Reflections on the use of the miraculous gifts. 341 ducted in a regular manner, to prevent such disturbances, dis- SECT. putes, and scandals for the future, as have already arisen in your society, and will proceed to greater evils, if you do not immediately set upon reforming them. xxvii. 1 Cor. xiv.40 IMPROVEMENT. How fondly do men flatter themselves with empty appearances! And often, how justly do those deserve the imputation of childish folly, the height of whose temper will least allow them to bear it! Let us dare to examine ourselves impartially, and verse be concerned that we may not be children in understanding: but 20 forming our minds on the maxims of scripture, and our lives on the example of Christ, may we grow up in him, to the measure of the stature of a perfect man. But let us be children in malice : let us endeavour to be as free from every gloomy, malignant, selfish passion, as newborn infants are. Who can say he has fully attained this happy and amiable character? Yet let us follow after it; remembering, that there is a sense, in which, (proud and interested, envious and malignant, as alas! we too much are,) we must become as little children, or we cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Those extraordinary gifts, which suited the first planting of Christianity in the world, are now ceased; but let us bless God, they were ever given: and that we have such an incontestible evidence of the truth of the gospel as this chapter affords. Such endowments must certainly argue a Divine power, setting its seal to the gospel; and the reality of such endowments can never be questioned, when we reflect on the manner in which the apostle here reproves the abuse of them: and that in a society where so many were alienated from him and his ministry; and consequently, where such appeals, if not founded on the strictest and most apparent truth, must have exposed him to a contempt never to have been removed. These miraculous gifts, having abundantly answered their end, 24, 25 are wisely withdrawn ; yet still the Divine presence is with the church; of which we have this happy proof, that there are those, who find the secrets of their hearts made manifest, by the faithful and skilful administration of Christian ordinances: so that if they do not publicly fall down upon their faces, in such extraordinary transports, they inwardly adore the Lord God in their hearts, and acknowledge that he is with his church of a truth. May instances of this kind be more frequent, and may the spirituality and fervour with which Divine ordinances shall be administered, be such as may afford more reason to expect them! 342 SECT. xxvii. The apostle puts the Corinthians in mind Let us regard God, as the author, not of confusion, but of peace; making it our concern to behave in his sanctuary, in a manner agreeable to this view; with such solemn decorum, and with such a tender regard to the edification and comfort of each other, as he may approve. May the God of peace deliver Christians, of every sect, and rank, from that spiritual pride which has thrown many religious societies into great disorder. And, to advance a state, so happy, as that of humility and love must necessarily verse be, may what the apostles have written, be acknowledged as the 37 commandments of the Lord; and Christian worship, and practice, be more regulated by their truly authentic canons; which would render many that have been since devised, relating to indifferent matters, as unnecessary, as some others are burdensome, super, stitious, and absurd. SECT. xxviii. 1 Cor. SECT. XXVIII. The apostle enters on his discourse concerning the resurrection of the dead; which he introduces with some remarks on the certainty and importance of Christ's resurrection. 1 Cor. XV. 1-11. 1 CORINTHIANS XV. 1. 1 COR. XV. 1. OREOVER, HERE is one topic more that remains to Mode The handled, of those concerning which you care breto you the which also you have received, and where. write to me; I mean, the great doctrine of gospel which I xv. 1 the resurrection of the dead; which I perceive preached unto you, some among you begin to doubt; whether seduced by any Jewish teachers of Sadducean in ye stand; principles, or biassed by the vain pretences of heathen philosophers, who would despise it as a mean and unworthy hope. But I make known unto you, brethren, and remind you of the gospel which I have preached to you at the very beginning of my ministry among you; which ye have also received with readiness and delight, and in which ye may be said to stand, as much of your establishment in Christianity will Unworthy hope.] It is well known, mean, that taken from such an unequal that the primitive Christians were often distribution of rewards and punishments, insulted by the heathen philosophers, for as could not otherwise take place under their hope of a resurrection; which one the government of a righteous God. If of them, ridiculously enough, calls the hope Christians were by this tempted so to re of worms. Compare 2 Tim. xi. 18, and the fine on the doctrine of the resurrection, a note there. Others taught virtue to be its in effect to explain it away, it shews the own necessary reward, in such a manner as propriety of the apostle's setting himself to tended to overthrow the strongest of all prove the resurrection of Christians, rather natural arguments for a future state; I than a resurrection in general. lieved in vain. of the evidence of the resurrection of Christ. 343 xxviii. 1 Cor. depend on your retaining it in its genuine sim- SECT. By which also ye plicity and purity: By which gospel also, are saved, if ye keep whereof the doctrine of the resurrection makes in memory what I preached unto you, so considerable a part, ye are happily brought xv. 2 unless ye have be- into the way of being completely and eternally saved, if ye faithfully retain those joyful tidings which I delivered unto you; unless indeed ye have believed in vain: which will certainly be the case, if ye let go that great anchor of your soul which must support it in the fierce storms and tempests to which you For I delivered to you 3 3 For I delivered will here be exposed. unto you first of all, that which I also among the first [principles] which I inculcated, received, how that when I came to preach the gospel among you, Christ died for our what I have also received, and been taught by sins according to the Divine inspiration, that Christ died for our sins scriptures: according to the scriptures of the Old Testament, in which he was foretold, and represented, as the great Sin offering; (Isa. liii. 6, 12; 4 And that he was Dan. ix. 26.) And I also instructed you, that 4 buried, and that he rose again the third he was buried in a new tomb; and that his dead day, according to body was kept by a guard of his enemies: the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. but kept in vain, for to their confusion,, and the Retain.] So xalx evidently signifies. To keep in memory suggests a very inadequate sense. e Raised the third day, according to the scriptures.] It has been queried, where the scriptures foretel, that Christ should rise from the dead on the third day. Unless indeed.] Exlos sun is a very Some think there is a transposition, or paremarkable form of expression. Perhaps renthesis; so that the meaning will be, he there may be more in it than most readers rose again, according to the scriptures; and are aware. If I mistake not, it suggests this on the third day. Chand of Christianthe thought expressed, verse 17. So the ity, p. 370; and so Dr. Bullock replies, that two first verses may be a transition; as if he would have risen according to the he had said, I preach the same gospel still, and I hope you will retain it; yet I have reason to fear some of you entertain notions which tend quite to enervate it. Received.] For the import of this Phrase, see Gal. i. 12; 1 Cor. xi. 23. scriptures, had it been on the fifth, or tenth day. (Bull. Vind. p. 48.) But Mr. Jeff ries, whom I follow in the paraphrase, gives what appeared to me the best solution, as it is intimated, John xi. 39, that bodies began to corrupt on the fourth day. See Jef. Review, p. 127. 344 Who was seen by the twelve, and above five hundred brethren: SECT. afterwards he was seen by that company who xxviii. 1 Cor. were called the twelve apostles, though several five hundred breth of the number were then absent. Afterwards 6 After that, he xv. 6 he appeared according to his repeated appoint- was seen of above ments, to above five hundred brethren at once in ren at once : of Galilee, where he gave the most glorious and whom the greater incontestible proof of the reality of his resurrec- part remain unto this present, but some tion, in the presence of this great concourse, are fallen asleep. of whom the greater part continue [alive] until now, and constitute a cloud of witnesses to this important truth; but some are fallen asleep in Jesus, and gone to dwell with him, as the great Lord of life. 7 After that, he then of all the apos tles. 8 And last of all 7 And you may remember, I told you also, that after this he was seen of fames, and afterwards, was seen of James: just before his ascension, by all the apostles.h 8 But last of all he also appeared to me, as to an embrio, or one born out of due time, a poor, he was seen of me weak, contemptible creature, from whom also, as of one born nothing good was to be expected, not worthy of the least patience; how much less worthy of being marked out with such distinguishing 9 favours! For I must humbly acknowledge, and I 9 For I am the Of the twelve.] It is certain, neither Judas nor Thomas were there; and as it is observed below, James might probably be absent; but as the council of twenty three among the Jews might be said to be assembled, it the greater part were present, though the number might not be complete; so the company might be called the twelve, though we should suppose the fourth part to have been absent. Compare Mark xvi. 14; Luke xxiv. 36; John xx. 26. out of due time. h By all the apostles.] The change of phrase, from that in the conclusion of the 5th verse, is very remarkable, and, as a very learned, candid, and sagacious person, has suggested to me, it very probably intimates, that they who were there called the twelve, that is, the greater part of the company who used to be so denominated, were not all the apostles. On which cir cumstance this gentleman grounds a very probable conjecture, that James might, by some accident, perhaps illness, or & Above five hundred.] Probably it was affairs indispensibly necessary, be detainin Galilee, where there was such a num- ed from meeting his brethren, both on ber of disciples; though there were no the day of the resurrection, and that more than an hundred and twenty at Jeru- day seventh night, and likewise at the salem, when Matthias was chosen. Dr. time when Christ appeared to the fre Prideaux, Mr. Ditton, and many others, hundred; and that he might, in this urge this as a glorious proof of the resur- respect, be upon a level with them, our rection of Christ. Had it been an im- Lord appeared to him alone, after all posture, so many false hearts and tongues the appearances mentioned before. And could never have acted in concert; nor this account of the matter appears vastly would they all have kept a secret, which more credible than that which St. Jerome remorse, interest, and perhaps often tor- quotes from the gospel of the Nazarenes, ture, might urge them to divulge; espec- that on the death of Christ, James made ially as there had been one traitor among a vow, that he would neither eat nor the twelve, on account of which, had they drink till he saw Christ risen from the been conscious of fraud, a general sus- dead: an event of which the apostles had picion of each other's secrecy must have certainly no expectation. arisen. See Prid. Lett. to a Deist. p. 241. and last of all, by the apostle Paul himself. 345 1 Cor. XV. 9 least of the apostles, would continually bear it in my mind, that I am SECT. that am not meet to the least of all the apostles, who am not indeed xxviii. be called an apostle, because I persecuted worthy to be called an apostle, because I persethe church of God. cuted the church of God; on which account, considering the transports of my savage zeal, I think myself hardly deserving to be numbered amongst the meanest followers of my Divine Master, and less than the least of all saints. 10 But by the grace (Eph. iii. 8.) But by the grace of God I am 10 of God I am what I what I am, a Christian, an apostle, and not infeam; and his grace rior to any of my honoured brethren in that upon me, was not in office; and his grace [manifested] towards me, vain; but I labour in raising me to so high a dignity, and so happy ed more abundantly a state, was not displayed in vain : but Ilaboured not I, but the grace more abundantly than they all, conscious that I of God which was could never do enough to balance the mischief which was bestowed than they all yet with me. I had formerly committed, or answer the obligations under which such rich and distinguishing mercy laid me. I exerted myself therefore to the utmost in my apostolical work; which should, by the way, shelter me from the contempt which some are ready to throw upon me: yet, to speak more properly, it was not I, but the grace of God that was with me: God furnished me for the work, he excited me to diligence and zeal in it; to him be the glory of all. 11 Therefore, His grace was the cause of all; and whether 11 whether it were I or therefore I, or they, laboured most, and to and so ye believed,' whomsoever we delivered our message, whether among you, or elsewhere, so we preach, and so ye believed. All agree in bearing our testimony to the death and resurrection of Christ, and ye, with all other Christians, have agreed to receive it, as the great foundation of our holy religion. IMPROVEMENT. LET it be the daily joy of our hearts, to think how firm that foundation stands, and what various and convincing evidence we have, that as Christ became incarnate, visited this wretched verse world, and died for our sins, according to the scriptures; that as 3 he condescended to go down into the caverns of the grave, and lie there in the cold and silent tomb, humbled in the dust of 4 death; so also, according to the same scriptures, he was raised again on the third day. Let us be very thankful, that such convincing proof was given of his resurrection, demonstrated by such infallible tokens, and repeated appearances, to all the apostles; |