they debafeci the
glory
Chap. i. to the R
glory of the incorruptible j God, by exhibiting him in the fimilitude and figure of a frail mortal, and reprefenting him in the form of birds, of quatrupeds, of reptiles.
24 For which abandoned impieties God furrendered them up to follow the lead of their depraved and fenllial appetites — fo that they mu- tually dijfhonoured and pol- luted their bodies with the moil abominable and unna- tural lufls.
2 5 Tliey converted the truth of natural relio;ion into the moil erroneous faliehood — and they venerated and wor- fhipped the creature initead of the great Creator^ who is the fole proper object of reli- gious adoration through all the revolving ages of eternity ! Amen.
26 For this flagrant im- piety God permitted them to indulge the moil: infamous and diilionourable paiTions — for v/omen, baniiliing their native modeity, abandoned themfelves to the moil unna- tural impurities.
27 Men alio, in the fame manner, relinquiiliing the o- ther fex, were fcorched with the flames of the moil libidi- nous concupifcence for each other — enflaved to a moil fhameful courfe of mutual fo- domitical pra6lices — purfuing
OMANS. J
theie deteilable enormities^ and reaping in their own per- fons thole effects, which muft neceilarily enlue from their wilful corruption of natural rehorion.
o
28 For fmce they did not choofe to acknovvledge and magnify the Deity, the Deity pennitted them to forfeit all moral difcernment, and llir- rendered them up to the prac- tice of the moil heinous and criminal irregularities.
29 They were funk in inju- ilice, debauchery, immora- lity, avarice, malignity — they were overwhelmed with the vices of envy, m.urder, animo- fity, deceit, malevolence*
30 They were habituated to defamation, to calumny, to horrid impiety, to infolence, to pride, to arrogance — inge- nious contrivers of wicked- neis, diveiled of all filial piety,
31 deftitute of all moral intelligence, violators of the ilrongeil engagements, devoid of ail natural atfedion, in- fringers of the moil folemn covenants, ilrangers to com- paiiion and tendernefs.
32 Who though they are perledly acquainted with the rule which the law of God prefcribes, That thole, who are guilty of fuch flagrant im- moralities as thefe, are worthy of death j yet do not only
B 2 perpetrate
P A u l's Epijlle
Chap, ii,
perpeirate tliefe crimes them- I mulating for thyfclf a fund
felves, but alfo applaud others who perpetrate them.
C Ii A P. IL
1 ry^HY condu6t thcre- X fore, O man, who cen'urefl others for their im- jTiOralities, admitteth of hq apology — for in the fentence thou pafletl upon others thou condemned thyfelf — for thou thyfelf committed the very crinnes againil which thou in- veighed.
2 We are perdiaded that the decifions of the Almiglity againd thofe, v/ho are guiky of fuch flagitious exceffes as thefe, are founded in the ef- fenrial nature and truth of things.
3 \)o^^ thou then imagine, O thou who feverely reproached others for thefe atrocious vices, and yet indulged the very fame thyfelf, that thou (liait efcape the judgment of the Almighty ?
4 Or dod tliou treat the immenfe exuberance of the divine benignity, forbearance, and patience,with con tempt — not refiecling that the infinite benignity of God is defigned to induce thee to. repentance and reformation of life ?
5 But through thy deter- mined obdinacy and wilful impenitence, thou art accu-
of mifery and wretchednel"^ which will overwhelm thee in that awful day of retribution, when the iud fentence of the fupreme Judge v/ill be pro- nounced :
6 v/ho v/ill then requiie every individual of the human race according to his relpec- tive condu6l :
7 'upon thofe, who liavc dcadily perfevered in the uni- form pra6tice of univerfal vir- tue, and have dudied to ac- quire the glory and bleffed- nefs of an happy immortality, he will then bedow eternal felicity.
8 But upon thofe, wlio have perverfely oppofed, and obdinately rejeded the truth, and abandoned themfelves to tlie practice of immorality, he will inPiid the mod dire and dreadful punidiments.
9 Every individual then of human kind, without exce])- tion, v/lio hath lived in the practice of v/ickedncfs, whe- ther Jew or Greek, fliall be configned to mifery and wretchednefs extreme.
10. But every radonal crea- ture of mankind, indifcrimi- nately, who diall then be found to have lived a life of virtue, whether Jciv or Hea- then^ iliall be recornpenfed with immortal honour and happinefs ihcfi able.
1 1 For
Ch.iD. li,
to the Romans.
II For the civil diilinctions ciemn the merit or dcmci'ic
of mankind are of no avail with the Deity !
1 2 For all, who have tranf- greffed the lav/ of nature, fhall be coiifigned to perdition for the viola:ion of thaihuv — and tliofe v/ho have dilbbeyed the law of Moles, fluli be con- demned for their infraction of that law.
I J For it is not merely (he nominal profcfiion of the mo- faic law that will intitle a perfon to the divine forj»ive- nefs — but it is folely the \ir-
of their conduct:.
1 6 All mankind therefore, without diitinclion, will bj judged according to the tenjr of their actions, in that awl ul day oF retribution, when the Deity, accordrng; to my gof- pel, will, by Jeltr. Chrill, dif- tloi'e and lay open all the fe- xTct tranfactions of the human race, and paf> an irrevocable kntence upon them..
§—17 Behold! you value
yourfelt UjK)n your Je'vlfli pro-
fefiion — you repofe an cnciie
tuous practice of its precepts I confidence in the law — you
that will be finallv rewarded, ^lory in tlie knowledge you
14 I-'or when the lieatliens, who adopt not the law of Mo- fes, yet pradtife, from the principles of nature, thofe tluties which the law pre- fcribes ; tiiefe, thouizh dtili- tute of an explicit revealed law, are not dellitutc of a rule and ftandard for theif moral condutl.
15 They evince that the moral injundions of the mo- laic inftitutiori are engraven by the finger of (lod on the tablet of their heart * — for their confciences faithfully in- dicate the true nature of tiicir refpedlive adions, and their inrellcftual and moral powers
ahcrr.atclv
.ud
or con-
have of the one true God
^ 8 You are acquainted with his will, and by the inlbudtion of the law you a^ quire an accurate knowledge of the moll important and interefting truths ;
19 You vainly arrogate to yourlelf the character of a guide to the blind, of a lam^* in the midtl of a beni9;htr.l World,
20 ot a:; in;.: iiLior or looij, of a teacher of babes ^ and boall that the law of Mofe contains tl;e only fyflem (>: divine knowledge and" truth.
2 1 But do you, wlio incul- cate Icfibnsof inllruclion upo i orlicrs, not conform to theni
l\ ; youifelf
»4 ii79u fa»n*
Sophiclit Jn''2
6 Paul
yourfelf ! Are you, who in- veigh againil theft, guilty of fraud and difhoneily your- felf !
2 2 Are you, who declaim againft debauchery, a debau- chee yourfelf ! Do you, who abominate imaofcs. commit facrilege !
23 You who glory in the law of Mofes, do you dilho- nour God by violating its in- jun61:ions !
24 For by reafon of r(?r.'r notorious vices, your religion is become the objed: of ca- lumny and fatyr among the Heathen nations, as the pro- phet declares.
25 For the privileges of the Jewifn religion are a fig- nal advantage, if you a6l up to them — but if your life is a contradiction to your profef- ficn, you for ever forfeit its benefits, and your Judaifm finks to a level with Hea- thentfin.
26 And on the contrary, fhould an Heathen perform thofe duties which the law of Mofes prefcribes, fhall not the external difadvantages of his fituation be confidered in the fame manner as if he had been born in all the pri- vileges oix^^Jcwijh religion ?
27 And will not the vir- tuous Heathens^ who make thofe moral precepts, which tlie law of Moles inculcates
; Epijlle Chap, iii,
the rules of their condu61:, condemn you^ who, though initiated and inflrucftcd in this divine revelation, live in open violation of it ?
28 For he is not a Jew, who only makes an external profefllon of Judaifm — nor is that true circumcifion, v/hich is merely exterior :
29 But in the divine efti- mation he only is a Jew, who is internally holy and virtuous — and that circumcifion he re- quires, is a figurative not a literal inftitution — which con- fifts in retrenching the
HTe-
gular affedions of the heart, and is defirous, not to fecure the applaufe of man, but the approbation of God.
CHAP. III.
■w
1
FIAT fuperior ad- vantages then, you will fay, doth the Jew pof- fefs, or what is the utility of circumcifion ?
2 The Jcw^ I reply, is blefled with many Tignal ad- vantages — for, in the firil place, this nation was favour- ed with a divine revelation.
3 But what if fome of them rejected its evidences, doth their infidelity fuperfede the divine fidelity ?
4 Far from it ! Let the veracity of all mankind be
arraigned.
Chap. iii. to the R o
arraio-ned, rather than that the divine veracity fhould be im- peached — agreeably to the following affertions of the prophets, " In all thy decla- rations thy juflice and equity will be evinced, and when thou art examined and ex- plored, the decifion will be in thy favour."
5 But you will fay. If the wickednefs of us Jews recom- mends us to the divine cle- mency and forgivenefs — v^hat ihall I reply to this — muft I affert that the Deity is unjuil in his infiidions of punifh- mcnt ? (I argue upon the common principles of human reafon)
6 Far be it from me to impeach the divine juilice! — for if this attribute be fub- verted, how is the Deity qua- lified to judge the world ?
7 For if, for example, my flagrant falfehood fcrves to illuftrate the divine veracity, and to augment his glory, why fhould a vice pro- duftive of fuch an end, be cenfured in me as criminal ?
8 No ! far from it 1 It is an injurious caium^ny that hath been fixed upon m.e by fome perfons, w^ho alTert that I advance the following ma- xim— *-' Let us praftife vice, that happinefs may refult from it." — Thofe who avow f this pernicious principle are |
MANS, 7
the objeds of deferved pu- nilhment.
9 What then — Do we Jews excell the Heathens in point of morals ? — By no means ! — For I have fhowed above, that both Jews and Gentiles are all equally funk in wick- ednefs.
iQ The vices of the Jews are thus diftinftly fpecified by their writers — " There is no virtuous perfon among them, not even one fingle indivi- dual :
1 1 There is not one intel- ligent perfon among them, not one pious votary of God :
1 2 They have all deviated from the path of duty, they are univerfally abandoned and worthlefs, there is not one who poiTefleth the leaft fpark of real goodnefs, not fo much as one fmgle per-» fon :
13 Their voracious throat is an infatiable fepulchre, their tongues are replete with fraud and falfehood, and the venom of afps rankles under their lips :
14 Their mouths are full of malediction and virulence ::
15 They are extremely prompt and alert to em.brue their hands in innocent blood ;
16 It is their fole fludy and delign to fpread deva.fta- tion and w-recchednefs ai:ounci them :
A 4-
8 p A^xj-f;s
1 7 They are perfe6l fcran- gers to concord and peace :
1 8 And there is not the leaft awe of God upon their minds."
\^i^ ..Now we kno\v that all thefe particulars, which oc- cur in the Jewif/j books,* arc dclcriptive of the chara6ters of thofe who acknowledged their authority — So that eve- ry mouth is flopped,^ and the whole world is become de- fervedly obnoxious to the di- vine punifnment.
20 Becaufe by the cere- monial obfervances of the mofaic law no perfon can be acquitted from his formxr crimes at the divine tribuna]| — for the law of Moies is fo far from remitting Rn, that it places its malignity and turpitude in the ftrongefl light.
2 1 But N0w% in the pre- fent age, without any relation to the law, hath the divine remiffion, attefted by the law and the prophets, been re- vealed and publiflied to the world : ")
2 2 I'he divine remilfion of all pafl: hns, through a reception of the Chriilian re- ligion, freely difpenfed to all, who fincerely adopt it, in- dilcriminatclv.*
Efijlle
Chap. III.
23 Becaufe all, witliout exception, have violated their duty, and been defective in their obedience to God.
24 But they are now, gra- tuitoufly acquitted from all their former crimes, by the diftino-uifhed favour and goodnefs of the Deit)% pub- iilhed to the world by that new difpenfation which Chrill Jefus hath introduced i^
25 whom, ^ by means of the effufion of his blood, the Deity hath appointed to be a mercy-feat, to announce from it, to the world, his moft mer- ciful abolition of all their pall iniquities :^
26 to difplay to the prefent age the infinite clemency and forgivenefs of the Deity, and to difcover liis tranfcendcnc goodnefs in mofl graoioully remitting the crimes of every one who cordially embraces the religion of Jelus!^
27 Where then is glorv- ing ? — It is for ever excluded — By w^hat law ? — By the moiaic ?— No ! — It is by the Chriliian inititution.
- 2-8;We conclude therefore, that a perfon is acquitted from, his pad guilt by an adop- tion k)f Chriftianity, inde- pendently of the ceremonial iav,\
29 Is
Aic*. <r;ii 'crj>'«:
!n our printed copies is not in die xllurandrian MS.
Chap. iv. to the. R
29 Is the Almighty the God of the Jews only ? is he not the parent of the Heathens alfo ? — undoubtedly the com- mon parent of the Heathens too.
30 Seeing it is the fame Being who equally difpenfeth forgivenefs both to the cir- eumcifed and to the uncir- cumcifcd, through their be- lief of Chriilianity.
.^iL But you will fay — Doth Ghriftianity, in my efcimation, totally annul and fuperfede the law ? — By no means! — Ghriftianity recommends and corroborates the law.
CHAP. IV.
W then
T privileges fhall we lay were poflefTed by Abraham our illuftrious anceftor ?
2 For if Abraham w^as ac- quitted folely in confequence of his prior obedience, he hath caufe for exultation, tho' not before the Supreme.
3 But what doth the fcrip- ture afiert? — '' Abraham had the fulleft convi6lion of the being of the fupreme God, and in confequence of this belief all his pafl guilt, by an aft of the divine goodnefs, was totally expunged."
4 Now the wages of a la- bourer are elkcmed hisjufl
O M A N S. 9
due, are never confidered as a gratuity.
5 But to him who hath no prior good works to difplay, but is at the fame time fully convinced of the truth and veracity of that Being who abfolveth the impious, this his con virion Is gracioufly ef- teemed as a foundation for his abfolution.
6 Agreeably to this, David ! in the following paffage cele- brates the felicity of that perfon, whom God, by a dif- tinguidied a6t of his favour, abfolveth from his former guilt, without any regard paid to his former adlions :
7 " Happy are they whofe fms are pardoned, whole crimes are expunged !
8 Thrice happy the man, to whom the Almighty will not impute his guilt !'*
9 Now is this felicity here mentioned, folely confined to
! the Jews F — ■ or doth it com- prehend the Heathens .?-->- for we aiTert, that Abraham/s be- lief in the Supreme was gra- cioufly confidered as the foundation of his remiffion.
10 But in v/hat manner did he receive this fignal fa- vour ? — when he was circum- cifcd, or w^hen he was un- circum.cifed ? — in a (late of uncircumcifion.
1 1 For he received the rite of circumcilion as the
feal
lo Paul's
feal and fan^lion of this re- inilTion, which was now con- ferred upon him in confe- quence of that faith he had exercifed in God during his uncircumcifion — in order that he might be the father of all who believe in an uncircum- cifed flate, that their fincere belief might, in like manner, be confidered as the founda- tion of their abfolution :
12 and the father of cir- cum-cifion, not merely to his circumcifed defcendants, but to all, without diflindiion, who copy that faith our great an- cestor difplayed during his ftate of uncircumcifion.
1 3 For that fignal promife that was given him.. That he Ihould be the iliuftrious heir of the world, was not derived to him or to his defcendants through the channel of the law, but through that belief In the Supreme which was the ground of his remiffion.
1 4 For if thofe who adopt- ed the mofaic law, are the on- ly legitimate heirs of this promife, then is the principle of belief vain and fruitlcfs, and the promife fuperfeded and annulled :
1 5 becaufe the law menaces punifhment to its violator ; for take away law, and you take away tranfgrefiion.
1 6 This blelTing therefore was annexed to belief, that
EpiJIk Chap. IV.
it might be entirely gratui- tous— in order that this mag- nificent promife might remain unmoveably liable and firm to all his defcendants — not mere- ly to thofe who are profeffors of the JewiHi law, but to all who imitate the virtuous be- lief of Abraham — who is in this refpedl the common fa- ther of us all indifcriminately.
1 7 Agreeably to this it is exprefly faid, "^ I have confti- tuted thee the great progeni- tor of numerous nations" — This diftinguifhed bleffmg was conferred upon him in confequence of his firm belief in that Being, who reftores the dead to life, and fpeaks of things future, as adually exifting.
1 8 This iliuftrious perfon- age, contrary to every rational hope, cheriflied the firmefl: belief and hope that hefliould be the father of many nations, according to the divine pro- mife, whAch afiured him. His progeny fliould be as nume- rous as the ftars of heaven.
ig His confidence in this divine afiurance was fo ftrong and vigorous, that he never once refledled on the debi- lity of his very advanced age, being now about an hundred, or on the natural impofiibility of Sarah ever being a mother.
20 But the affiance he re- pofed in this divine promife
was
Chap. V. to the R
was fo entire, that he did not hefitate a moment about the reality of its accomplifhment —-He had the moil undoubted perfuafion of it, and gave glory to God.
2 1 He had the fullefl con- vidion in his own mind, that the Being, who had given this prom'ife, was able to per- form it.
2 2 In confequence there- fore of this his fmcere belief in the Supreme, he was, by an a6l of the divine favour, acquitted from all his prior guilt.
23 But the account of his being thus graciouily ac- quitted, was not recorded merely for his fake :
24 but principally for oar fakes, who were in future time to have this fignal fa- vour conferred upon us — for our fakes, who believe in that almighty Being, who raifed from the tomb our Lord Jefus :
25 that divine perfon who was furrendered up to death, to refcue us from our vices \ and was reflored to life, in order to grant us the total ab- folution of our former crimes.
CHAP. V.
E heathens there- fore, *^ having been acquitted from all our prior
O M AN S.
II
guilt, in confequence of our fmcere belief of Chriftianity, are now in a ilate of peace and friendfhip with the Deity, by means of our Lord Jefus Chrift :
2 Through whom we have been admitted, by our cordial reception of his gofpel, into this gracious difpenfation, with which we are now blefled, and exult in the glorious prolpect of a bleffed immortality.
3 And what is more than this, we even exult and glory in the miferies and diftreffes we encounter — perfuaded that diftrefs produceth conflancy :
4 and conflancy produceth felf-approbation, and fclf-ap- probation hope.
5 And this anim.ating hope will not refult in Ihamefui difappointment, for the love of God to us hath been dif- fufed in our bofoms by the holy Spirit, which hath been imparted to us.
6 For when we Gentiles vv'ere totally unable to extri- cate ourfelves — in this im- portant crifis, Jefus died for the benefit of an impious and immoral race.
7 For fcarcely could any perfon be found, who would lacrihce his life for a juit per- fon— though perhaps fome pei*fon might generoufly de^ vote his life a yi6lim, to
iave
The fartidple is in the inii corij}.
12
m
fave a benevolent man death ^.
8 But the Deity exhibiteth a, mod amazing and endearing cxprefTion of his afrcdlion for us, that when we were pro- fligate and abandoned finners, ChriH: voluntarily fubmitted to death to fave us from de- ftrudion.
9 How much more, there- fore, fince we have in the pfefent ftate been acquitted from our vices, by means of the efFufion of his blood, fliali we in a future flate be refcued through him from everlafting perdition !
10 For if, when we Gen- tiles were - enemies to God, we were introduced into this happy change of flate, by means of the death of his ov/n fon— how much more, having been gracioufly favoured with this happy revolution, fiiall we not obtain everlafling falva- tion by means of that immor- tal life he now enjoys !
1 1 And not only this, but we exult and glory in the Deity, on account of the in- terpofition of our Lord Jefus
Paul's EpijVe Chap. v.
Chrifl: — by whofe means we heathens have received this
fro
glorious revolution.
12 In refped to this, as by one man fm was firil: in- troduced into the world, and death w^as ufhered in by fin, and, in this manner, death univerfally invaded the whole luunan race, in confequence of their univerfal guilt.
13 For before the period of the mofaic inflitution, vice had an exiftence in the world — though it did ^ not expofe men to fuch rigorous punifh- ments before the publication of that law.
14 But death exercifed its dread dominion through all that long fpace which inter- vened betwixt Adam and Mofes — over thofe, who had not violated a pofitive law, as Adam, the forerunner of the Meffiah, had done.
15 But the difadvantages incurred by the lapfe of the firjl^ won't admit the leaft
comparifon with the free do- nation of bleflings conferred by the fecond^ Adam — for if through the difobedience of
one
* See fome excellent refie(51ions on the power of goodnefs, in Plutarch's life of Cato jun, p. 1432. Edit. Gr. Siephafi. It was a principle even of Epicurus^ VTTip (pi\cv ^ort T:-0H)^ecr^oti. J^^og. Laert. p.. 654, Edit. Meiho- mil. vol. i. A?/iJieL 1692. See a memorable example of furrendering life to fave a bcnefad^or or beloved friend, in Dion. IJuIicar. vol. i. p. 430. 'Ed'ii. Hiu^/oNy and in the Akcjtes o{ Euripides.
^ Ex\:ycLro is the rending of the Jlex. MS. See .W/ and IVetJhin. l^:A^}tirt or £m^?«t5, in other manufcripts.
Chap. V.
one pcrfon, the
was fubjefted to mortality •, infinitely more hath the di- vine-benignity, and that li- beral grant of gofpel privi- leges, beftowed through the benevolence of ojie man, Je- fiT3 Chrifl, iliperabounded to mankind.
1 6 Neither in this refpe6t are the etFedls of Adam's guilt to be placed in oppofidonwith the gracious benefits derived from the gofpel-difpenfation — For Adam's fingle offence, by the judicial fentence of God, terminated in the con- dcmnatio72 of the v/hole human fpecies to mortality — but the gracious privileges of the gof-
io the Roman s. 13
human race fole conilitution, are all the human race judicially ad- judged to immortality.
19 For as on the account of the difobedience of one fingle perfon, ail mankind were treated as finners — fo, on account of the obedience of one fingle perfon, fnaii all mankind be treated as if they v/ere perfedtiy free from
origin from
of the
total
pel, taking thei the numerous vices world, have refulted in ahjolution of them.
17 For if, through the ^fingle lapfe of one perfon, the
univerfal empire of death was immediately ereded — infi- nitely more iliall they, vvho are blefi^ed with this exube- rance of divine goodnefs, and v/ith the free and generous remifilon of all their vices, reign in endlefs immortality through one divine perfonage, Jefus Chrifi:.
18 As therefore, in con- fequence of one fole adl of difobedience, all the human race was fentenced to morta- lity— fo in confequence of one
guilt.
20 But the law of Mofes was introduced am.oncr but
o
an inconfiderable portion of mankind \ fo that the viola- tions of that pofitive law were multiplied without end — but where vice abounded, the im- menfe exuberance of the di- vine benignity hath infinitely more fuperabounded :
21 in order, that as the empire of fin was ereded, and fcattered mortality among the human race ; fo in like man- ner might the divine favour moft triumphantly reign unto eternal life, by means of thofe privileges which were dil- penfed by Jefus Chrifi: our Lord.- . -^^
CHAP. VI.
I TT 7HATfiiallwerepIy VV to this ?— fiiall we fay, we Vv^ill perfifl: in our vices, in order that v/e may render the divine benignity the more illurtrious
14 P A u l's
illuftrioiis In the forgivenefs of them ?
2 Nothing can be a greater perverfion of it — For hew Ihall we, who have died to vice, revive it again in our future practice.
3 Don't you know that all of us, who were baptifed into the profeiTion of Chrift Jeius, were baptifed into the ' be- lief of his death ?
4 When we were therefore immerfed in baptifm into the belief of his death, we were then figuratively buried with him — to reprefent to us, that as Chrift emerged from the ftate of death to immortality, by the glorious energy of the fupreme Father, fo ought we for the future to enter upon a new life.
5 For if we have been intimately united to him by baptifm, the figurative reprc- fentation of his death, we Ihall alfo be connecfled with him, in a moral refemblance to him in his s refurreftion.
6 Confcious of this^ that our former abandoned hea-
Chap. VI.
diflblved and annihilated the whole fyftem of vice, to exempt us for the future from its fervitude.
7 For he who is thus dead to vice, is forever emanci- pated from its flavery.
8 Now if v/e morally died with Chrift from our form.er vicious purfuits, we believe we fliall fl-^are a bleffed immor- tality with him.
9 Perfuaded that Chrift being raifcd from the tomb, will never feel the ftroke of death any more — the tyrant death hath for ever loft his dominion over him.
10 For he who fubmitted to death was entirely morti- fied to all fin — and the life he now enjoys is folely devoted to God.
11 In the fam^e manner do you regard yourfelves as dead to vice, but alive to God thro' the difpenfation of Chrift Je- fus our Lord.
1 2 Sufter not vice, there- fore, to ered its empire in your mortal bodies, to make you abje61: flavcs to its dc-
thenifti life expired with him | praved afiedlions and habits, on the crofs — ib that he hath I 13 Neither do you furrender
up
*" This is the meaning of «$ toy ^a,vetTov ovtcv zCaTrlio^ii^tv. The death of Chrift is the grand fanclamental article in the goipel-lchcme, on which the Deity's grnnt of privileges,, and the Chriftian's title to immorta- lity, are founded. Into the belief of the death of Chrilt were all the cowerti baptifed, Baptifm is a ilrong and ftriking reprefcntation of this capital tiuth> • he death of Jefus.
8 The emblem of a 7ien.Ki life.
Ghap. VI.
up your powers to be the in- itrument of profligate and vi- cious excelfes — but do you confecrate yourfelves to God, as thofe who have been mo- rally raifed to new life from the dead, and employ your faculties in the virtuous fer- vice of God.
14 For vice lliall not exer- cife its tyranny over you, for you are not under the rigour of the mofaic law, but under a difpenfation of benignity and favour.
15 What then, fhall we continue in our vices, becaufe we are not under the feverity of the law, but under the gracious difpenfations of the gofpel ? — by no means !
16 Don't you know, that to the dominion of '^ what- ever habits you voluntarily furrender yourfelves, you are entirely under their wnlimited fway and controul? — v/hether it be the dominion of vice, which terminates in deftruc- tion : or the fervice of virtue, which iflues in falvation.
1 7 Bleffed be God, though you were once the (laves of vice, yet you have taken the full impreffions of that mould
to the Romans,
n
of perfed dodrine into which you were thrown ^
1 8 Vindicated therefore in- to liberty from the vaiTalage of vice, you are now entered into the fervice of virtue.
19 (I fpeak in this meta- phorical manner to aflift your underitandings) — As you for- merly furrendered up your powers to the fervitude of the vilefl enormities, and aban- doned exceffes — fo do you now devote your faculties to the cultivation of univerfai fan6lity and holineis,
20 For when you were the abjed valTais of vice, you were totally loft to ail virtue and goodnefs-
2 J What advantages did you then reap in thofe pur- fuits, of vvhich you now ap- pear ailiamed — the end of fuch puriuits is eternal death.
22 But ^fow, having been manumifed from the llavery of vice, and commenced the fervants of God, you produce the fruits of holinefs — a courfb of life that will finally ilTue in a blelTed immortality.
23 For the wages whicli vice payeth its votaries is de- ftrudion — but the glorious
donatioa
* Qx to n»hat^ to n/jhc/.snjer purfiiit, kahit,
^ Eis oY 'C7ci^ihhTz rii-TTov. An elegant metaphor taken from the art. ^ coining money, which is thrown into a die or mouldy and rec^iies the impref- Jion. See Taylor, in he, and the learned Dr, Ed-^^ards on Irrpfy ibk Qracf, P- 35> 36, 37.
i6 Paul's
donation of God is everlaftino- life, through the difpcnfation of Jefus Chrill our Lord.
CHAR VIL
I "F^ON'T you know, my JL/ Chriftian brethren, (I ani fpeaking to thofe who are acquainted with the law of Mofes, ) that this inilitution maintains a fuprenie autho- rity over a man througliout the whole period of his exi- gence !
2 For the married woman is by the law indifTolubly uni- ted to her hufband during his life — but at his deceafe, the legal • bond, which con- nected her to him, is dif- folved.
3 Should file therefore vio- late the nuptial bed, by co- habiting with another man during her huiband's life, fhe is denominated an adulterefs — but at the death of her hufband the bond is cancelled, and rui^ may unite herielf to another, without that appellation.
4 In the fame manner are you, my Chrillian brethren, now become dead to the mo- faic law, your conneolicn vnih it being d?Jfolvcd by Chriil — •
mcurring
Ej)ijlle Chap, vii,
in order that you fliould unite yourlclves to another^ even to liim vv'ho was raifcd from tlie dead, that we might bring forth the fruits of holinefs to God,
5 For when we were un- der the mofaic conftitution, the depraved and vicious af- feclions, by means of that difpenlation, exerted them- felves with the greatefl: ener- gy in all our powers, to in- cite us to bring forth fruit to eternal death ^.
0 But NOW, our union with the law is entirely annulled — • the tyrant is dead, who once detained us in his fetters — fo that we are the fervants of the ne-iv^ not the flaves of the old^ dilpenfadon.
7 What fhall we fay then, Hiall we aifert that the law hath an immoral tendency ? — nionftrous afTertion ! — for ^ I had not known the in- trinfic turpitude of vice, had it not been for the law — I fhould no:, otherwife, have known that libidinous defires were criminal, if the law had not exprefsly prohibited them.
8 But vice, having gained a firm footing by means of this exprcls prohibition, kin- dled in ivic the flame of every irregulai* paflion — hor take
away
^ In opprjitioti to brlrglng forth fruits to God in \\\q. former verfe* 1 The Apoftle pciforiates a Jew to ' cr. 25,
to the Roman s.
Ghap. vii.
away the law, and vice is de- fund.
9 Once, before I knew the law, I exulted in the vigour of moral life — but when I was informed of a folemn ex- pHeit command, vice imme- diately awaked into new life,
10 and I expired — and that precept, which was cal- culated to procure life, was found to doom me to death.
1 1 For vice, having fe- cured to kfeif a fit place for its operations by means of this injundion, drew me into a fatal fnare, and (lew me.
12 So that the law, ab- flradedly confidered, is an holy inftitution, and its mo- rality is pure, juft, and good.
13 Was that then, which has fuch excellence, the caufe of death to me t — far from it — It was fm, which inflicled the fatal wound — in order that fin, which fubjeded me to death by mean? of that which is inherently excellent and good, might be repre- fented in its true features, and, by means of this com- mand, difcover its moil ex- celTively abominable malig- nity and detefca-ble turpitude.
14 We know i-ndced that the lav/ of Mofes is a moral inilitution — but I am under
Vol. IL
^7
the abfolute controul of my fenfital appetites, the abject vafTal and (lave of vice,
15 Yox my mind dath not "^ approve the crimes I per- petrate— what my judgment didates I do not perform — > but the anions I inwardly deteft I comply with,
16 But if I perform the very aClion againft v/hich my mind itrongly remonflrates, I give my inward fuffrage to the eflential excellence of the law.
1 7 Now my mind is no accomplice in this guilt — it is folely the effed of vice^ which hath fixed her refidence in me.
1 8 For I am confcious that in myfelf, I mean, in my fen- fual affedions, there dwells no moral o;oodnefs — for the defire of doins; what is vir-
v_>
tuous continually attends me, but this defn*e my depraved habits render me morally in- capable of carrying into exe- cution.
19 For I difcharge not thcfe virtuous offices my mind approves, but the wicked- nefs, at which my mind ftarts with horror, I perpetrate.
20 Now if I am impelled into that guilt againft which my mind at the lame time
C gene-
' — njideo jneliora prohoqug Dctcriora [e(ixm\ Ovid'«
i8 PaulV
generoufly relu6tates, it fol- iows, that it is not my heart that incurs this guilt, the lole parent of it is vice, that hath erected her empire over me.
21 I find therefore that when my mental powers ilrongly tend to what is vir- tuous, my fenfual appetites immediately counteract this tendency.
2£ For all my intelledlual faculties applaud the lublimc excellence of the divine law.
23 But 1 fee another law engaging with fuperior force againil this law of my mind, and in triumph dragging me captive to vice, who fits en- throned in my fenfual affec- tions.
24 Miferable wretch that I am ! Who will extricate me from the tyranny of this death ! —
25 The " gracious benig- nity of God will extricate me, which he hath difpenfed by Jefus Chrift our Lord — for it demonftrably appears that I, the very fame perfon, who with my rational powers ap- prove the law of God, am, at the fame time, with my fen- lual appetites, cnflaved to vice.
Chap. VIII. I. Confe- quently therefore there is NOW no fentence of condem- nation againil thofe, who em-
Epijlle Chap. viii.
brace the gofpel of Chrift Jelus, and regulate their con- dud: according to the dic- tates, not of the fenfual, but of the rational, principle.
2 For the fpiritual fcheme of Chrillianity, which dif- penfes life, hath vindicated me into liberty from my fer- vitude to the mofaic con- ftitution of fm and death.
3 This fignal bleffing, as the mofaic difpenfation was totally incapable of confer- ring by means of the weak- nefs of its carnal obfervances, the Deity, by delegating his fon vefted in an human form to refcue mankind from the dominion of vice, hath en- tirely crulhed the empire fm had ere6led in our mortal bodies :
4 In order that the moral obligations prefcribed in the law might be fulfilled by us, who follow the guidance, not of our fenfual propenfities, but of our rational facul- ties.
5 For they,who are under the controul of their fenfual ap- petites, make fenfual pleafure their lole purfuit — but they, who are under the direction of their intelledlual powers, make intelledual objedts their ftudy and happinefs. ,
6 For the purfuit of fen- fual pleafure terminates in eternal
■ '^k;.^i$ j:u <di:v is the true reading.
to the Roma n s.
thap. viii.
eternal death
fuit of thofe objeds, which reafon prefer! bes, iffues in everlailing life and felicity,
7 Becaufe a fenfual difpo- fition is rebellion againll God — for it is not in fubjeclion to the law of God : It is ab- folutely impolTible it fliould,
8 It is impolTible therefore that thofe who are abandoned to fenfual gratifications Ihould be the obje<5ls ot th^ divine complacence.
9 But you are not under the government of the fen- fual, but of the rational, fa- culty, provided a divine dif- pofition of mind refideth in you — now if any perfon is hot governed by the fame difpofition which adluated Chrift, he hath nojuftpre- tenfions to the character of his difciple.
10 But if you cherifh the difpofition which Chriilianity requires, your animal nature ts then dead with refpeft to vice, but your rational is alive and vigorous with refpect ta virtue.,
1 1 And if xki^ difpofition of him who raifed Jefus from the tomb continues to a<5lu- atc a:nd govern you, be aifu- red that the Being, who re- animated the dead body of Chrifl, will alfo reflore your mortal bodies to life^ becaufe
J9'
but the pur- j of that truly godlike temper with which you are poiieiled.
1 2 Confequently therefore, my chriilian brethren, we are under every obligation not to live in fenfual gratifications.
1 3 For if you live in car- nal purfuits, you will be fi- nally doomed to eternal death — but if in compliance with the diclates of reafon you mortify the animal propen- fities, you will finally fecure everlafting life.
14 For all thoie, v/ho are a6^uated by a divine difpofi- tion of ibul, are the genuine fons of God.
15 For undef the gofpel you have not again received a fpirit of ferviiity to keep- you in flavifii terrour and ti- midity— but you have recei- ved a filial fpirit, by means of which v/e freely, as adopt- ed children 5 invocate the Al- mighty as our indt^lgent fa- ther.
^ i 6 Now this fame diipoli- tion, which the gofpel in- fpires, gives the flrongeil at- teftation and conviction to our own minds, that we arc the children of God.
17 But if we are the- fons of God^ conlequently we are heirs — heirs of God and co- heirs v;ith Chrill — If we par- ticipate with him in his {vi^- ferings, that we fhould par- G 2 ticipate
20 ^ P A U l's
ticipate with him in a glori- ous immortality.
1 8 For I conclude, that the fufFerings of the prefent tran- fient lite are not worthy to be compared with that future glory that fhall be difclofed to us.
19 For the whole rational creation waits for this felicity, with which the fons of God will be finally invefted, with the moft eao;er and intenfe expcdation °.
20 For the Iiuman race was fubjccted to the vanity of mor- tal condition, not by its vo- luntary choice, but by the pleafure of the Almighty ar- biter — who fuhjeded them to this frailty,
21 but kindled in their bo- foms the shearing; and enli- vening hope that human kind would be emancipated from the fervitude of frail morta- lity, and enlarged into the glorious liberty of the fons of God.
2 2 For WT know that the whole race of mortals is in- volved in one promifcuous
Epijlle Chap, viii*
pangs of one common mifery to the prefent moment.
2 3 And not only the whole creation in general, but even we ourfelves who are diftin- guifhed with the primary and lignal endowments of the Spi- rit, the bolbms even of us heave with profound and for- rowful groans, educed from the ardent expedlation of our future glorious adoption, and our complete deliverance from this prifon of our mortal body.
24 For the Chriftian difpen- fation hath infpired us with this hope — but the hope of an immediate prefent obje6l is abfurd — for what a perlbn intimately fees is not the ob- jed of hope.
25 But if diings remote and future are the objeds of our hope, we wait for them in patient expc6tation.
26 Agreeably to this alfo the Spirit itfelf aids our human frailties and infirmities, for we know not what petitions are proper for us to prefer to the Supreme, but in this fo-
wretchednell;, and fuftains the |lemn concern the Spirit tranf-
adedi
° ATT'.vM^-xSoLia,. This is a very ftrong and emphatical word, expreffive of the moll intenfe and anxious expedation. Pompey, at the battL- of Pha)fa!ia, when he faw his cavalry put to flight, retired to his tent, and in the moji intenfe and painful expectation n.ijaited the event : {xotpctJoxri ro fj.tWiV. Plutarch Ca-far. p. 1 338. Stepban. Gr. They keep a profound filcnce anxioujly njcailing their orders: ar/uoQi KOLpai ciccvvT^^ ra 'r^^c^ct^-U' csjuivx. Xenophon. Menior. p. 126. Oxon. 1741. See alfo Polybius, p. 534, 553, 609, 613, Edit. Hanov.- Euripides, Iphigen.Taur, 313. Oreiks 704, Helen. 745.
to //^^ R O M A N S.
filent
fug-
Chap, vili.
afteth for us in geflions.
27 And that Being who explores the human heart ap- proveth the difpolition of the Spirit — becaufe he direfts Chriftians to fuch* requefls, as are agreeable to the divine v/ill.
28 We are perfuaded alfo that all things cooperate in finally producing the happi- nefsofthe fincere votaries of the Deity — the happinefs of thofe, who in purfuance of his original defigns, have now been invited into the privi- leges of the gofpel.
29 P'or thofe to v/hom he originally intended to commu- nicate the bleiTings of Chriflia- nity, thefe he alio originally Intended to raife from the tomb, in \\\q: glorious refplen- dent imao-e of his fon - — de-
o
figning that his fon ihould be the fir ft to lead up many other fubfequent brothers to a bleffed immortality.
30 I'hofe, on whom he primarily defigned to bcilow this felicity, he invited into evangelical privileges — thofe, whom he invited, he alfo ab- folved from all their prior guilt — and to thofe, whom he ^bfolved, he purpofed to be- ftov/ a glorious immortality.
31 What thoughts Ihali Y.'e then entertain of thefe im-
menfe bleffinss
21
If the
Deity is thus our friend, who can be our foe !
32 That Being, who did not even fpare his own Son, but furrendered him up to death, for the common be- nefit of us all, will not the author of fuch an amazing a6t of benevolence, generoufly impart to us every blefTmg !
33 Who is there will now charo;e the Pleledcommunitv of God with guilt ? — God hath abfolved them from it.
34 Who is there v»^ho will condemn them for their vices ? — Chrift hath died— I Ihould rather fay — Chrift hath been raifed to aboliih them — and he is now exalted to the right hand of God, and negotiates our concerns.
'2^^ What then will ever alienate from iis that affec^ tion which Jefus cherillieth for us ? — Will diftrefs, v/ill the moft extreme wretched- nefs, will famine, will naked- nel's, will the moft imminent danger, v/ill the impending terror of the fword ?
36 To us Chrift ians I can juftiy apply the following paf- fages of fcripiure, " For thy fake, throughout the whole day, we are nriferably maf- facrcd, we are efteemcd as fheep for the (laughter."
C 3 Zl But
* Tliis Vf2k^ peculiar to the Apo^olk ags, F The converts to Chriftianity,
?2
37 But from all thefe con- flidls v/e return with vidory artd triumph, by the power- ful afTiftancc of him who hath loved us.
38 For I am firmly per- fuaded, that neither death, nor hfe, nor angels, nor king- doms, nor fovercignties, nor things prefent, nor things fu- ture,
;^9 nor the heighth of prof- perous, nor the depth of ad- verfe fortune, nor any crea- ture in the whole univerfe of beings, will ever be able to extinguifli the love of God to us — that love, which he hath expreflcd for us In the milTion pf Chrift Jefus our Lord.
CHAP. IX.
I T Speak the truth as a chri- JL ftian — I am guilty of no falfehood — my confcience, which is illuminated by the clfuiions of the holy Spirit, bears v/itnefs to the fmcerity of what 1 now afiert :
2 that my mind is over- whelmed with a burden of great afRidion, and that my heart is incelfantly torn v/ith the pangs of the acutelt for-
lOW.
5 For I could wllh myfelf rxciuded from the privileges of a chriftian, to fubferve the interefts of my dear brethren
P A u l's Epijlk Chap, ix,
the Jews, who are fo nearly
allied to me in the bonds of nature.
4 Thefe arc the favoured defcendents of Jacob — thefe are God's feled: people — to thefe he appeared in vifible glory — with thefe he eftab- liihed a covenant — to thefe he gave a fyftem of laws and religious worfhip — to the obe- dience of thefe he annexed diftino-uillied blefTino-s.
5 Thefe are the progeny of the mod illuftrious ancef- tors — from thefe, as to hu- man extra6i:ion, the Mefnah defcended — and to thefe the one fupreme God explicitly revealed himfelf, who is the worthy objed of religious ado- ration, through ail the revol- ving ages of eternity. Amen.
6 But notwithftanding thefe fignal advantages of the Jews, the declaration of the Supreme hath not fallen to the ground — For the Ifraelites merely are not the whole of the genuine defcendents of Jacob.
7 Nor are thofe only who derive their extradlion from A^braham, the zvbcle of the progeny of that illuftrious perlbnage — but the true line of thy defcendents, faid God, fhall extend from Ifaac.
8 From when', it follows, that mere natural extraction doth not endtle to the cha- racter of the fons qf God- but
Chap. ix. to the
but thofe only who are the objeds of the divine promife are to be efteemed the true defcendents.
9 For the form of the pro- mife is this—" At that time I will difplay my divine power, and Sarah fhall have a fon."
10 Rebecca too, the con- fort of Ifaac, our great pro- genitor, when (he was in her pregnancy,
1 1 before her children had breathed the vital air, or had done either good or evil — (a proof that the original pur- pofe of the Deity, with re- gard to conferring any feleft privileges upon any commu- nity or body of men, is not founded on their virtue, but in the fole pleafure of the great Arbiter, who is pieafed thus to diilinguiih them)
12 During her pregnancy it was exprefly told her, ••'• That the poflerity of the elder brother fhould be in fubje6tion to thofe of the younger. "
13 As God alfo by the prophet declares, " The de- fcendents of Jacob are more t\\c objects of my affeclion, than thofe of Efau."
14 What ihall we then fay ? ftiall we affert that the procedures of the Ahnighty are unjuft ? — far from it I
1 5 For he fays to Mofes, ^^ I will e^ctcnd my companion
23
Roma n s.
to him whom I choofe to make the object of it, I will commiferate whom I judge proper to commiferate."
16 Confequently it is not the will, or the efforts of an agent, that procure the do- nation of thefe external privi- leges : they are folely the gift of the merciful and compaf- fionate Deity,
1 7 For God in the fcripture faith to Fharao, '' I have pre- ferved thy life amidft the ge- neral deftruclion, that by thy irieans I might moft illu- flrioufly difplay to the human race mjne omnipotence, and that my perfe6i:ions might be univerfally proclaimed and ce- lebrated in the whole world."
18 Confequently therefore, the Supreme difpenfes or with- draws his diilinguifned fa- vours to mankind as feemeth beft to his infinite under- ftanding.
19 But you will fay. to me. Why is the Almighty dif- pleafed with us Jews, that he rejedls us ? — W^ho of us hath oppofed his defigns ?
20 But w^ho art thou, O tliou frail mortal 1 who pre- fumeft to make fuch an info- lent reply to the Supreme ! Will the creature arrogantly fay to its Creator, Why haft, thou made me in this manner !
2 1 Flatli not the potter a right to difpofe of his ciay aa
C 4 . te
l's
24 P A U
he thinks proper, and to make out of the fame mafs one veilcl to an honourable, ano- ther to a lefs honourable ufe ?
22 What if the Deity, when defirous to manifeil to the world his vindicative power, and to difplay his omnipo- tence, yet fufpended hisjuft vengeance, and exercifed the greateil patience and long- fuffering towards the objedis of his wrath, that defervedly merited deflrudion ?
23 in order that he might exhibit the immenfe plenitude of his glorious benignity to v/ards the diftinguifhed ob- jedls of his favour, to whom he originally defigned to dif- penfe thefe illuftrious blef-
iings.
thefe diftinguifhed favour I
24 By objeds of his lavour 1 mean the Chriftians, whom he hath been pleafed to invite into the privileges of the gofpel, not only from amohg the Je-ios but the He dt hens,
25 This fignal event God predi(5led by the prophet Ho- iea in the following paffage — " I will call thofe to be my people who formerly were not iny people : I will ftile her the objedl of my affedlion, who had not before been ho- noured with this diftind;ion.
26 And it fhall be, that I in that region where it ^ fedulous in their
Epijlle Chap. ix.
was faid. Here re fide none of my people, the inhabitants of that very region fliall be denominated the fons of the immortal God."
27 The prophet Ifaiah thus exprefsly declares concerning the Jews — " Though the Ifraelites be as numerous as the fands upon the fea fhore, yet but a fmall pittance of that vaft multitude will em- brace the gofpel falvation.
28 He will juftly inflidl a fudden and dire excifion : the Lord will caufe a dreadful and unexpected deftruclion in the land of Ifrael. p"
29 The fame prophet had afTerted the fame thing — • ^' Our fate, fays he, would have refembled Sodom's, and our deftru(5lion, that of Go- morra -, had not the Omni- potent been pleafed to fave a very few from the general ruin to perpetuate the name of the nation."
30 What refled:ions fhall we make on thefe divine pro- cedures .f^-Why, that i\\tHea' thens^ who entertained no ap- prehenfions of acquiring thefe privileges, yet attained the remifTion of all their prior vices — obtained this diftin- guiflied favour by means of their reception of Chriftianity:
3 1 But the Jews, who were purfuit of
this
f Meaning the dellrui^ion q^ Jerufalem by the Romans,
Chap. X. to the
this fignal bleffing, the con- donation of their former guilt, yet did not attain to it.
32 But what prevented their acqui^tion of it } — Be- caufe they did not feek it from Chriftianity, but from the ce- remonious obfervances of the mofaic inftitution —Thus the gofpel became a ftone of ilumbling to them.
'^2i Agreeably to which die fcripture declares — *^ Be- hold I lay in Zion a ilone, upon which the Ifraelites fhall ftumble and fall — but ^vtx^ one, who embraceth his doc- trines, fhali not be difappoint- «d."
Chap. x. i. My Chriftian brethren, it is the fmcere de- fire of my heart and my fer- vent prayer to the Almighty, th:a Ifrael may accept the faving privileges of the gof- pel.
2 For I can bear them witnefs that they are animated with ardent zeal for God — but their zeal is not direded by wifdom.
3 For wilfully choofing to be ignorant of the advantages of that difpenfation which j God hath now introduced, and feeking to derive the fame privileges from the obfervance of the mofaic difpenfation, they have obftiuately rejecled
Romans. 2^
the privileges which God freely offers in the gofpel.
4 For Chriftianity is the ultimate end and final perfec- tion of the Jewifh oeconomy, being calculated to difpenfe a total remidion of all pad fins to every fincere believer.
5 For Mofes thus defcribes the privileges which a con- formity to his fyftem of laws confers — " The perfon who hath inviolably made thefe diredions the rules of his con- dud, fhall by fuch a per- formance obtain life."
6 But the language of the Chriilian difpenfation, to the cordial belief of which the remiffion of fins is annexed, is this — Let not thine heart didate luch a thought as this. Who iLal] afcend into the ce- leftial manfions — meaning, to bring the Mefliah, who hath already appeared, from thofe bleffed abodes.
7 Or, Who fhail defcend into the dark profound realms of the dead — meaning to bring up the Meflilh again from the dreary habitations of death.
8 But what faith the fcrip- ture ? — '" The dodrine is not fo remote — it refideth near thee — it dwells upon thy tongus — it obtrudes itfelf upon thine heart'' — which I may
juftljr
26
P A U l's
Juflly apply to die dodrine of Chhilianity, which we preach :
9 for if thou fincerely con- fefs with thy tongue, that Je- fus is now conftituted by the Deity, univerfal governor, and cordially believe in thy heart that the Supreme raifed him from the dead, thou fhalt be entitled to all the faving pri- vileges of the golpel.
10 For in the heart that belief is cheriihed which is productive of remifilon of fm — and with the tongue that confefTion is publickly made which initiates into the pof- feffion of evangelical blef- iings.
1 1 For the fcripture faith, - — " Every individual with- out exception, who repofeth a fincere belief in him, fliall not meet with a fhameful dif- appointment."
12 For under theChriftian fcheme there is no diftinclion of Jezo or Gr^ek — all are un- der one common Lord and governor, who ihowereth dov/n his blefFings upon all his votaries indifcriminately.
13 For whoever Ihall ac- knowledge our Lord, fhall be inflated in the privileges of his religion.
14 But how fhould they acknowledge him, whofe mif- fion they do not believe ? — How alio fhould they believe
Epijile Chap. x.
in a perfon, of whom they have never heard ? — And how fhould they ever hear of his religion, without a prea- cher to publifh its dodrines ?
15 And how fhould any perfon ever proclaim its doc- trines, if they were not autho- ritatively commiiTioned and fent ? — Here the expreffions of the prophet are juftly ap- plicable— '' How beautiful are the feet of thofe who publifh the joyful news of happinefs 1 — of thofe who proclaim the aufpicious tidings of felicity !
16 Yet all, among whom thefe joyful tidings of the Chriftian revelation have been promulgated, have not cre- dited them ; fo that in the words of Ifaiah we may ex- claim— Lord 1 who hath paid any credit to the account we have publifhed !
17 So that the belief of Chriflianity is necelTarily con- nected with the publication of it — and the publication of it hath been cxprefly authorized by a divine commilTion.
1 8 But have they not heard, I fay, the dodlrine of the gofpel ? — Undoubtedly they muft — for to exprefs myfelf in the language of the pfalmifl — " Its fame hath been diffu- fed in every region : and its truths have penetrated to the remotefl limits of the globe.'*
19 What, I fay, hath not
IJracl
Chap. xi. to the R o m a n s. %j
Ifrael heard of the fucccfs of. bandoncd and excluded the the gofpel among the HeaA people whom he originally thens ? — To this event the| defigned to diftinguifli with
law-
of their great ly be fitly accom-
words giver m
modated — "I will kindle your indignation on account of thoie you efteem the molt vile and contemptible people ; I will provoke your fury a- gainft a nation you treat as totally deftitute of intelligence and wifdom/'
20 But Ifaiah exprefTes him- felf in the boldeil plainefl terms — " I was found by thole who never fought rne : I exhibited niyielf before thofe who never made any enquiries after me."
21 But the fame prophet gives this defcription of the Jews — *' The whole day, v;ith expanded arms and the moft pathetic importunity, I have addrelfed an obftinate and in- corrigible people."
CHAP. XT.
I TJUT hath the Deity, I jQj fay, totally rejected and abandoned his favoured nation ? — by no means — For I myfelf am an Ifraelite, a
fuch lignal privileges — Don't you know that Elias, as the fcripture relates, in his ad- dreifes to God, recounted the depravity of the Ifraelites in the following exprefiions —
3 ** O Lord ! they have embrued their hands in the blood of thy prophets — they have entirely fub verted and demolifhed thy facred altars — I am the only cm of thy vo- taries who furvive the general maflacre : and they are in eager purfuit of me to llied my blood."
4 But to this complaint what anfwer did the Deity re- turn— *' There are Hill living no lefs than [even thoufand re- ligious perfons, who have not proftrated themfelves before Baal."
5 Juft fo in this prefent age there is a feled: v/ell-dif- pofed number of that nation, who have embraced the gra- cious difpenfation of divine favour.
6 But if this difpenfation had its fource entirely in the free favour of God, it follows^
defcendent from Abraham, of i that the prior obedience of the tribe of Benjamin. | mankind did not procure the
2 The Deity hath not a- \ donation of it ^.
7 What
^ Tjie lall claufe of this verfe in omv pr/f!ted copies is not in the Alex. .plaroiHont, Gr. Lat. German. G.r, Lat, Hoe 2. bormr, Gi. Lat. ValefJ
Leek,
28
P A U l's
7 What then, hath not If- rael attained the grand objed of their follicitous enquiries ? -- A fele6t virtuous body among them have obtained this blef- fing : but the reft of them are enveloped in wilful dark- nefs.
8 So that the following ■words of the prophet are juftly applicable to their pre- lent obftinate blindnefs and infidelity — " God hath per- mitted their rational powers to be totally benumbed with a torpid ftupidity and infenfi- bility, their eyes to be ob- icured with prejudice, and their hearing to be entirely blunted and ftunned v/ith in- vincible prepolleflion," — A pafiage, defcriptive of their Hate and condition in the pre- fent day.
9 Thefe words of David alfo charafterize their prelent temper and difpofition — '^ Let their joyous feftivals be con- verted into unexpected con- fufion, infidious plots, un- looked for woes, and a juft retribution of their enormi- ties :
10 Let their eyes be totally obfcured in the gloom of im- penetrable darknels ; and let their backs be always turned upon the truth."
Epiftk Chap. XI,
11 But have they, I afkj ftumbled fo as to fall irreco- verably ? — far, very far from it! No! By their unhappy lapfe the gofpel difpenfation hath been adopted bv the Heathens^ in order to excite their emulation.
12 But if their lapfe hath refulted in the felicity of the world, and their forfeiture of thofe bleflings hath proved the opulence of the Heathens ; of how much infiniuJ/ hap. pier confequence to mankind will their univerfal reception of Chriftianity be produc- tive ?
13 I addrefs myfelf to you Heathens — and aflureyou that all the time I a6l in the cha- radler of the apoftle of the Heathens^ it is ever my am- bition to make my miniftra^ tion among you as magnifi- cent and illuftrious as pof- fible :
14 with this view, that I
may, if poflible, by any
means, incite the emulation
of my countrymen to rival
you^ and convert fome of them.
15 For if their rejedion of Chriftianity hath produced fuch a revolution in the world : what will their univerfal re- ception of it efted:, but aa aftoniftiing change that dial I
be
in no
Leek. Coptic, Vulgate, Orlgen, Ambrofe, Qhryfoflom, Theodoret, Latin njanufcripts, Eftius fays. It is pronounced fpurious by Erafmus, Zegcr, Eftius, Grotius. See Mill, Wetftcin, and Edwards ou Grace.
Chap. XI. to the
be fimilar to a general refur- redlion from the dead !
1 6 ^ But if the/r/ of the dough is confecrated, the whole mafs is fo — and if the root of the tree be in a healthy ftate, its branches participate of its vigour.
17 But if fome of the boughs have been lopped off, and thou, the fcion of a wild, haft been ingrafted into the true genial, olive, and par- ticipateft its generous quality and richnefs,
18^ do not infolently exult over the mutilated boughs — for if thou infult over them, remember that thou fupport- eft not the trunk, but the trunk thee.
19 Perhaps thou wilt re- ply— The boughs were lop- ped off, merely that I might be ingrafted into the tree.
20 I allow it — through their wilful difbelief of chrif- lianity they v/ere cut off, and through thy belief of it thou art now eredl and flourifhing — Afpire not to too fublime an elevation, but be cautious of a fall.
% \ For if God fpared not the native branches, thou haft greater reafon to be afraid left he Hiould not fpare thee.
Ro M AN g. 2^
2 2 Contemplate thcJ benig- nity and the feverity of the Supreme — his feverity to- wards thofe who have volun- tarily forfeited his favour — his benignity towards thee* if thou continue a fit objeft of it — if not — thy prefent flourifhing branches will alfo be cut down,
23 and the former, unlef? they obftinately periift in their infidelity, will be ingrafted— for an omnipotent hand is able to re-infert them into their original ftock.
24 For if thou the felon of an unfruitful wild olive were cut out of thy own na- tive barren tree, and, by a procefs repugnant to the or- dinary laws of nature, wert
into the fruitful live — how much will not thofe, who naturally belong to th« antient ftock, be in future time ingrafted into their own kindred olive ?
25 For I am not willing you fhould be ignorant, my chriftian brethren, of this hi- therto un revealed truth, Thar this undifcerning infidelity of Ifrael is to be but of limited duration, and to continue only 'till that period arrive when all the heathen nations
fliall
engrafted
generous olive
P The Apoftle means by this tomparifon, that the Jews were not to^ tally abandoned, that the Ttatipn ilili liood in a peculiar relation to G»d or^ account of the covenant made vvitli their aiicejhru *
36 P A u l's
ihal] have univerfally embra- ced chriftianity.
26 It is according to thijs diviiie procedure that all If- rael will finally elpoufe the chriftian religion j agreeabk to the following predidions cf fcripture — '' Zion fliall give birth to a deliverer, who ihall entirely reclaim Jacob from his wickednefs.'*
27 " This is the folemn covenant I will eftablifh with tbe«i, after I have totally ex- punged all their crimes."
28 With regard to the gofpel, they have oppofed it, becaufe you Heathens have embraced it — but in confe- quence of the divine original cle<flion of them to be his people, they are dill, as a community, the diftinguifhed objedls of his favour, on ac- count of their religious an- ceflors :
29 for the free donations and grantsoffignal privileges -which the Deity is pleafed to confer, are not capricioufly withdrawn and retraced.
30 For as you Heathens •were formerly difobedient ta God, but are now become the objeds of the divine com- niifcration, through the Jews rejedion of Chriftianity :
3 1 fo in like manner have the Jews, by reafon of the
Epijlk Chap. :!^iL
renounced the Chriftian reli- gion — rendering themfelves by this condud the proper objerts ahb of the divine compalTion.
32 For the Deity confider- ed all mankitid as univerfally difobedient and depraved, that he might include all in one common undiftinguidiing ad of benevolence and mercy.
33 O the unfathomable depth of the divine wifdom and underftanding 1 How in- Icrutable are his procedures I how inexplicable his ways !
34 For who can explore the meafures of the Divinity F Who can dictate to his infal- lible knowledge 1
35 Or who hath previoufly conferred a benefit upon him^ and expeds that benefit to be retaliated 1
^6 Becaufe all things were originally derived from him — ail things are difpenfed throuo;h him — all thino;s con- fpire to promote his glory : to whom be adoration afcri- bed through all the revolving ages of eternity ! Amen*
mercy ferrcd
that hath upon yoUy
been con- obftinately
CHAP. XIL
Conjure you then,
Chriftian brethren,
all the tender mercies of God,
that you exhibit yourfelves
ac the divine altar as a
facrifker'
I
rrjv by
Chap. xii.
facrificepure. Immaculate and grateful to the divinity - the mod rational fervice in which you can engage.
2 Conform not to the ge- neral purfuits of the prefent age — but be ye entirely difTi- milar to your former felves by a moral renovation of mind — in order that you may acquire a clear perception of the good, the benevolent, and the perfe6t will of God.
3 By virtue of the apofto- lic office with which I am in- vefted, I charge every one among you not to cheriili an over-weening opinion con- cerning himfelf — but to en- tertain fuch jull fentiments of himfelf as may lead him £0 conduct himfelf with a fuitable propriety and deco- rum, according to the refpec- tive fpiritual endowments which God hath proportion- ally imparted to every one,
4 As a great variety of members are all combined into one harmonious animal fyilem, and all thefe many members have not the fame fundion :
5 fo we Chriftians, as nu- merous as we are, are all united into one body, and every diftind individual of us is mutually connecled to each
to the Roman s.
other by the
31 mofl intimate
ties.
6 As we poflefs, therefore, different endowments, accord- ing to the favour with which God hath refpedively diftin- guifhed us : if God hath ap- pointed us to the office of public inftrudors, let us dif- charge it in proportion to the fpiritual abiHties v;hich he hath communicated to us,
7 If v/e are inverted with the office of deacons, let us difcharge this office faithfully — if with the office of teach- ers, let us diligently perform the duty of this important province.
8 Let him, v/ho exhorteth others, confcientiouily acquit himfelf in this duty — let him who contributes to relieve diftrefs, give li^o^trdWy ^ — Itt him, who is a prefident, be aclive in his ftation — let him^ who doth an a6l: of compaf- iion, perform it with chear- fulnefs.
9 Let your benevolence be fincereand undiiTembled — fhun vice with the utmoiV de- tefcation ; to virtue adhere inflexibly.
10 Entertain the moft ge- nerous and fraternal affedion mutually for each other — " with an honourable and mofl
amiable
" Ek ot^AOTifTf. Az-AoTifs often fignlfies, as it does in tlils place, llhera* iity, generojity. See 2 Cor, ii, 2, ch. ix ii. 13. • -*
52 Paul's
amiable deference, each treat- ing another as his fuperior.
r J Be not inert and cold in your affedionate difpofi- tions, but cherilli a warmth and ardour of mind — pru- dently ^ accommodating your behaviour to the various cir- cumftances that occur in life. 12 Let yourChriilian hopes ever infpire you with lacred joy — fupport afflidion with fortitude of mind — be con- ilarft in the devout exerciie of prayer.
13 Charitably contribute to the relief of necelTitous Chriftians — ever cultivate a beneficent and hofpitabk dif- pofition.
14 Blefs your perfecutors — pour not your execrations, but implore the divine bief- fing, upon them.
15 Let your joy flow in one common dream with the joys of others : and mingle your tears with the tears of the forrowful.
16 Cultivate a mutual har- mony of kind difpofitions — Afpire not after fublime and
Epijile Chap. xi?.
elevated ftations, but rasher court the humble and un- oftentatious — be not inflated with vain fclf-conceit.
17 Do not return evil for evil to any one — fludy to ex- hibit an amiable charadler of virtue and goodnefs before the world.
I S Let it be your utmoft fludy and endeavour to live, if poflible, in harmony and concord with all men.
19 My dear Chriftians,, harbour not in your bofoms the principles of revervge — • but let rage and refentment be extirpated from your hearts — for it is written — " Ven- geance is my prerogative : / will inflid condign punifh- ment."
20 Should therefore thine enemy be flarving with hun- ger, give him food — if he is parched with thirft, give him drink — by this amiable be- neficence thou wilt " fofteii and melt his hoflile difpofi- tion into tendernels and love. .
2 1 Suffer not vice to gain a conqueft over you — but do
you
* Ka.'po) is probably the true reading. See Mi/I.
" An elegant metaphor taken from melting donvn metal by heaping fire on the head of the crucible. The obfervation of the excellent Plutarch beautifully illullratcs the words of the Apoftle, Kx^^otvcv Se xa,)iietr- x- ?:. " The malignity of man, how violent foever, is not akogeth'er fo> fierce and virulent as not to be (oftened by an obliging behaviour, and overcome by the kindncfs of thofe who are frequently doing friendly offices/' P/u- iwch, Dion, p. 1791. Y.^\^,Qx.^tephan, We ought fo to converfe, lays Fytkagorasy that we may not make om friends our ejiemies, but on the con- trary, our enemies our fneytds. Am:;A'/J,' T£ c^/a«v. %- h- Diogen. lasru
Chap. xiii. to fbe Romans, 3 J
you vanquifli and diicounte- J ble, if thou w'dfully violate nance it by the ileady prac- tice of virtue.
CHAP. XIII.
I T E T every one of you
1 J pay a dutiful ''' fub- jcclion to civil governors — for magiftracy is a divine ap- pointment — the ftations of civil rulers were conftituted by the fupreme governor,
2 He therefore, who op- pofeth civil magiftracy, op- pofeth the conflitution of God : and they who refufe fubjedlion to the regulations of civil fociety render them- fclves obnoxious to puniih- ment.
3 For civil magiftracy is armed vvith terror, not againft
thy duty, for he beareth not the fword in vain — for in this refped alfo he is the vicege- rent of the Almighty to in- fii6l punifhment upon the ir- re'gular and licentious.
5 It is your incumbent duty therefore to pay a ftib- jeclion to the laws of civil fociety,- not merely from a dread of punifliment, but: from a principle of confci- ence.
6 Do you contribute there- to the fupport of civil
governors, for they are agenta under the Supreme in affidu- oudy promoting the interefts of public virtue.
7 Pay therefore to all their legal and juft demands : Tri- bute, taxes, reverence, ho- nour, to whom thefe are, re-
fore
virtue, but againft vice — Art | fpedively, due.
thou defirous therefore to live free from all uneafy appre- henfions of the civil gover- nor, do but pra6life thy duty, and thou wik be applauded by him,
4 For he is God's vice- gerent to countenance the praclife of virtue — But trem-
VOL. II.
8 Let no one have any juft claims upon you, except the claims of mutual affedioii and love — for a benevolent lover of mankind doth by this one duty fulfil all the nu- merous obligations of the law :
9 For the prohibition of D adultery
w When this eplftle was written Nero had the charafter of an excellent prince. Thefr/i years of this tyrant's reign were diiHnguiOied for liis mo- deration and clemency. . Being once defired to fign the execution of a criminal, he did it vvith great reluctance, wifliing, he had 72r'Ver learned a. letter, ^am ^ellem^ inquit, nefcire lit eras I He declared he would make the adminiftration of Auguilus the model of his own, and embraced every opportunity of fhewing his liberality, clemency, and courtecufnefs. Vid," Suef^n. lib. 6. cap. lO. p. 581. Variorum.
34 P A u l'
adultery, of murder, of theft, of defamation, of envy, and every other injun(5lion befides thefe, are all virtually com- prized in this 07U fingle pre- cept, Thou fhalc love thy neighbour as thyfelf.
10 Benevolence never de- vileth any wickednefs againd its neighbour : benevolence Therefore is a "^ complete epi- tome of the law.
1 1 Moreover do you live mindful of the tranfiency of life : becaufe it is time v/e fhould Vv^ake out of our inert and iluggifn repofe — for our eeleilial happinefs is now nearer in prof peel than when we fir ft embraced the gofpcl.
1 2 The >■ night of morta- lity is far advanced : the ra- diant morning of the refur- jccftion is at hand : let us im- mediately therefore throw off the habits of darknefs, and invell ourfelves with the im- penetrable armour of light.
i'^ As we are enlightened with the effulgent beams of perfed day, kt us walk with the greatcll propriety and de- corum — not polluting and debafing ourfelves in riot and revels, in fenllialitv and de- '
Epifile Chap. xiv.
bauchery, in quarrels and difcords :
14 but put on that robe of confpicuous virtue with which our Lord Jeflis Chrift was adorned — and make it not your ftudy to indulge and gratify the irregular cravings I of your fcnfual appetites.
CHAP. XIV.
I ^TT^ H E weak and inju- JL dicious Chriftian do you embrace in the arms of your benevolence, and do not enter into any uncharitable difpute and petulant contro- verfy with fuch an one.
2 One Chriftian believes he enjoys full liberty to eat all kinds of food indifcriminately — another, weak and fcrupu- lous, lives upon 'a vegetable diet.
3 But let not him, who eats every fpecies of food pro- mifcuoufly, look upon his Chriftian brother with con- tempt who confcientioufly ab- ftains — nor, on the contrary, let not the Chriftian who fcru- ples Ibme kind of food, un- charitably cenfure and con- demn
'^ '^va.)Lz^e.\'xiovrciLi is furnmarily comprehended: it is the fum and fub- flancc of the law : the n/jhole body of the law in miniature.
li'/acf. K. 25 Ty 2^z,
Chap. xiv^. to the R
demn the condu6l of another who doth not Icruple it — tor he is equally an objecl of the divine approbation,
4 Who art thou who thus prefumefl to pals a decifive lentence upon another's fer- vant ? — It is his own m after abne who hath the Ible right to accept or rejec^l him : but he will be accepted, for he hath done nothing to preclude himfelf from the divine ac- ceptance.
5 One Chriftian efteems one day more facred and Ib- lemn than another — another Chriftiatn thinks ""■ tvcry day alike — let each of thefe ad according to the clear convic- tion and full periuafion of his own mind.
6 He v/ho perfuades him- felf of the fuperior fandlity of fome particular days, devotes thefe days peculiarly to God —another, who believes no day more facred than another, confequently doth not confe- crate particular days to God, He who eats all kinds of food indifcriminately, eats them as convinced of his liberty under Chriftianity, and blef- fethGod for it — He, who ab- llains from fome fpecies of food from fcruples of con-
O M A N S. 25
fcience, doth not eat with the fame religious convictions, and the fame kind of grati- tude as the other.
7 For none of us livetli as ^ unconned:ed individuals, and none of us dieth as un- connected beings :
8 For while v;e live, we live connecled with God : when we die, we die connedt- ed v/ith him — whether we therefore enjoy life or reiign, it, v;e are the property of God.
9 For Chrift, for this very purpoie, both iubmitted to death, and rofe from the tomb^ and pofik^ifeth immor- tality, that he might be the univerfai governor both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why doft thou there- fore uncharitably condemn thy Chriftian brother ^ Why deft thou affect to treat hiril with contempt ? — Remiem- ber, we fhali all of us without exception be ranged before the tribunal of Chrift.
1 1 For the Almighty de- clareth in fcripture, " To me every rational creature fhall be in abfolute fubjeftion, and every tongue fliall applaud my divine attributes."
12 Every individual there- D 2 fore
9aiwaf> iys cf^ysoown ^V7iv ii/uz^xs oLira.m^ /^iav o'y^c(,f. Plutarch. Camiilus J). 250. YA. Gr. StephaJii. 8vo.
* That is, unconneded with God.
;^6 Paul's
fore of us will give a minuie account of his condud to the Ibpremc Ji-icige !
13 Confequently then let us for the future pafs no hard cenfures one upon another — rather do you deliberately form this refolution, that you will throw no obitacles or unhappy impediments in the path oi your Chriftian bro- ther.
14 I have the mofl clear and undoubted perfuafion, as a Chridian, that there is no kind of food, abfbradedly, unlawful — but if any really deem it unlawful, to him it becomes unlawful.
1 5 If the mind of thy Chri- ftian brother is hurt by thy unlimited ufe of all kinds of food ; for thee affecftedly to perfill is a flagrant violation of that love thou oweil him — Don't by thy promifcuous ufe of food everlaftingly de- ftroy the foul of thy Chri- ftian brother, for whomChrift died.
i^ Do not therefore, by any indifcretion, fuffer your Chriftian liberty to be calum- niated and reproached.
1 7 For the excellency of Chriltianity doth not confifl: in an unbounded liberty of ufmg every fpecics of meat and drink indifcriminately •, but it confifts in virtue, in vinanimirv, in a facred joy
Epj/lle Chap, xiv^*
aiifing from the confcioufnefs of our being blefied with the endowments of the holy Spirit.
1 8 He, who with a mind adorned with thefe, devotes himfelf Dothe fervice of Chrift, fecures the approbation both of God and man.
19 Let us therefore make it our conftant ftudy and pur- fuit to promote harmony and peace, and mutually to con- fult one another's improve- ment.
20 Do not, for fuch a fri- volous trifle, as the lawfulneh or unlawfulnefs of food, de- mxolifh the fabric which God hath ereded — All things with- out diltinclion are pure : yet it is criminal for a perfon to ufe this unlimited liberty^ when he knows it will v/ound and difguft fcrupulous con- fciences.
21 It is proper for thee neither to eat flefh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thino; of this kind, about which thy Chriftian brother hath fcruples, by which his mind is hurt, and by which he may be difgufted againft Chriftianity.
22 You believe you enjoy full liberty in this article — enjoy the mental fatisfaction of your belief in the con-
fcious prefence of God
Happy is he who doth not condemn himfelf by a(n:ing
inconfiftently
Chap. XV. to the
inconfiftently with what his iiiind approves.
23 But the perfon, who hath rehgious Icruples con- cerning its lawfulnefs, if he eat, he condemns himfelf, be- caule he acls contrary to the conviclions of his mind — for whatever is done in oppofi- tion to a perfon's own mind, is finful.
Chap. xv. i We, who fully underftand the princi- ples of Chriftian liberty, ought to bear with the fcruples of our weak brethren, and not confult what is merely agree- able to ourfelves.
2 But let each of us ren- der ourfelves agreeable to our neighbour, by generoufly en- deavouring to promote his beil interclls and improve- ment.
3 For Chrifl: did not make it his ftudy folely to pleafe and gratify hirnfelf, but, to exprefs myfelf in the words of fcripture, '' I fuftained the calumny and abufe of thofe who reviled and reproached me."
4 For the precepts and examples of ficred fcripture were recorded for ovir admo- nition and improvement •, that we, through the patience it inculcates, and that confola- tion it infpires, may be ani
Romans. 3^
5 And may God, the au- thor of patience and forti- tude, and the parent of con- foiation, grant that you may mutually cultivate unanimity and concord among your- felves according to the prin- ciples of your Chriilian pro- feffion :
6 in order that with uni- verfal harmony of affedlion, and one accordant voice, you may all unite in celebrating the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifc.
7 Do you therefore enter-, rain the moil generous and impartial regards for each- other, in like manner as Chrifb hath expreffed the greateft af- fedlion for us by admitting us into the glorious privileges of a divine difpenfation.
8 Let me remind you tlia': the public miniftry of Jelus Chrift was confined to the Jews— in order that the ve- racity of God might be con- firmed, and the promifes made to their ancellors might bo ratified :
9 and that the Heathens- ousrht for ever to celebrate and adore the goodnefs of God for dei^ninQ; to commi- ferate them — ^^as the fcripture faith, '' For this \ will pour out my fervent gratitude ta thee among the Heathens ^ and
p-iated with the traafporting i magnify thy perfecTions in the hope of im^mortality, ' * fublimeft lays,"
10 Aod
33 Paul's
10 And in another place, ^' O ye Heathens I conjoin with his favoured people in ^ranfports of facred raptures."
11 And again: " Join in one foJemn hymn of praifeto God, all ye Heathe?is ; cele- brate his goodnefs, O ye 72a- tions:'
12 Ifaiah alfo exprefsly de- clares : " The root of Jcfsc ihall not be extind : from it there fnal! fpring an illuftrious governor to rule the Heathens^ and in him fhall tli,e Heathens repofe their confidence."
10^ May the fupreme God, the primary fource of hope, fill you with every ioy and felicity in your Chriftian pro- fellion, and continue to in- fpire you -with the moil ani- mating and enlivening hope of immortality ^ by means of thofe endowments of the holy Spirit y/hich have been con- ferred upon you.
14 But, my brethren, I myfclf am fully perfuaded of you all, that you are aduated by the principles of benignity and love, that you are amply f urnif]:ied with all ufeful know- ledge, and are abundantly quaiiiied to impart admoni- tion and inflru(5lion toothers S
§ — 15 In the preceding part of this cpiille to you, my Chriftian brethren, I have
Epiflle Chap, xv,
prefumcd to take a more than ordinary freedom with you efpecially, and have reminded you of your duty by virtue of that apoflolic office, with which God hath gracioufly wt^iii^ me.
16 In order that I might officiate as the minifter of Je- I'us Chrift to the Heathens^ difcharging the function of a priefi with regard to the gof- pel of God, in order that the Heathens might become an oblation grateful to the Divi- nity, being conjecrated to him by the eifulion of the Holy Spirit upon them.
17 1 glory therefore as a Chriftian in the fjccefs which God hath been pleafed to give to the gofpel in order to pro- duce the converfion of the Heathens :
18 for I will not arrogantly prefumc to mention any thing, except what Chrift alone hath effeded by means of my dif- courfes and labours :
19 having enabled me to difplay the moft powerful and aftonifhing miracles and pro- digies , and having commu- nicated to me the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit — fo that in all the intermediate countries that lies between Jerufalem and Illyricum, I have been abundantly ena- bled
•> Thefe were the camef and ^/e(^^e of immortality. ^ A^^::■i is the true reading.
Chap. XV. to the Romans.
bled to plant the Chriflian re- ligion.
20 And I make it my am- bition to propagate the gof- pe], not in thofe regions where Chriftianity had already bsen preached j not chufing to raife a fuperftruclure on a founda- tion which another had laid :
21 but to exprefs myfelf in the language of fcripture, '' To thole he will illu- fbrioufly exhibit himfelf, who never heard any report of him : and thofe, to v/hom his fame never penetrated, iliall underiland the truth."
22 This then is the '^ fole reafon which has prevented me fo long from vifiting you.
23 But there is now not one fingle place in thefe re- gions, but Vi^here Chriftianity hath been promulgated— and as I have, for many years paft, cheriHied a very ardent defire to vifit you in Rome,
24 I hope, when I travel into Spain, be efcorted
39
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been genefoufly pleafed to make a public col- ledion for the Chriftians in Jerufalem who are in indigent circumftances.
27 They have been gene- roufly pleafed, I fay, to make this charitable contribution — for indeed they are under in- finite obligations to them. For if the Heathens have parti- cipated with them in their^/)/- rltual privileges, they ought freely to difpenfe to them a ill a re of their temporal blef- fings.
njy journey have made among you.
25 But at prefent I am going to Jerufalem to carry a charitable contribution to the neceflitous that city.
28 After I have difcharged this office, and depofited this charity in proper hands, I will pafs through Rome in my way to Spain.
29 I am confcious that my arrival among you v/ill be ac- companied with a mofl illu- ili-ious and mdracnious dilplay of the truth and excellence of the gofpel of Chrift.
30 My Chriilian brethren, I conjure and entreat you by our Lord Jefus Chrift, and by that affection and love we owe to each other, as being endowed with the fame fpiri- tual gifts, that you would, along with mine, addrefs your
I' earned and fervent' prayers to God for me : 3 1 that I may be refcued D 4 from.
'R.'-.me, an'i lie preaching it; CO.
to fee you, and
by you part of
thither, vvhen I
a fufHcient flay
^ Their having admitted the gofpel at thofe \\\o had m^^er heard it before.
fO P A U l's
from the power of thofe in Judasa, who obftinately rejecft and oppole the gofpel : and that the charitable colledion, which I am carrying to the Chriftians in Jerufalem, may be a blefling to them :
32 that having acquitted mylelf of tliis office, 1 may, by the divine permiffion, vilit you, and mutually enjoy the motl facred and retreiliing confolation with you. .
^^ May God the donor of all happinefs be with you all ! Amen.
CHAP. XVI.
1EP.MIT me to recom-
mend to you Phoebe
I p
ourChriftian filler, who is the * diaconefs of the fociety of Chriftians in Cenchrea.
2 I beg you would give her a reception worthy the profcffors of Chriftianity, and afiift her in whatever affairs fhe may follicit your aid — for ilie has been amoft benevolent patronefs to numbers in ge- neral, and to myfelf in par- ticular.
3 Give my moft: affec- tionate remembrance to Prifca and Aquila my fellow - la- bourers in the caufe of Ciiri- ftianity :
4 who chearful ly expofed
Epijile Chap. xvi.
themfelves to the moft im- minent danger to prefcrve my life — to whom not on- ly myfelf, but all the Gen- tile churches, are under the itrongeft obligations of gra- titude.
5 Prefent alfo my affec- tionate falutations to the church which aftembles in their houfc — Prefent likewife my fuicereft refpeds to Epe. netus, ,the diftinguiflied ob- ject of my afteclion, who was the firft Chriftian convert in Achaia.
6 Salute Mary alfo, who was extremely active in fhow- ing me many friendly offices.
7 Give alfo my kindeft re- membrance to Andronicus and Junia my countrymen and fellow-prifoners for the Chriftian caufe— for whom the other apoftles, who embraced Chriftianity before I did, en- tertain a diftinguifhed regard.
8 Prefent my affefUonate falutations to Amplias, who is dear to me as a Chriftian.
9 Alfo to Urban my fel- low-labourer in the common caufe of the gofpel — to Sta- chys, for v/hom I have the fmcereft efteem.
10 To Apelles, who hath diftinguifhed himfelf as a pro- fefibr of Chriftianity — to the family of Ariftobulus.
1 1 To lierodion my coun-
^rymaq « J^ manager of the church's Aock.
to the Romans,
Chap.xvi.
try man — to the family of Nar- cilliis, who have embraced the gofpel.
12 To Tryphsena and Try- phofa, v/ho have been active in theChriftian caufe — to Per- ils, whom I moft highly e- fteem, who hath fignahzed herfelf for her eminent dili- gence to promote the interefls of the gofpel.
1 3 To Rufus a truly ex- emplary profeifor — to his v/orthy mother, who by her tender affectionate treatment hath been alfo a mother to me.
14 ToAfyncritus,Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, to the Chriftians who are refpedively eonne<51:ed with them.
15 To Philologiis, Julia, Nereus, to his filler, to Olym- pas, and to all their Chriftian friends and domeftics.
1 4 We beg our moft affec- tionate remembrance to every j one of your fociety — The Chriftian congregation fend their falutations.
§ 17 I ENTREAT yOU,
my Chriftian brethren, care- fully to remark fuch, who foment difcord and diffentions, and raife prejudices in others againft Chriftianity— adling icontrary to the dodlrine
45
in
which you hs^e been in- ftruded — Do you avoid all connedlion and intercourfe with perfons of this charac- ter.
18 For fuch perfons as thefe are under no fubje6lion to our Lord Jefus Chrift, but are the abandoned flaves of their fenfual appetites and lufts, and by plaufible dif- courfe and ihowy eloquence they draw the unfufpe(5ling into fatal delufions.
19 The fame of your re- ception of Chriftianity hath been univerfally diftufed in the world — and I cordially rejoice in your adherence to your principles — I fincerely wifli you to be endowed with wifdom accurately to difcern what is good, and to be en- tirely uninfected with the con- tagion of what is evil.
20 God the fupreme donor of happinefs will very fpeedily crufti the ^ adverfary under your itzx. — May the favour of our Lord Jefus Chrift ever attend you ! Amen.
§ — 21 Timothy my af- fiftant in the miniftry, Lucius, Jafon, and Sofipater my coun- trymen, defire their remem- brance.
22 I Tertius, the ama- nucnfis who wrote this epiftle,
afturc
^ The perfecuting Jews. He refers to the impending definition of Jc- rufalem — aft^r which the Jews were not in a condition to ferfe^uu the CJiiiHians.
42 Pa' u l's
aHure you of my Chriftian love and affedion for you.
23 Gaius my holt, in whofe houle all Chriftians find an hofpitahle reception, prefents his affedionate love. With him join Eraftus the trea- furer of the city, and Quartus a Chriftian brother.
24 May the favour of our Lord Jefus Chrift ever ac- company you all ! Amen.
§ — 25 To that Being, who is able to confirm and eftablilh you in your principles, ac- cording to that difpenfation which I am commiflioned to propagate and publiili in the world, according to that di-
Epijlky' Sec, Chap. xvL
vine revelation, with which all former ages were totally unacquainted,
2 6 but which in the prefent age, by the direction of the eternal God in accomplifh- ment of the predidions of the antient prophets, hath been moft glorioufly difplaycd, and promulgated among all the He at h en coumnts^^iQ influence them to the reception and obedience of its heavenly doc- trines :
27 To the one fole, fu- premely wife, God, be glory, through Jefus Chrift, afcribed through all the revolving ages of eternity ! Amen.
P A U L'^
viraA * 97$^/v
43
PAUL'S Firft Epiftle to the
Corinthians.
CHAP. I.
P
,AUL by divine ap- pointmentconftitutcd an apoftle of Jefus Chrift, and Soflhenes my * Chriftian brother,
2 to the church of God in Corinth, who have been diftinguiflied with the privi- leges of the gofpel, and are denominated its profefTprs — we affedionately wilh to you and to all every where who embrace the religion of Jefus Chrift, their and our common Lord,
3 every bleffing and feli- city from God our fupreme parent, and from our Lord Jefus Chrift. |
4 Refleclions on the be- nignity that God hath ex- preiied for you in favouring you with the Chriftian reve- lation, perpetually fill me with the warmed acknowledgments to the Deity on your account.
5 For fince your reception of Chriilianity you have been liberally endowed with everv miraculous gift and fpiritual power :
6 as indeed at firft by thefc
aftonidiingoperatlons the truth of the Chriftian religion v/as confirmed and ratified among you.
7 Such a variety of fuper- natural gifts hath been con- ferred Upon you, tha: you are not deficient in any one fpiritual endowment — being the expecfcants of the future glorious advent of our Lord Jefus Chrift,
8 who will to the end of this mortal life eftablifh you in the belief and obedience of his gofpel, and at his glo- rious appearance acknowledge you for his virtuous and irre- proachable followers.
9 For the accomplifhment of this, that Being, by whofc diftinguifhed goodnefs you have been invited to a parti- cipation of Chriftian privi- leges, may be confided in.
§ — lo Permit me, my deaf Chriftian brethren, fo- lemnly to adjure you by the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that you would all ftudy to promote mutual har- mony and concord, that you would quell thofe unhappy dilfentions that now fubfift among
44 Paul's Firft Epiflle Chap. i.
among you, and, for the fu- I the religion of a crucititd ture, that you would be united j perfon would be totally anni- to each other in the bonds of i hilated : inviolable affeclion and una- | 1 8 for to preach a crud- nimity. Ified leader appears to the un^
1 1 For I have been in-. | converted Heathens the heigch formed, my fellow Chriftians, i of infatuation and frenzy - by fome of Chloe's family, | but to us, the proteflbrs of that there are difcords among I the goipel, it evinces icirif to you. j be an illufbriouii difplay of
12. 1 am told, for example, | the uncontrollable power of that in your fociety one de- i the Almigiity. clares for Paul, another fori 19 Applicable to this are Apollos, a third for Cephas, \ the following words of the a fourth for Chrift. prophet Ifaiah : " I will an-
13 Is Chrift divided ? — Was it Paul, who was cruci-
iied for you — Was it into the | fagacity of the learned fage."
profelfion of Paul's religion.
nul the wildom of the philo- fopher : I will fuperlcde the
20 Where is the philofo-
ihat you were baptized ? pher ? Where is the profefibr
izj. I thank God I baptized I famed for fuperior erudition ?
s none of you, except Crifpus | Where is the fpeculative en-
and Gaius. ~ I quirer into nature ? — Hath
15 So that no one can fay, ij not God in this moft fignal that I initiated him into any | inftance fhown human wit religion of my own. | and wifdom to be egregious
16 I find indeed that I I error and folly ?
baptized too the family of 1 21 For when, in the wife Stephanas, but I cannot re- i fcheme of the divine difpen- coilefl any one perfon befides. | fations, the world, through § — 17. For it was not. to | an af^6lation of wildom, had baptize, but to propagate the | loft all confiftent notions of do(flrines of Chriftianity, that I the Deity -, God was ^ highly Jefus deputed me among ^1 pleafed to interpofc, and in niankind--to propagate Chri- | this fuppofed abfurd method ilianity, not by the dint of r! to fave thofe who are diipofed fuperior eloquence and phi- | to embrace it. lofophy — a method, by which I 22 For at a time, when
thti
g They mull therefore have been baptifed by Paul's companion?, (ex, mariy of them were baptifed : See Ads xvjii. 8.
'* tfJdx^/fj)' had a complacency in it. Seethe fame word Matt. iii. 17^ ,
Chap. 1. to the C o r i
the Jews are demanding grand ftriking miraculous prodigies ; and the Greeks are occupied in philofophical re- searches :
17, we are preaching a fyf- tem of religion, whole found- er iufFered on a crofs — which the Jeivs accordingly regard with the lad averfion \ and
N T H I A N S. 4^
choice of the untutored and illiterate to fliame the philo-
Ibpher and the fage : God hath made choice of the weak- ert inftriiments to aballi gran- deur and greatnefs :
28 and the inglorious, the defpicable, the obieure of this world hath God made choice of to overturn the prefent
the Greeks treat as the mod powerful eflablifhments, abfurd folly.
24 But to every convert^ both from among the Jews and the Greeks^ Chriftianity evinces itfelf to be*the power of God and the wifdom of God.
25 For this divine fcheme, which is accounted fuch folly ^ infinitely tranfoends all the wifdom of mortals : and this divine contrivance, which is treated as fuch weaknefs^ is fironger than all the oppofi- tion of the world.
26 You fee then, my Chrif- tian brethren, the nature of that religion you have em- braced: that not many of the modern phiiofophers, not many poflefTed of power and influence, not many iiluflri- ous and dignified perfonages, are concerned in planning and propagating it among mankind :
27 But God hath made
29 And this divine fcheme he hath thus planned and exe- cuted, in order that no mor- tal might boafl of it as the effecl: of his fuperior v/ifdom and erudition.
30 And it is folely owing to his benevolence that you are favoured with the privi- l(iges of the ^ Chriftian reli- gion— which hath approved itfeif to us to be the effecl of the divine wifdom and benig- nity, and a fcheme calculated to promote our advancement in holinefs, and our complete redemption,
31 So that as the prophet fays, " Let him, who glo- rieth, glory folely in the di- vine goodnefs."
CHAP. II.
WHEN liilied of divine
^ Jefus Chr'ifl Is very ofteri ufed for his religion^ r for the dodrims of P/ato. In Chriji J ejus neither that is, under the Chriftian religion. Galat.
i firflpub- the dodlrine revelation among you,
s Plato is frequently ufed circumcijion a<vaikih any
46
you, I ftudied
Paul's Firji Epijile
not to embel- liih it by elegance of didlion, •or the difplay of fuperior wifdom.
c For it was my fixed re- folution to difclaim all know- ledge among you, except the knowledge of Jefus Chrifl:, and of his crucifixion.
3 I appeared among you in tremor and diffidence, in a plain artlefs undifguifed man- ner,
4 and my public difcourfes did not recommend them- felves by any elaborate per- fuafive arts of human fcience and erudition, but were con- firmed and demonftrated to you by fpiritual gifts and mi- raculous operations.
5 So that your convidion 6f the truth of Chriflianity was not gained by a difplay of human wifdom, but of di- vine power.
6 Thofe, however, who have attained a clear know- ledge of Chriftianity, know that the doctrines we publiili are the only true philofophy — not indeed that philofophy, which is in vogue in the pre- fent age, or that philofophy which is countenanced by its great and dignified rulers and governors — whofe power and authority will foon be an- nulled :
7 but v/e publifh that fchcme of divine philofophy,
Chap. 11,
which hath, till the prefent period, been totally unknown i n the world ^ but with which God intended to blefs us long before the order of his dif- penfations commenced :
8 a divine fcheme, which none of the governors of the prefent age were acquainted v/ith — had they been ac- quainted with it, they never would have crucified its fa- cred teacher.
9 But as the prophet fays, " Eye hath not feen, ear hath not heard, nor have the thoughts of men ever form- ed a conception of thofe blef- fings, which God hath pre- pared for his virtuous vota- ries."
10 But to us hath God been pleafed to reveal by his Spirit thefe glorious difcove- ries— For the Spirit explores all things, and dives into the profound depths of the divine counfels.
1 1 For as it is the mind alone of one man that judges' of the temper and difpofition of another — fo it is the Spirit- of God that is acquainted with the meafures and defigns of the Supreme.
1 2 But we have not re- ceived that fpirit which dic- tates to us merely humanf wifdom : but we have recei- ved that divine Spirit vv^hich: gives us a clear knowledge"
Chap.
111.
to the C o R I N T
of rhofe diftinguifhed bleffings which the divine benignity hath freely conferred upon us.
13 Which blefiings we proclaim to the world, not with thofe ftudied arts of elo- quence and polifhed didlion, which human wifdom hath invented : but in the manner which the holy Spirit didlates — adapting virtuous fpiritual inflrudtion to the fpiritual and virtuous ;
14 for a fenfual man is morally incapable of admit- ting fpiritual inflrudlion — to fuch an one it appears the heigth of abfurd folly — he is totally incapacitated for fuch knowledge — the virtuous a- lone are here qualified to be the proper judges.
15 But the rational vir- tuous mind difcerns the wif- dom of the whole slorious fcheme — but no mortal can explore the counfels of its fu- preme author himfe-lf :
,16 for who is acquainted i^vith the defigns of the Al- mighty ? Who will arrogant- ly aiTume to inftrud him in his procedures ? — But in the purpofes and intentions of Jefus we are clearly inftrucl- cd.
CHAR III.
iTNdeed, my Chriftian bre- A thren, I eould not for-
HIANS. 47
j merly addrefs myfelf to you as men governed by realbn, but rather as governed by your paffions, and as proper- ly babes in Chriflianity.
2 The nutriment I admi- niftered to you was milk, and not meat — z. regimen the lat- ter, which your moral con- ftitutions v/ere then not able to bear •, nor are noiv able to fupport.
3 For flill, ftill you are fwayed by your animal paf- fions—for when fuch animo- lities, fuch difcords, fuch fac- tious diiTentions rage among you, are you not, think you, governed by your pafTions., and adl as men under the cofitroul of their affections ?
4 For v/hen one of you is declaring for Paul, a fecond clamouring for Apollos, you not under the of carnal principles ?
5 But who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but merely inftruments, by Vv'hich the doctrines of Chriftianity wen? communicated to you, and whofe miniftrations among you God was pleafed to fuc- ceed ?
6 I call the feed into the foil : Apollos watered it : but it was God who informed it with the principles of vege- tation.
7 So that neither the per-
ion
irregular
are
guidance
Paulas Firjl j^fik
Chap, iii^
fon who fowcd the feed, nor the peifon who watered it, merit any regard, but that Being who gave it its growth.
8 He who fowcd, and he who watered, are upon the fame level : and each of us ihall only be rewarded ac- cording to our refpeclive la- bours.
9 For we only co-operate under God — it is ^ God who bleffed the culture — it is God who reared the fabric.
ID According to the abi- lities with which God hath endowed me, I, like a fkill- ful archited, laid the foun- dation, but another is raifing the fuperilru6lure — But let every man be cautious what fuperftrudlure he raifes.
1 1 For no one can lay a foundation of Chriftianity different from what I have already laid, which is, Jefus the Meffiah.
I 2 But then if any perlbn pile upon this firm bails gold, iilver, coftly jewels — or wood, hay, Hubble :
1 3 the fuperflrudure, that every perfon hath thus raifed, lliall be brought to an infal- lible ted — for that awful day, which Ihall be di/played in fire, will difcovcr the true nature of the materials — fire will be the crircri.on of the'
7'ea! quality of every perfon's rejpec'live work.
14 If any perfon's additi- onal labours abide this fevere. teft, he fhall be rewarded :
15 but if any one's appen- dages diflblve and fink, in the flames, his iliowy flruclure will perilh : but he himfejf 111 all be refcued from its fate, but with that difficulty, with which a perfon makes his efcape through incircling flames.
1 6 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God ^ refideth in you ?
17 If any perfon pollute the temple of God, God v/ill devote him to dellruction — for the temple of God is an holy and facred manfion— which temple you figurative-., ly are,
iS Let no one fondly im- pofe upon himfelf — if any perfon among you makes ar- rogant pretenlions to fuperior human wifdom, let him dif- claim all this knowledge in order to become truly wife.
19 For the wifdoai fo ce- , lebrated in the prefent age is folly in the divine eilimatioii — for as the prophet exprefli^S ^, " lie embarraffcs and con- . founds the wife amidft ail their fubtil refinements.
20 And
■■ Kefciang to thvlc re raCulovTs g\l^:< \\\C\ v/l.ich they v^ere endowed
Ghap. IV, to the C d r
20 And in another place, '' The great God is perfe6l]y acquainted with the fpccula- tions of the wife^ and knows them to be vain and vifio- nary."
2 1 Let no one, therefore, boafl of the fplendid attain- ments of any mortal — for all things are but fubfervient to your bell interefts :
22 Whether Paul, v/he- ther Apollos, whether Cephas, whether the world, whether life, whether death, whether the prefent, whether the fu- ture— all thefe things are but fubfervient to your beil inte- refts,
23 But you are the fervants of Chrift, and Chrift is the fervant of the Deity.
Chap. iv. i. Let every pcrfon regard us only as the fervants of Chrift, and as merely ftewards under God to djfpenfe thofe truths which he hath now revealed to mankind.
2 Now the principal qua- lification that Is required in a fteward, is, that he approve himfelf faithful to his maf- ter.
3 But with regard to my «wn chara6ter, it would not give me the leaft concern to have it determined by you, cr by any human verdict —
Vol. II.
f N 'f H I A fsIS. 40
i neither do I decide it my- lelf. 4 For though I am not ccmfcious to myfelf of any fmifter views, yet this will not exculpate me in the efti- mation of others — the Being, to whofe decifion I fubmit myfelf,- is God. ■
5 Do not you, therefore, pronounce raflily on any one's charader before the fecond advent of our exalted Lord — •' who will bring int6 light thingjj that have been wrapped in the fhades of darknefs, and will take off the vail from all heaits— Then fliall every vir- tuous perfon receive the ap- plaufe of God.
6 I have, my Chriftian bre- thren, transferred this to my- felf and to Apollos merely for your fakes, to inftrud you not to rate your minifters above the "" ftandard I have, fixed , in the defcription of their office •, and to prevent your being inflated with arro- gance and vain glory on ac- count of your relpedliive lea- ders.
7 For who is it firft be- ftowed upon you thefe diftiri- guifliing bleffings .^ What fpi- ritual gifts do you pofTefs which you received not ? And if you received them, why do' you glory jull as if you had
E acquired
J^amely, as only planter si wafsrers, Rewards under God»
50 P A u L^s F'rr/l EpijVe
acqulitd them folely by the felves with th dint of your own abilities, and not received them as the 3onation of another ?
8 You are now, however, abundandy fiitis Bed with your prefent fituation — you live in enfe and affluence— you reign, like princes, in our abfence — and I wiih indeed you did reign, that we too might fliare the felicity of your hap- py kingdom :
9 for I think that God hath brought out us his apo- ftles lafl upon the ftage, as devoted to death — for we are become a- mod miferable fpeclacle to the world, to an- gels and to men.
I o JVe are accounted focls for our attachnient to the Chriftian cauie : yen are pro- feffors endowed with diilin- guifhed zuifdom — JVe are la- bouring under infirmities ■: you are exultins; in health and firength — you live in renown : ive in difgrace.
1 1 From the firfl: com- mencement of our miniftry to the prefent moment we pine with hunger, are preffed with third, our naked bodies expofed to the cold, mangled with bruifes, and tolTed from place to place in uncertain wanderino;.
12 During thefe fcenes we fubmit to the toil of menial drudgery. — fupporting our-
Chap. r/.
labour of our own hands — reviled, we blefs : tortured, we fudain.
1 3 leaded v/ith the mod opprobrious calumnies, we conjure and entreat — to the prefent moment w^ are re- garded as the filth of the world, the refufe of all fo- ciety.
14 I write not this to co- ver you with confulion, but to give yoii a lelTon of falu- tary inftrudlion, as my belo- ved children.
1 5 For tho' you may have ten thouiand different pre- ceptors in Chriftianity, yet you have not mdinj fatloers — for as the converts of Chriili- anity you are folely my ge- nuine offspring,
16 I entreat you, there- fore, to propofe my example as a pattern for your imitation.
17 To engage you to this, I have difpatched to you Ti- mothy, my amiable convert, and who hath approved his^ fidelity to the Chriftian eaufe. Fie will give you a minute account of my condud, as a Chrifcian, and what inftruc- tions I every where inculcate on every fociety of Chriilians,
' 1 8 Some of you have been puffed up with an imagina- tion, that I would not re-vifit you.
19 But I propofe, by the divine permiffion, very fliort-
Chap. V. to ^'Zv C o R I N T H I A N s. ^r
ly to come among you — then fon, yet prefent In mind, have
ah-eady determined,
4 that you lliould in the moil folemn manner convene
difcourfes :
20 for the Chriilian kine;-
bliflied by iludied rhetorical
1 fliall know what miraculou powers thefe arrogant boail ers exert : for I fhall not re- , ard their eloquent elaborate : the whole Chriilian affembly.
over wnom my mi/nd^ as my proxyi fhall prefide, and in
dom is not enlarged and eila- I the name of our Lord Jefus
Chrifl, and armed v/ith his
difcourfes, but by miraculous I authority.
operations.
§ — 21. How are you de- firous I (liGuld a(fl: ? Would you have me come amongfb you v/ith the apoflolic rod o
5 tliat you fliould excom- municate the perfon, v/ho hath committed this flagitious crime, from the church, and expel him from aniong you
f e:
z, in
fevere difcipline, or, with the I into the Heathen world again mild amiable fpirit of lenity ^ — that God m,ay inflid: fom.e and love P ; punifliment upon his hody^
Chap. v. i. Fori am in-; that may iffue in the faiva- form.ed that there is an heiri- : tion of his foul in the day of
ous crime perpetrated amiOng you — a crime, of a mofl atro- cious nature, for which even the Heathens themfelves want a name — one of your fociety lives in an inceiluous cam- with his
Chrift.
6 Your exultation in your leader is far from being lau- dable— Don't you know that a little leaven foon diffufeth its influence thro' the whole merce witn nis father's? mafs '^ ? wife. 7 Exterminate, therefore,
2 And you have been in- the old leaven from among fiated v/ith fuch pride and, you, that you may become a fpifit of party, that, inftead : pure unfermented mafs — For of being filled with general^ Chrifl, our pafchal lamb, was grief and horror at luch a; immolated for us. crime, and inflantly expel- 1 8 Let us, therefore, cele-
ling him, you have faffered the guilty perfon to continue a member of your fociety.
brate the foiemn feftival, not
with old leaven, not with the
pernicious mixture of vice
3 I, though abfent in per- a and immoralityj but with the
E 2 falutary
- Grex totus in agris
Uiiius f cable caditj U porriglne pore:
jwvenaL fat. 2,
P A V l's Fir/l
52
falutary unadulterated food of fincerity and truth.
9 I formerly wrote to you to break all friendly conec- tions with debauchees :
10 yet this command doth not extend to the entire dif- folution of all focial inter- courfe, either with the de- bauchee, with the avaricious, with the rapacious, or with the idolater of the prefcnt age — for if it did, you muft quit all connedions with the world.
1 1 But no'zv I write to you. That if a Chriftian brother be guilty of debauchery, of avarice, of idolatry, of de- tradlion, of drunken nefs, of rapacity : that you ought to break all the moft intimate ties of friendlliip with fach an immoral perfon, and even expel him from your tables.
1 2 It is not for me to judge thcie who are out of the church — but why don't you pafs fentence on thofe who are the members of it ?
13 To judge thofe who are out of the church belongs iblely to God — but do you, as it is your duty, expel that wicked inceftuous perfon from your fociety.
G
CHAP. VI.
^AN any of you, who hath a dilfercnce with
Epiftle Chap, vk
another, brook the indignity of having recourle to Hea- thcnSy to have it decided by them, and not by your fel- low Chriftians .?
2 Don't you know that the Chriftians fliall judge the world } — and if the final con- dition of the world is to be fixed by their fentence, do you judge yourfelves unwor- thy to determine the moft trivial controverfies ^
3 Do you not know that we Chriftians fhall judge an- gels ? how much more
ought we not to decide in the petty interefts of this vain life.
4 When you have any difputcs about your fecular concerns, do you fubmit them to the decifion of magiftrates, who are, as being Heathens, difagreeable to the fociety ^.
5 You have really juft caufe for being afhamed — What ! is there never an in- telligent perfon among yoy all, poflefted of fufficient abi- lities to decide the differences that arife among his Chriftian brethren, and in whofe un- exceptionable arbitration you can acquiefce ^
6 But one Chriftian quar- rels widi another, and inflant- ly repairs to Heathens to ad- judge his caufe !
7 Not to mention, that ic I fhows your prefcnt attain- ments
VI.
Chap
ments in Chrifllanity in no very amiable light, that you .have fuch controverfies one with another — Why don't you rather iubmit to injurious ulage ? Why don't you ra- ther fufFer yourfelves to lofe part of your property ?
8 But now one profeffor hefitates not to injure and de- fraud even his Chriilian bro- ther.
9 But don't you confider that perfons guilty of injuf- tice Ihall be for ever excluded from the kingdom of God ? — Deceive not yourfelves — neither the debauchee, n®r the idolater, nor the adulte- rer, nor the libidinous, nor the fodomitc,
JO nor the thief, nor the mifer, nor the drunkard, nor the flanderer, nor the rapa- cious, fhall ever be admitted into the kingdom of God.
I i Of this charadler were fome of you formerly — but now you have received an ablution, a remifTion, a gra- tuitous acquittal from all your pad crimes by your re- ception of the Chriflian reli-
to ihe Corinthian s.
gion,
which was confirmed
by the miraculous operations of the Spirit of our God.
§ — 12. I HAVE a liberty to ufe all things — but it is I fhould ufe this its utmoft extent. liberty to ufe all
improper liberty in I have a
SI things, but I will not fufFer myielf to be enflaved by any thing,
13 Food was formed for tlie belly, the belly for food : but God will aboliili both the one and the other — The body was not defigned for fenfual indulgences, but for Jefus : as Jefus was for a mortal body :
14 and as the Deity raifed Jefus from the grave -, fo by the exertion of his almighty power he will reanimate your dull.
15 Don't you know that your bodies are the members of Chrifl ? — Wilt thou then debafe the members of Chrifl, to the vileft gratifications of fenfe ? — forbid it decency !
1 6' Don't you know that he, who is united with a pro- flitute, becomes one body with her ?--" Thefe two, faid God, fhall be one body."
17 But he, who is united to Chrifl:, forms one fole in- dividual r/iind with him.
18 Fly debauchery with I the utmoft deteftation — Every
other vice, into which the pafTions of men tranfport them, doth not affed the body — • but the debauchee vilifies and degrades his own body.
19 Do not you conf:der that your body is the teniple, where the holy Spirit, you receive from God, •'efideth —
E z and
54 P A u l's F
and that you are not at your own unlimited difpofai r
20 For a price hath been paid to purchafe you — do you therefore, glorify God v/ith your bodies and with your minds, which are both his property.
CHAP. Vll.
X ^ S to thofe things, jiX, about which you con- falted me in your letter — I anfwer — It is beft for a man to abflain from the fex.
2 But to prevent all cri- minal fenfual gratifications, let perfons of both fexes form the nuptial union.
3 Let the married man render to his confort all due conjugal endearments — and likev/ife the married woman to her hufband.
4 For the married woman hath not abfolute dominion over her perfon, but the huf- band— in like manner the hufband h^ith not abfolute do- minion over his own perfon, but his fpoufc.
5 Do not obflinately refufe
/Vy? Epillk Ch?p. vii,
each other the conjugal em- brace •, except by mutual con- fent for a time, in order that you may wholly devote your- lelves to falling and prayer — But, thefe pious offices dif- charged, do you ° return to the connubial duties, left your want of condnency fhould fe- duce you into any criminal indulgencies.
6 But what I fpcak is only advice^ not a command.
7 I could v/iili all men were as myfelf — but God hath given different perfons dif- ferent conftitutions.
8 But to the unmarried and to widows I declare it as my fendment, That it is beft for them to continue uncon- ne6led as 1 am.
9 But if continence be to them an impradicable virtue, let them unite in nuptial bonds — for thefe bonds are preferable to the flames of iuft.
10 But to thofe who are married, it is not my injunc- tion, but our Lord's exprefs command, '' That the wife fliould not relinquifti her huf- band,
1 1 But
° ^fv^'/^i7^e. In ebderii aeun^i fenfa hoc verbum occurrit Plutarcl^ Cafo jun. Eyvfj^iy Si ^TiMiLv I'^^pcuvov ^vyartpa., }ta,i return '^pc>jrcv cvr.adiv JZdit. Gr. Stephan. p. 1399, Aiyirdi S'niui^ci /Uiv OLfAr^orifaii a.ya.yio'^oi.i fJAciy ica,i junSivi ymc^tii (paJep(B' a»Gpi)-/ra>v ovroTepa ^sr^cfifa cvyihhi- t*lu- tarch. Dion. p. 1755. lv\a.i)L<t. (7i;vjA8oy<rctv ajjpj. Dion. Halicar. vol. I. p. 92, Hudfon. Ta: >:Mct/xccf TOiV Aax.sJa.'yt/.onav (rm'S^Gc^acts • Straho,^ p. 279. Paris. 1620. O /«ra t;^ JcJJ'i QOMhhi^'^ ivct iyca y'cr^^^v.i> Jrrianl E}ia. p. 77. Upton.
Chap. vii. to the Corinthians.
■55
1 6 for how doll thou know? O woman ! but thou mayefl convince and fave thy huf- band ? Or how do.fl thou know, O huiband ! but thou mayeft convince and fave thy wife?
17 Juft according as every perfon is particularly fituated by the Almighty, juft accord- ing to the civil condition every ptrfori is in when he embraces Chriflianity •, in thefe let him continue — This is the do61rine I inculcate in every Chriftian church.
18 Doth any circumcifed perfon embrace Chriflianity? — let him not become P'un- circumcifed : Is any uncir- cumcifed perfon convinced of its truth ? — let him not fulp- mit to circumcifion. .
1 9 Circumcifion is nothing : uncircurncifion is nothing-— the grand fundamental article is, an obfervance of the di- vine precepts.
20 Let every Chriftian con- tinue in that civil ftation he filled before his converfion.
2 1 For example, were you a flave at the time you em- braced the Chriftian religion ? — let this create no anxiety— but, however, if you can gain your freedom, try to obtain it, as more eligible than Ha- ve ry.
E 4 22 He,
P Consult Lmyi Iniro^u^ion io the Bihh, vol. I. p. 9. and^ i Maccab. chap, i, 18.
11 But fhould fne relin- quifh him, let her either con- tinue unmarried, or be re- conciled to her huiband."— And it is aha our Lord's command, '^ That the huf- band Ihould not repudiate his wire.
12 But with regard tov/hat I am going farther to add, they are only 7ny fentiments, not our Lord's injundlions — If any Chriftian have a v/ife, who is an infidel^ and ihe agree to live with him, let him not eject her.
13 And if any Chriftian woman have an hufband, who is an infidel^ and he confent CO live v/ith her, let her not abandom him.
14 For the difbelieving hufband is chriftianized in his v/ife, and the difbelieving wife in her huiband — otherwife, your offspring would be born in the corrupt ftate of Hea- thenifm, but now they are born in the facred privileges of Chriftianity.
15 But if the, disbelieving party will diflblve the ties of marriage, let them diifolve them — a Chriftian, of either fex, is not inflaved in fuch emergencies as thefe — Re- member, God hath by the gofpel called us to harmony and concord.
S5
.; 22* Me, that is found a ' flave at his converfion, com- mences the Lord's free man — in like manner, he, who is I then free, commences the fer- vant of Chrifl.
23 Your liberty hath been purchafed at an immenfe price — become not the (laves ot men.
24 My brethren, I folemnly enjoin every perfon to conti-
^ nue in the fame civil relation, pin which he was found when
he afilimed the Chriflian pro-
fefTion.
25 As to thofe who are in . a ftate of celibacy I have no -exprefs injunction of our Lord
to produce : but I fhall de- clare my fentiments as one, whofe fidelity our Saviour hath been gracioufly pleafed to ap prove.
26 I think then that on account of the troubles, to which our profefTion expofes ys, it is beft to rem.ain un- married.
27 But art thou already married ? — feek not to dif- folve the union — Art thou I
VA^W'Ftr^ Epi/fle Chap. vH,
free from this connexion ?-— feek npt to engage in it.
28 But if you marry, you have done nothing criminal — if a virgin marry, llie hath done nothing criminal — Such, in the prefent Hate of things, will conflidl with forrows and fufFerings — But I will nor: fpread a gloomy profpedl be- fore you.
29 I v/ill only fay this, my Chriftian brethren, that '^ hu- man life is tranfient and mo- mentary, and that the time will foon arrive, when thofe, who have been happy in the conjugal union, will be as thofe who have not enjoye4 this felicity :
30 Thofe, who are diffol- ved in tears, as thofe who had never known forrov/ — thofe, who are exulting in joy, -as thofe who were ever ftran- gers to chearfulnefs — thofe, who purchafe eftates, as thofe who never pofleffed them :
3 1 And thofe, who tfa- verfe a circle of this worid*s happinefs, as thofe who had
never
1 O xa/p^ (Ti/virctA/Ugr^. The word avvs^A^fj.zy(^ is very emphatlcal, and beautifully expreflive of the very narnn.v and contra£led limits of hu- man life. Tcti 'araficiicrKivccs olvtcov in ffvrifXA//.iV(ts • Their preparations for the war were as yet ^very inconfukrahlf. Dion. Halicar. p. 345. Hudfon. Ton c^KOi^ mi OLyt^a^^juivoi. Diod. Siculus. vol. I. p. 265. Edit. Wejfeling, pf j«Jiora;y k^ cvns-ai^juitajv r^v tjoxi/uicvv. Plutarch. Lyfand. p. 8oi. Steph, Rojpa. crtvei-aAywsKcv clvths re oi^ioofJLO.' her dignity reduced. Idem in Jgejii(^9 p. 1 121. A-jrepx^rai /uiy.piB' ourco yzycovoo^ ^ cvvi^x\/u£r{^' ]dem ir> Po.npeio,^. 1 202. Edit. Gr. 8vo. To extend, or contrafr, a finger, iKreivxi iiv JfltXTUcv H Gv^ciMi- Oiog, Laert, p. 429. Edir» M<?;^ow. Atnpl, 1692. '
Chap. vii. to the Co R
never ^ enjoyed it — for the fcenes of this life are perpe- tually fhifting.
3 2 I would have you free from anxious care — A man, who is in a ftate of celibacy, is concerned about the dif- charge of Chriftian duties, follicitous how to approve himfelf to his Redeemer :
33 but the cares of him, who is married, are occupied in inferior terreftrial objects, anxious to fecure the affe6tions oi his fpoufc.
34 There is the fame mo- ral difference alfo between the difpofitions of a married man and an unmarried woman-The
INTIJIA'NS. 57
virgin makes it her, anxious fludy to recommend hcrfelf to the divine approbation by inviolably preferring her per- fonc-il and mental chalVity— the ' cares of the married woman center in this world, ftudious only to maintain her hufband's love.
Q^c^ By the above dire^lion I only confult your advantage and happinefs, my defign is not to lay any cruel unnatural reftraint upon you — my fole view is, that you may, with becoming propriety, devote yourfelves to the duties of Chriftianity with minds en- tirely ^ difembarralfed from
th'e
/ K«.raxp3<^/^«voi is hen ufed In a good fenfe, as the whole pafTage requires, and as it is generally ufed in Greek writers. KaTj;^pa)>'To rcx'TCi? avi^ircuciv €7rf (^i\:azrpict,y. They ufed all thefe helps for the purpofes of philofophy. Plato. Politicus. vol.. 2, p. 272. Serrani. Ok €a;^iTOiS orctv a-jroyvcoa'^n 57013-ac ixiriii eiS' rovi 'SJi^i Tcoy juiyi^ojy ctycovoc? H-ccrx'/^fCtiYiKci' Which lait they life, &c. Dio}?. Halicar. vol. I. p. 270. Hitdfon. Qv /xivr-oi iCoLtx'xjH' reta^cfA avTOLis- He would not make z^ of them. Idem p. 399. KctTU- yjpuc^i /JM ?^ot.CiVTis ovjV a.y f/.^.y\xco vi vjucls copAuaeiv. U/e me in whatever 1 can be of fervice to you. Idem p. 469. Edit. Oxon. Kara^fw^at iBLvr^ HOLY in\j ^ovMra.1- Make u/e of him pven tho' it be againlf his con- fent. D:of2, Cajjim. p. 93. Edit. Reimar. /\oy fxaLT :^v ^ciy.t?A%is ou «otr«.- %pi'/U22rx- We u/e not a variety of "fpeculations. Tatia?ii Oratio contra Gracos. p. 167. Paris. 1636. Os va>1 xarct^sxP^fTct; ei? J>/<Kct'p;{av K"^'^? xj '^ouixn- Who u/ed, &c. Clem. Jlexandrimis, p'. 3 1 . Paris. 1629. See alfo pages 87, 107, 120. ejufdem Edit. NB. n«pitxp«0)««« < *^"^ ATra- XP<Z5/:^cc< fignify to abufe.
KeiKOV ^OVMTeil OIKOV C^SAAfJV 05 KiVOtrvrA'
.3£i...i'i r,
Odj/. O. verf.'2o.
yn^cL/nii'H Sii H 76 ccn(p^:t)V, SiAifexTcn rev Ciov ^ 'srp;^ 0£ov kj «rf(§^' ctrJf* Clemens Alexandrinus. p. 201, 202. Edit. Paris. 1629.
* A^rtf i^TTraro;? , a beautiful and very expreffive word : free from diffrac- ting (^ares. Q$ ya^ (^ct7i revs Uu^ay^^iKz^S cvk c«v m. muapalov tsr^^
58
P A u l's Fir/l Epljlk
Chap.
Vlll.
the diftra6lion of all fecular cares.
36 But if any perfon think it wrong he fhould pafs the flower and prime of life in a ftate of celibacy, and that it is his incumbent duty to form the conjugal union -, let him a(5l according to the dictates of his own judgment — he doth nothing criminal — let them marry.
37 But he, who hath form- ed a deliberate refolution, and finds no necefTity of in- fringing it : he who hath his appetites in proper fubjedion, and hath laid himfeif under a fixed determination not to violate the laws of continence and chaftity, is worthy of applaufe.
38 So that he, who mar—
confcious I am endowed with the Spirit of God.
CHAP. VIII.
ITH regard to thofc
things that are fa-
■w
criiiced to idols, I know very well you are all pofTefTed of knowledge moft accurately to diftinguifh here — but re- member, knowledge inflates, but benevolence improves and dignifies the mind.
2 But if any perfon is ela- ted with extravagant ideas of his fuperior knowledge, he forfeits all juft prctenfions to every branch of ufeful know- ledge.
3 But if the Deity be the fupreme obje6l of any per- fon's love,' the *" Deity
will
rieth,doth well : he, who mar- | illuminate his mind with the rieth not, doth better. knowledge of his perfeftions
39 It is unlawful for a wo- and will, man to abandon her hufband, while he is living — when he hath paid the debt to nature, fhe is at full liberty to marry v^hom fhe pleafes — provided he be a Chrifdan profefTor.
40 But fne is much hap- pier if fhe continue a widow, in my judgment — and I am
4 With regard then to eat- ing things that are facrificcd to idols — 1 know that an idol is a mere fidlitious creature of the imagination, and that there is no God, but the one fupreme Father of all.
5 For though there are thofe nominal beings, who
are
f^dLCfiLiva.ffct/niVcvs CciJ j^fiv, ovTcvs mto 0 "Ncvjudi xpwct/ Tovc izo^iTcii fxniri UKOveiV Tt Tcay ©:-c<jv /wmts cpcsv iv fo^eici^yca k- c'^juzamS* cth^ci aycAnK ctyovTcts
fVfi^eiAV^ ?lutarch. 'Nunm. p. j 26. iidit. Gr. <S/^//:'«;.;. 8vo. " Ovr'^ refers to Gc^.,
Chap. viii. to the Cor
are vulgarly filled deities, and fuppofed to refide, fome in heaven, fome on the earth — a great multiplicity of gods and tutelar powets :
6 yet to us Chriftians there is but ^ O N E fole fupreme God, the Father of the uni- verfe— -from whom all things originally derived their exiit- ence, and for whom we were created — and but one Lord and governor, Jefus the Mef- fiah, whom the Deity em- ployed as his inftrument to form all things, and to form us.
7 But all Chriftians have not the fame clear exa61: knovv'ledge with regard to thefe • offerings — for fome, even now^ fit down to this repaft, perfuaded in their minds, that they are eating things dedicated to real ex- ifting deities — by which means their weak undifcern-
ing confciences become ftain- ed with guilt.
8 It is not food indeed that recommends us to the divine acceptance — for if we cat of thefe facrifices, we are not on that account the bet-
I N T H I AN S. ^9
ter, nor if we refrain, the worfe, Chriftians.
9 Hut be cautious left your liberty, in this refped:, prove a ftumbling-block to weaker Chriftians.
ID For if a perfon fiiould happen to fee thee, who art poffefTed of fuch juft and ju- dicious difcernment, feafting in an Heathen temple, will not the doubting confcience of fuch a v/eak perfon be fe- duccd, by thine exam.ple, to partake too of the famie en- tertainment ?
1 1 Confequently, your fu- perior knowledge will be the unhappy miCijis of deftroying a Chriftian brother, for whom Jefus flied his blood.
12 By this criminal feduc- tion of your brethren into things they deem unlawful, and wounding their v/eak confciences, you offend a- gainft the lav/s of Chriftia- nity.
13 If my food therefore betrays my Chriftian brother into fm, I would never tafte fleili again, that I might not be acceffary to my brother's guilt.
CHAP.
Sophocles apud 7. Martyr. Cahortatio. ad Grtec9S p. 83. Edit. Oa-(j/7. 1703.
Oed'ip. Tyran, 865.
6o
P A u L^s Firjl Epiftle
Chap. IX,
CHAP. IX.
,1 AMI not an apoflie ? ±\^ Have I not liberty to ufe the privileges of the apoftolic office ? Have I not been favoured with a fight of our Lord Jefus Chrift ? Are not you yourfelves the monu- ments of my minifterial la- .bours in the gofpel ? .2 If I am not an apoflie to others, yet moft undoubtedly I am to you — Your conver- fion to Chriflianity is the feal and fandlion of my apoflle- fliip.
3 To thofe, who fit as ju- dicial enquirers into my con- du6t, I offer the following vindication of myfelf :
4 Am I not entitled, in .virtue of my labours, to a ^con^mon maintenance ?
5 Have not I a right, if I pkafe, to carry along with me a Chriftian woman to pro- vide me accommodations on my travels, as other apoftles, as our Lord's brethren, and
•as Peter doth ?
6 Are Barnabas and myfelf the only perfons, who have no right to plead an exemp- tion from menial labour ?
7 What foldier ever ferves a campaign at his own ex- pence ? — Who plants a vine- yard, and doth not tafte the genial grape .^ — Who feeds a|
flock, and eats not of the milk }
8 But do the principles of reafon, merely^ di61:ate thefe arguments ? — Doth not the law add its fandbion to them ?
9 For the law of Mofes exprefsly fays, " Thou fhalt not muzzle the ox, while he is employed in treading out the corn." — But doth the great God interefl: himfelf Zr- bout oxen ?
10 No! undoubtedly this was inculcated as a lefTon of inflrudlion to us — that he who plows, ought amidfl: his labour to tranfport himfelf
j with the hope of enjoying the golden harveft — - that h^i- who threfhes out the corn, (liould be urged with the joy- ful expedation of reaping the fruits of his toil.
11 If we have fov/n a- mongft you celejlialki:^^ is it unreafonable we (hould reap a terrejlial harvefl ?
1 2 Are we not better en- titled to a fhare of your afflu- ence, than fome others, who are now enjoying it ? — Yet this right we never pleaded — but induftrioufly refigned all fuch claims, that we might not in the leafl: impede the gofpel in its progrefs.
13 Don't you know that thofe, who are employed in the temple-fervice, acquire a maintenance from the tem- ple ^,~
Chap. IX. to the C o r i
pie ? — Don't thofe, who at- tend the altar, gain a liveli- hood by fuch an attendance ?
14 In like manner hath Gur Lord alfo enjoined, that thole, who preach his gofpel, fhould derive their fiipport from their minifterial labours.
15 But I never pleaded any of thefe precepts — nor have I written this to demand fuch a maintenance as my right — for I had infinitely ra- ther perilh for want than that any perfon ihould deprive me of the pleafing confcious caufe I have to boaft :
16 not that I have any reafon to boatl of my mini- fterial fun6tion — for 1 am un- der an indifpenfable obliga- tion to d^/charge it — and dreadful will be my fate, if I perform not the duties of this facred office !
1 7 For if with chearfulnefs I execute them, a reward is referved for me — if with re- ludlance, yet ftill the difpen- fation hath been intrufled to me.
18 What then is the re- ward I reap ? — I deem this an abundant recompence — the confcioufnefs of my dif- intereflednefs in preaching Chriftianity, and the agree- able refledion, that I have never claimed thofe "^ rights,
NTHIANS. 6i
to which, as a minlfler, I am entitled.
1 9 For being free from all obligations of this kind t6 any man, I have enflaved myfelf to every man, that I might gain a greater harveft of Chriftian converts.
20 To the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might col- le6l converts among them — • with thofe, who acknowledg- ed the law, I converfed as one alio, who had the fame high opinion of its authority, that I might infinuate the principles of the goipel into their minds.
2 1 To thofe, who acknow- ledged not the law of Mofcs> I addreiled myfelf as one not under that law (not indeed as if I were under no law to God— but as fubjedt to the law of Chrift) that I might win them to Chriftianity.
22 With the weak 1 dif- courfed as weak, to iecurc their favourable regards to the gofpel — • to every man I became every thing, that I might, by every pofllble art I could pradife, fave fonle immortal fouls.
2^ And this is the con- dudt I purfue in order to ad- vance the interefts of the gof- pel — that I may Ihare the bleffed rewards it promifeth. 24 Don't
* Namely, a mmntmanc?.
H
24 y Don't you kaov/ that in the Grecian ftadium great numbers run with the utmoft contention to fecurc the prize, but that only one perfon vvins and receives ? — With the fame ardour and perfeve ranee do you run, that vou may jleize the garland or ' celeftial glory.
25 Every one alfo, v^^ho exiiters the lifts as a comba- tant, fubmits to a moft ^ ri- gid and fevere regirnen — I'hey 'do this to gain a fading .chaplet — but in our view is h-wg up the unfading wreath of immortality.
.2.6 Vv^ith this in profpeft, 1 jun the chriflian race — not diftrelfed with wretched un- certainty concerning its final illue — I engage as a comba- tant— but deal not my blov/s in empty air.
Paul's Fir/i Efijiie Chap. x.
27 But I enure my body to the fevereft difcipline, and bring all its appetites into fubjedion : left, v/hen I have "" proclaimed the glorious prize to others, I ftiould, at laft, be rejcdled as unworthy to obtain it.
CHAP. X.
Would not have you ignorant, my Chriftian brethren, that all our ancef- tors were under the cloud, and all pafied through the fea :
2 and in the cloud, and in the lea were all baptized into tlie mofaic inftitution :
3 and all eat the fame mi- raculous food :
4 and all drank the fame ^ miraculous draught — for they
drank
y The following reprefentation of the Chriflian t-ace muft make a flrong impreffion upon the minds o-f the Corinthians^ as they weye fp often fpedta- tors pf thofe gmms that were cclebr:ite<i on the IJibmus.
2 What thU rigid and fevere regimen was to which the combatants in ^Q^c games were previoufly obliged to fubniit, we learn from the following paflage in 'Efulelus, BiXsig OAi;/^7z:*(X vi}i',i<rc/A ; Kciyooy i/» rovg ©sovg' 'nou^ov yocp EPiy. AAA* g-kottsi k^ roc ■acc^nyov^ivcc^ >t, ra axuAouaa* x) ouTw; a.ivro'j tqu i^yow §n (TEvrocKrstv, ccvocyao^oiyBiVjf cc'myj(T^oci Tss^liocim, yuju.i/a^fo-S'at "GJ-p^J ccvocyaW) fv ^^^ rirocyiJ,iWy fi/ jcau-
tOLr^b^ T2-apc(,dz0(,iXBycx,i fjsocvrov rco iTTir^rvi, ziroc ek; tov •ccymcc zjtx^e^- ^a-^oci. EpiSirti E^}ichirid. p. 710. Upton, lyt^d^ 0 Tccoo(.)fiV^ TJjaJ.nq
xoXccay.ivv] ^co(p'n ^^^(itco^ccg ^ y^ cc^p^o^nn; a, (xoc-^n; ^iocr£?\£fra.g, \^iiam Far. hlijl. lib. xi. C. 3. p. 684. Grononjii, Lug. Bat. 1731 •
"^ KM-L%a.i' An Lva/d, xwf f^, -made iprodrjuatioii at the games, what rewards would be bellowed on the vidor.
Chap. X. to the Cor
drank of the rock, whole v/a- ters miraculoufly accompani- ed them — and the rock lend- ing forth refrefhlng fl reams figuratively reprefents Chrift.
5 Yet with the majority of this numerous favoured multitude, God was not plea- fed — for the wildernefs was ilrown with their dead bo- dies.
6 But their fate is a lefTon to us Chriilians, to kill in us that excelTive paffion for cri- minal purfuits, which they fo fondly indulged.
7 Be ye not, therefore, ido- laters, like fome of them •, concerning whom it is recor- iJed : " The people fat down to luxurious banquets, and rofe up to the wanton nefs of gaiety and frohc."
8 Neither let us be guilty of debauchery, as fome of them were : in confequence of which three and twenty thoufand all periihed in one day.
9 Nor let us provoke God, as fome of them provoked him, who were miferably de- ftroyed by ferpents.
JO Neither let us indulge thofe impious murmurs a- gainfl God, which fome of them indulged, and were cut off by the d^ltroying angel.
II All thefe events were
I N T H I A N S. 631^
intended to be; examples to the Jtvos — and they are re- corded for the admonition of us Cbriftians^ whom God hath placed under the lail of his difpenfations.
12 Wherefore let him, who flatters himfelf that he (lands fecure, be cautious left he fall.
13 You have, as yet, been ailailed by no trial, but fucli as the common lot of huma- nity expofeth men to : and God may be confided in, v/ho will not permit you to fuffer any trials, to which you arc not equal : but v/ill enable you to make a virtuous and honourable efcape out of
j them.
14 Wherefore I conj.ure you, my dearChriftian friends, fly tac kail approaches to idolatry with the utmofl: hor- ror.
15 I am addrefllng intelli- gent perfons, and to intelli- gent perfons I appeal for the reafonablenefs of what I af- fert.
16 The cup in the eucha- riil, over which we pour our grateful acknowledgments to God, doth it not reprefent our joint-participation of the blood of Chrifl: .? The ^ loaf which we then break, doth it not fymbolically reprefent our
joyful
^ A/;t^ here mull neceiTarlly fignify loaf^ as appears from ver- //'V all partake r^ fzv gvcf a^tvjj of one leaf
64 P A U L*S
joyful ioint-participation 'the body of Chrift ?
17 For as a multitude
of
corn compole
of
one
grains of
loaf-, fo the whole coUeclive numbers of us Chriftians onl}^ form one body — for we all of us, in this communion, parti- cipate one individual loaf.
18 With refped to this alio, tiirn your refle6lions to Ifrael — Don't they, who eat of the facrifices, participate of the altar of the one true God?
19 Butwhat fhall I fay? Shall I afiert that an idol is a real that which is fa-
figni-
being ? or,
crificed to it is of an;
ficancy ?
20 Yet notwithflanding this, the facrifices, which the hea- then votaries offer, are facri- ficed to dasmons, and not to the true God — and I would not have you participate with Heathens in the religious rites they pay to daemons.
2 1 You cannot confidently drink the cup of the Lord, and at the fame time the cup of demons — you cannot par- ticipate of the feftival in ho- nour of our Lord, and the feftival in honour of dasmons.
22 Shall we, by fuch cri- minal compliances, expofe ourfelves to the divine indig- nation ? — Are we able to cope with his irrefiflible power ?
<^— 23 I HAV£ a liberty to
Firjl Epijlle Clijlf^.^jr/
ufe all things : but it is im- proper I ihould ufe this li- berty in its utmoft latitude — ■ J am inverted with full liberty : but this full liberty of mine tends not to the edification of others.
24 Let no perfe'n merely confult his own private good, but ftudy the good of others.
25 Eat whatever is bought in the fViambles, without mak- ing any enquiries at all to fa- tisfy a fcrupulous confcience,-
26 For the earth, and all its variety of creatures, are,- by their great Propfietor, freely given to man.
27 If an Heathen invite you, and you have an i-ncli# nation to accept his invitation, eat of every thing that is fet
before
you,
without afldn^Y
any queflions at all merely to fatisfy a fcrupulous con- fcience.
28 But if any perfon fay to you — " This hath been offered to an heathen Deity*"' — don^'t yoti tafld^ it on his account, who gave you the information, and for con^ fcience fake.
29 The confcience,Imean, not of yourfelf, but of the in^ former — for why Ihould I fufter my free liberty to give cvffence to another perlbn'5 confcience '^.
Q^o And though I can my- fclf partake of* fuch and fuch
chap. xi. to the C o R
food with pious acknowledg- ments to God for it — yet why fhould I fufFer myfelf to be reproached by another even for that which I myfelf can participate with religious gra- titude ?
3 1 Whether therefore you cat, whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to promote the glory of God.
32 Be ever caiitious of giving any unneceilary oifence either to Jews, to Greek-s, or to Chriilians.
33 In this inoffenfive man- ner I myfelf a6l : fludying to pleafe all men in all things, not confulting my own in- te^il, but the immortal in- terells of *= mankinds
Chap. xi. i In this let me propofe my condu6t a pattern for your imitation — as herein 1 copy the example of Chrift.
§ — 2 1 COMMEND you, my Chriftian brethren, for re- membering all my inftruc- tions, and that you are fo te- nacious of the rules and in- jun6tions I inculcated upon you.
3 But I delire you to ob- ferve, that of every man the head is Chrift, of every wo- tnan, the man, and of Chrift, the Deity.
Vol. IL
I N T H I A N S. 65
4 Now every man, who prays or fpeaks in public with' his head covered, derogates from the dignity of Chrift his head.
5 Gn the contrary, every woman, who prays or fpeaks in public with her head Un- covered, degrades the dignity of the man who is her head — for this is a fingularity as un- characleriftical of the fex as to have the ^ hair entirely cut off.
6 But if a woman wt>n't confent to wear her vail, let her even have her hair cut fhort like the man — but if it is to the laft degree fcand lous and indecent for a woman to have her hair cut fhort, or ihaved offi, let her^ for the fame reafon, be vailed.
7 A man indeed oiiV':ht not to have his head vailed, as he is the glorious image of God — but the woman is only the glorious image of the man :
8 For the man was not formed pofterior to the v/o-^ man •, but the woman was formed out of the man.
9 Nor was the m.an formed for the woman, but the wo- man for the man.
I o In your aftemblies there- fore tlie wofoan ought to wear F a
^ Tccv tffiW'joy. Oi 'CTSAAsi is often nkd in this fenfe by St, Paul.
•* Miih^Grepan <ivmift mthQ}^- A'l&in^ion wore th^ir hair ion^ and
66
pur- your
a vail on account heathen fpies who arc pofely- fent to infped: condu6l.
1 1 Neverthelefs, under the Chriftian religion, neither of the fexes is confidered as fe- pai'ate and detached from each other.
1 2 For as the v/oman was formed out of the man^ fo is the human race propagated by means of the female — but the original formation of every thing is ultimately to be re- ferred to God.
1 3 . 1 appeal to you, is it decent for a woman to addrcfs the Deity without a vail * ?
14 Doth not the univerfal prevalence of modern cuflom itfelf teach you, that for a man to v/ear long flowing trefies, dreffed in tjie manner of v/omen, is the higheft in- decency anddifgrace ?
But the lono; and flow-
Paul's Firjl Epiftlc
of the ^ raife difputes on
^5- — o
ing hair of the fair fex is their
diftinguifhing grace and or- nament—for this was laviflied upon them by the hand of nature for a covering.
1 6 But if any perfon ap- pear dilpofed to litigate, and
Chap.xi.
this topic, let him be aflured that nei- ther we the apoflles urge, or the churches of God pradlife, any fuch cuflom s.
§ — 17 But in what I am now going to miCntion I do not commend you — for your aflembling together is fo faf from advancing your mutual improvement, that it rather defeats it. ,
18 For, in the firfl place, when you are all convened together in the church, I am informed tliat there are un- happy difcords among you-r— and the information I be- lieve, in fome meafure, to be true.
19 Indeed it is morally ne- celTary there fhould be dif- ferences of opinion among you, that thofe who approve themfelves to be perfons of fuperior attainments, may be- come confpicuous among you.
20 But your aflembling all- together in one place to par- take a repaft, doth not con- ftitute a proper celebration of the Lord's fupper.
21
For
* A: A TGt/5 ttf;>'€,\ct?. ^"[yvs!^ fignifjes a viejfengfr. The ffies whom' Joflma fent are called aSeAci James chap. ii. 25.
f The Jcujcijb and Grecian ladies never appeared in public without ar wail, OvHy y^'p /w?p(^ hriovv aTrcyv/^Kvs^cti yvvcuK^'y iVTrfzir^Sy ^^ys Cfe^ mens Jlexandrifius^ p. 204, Paris. 1629..
s That is. As that women may pray. ^ni /peak in public, uni'aikd,.
Cinp. xi. f() tioe C o
2 1 For every one of you ^ Carries along with hini his rc- fpeclive fupper, and eats it, feparately, by himlelf — h-^ which means one hath a fcan- ty, another a plentiful, repaft.
2 2 What ! have you not houfes to eat and drink in ? Is it thus you prouitute the honour of the church of God, and (hame thofe who are in indigent circumftances ? — What iliall I fay to you ? Do you merit my commendation for tliis ? — You are unworthy of it.
23 The account I received of this inftkution from our Lord himfelf I communicated to you — How that our Lord Jefus being at fupper, the very night in which he was treacherouOy delivered into the hands of his enemies, took bread :
24 and, after devoutly blef- fing God, he broke it and faid, "Take and eat it — This figuratively reprefents my bo- dy, wliich is voluntarily fur-
R 1 N T H I A N S. 6/
rendered to be broken on the crofs for your interefts — -Ce- lebrate this iriilitution in com- memoration of me."
25 After they had eat the pafchal lamb, he took the cup ^ and, after having paid the fame devout acknowledg- ments to God, he faid, — • " This wine reprefents the fhedding of my blood, by the effuBon of which the new covenant is fealed arid rati- fied - Do this, as often as you drink this cup, in commemo- ration of me."
26 For as often as you eat this facramental bread, and drink this facramental wine, you do, through all ages 'nil his glorious advent, pub- lickly declare the death of our Lord.
27 Every orie therefore,' who in the celebration of this ordinance eats the bread, and drinks the cup, of our Lord m an unworthy manner, will be obnoxious to that temporal punifhment due to this pro-
F 2 flitution
^ Collation fupper s, cj^hse collatitis, were cuflomary among the Greeks, To thelc enjerv gaell carried with him his refpe6tive lupp^r, It Teems the Corinthian Chrillians regarded the Lord's /upper in the light of luch a club-repaji. The following paiTage in Xenophon excellently iilu'Ilrates the ^^poflle's words. Oacrs hi T.vjf. x- a. " Vv hen of thofe, who met to fup> fome of the company had broughi wirh them a very little, others a great deal of prcvifion^, Socrates bad the fervant either to put the little in com- mon, or diftribute to "each a part of it. Upon which, thofe who had brought a pVentifvd repafl with them were both afli'amed not to partake of what was ferved up in common, and not alfo to produce their own. They therefore put down their provifions in common, and when they enjoyed iio more than thofe who had brought but little, they defiiled from ex- i^cnditag much in buying viduak." Xenophon, Memov, lib. 3 c. 14. Oav;/.
68 Pauls
ftitutlon of the body and blood of our Lord.
2 8 Let a man then explore his conduct in this ordinance by the above account of it : and in the manner I have pre- fcribed eat of the Ikcramental bread, and drink of the facra- mental cup.
29 For he, who celebrates this inftitution in an unliiit- able manner, juftly expofes himfelf to the divine punifh- mcnt, by not difcriminating the Lord's fupper from a com- mon meal.
30 It is for this notorious abufe of it, that fo many a- mong you labour under difea- fes and indifpofitions, and not a few fleep the fieep of death.
31 For did we accurate- ly difcriminate ourfelves, we fhould not incur thefe divine inflictions.
32 But thefe chailifements are impofed upon us by the Almighty to prevent our final condemnation v/ith a disbe- lieving age.
33 Wherefore, my Chri- ftian brethren, when you af- iemble to celebrate the eucha- rift, ftay one for another 'till you are all convened.
Firii Epiftle Chap. xii.
34 And if any one at the
tUTie feels the fenfations of hunger, let him fitisfy it at his own home, that you may not afiemble for your own punlihrnent-- Other things I will rectify when I come.
CHAP. XII.
I T WILL now, my Chri- X flian brethren, give you dire6tion how to form an Ac- curate judgment concerning perfons ' endowed .wkhipirx- tual p;irts. . , ,-
2 You know you once were Heathens^ and blindly follow^- ing dumb and fenfelefs idols wherever your leaders would have conduced you.
3 Let me then inform you, that no perfon, who is really endowed with the ^ Spirit of God, can pronounce Jefus to be an execrable impbftor— and that no one 'can acknow- ledge that Jefus is condituted univerfal Lord and governor, but who, by fuch an acknow- ledgment, evidently prove.^ himfelf to be actuated by the ' Holy Spirit.
§ - 4 There are great va- rietici
i nep/ ficv tffVcv/j.Ari)iav, not fplrltual ^i/(s, but per/o;is endowed with them. '■ ^ '
^ To underftand this, kt it be obferved, that tht Jhife propbefs/'huvLord had prediftcd fliduld arile be/ore the deftruSlion of Jorufalem, had now made their appearance, and that the Chriftian church was infeited hy them. Hence this Apoftolic rule to difcern fpirits.
Chap. xii. to the
rieties indeed of fpiritual en- Jowrnents, and the)^ all flow from the fame Spirit.
5 There are great dlverfi- ties of miniftrations •, but they are all imparted by the fame Lord.
6 And there are great va- rieties of miraculous powers ^ but they are all derived from the lame God~v/ho is the fcle donor of every endow- ment that every individual poflefTeth.
7 But^he extraordinary il- lumination of the Spirit is communicated to every one for the common good and utility of the church.
8 For cue is by the Spirit endowed with wifdom — afto- iher^ by the fame Spirit is endowed with a clear and comprehenfive knowledge of Chriitianity.
9 Tq one the fame Spirit imparts a conviction of his ability to work miracles — to another the famx Spirit imparts the power of effedting cures.
10 Upon one are conferred miraculous operations — on a fecond^ prophecy — on a thirds the difcernmiCnt of fpirits — on 2i fourth^ an ability of fpeak- ing a variety of languages — on a Jifth^ the interpretation of thof^ languages.
. 1 1 All thefe diverfities of operations one and the fame
Cor I NT H I A ks. 69
Spirit effedeth — diftributing as he pleafeth to every one his ' refpedlive gifts.
1 2 For as the human body is com poled of many mem- bers, and all thefe members aiie combined into onefyllem: fo is it with the Chriilian church.
13 For by the effufion of one Spirit we were all bap- tized into one collediive body ; whether Jews, or Greeks, or (laves, or free — we were all combined into one fpiritual community.
14 For the body is not one fole miCmber, but confiflethof many.
15 Should the foot fay, Becaufe I am not the hand, I am no part of the humaan fyflem — doth it ceafe, for that reafon, to be connedted with th*e body ?
1 6 Should the ear fay, Be- caufe I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body — doth it, on that account, ceafe to be a part of the general fy- ftem ?
17 If all the corporeal members were reduced to one, for example, to the eye j and all the human fenfes ab- forbed in one, for inftance, in hearing; — what room would there be for the funiflions of
others ?
1 8 But now hath the Deity f'3
arrang^ed
\ JJ^jec the ac^cu/aiivi fluraL
70 P A u iJs
arranged and difpofed all the various members in the hu- man frame according as feemed beft to his infinite iinderftanding.
19 But if all the members were fwallowed up in one, where would be the organized body ?
20 But now many vaiiou? members are all harmonioully combined into one beautiful fyftem.
21 The eye cannot fay to the hand, Thou art entirely nfelefs to me — nor can the head fay to the feet. I havp no occafion at all for your functions.
22 On the contrary, thcfe parts which are feemingly inean apd contemptible, are mod of all fiibieryient to our various neceffities.
23 And thofe parts of our frame, which we are apt to regard as comparatively ig- noble, on thefe we laviih the moft adventitious honour and ornament — and our fuppofed inelegant parts have, in rea- lity, the moil elegance and fymmetry.
24 Thofe parts of our frame, on which the hand of nature hath beftowed the moft prace find elegance, are not of that real utility as others are — But the Deity hath fo compounded and conftituted the human fyflem, as to give moft ho-
Firjl BpIJk Chap, xii,
nour to thofe members which, apparently, have leaft of it,
2 5 ill order that there might be no difunion and diflention in the human fyftemj but that there might be a reciprocal confent and mutual fcnfibi- lity of all its various mem- bers :
26 For if one member feel pain, all the other members fympathize with it: if one member feel pleafure, all the others thrill with the pleafing fenfation.
27 In like manner the fe- veral individual members of the Chriftian ch^irch are ail harmpnioufly combined into one body.
28 And to form this mo- ral fyftem God hath in his church regularly arranged a- poftles in the jfirfi order : in the fecondy prophets : in the thirds inftrudors: in the/?/- lowing^ workers of miracles, authors of extraordin?,ry cures, ailiftants, governors, mafters of various languages.
29 Are all apoftles, are all prophets, are all inftrudlors, can all exert miraculous pow- ers ?
30 can all effedt miracu- lous cures, can all converfe in various languages, can ail un- dcrftand and interpret thofe languages ?
31 You are with zealous ardour ftriving who Ihall ac- quire
Chap. xiii. to the Cor
quire the mofl illuflrious of thefe fpiritual gifts — and yet I can point out to you an en- dowment, that far tranfcends all theie-
CHAR XIII.
c
Ould I fpeak all the languages of men and of angels, and yet had an heart deflitute of benevo- lence, I am no more than founding brafs of a tinkhng cymbal,
2 And was I endowed with the ampleft prophetic pow- ers : could I unravel all the myfteries of nature : had I accumulated all the know- ledge of the fons of men : could I exert fuch flupendous powers as to remove moun- tains from their bafis, and transfer them at pleafure from place to place — and yet my heart a ftranger to bene- volence, I am nothings
3 And fhould I give away ail I had in the world in cha- ritable contributions to the poor: fhould I even furren- der up my body to the flames ■ — and yet have an heart de- void of benevolence, it would be of no avail to me.
4 Benevolence is unruffledj is benign : Benevolence che- rifhes no ambitious defires : Penevolence is not oflenta-
I N T HT A N S, J\
tious ; is not inflated with infolence.
5 It preferves a confiflent decorum \ is not enflaved to fordid intereft ; is not tranf- ported with furious paflion v ind ulo;es no malevolent defig-n*
6 It conceives no delight from the perpetration of v/ick- ednefs; but is firtl to ap- plaud truth and virtue.
7 It throws a vail of can- dour over all things : is dif- pofed to believe all things : views all things in the mod favourable light : fupports all things with ferene compo- fure.
8 Benevolence fhall con- tinue to fhine with undimi- nifhed luflre v/hen all pro-: phetic pov/ers fhall be jiq more, when the ability of fpeaking various languages fhall be withdrawn, and when all fupernatural endowments fliall be annihilated.
9 For in this flate our knowledge is defedlive, our prophetic powers are limited,
10 But when we arrive in thofe happy regions where perfedion dwells, the defec- tive and the limited fhall be no more for ever,
1 1 Jufl as when I was, for example, in the imperfe6l flate of childhood •, I then difcourfed, I underflood, I reafoned in the erroneous manner c^iildren do — but
F .-|. • when
l's
72 r Au
when I amved at the matu- rity and perfection of man- hood, the defers of my for- mer . imperfed Itate were all fwallowed up and forgotten.
12 For in this fcene of ♦being our terreftrial mirrour exhibits to us but a very dim ^nd obfcure reflection : but in an happy futurity we (hall fee face to face— In the pre-, fent life my knowledge is partial and limited,: in the future, my knowledge will be uncoiifined and clear, like that divine infallible know- ledge, by. which I am now pervaded,
13 In fine, the virtues of luperior eminence are thefe three, faith, hope, benevo- lence— but the moil illuflri- ous of thefe is benevolence.
CHAP. XIV.
I T E T it be your ftudy,
1 ^ therefore, to improve in benevolence — and.be de- firous to attain fpiritual gifts, efpecially the funftion of a preacher :
2 For he, who fpeaks in an unknown language, fpeaks to God, and not to men — for no one underftands him — he utters by the Spirit things that are unintelligible, c . 3 Bjit he, who .preacheth.
Firji Epijlle Chap. xiv.
addrefieth men -, and edifies, exhorts, and comforts them.
4 He, who fpeaks in an unknown language, promotes his own edification — but he, who preacheth, affifts the edir- fication of the church-
5 Not but I could wilh you all endov/ed with an ability to converfe in various languages — but you ought to be moft ambitious of the function of a public preacher — for far more ufeful is the office of a preach- er, than of one endowed with the gift of languages — ^^unlefs indeed he interpret what he hath uttered for the univerfai good of the fociety.
6 For fhovild I ftand up amongil you, my Chriiliau brethren, apd pour forth a difcourfe in an unintelligible language ; what improve- ment Would you receive from it, if I did not afterwards, in your native dialect, explain to you the revealed dodtrine, the interefting knowledge, the public inilru6tion, and the admonition it contained ?
7 Jull a^ inanimate inflru- meats which emit founds, the flute, for example, or the harp, if they produced only a noify uniform monotony without any difl:indion of notes, how- could the compofition intend- ed to be played on thefe in- ftruments ever be underft:ood ?
3 And
Chap. XIV. to the C o R 8 And if the trumpet founded notes no foldier un- derftood, who would get rea- dy for the engagement?
9' Juft in the fame manner if you were to pour forth a rhapfody of unintelligible jar- gon, what inftrudlion could you communicate ? — all your oftentatious knowledge would be lavilhed on the empty air.
I o There are, for inilance, a prodigious variety of lan- guages fpoken by various na- tions of the world :
I I but if I did not under- fland the meaning of any na- tive, who difcourfed to me in the language of his coun- try, nor he me, when I talk- ed to him in mine — we ftiould reciprocally look upon each other as barbarians ^.
12 This is exadly the cafe with you — But fmce you are fo zealous to attain fpiritual endowments, let it be your ftudy to acquire fuch, as pro- mote the improvement of the fociety.
13 Let him, therefore, who is empowered to converfe in a foreign language, pray that he may be enabled to interpret fluently, what he Utters, for the common good.
14 For if I make ufe of an unknown language in public
INTHIANS. 73
prayer, my fpiritiial gifts in- deed enable me to pray in this manner, but my under- ftanding in the mean time reaps no advantage.
■I 5 In what manner fhall I a6l then ? — I will pray by the impulfe of the Spirit, but at the fame time confult the im- provement of my own under- ftanding, and that of others.
16 Otherwife, fhould you, at the diredtion of the Spirit, pour forth a drain of fervent gratitude to God, howxould a private illiterate perfon fay amen to your pious ackn<Jvv- ledgments, when hc.undeiv flood not a word cyf what you had been faying. "> -
1 7 Not but you performed this exercife with becoming piety \ but the other received no improvement at all from it.
18 God hath enabled me, whofe diftinguifhing good- nefs I gratefully acknowledge, to fpeak a greater variety of languages than you all have been endowed with :
19 yet I had rather fpeak five intelligible words in a Chriftian aflembly to.promote the inftrudtion of others, than ten thoufand irt^ a language unknown to them.
20 My Chriflian brethren,
be
» The Greeh called all Barbarians who did not fpeak Greek, but fpokc 4 language uaintellJgibie to them.
74
be not children as to know- ledge — in a freedom from " fm indeed be ye children : but in ufeful and accurate knowledge be ye men,
21 In the facred fcripture is the following pafTage — " I will fpeak to this nation by perfons whom I will endow with the faculty of converfing in a great variety of langua- ges : but notwithftanding thefe teflimonies of their di- vine miflion, they will rejed me, faith the Lord."
2 2 Which words evince. That the miraculous faculty of fpeaking diverfe languages is defigned as an evidence to the incredulous, and nor cal- culated for the advantage of thofe who already believe — but the fundion of a preacher refped:s, not the edification of the incredulous, but of be- lievers.
23 Suppofe when your whole aiTembly was convened together, and you were all gabbling a confufed jargon of foreign languages, fome
Paul's Firfi Epijik Chap, xiv,
unbeliever, or fome illiterate perfon was to enter the place — v/ould they not pronounce you all diRraded ?
24 But fuppofe you v/cre preaching in order to infl:ru6i: one another, and an unbelie- ver or an illiterate perfon hap- pen to come among you — all your difcourfes convid: him of his former vices, all your dilcourfes penetrate the folds of his heart :
25 his bofom is laid open, he proftrates himfelf on his face, in a flood of profound aftonifhment and reverence adores the Almighty, decla- ring, that God is mod cer- tainly among you I
26 How is the public ferr vice, my brethren, then to be conduded ? — When the af- fembly all meets together, every one of you promifcu- oufly is ready with a pfalm, with a topic of inftruclion, with a foreign language, with a revealed do6lrine, with the faculty of interpretation — but let all thefe things
folely
" Kaw«, 'vice, fin y njjtckednefs, not 7nalice. In Greek writers we often meet with xax<jt and ctpT;f oppofed to each other. ApeTxi ya.p cDteiu fcv
Plutarch.
Tw 'CJOMv iKeiniv (pi^civ avSpcti ctpjTn
Idem in
(Camillas p. 243. Edit. Stephan. Gr.
Dion, -p. 1798. ejufd. Editionis. M;f J/a kakiaV) a^^^ct A'ceferwi/ KlctabcLi y^co^AV. Diodorus Siculus, vol. 2. p. 5. Rhodoman. Hanonj, 1604. T* fJHV rm cfferjfs aht 11 kcdlia p^irxi. Dion. Halicar. torn. 1. p. 484. hudfon, OvS* iV a^iTus /iioi^a, TO /u.n^iV ctSimv ri^ijuiv^y cv /uovcv n avt(B' ^yVivw efcxa 'crctrw^ K'lyjcts 'ss^o^vjuovjuiVi^', Idem p. 508. Oxon, ^uA(tx.hV, yuef Tff$ TcoV a^io hoyoov ccQirnsy /wctjaf* ^i tks rxv (;^-ivK'JiV v.&^.i&.i. DiO' dor us Siculus, torn. I. p. 4. IVeJfcling,
Chap. xlv. to the Cor
folely tend to public edifica- tion :
ty for example, if one per- fon, or two, or at moft three, endowed with the gift of lan- guages, fpeak in public ♦, let them fpeak one after another in a regular order, and let a perfon afterwards interpret '>vhat hath been thus fpoken.
28 Should there be no in- terpreter prefent, let them be filent in the aiTembly, and only converfe with God apd themfelves.
29 Let two or three preach- ers deliver their public dif- courfes, and let the others attend and judge.
30 Should any point of idoclrine in the mean time be revealed to any of the audi- tors, let the perfon engaged break off his difcourfe.
3 1 For you may with fuit- able decorum, one after ano- ther, regularly deliver your public difcourfes^ in order that the whole ibciety may receive inftruclion and admo- nition.
32 For the fpiritual im- pulfe which atfluates the preacher is obedient to the controul of the preacher's judgment.
I N T H I A N s. yj
'^^ For God is not the au- thor of confufion, but the lover of regularity and order — a maxim I inculcate in all the various focieties of Chrif- tians.
34 Let the v^^omen main- tain an inviolable filence in your afTemblies — for p nei- ther the law of Mofes, or of Chriflianity, permits them to fpeak in public and to invade the province of the man.
'^^ If they are defirous to have any topic explained, let them confult their hufbands at home — for it is highly in- decent for a woman to deli- ver public diicourfes in a Chriftian afTembiy.
^6 What ! was Chriflia-^ nity diffufed from Cciinth as its original fource ^ or is k folely confined to yourieives, that you affume this autho- rity ?
3 7 If any one values him- Mi on his being a public in- ilrudor, or on his being en- dowed with fpiritual gifts, let him be afiured that the direc- tions I now write to you are the injundions of God.
38 But if any one wilfully difavows thefe, let him dif- avow them ac his peril.
39 In
® KfitQfe)? x-it/ 0 vOfj.O^ hiya, the law too enjoins this as well as Ghrif^ iianity. Mr. Lockis interpretation of this paffage feems to be inaccurate. See his Paraphrafe. U^crrnv yet? oifj.ctt yvvAiKl (xiv fftyHV, ttv^ft t^t
^TTOKpaiV iv A^S'^a.fny* HdiQiiori Mthio^iza) P- 4'* E^k. Qmmelin,
76 P A u l's Firft
39 in" fine, my Chrlftian brethren, let it be your prin- cipal ambition to attain and difcharge the minifterial office — not prohibiting however thofe who are endowed with the gift of languages from Ipeaking them in pub- lic.
40 Let all things be con- ducted wfth the greated re- gularity and decorum.
I
■u;
CHAP. XV.
Pubrifli again the joyful news which I once pro- claimed among you, my Chrilblan brethren, which you then received with tranfport, aqd in the firm belief of which you now continue.
2 By your reception of which you are put into a ftate
are
tena- doc-
truths then which among you, and
of falvation, if you cious of the animating trine I delivered to you — un- lels indeed, as fome would infinuate, your belief of this truth is abfurd and vifionary. 3 Among the firfl and fundamenta I publifhed
of which I was convinced my felf upon the beft evidence, were the following — That agreeably to the predidions _ ^
of the prophets the Mefliah! check myfelf— not my induf- fuffered death, to refcue us | try — but the favour of God, from our vices : ^ which acconipanies me. '>
J I But
Epijlle Chap. xv.
4 that his dead body was depofited in a tomb ; and that he was on the third day raifed from it» agreeably to the fame fcriptural predic- tions ;
5 that after his refurreftion he was icen by Peter, then by the twelve apoftles :
6 he next exhibited him- fclf to above five hundred Chritlians, who were all con- vened together in one afiem- bly ~ the greater part of whom are flill living, though fom^e of them have paid the com- mon debt of nature :
7 he then was feen by James : afterwards, by all the apoftles :
S and laft of all, as to an untimely abortive birth, he exhibited liimfelf to me.
9 For I rank myfelf as the very loweil: of all the apoftlesj and indeed deem, myfelf un- worthy of that honourable name, becaufe I once perfe- cuted the church of God.
I o But by the divine fa- vour I am v/hat I am — and his favour, by which Tam fo fingularly diftinguifhed, was not lavifhed upon me in vain : for I have laboured more in- dcfatigably in propagating the Chriftian religion than all the other apoftles — but I
Chap. XV. to. the
J £ But it is not material :Vvhether it is /or they who are the inftruments — for thefe afre thedodrines we publiili : and thefe are the truths you em- braced.
1 2 Now fince we all una- nimoufly agree in proclaim- ing to the world the refurrec- tion of Chrift — what founda- tion have certain perfons a- mong you for ailerting, That the refurreclion of dead per- fons is an abfurd impoffibility ?
13 For if the refurreclion of dead perfons is a thing ah- Jolutely impolnble, it will fol- low, that Chrift was never raifed from the grave :
14 confequently, if Chrift was never adually railed from the grave., our preaching the Chriftlan religion is abfurd, and your belief of it is ab- iurd^
.15 and the refult is, that wc all of us have been pub- licJcly attefting a pious falfe- hood, when in the moft fo- iemn manner we declare to the world, that the Deity raifed Chrift from the dead — a faft, however, which never happened, if it is true, that the refurrecftion of dead men IS, in the nature of things, abfolutely an abfurd impoffi- bility ;
Cor I N TH I AN s.' 77
16 For if the refurreclion of dead perfons is a real ab^ furdity, it will follow, tha$ Chrift was never raifed at all:
17 confequently if the dead body of Chrift was never ac- tually re-animated, your be- lief of Chriftianity is abfurd and fruitlefs, and the weight of all your former crimes again devolves upon you ; , ..
18 and it will follow alfo, that thofe Chriftians, who have died in the belief of their principles, are totally loft out of the creation.
19 If all the hopes Chri- ftianity really taught us to entertain were circumfcribed, within the narrow circle of this vain life, we Chriftians are the moft wretched of all mankind !
20 But Chrift was aflually raifed from the tomb — and is , become the p fir ft fruits of a glorious hafy:*eI|t,Qf . t|i^ fi^-?P- ing dead. \ V, V'^t V ■-
2 1 For fince by one maa death was introduced, by anor ther man was introduced a re- furreclion from death. ^^^ . , , . .
22 For as by Adam ait the human race was fubjeded to mortality : fo by Chrift Jefus fhall all the pious dead be en- titled to immortality.
23 But
P Tht JlrJ}' fruits were an handful of x\iQ frft ripe com, which being carried thsough the ftr«ets of Jerufalem to the temple, and offered, to God,. publicly announced that the general harveft would foon be gathered in.
Pav l's Firji Epiftk ■ But in this reftitution things under
7^
^3 ^ . .
to life a regular gradation is
obferved — Chriil was mtfirft that rofe from death to im- mortality : the next will be Virtuous Chriftians at his glo- rious advent :
24 fubfequent to this^ will be the final diiTolutioa of this globe — which event will take place, but not till after he hath furrendered up his king- dom to God, even the Su- preme Father, not 'rail after he hath totally crufhed and demoliflied every hoftile do- minion, every oppofing ci- vil power and fecular fove- reignty :
25 for he mud retain his kingdom, until he hath brought all his adverfaries proftrate at his feet.
26 The laft foe he fball de- throneand anrrihilate, is death.
27 For God hath fubjedled all things to his controul — but when the Deity declares that he hath fubjedled all
1 "Bd'Trl/^
Chap. xV^
him, it is felf- evident, that he himfelf mud be excepted, who primarily invefted him with this fove- reign authority.
28 But when all things fliall have become the fubjecls of his iiniverfal dominion^ then fball the fon himfelf be fubjeded to Him who origi- nally vefbed him with this univerfal authority — that the Deity may be ail in all.
29 Otherwife, if our ileep° ing dufl is never to be re-ani- mated, how forlorn mufl: be their hope, who were bap- tized in the firm alTurance of a glorious refurred;ion from' the dead ! — and upon thefe principles, v/hy are perfons baptized at all "^ into xh^ be- lief of the future reftoration of their dead bodies to a bleffed immortality !
30 And upon this fcbeme, how abfurd is it alfa for us to expofe ourfelves to im- minent dangers every hour !
3' I
r^ovrcfci vnTi<^ viKfcDV. A refuhedlloh to iihrilortality is t'he grand fundamental article of the Chr'ipan revelation. It was ^.vith regard to THIS that its converts were baptifed. TT€f very often {v^vAk^^ concerning , ^xsith regard to. 'YV^ follon.mng palfage will illullrate this^ aud deiermine its frecife meaning. St. Paul in his 2d Epiflle to the Theflalotiians, after defcrib>ig the fecond advent of Chiift, and reprefenting this great event in all its avvfiil pomp and folemnity, concludes with faying: Bi3t nvith re- gard to this fecond appearance of Chrift, and our being all colleded to iiim, we entreat you, brethren, that you would not fuft^r your minds to be alarmed.. T'^'se T«f -rrrtjoucrw? 'v:iih regard to the prccife time of Chrift'^ coming, which" he had been defcribing. She afibrded the philofophers ^o fmall converfation concerning \itx. OvJ^' oAtyov y^g* ctuyvK ^d.^i^4 MyoVy Phiorcb. Pericles, p. 300 Edit. Gr. Siephan. Tagp ou y^cJ.^Vi£i ^(jjJTA I Concerning whom theft things arc written, Idem p. 1 800.
chap.
XV.
to
tie Cor
31 I folemnly declare, and can pledge all my glorious hopes in our Lord Jefus Chrift upon the truth of my declaration, that I am daily in the jaws of death.
32 Since, humanly fpeak- ing, I fought with brute crea- tures at Ephefus -, what di- ftrafled folly was I guilty of to encounter this danger, if immortality is a fable — upon thefe principles let us traverfe a circle of every fenfual plea- fure to-day, for to-morrow death will put a cruel period to all our joys.
'^'^ But be ever cautious of being deceived by thefe erro- neous principles — " Badprin- €iples inje5i the pure incau- tious bofom,^^
34 Exercife a juft and fober refleflion, and fly thefe fatal errors — for fome among you entertai^n very unworthy len- timents of God — I fpeak it to your fhame.
^c^ But fome will afk mc, How are the dead rai fed ? In what kind of vehicles are they in veiled ?
^6 You weak infatuated man ! the feed you commit to the ground is not informed with vegetable life, except it die.
37 You bury in the ground the bare feed, for example, of •wheat, or fome other grain ; but you do not fow it in the
I N T H I A N s. ^^
fame form in which it will afterwards appear :
3S the fupreme Creator gives it the form he pleafes— ^ to every ^ttd its proper diilin- guifhing form.
'^g This difparity alfo ob- tains in the flelh of different animals — That of the human fpecies is of one kind ; that of brutes, of another 5 that of birds, different from all.
40 There are likewife ce- leftial and terreflrial bodies ; but the refpedive glory of one and the other is totally dif- ferent.
4 1 There is the fame dif- fimilitude alfo in the different fplendor of the fun, of the moon, and of the ilars — one f[:ar alfo differs from another inluftre.
42 Similar to tlvis wiJl be the refurre6lion of the pious dead— 'It is fown corruptible, it rifes incorruptible.
43 It is committed to the ground in a (late of horror : it rifes in glorious fplendor — ■ It is fown in contemptible weakncfs : it rifes in immortal vigour.
44 It is fown an animal fyftem : it rifes a fpirituaf fyflem— there is an animal- fyflem, and there is a fpiri- tual fyflem.
45 This the fcripture al^ ferts — Adam the firil man- was endowed with animal life :
the
|9 P A U l's
the fcdond Adam, with a life- giving fpirit.
46 The fpiritual however ?^^as not firfl: in order, but the