not according to the Spirit of the World, but of GOD;

10.

23.1

To But God hath reveal- love him. Nor had the Generality of Man- Sect. 4. ed them unto us by his Spi- kind, or even the People who enjoyed the Benerit: For the Spirits fearcheth all Things, yea, the deep fit of the Jewish Scripture, any juft Conception 1 Cor. 1. Things of GOD. of the Nature of this fublime Plan, and the Method by which it was to be accomplished. But GOD bath revealed [them] to us Chriftians, and especially to us his Apoftles, by the extraordinary Infpiration of his Spirit, who intimately and fully knows them: For the Spirit fearcheth and penetrates all Things, even the deep Things of GOD; the profoundest Myfteries of his Counfels, and his Gofpel, (Compare Rom. xvi. 25. Eph. i. 9. And well may he be ac- I A Chap. iii. 3, 5, 7.) quainted with all thefe Things; for who of Mankind knoweth the Things of a Man, the fecret Receffes of his Mind, on many Occafions, and in many Circumstances, unless it be the Spirit of a Man which is in him (1), which knows it by Con-sciousness, to a Degree of Certainty which no Obfervation or Reasoning can produce in another So also no one knoweth the Things of GOD, but the Spirit of GOD himself, who is intimately conscious of all, and can conceal, or discover, whatever he pleases.

11 For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man fave the Spirit of Man which is in him? Even fo the Things of GOD knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of GOD.

12 Now we have received, not the Spirit of the

World, but the Spirit which is of GOD; that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God.

13

;

Now this is entirely to the prefent Purpose; for 12: the Spirit which we have received, is not that of the World, nor do we govern ourselves by those carnal Views, which engrofs and enflave fo great a Part of Mankind; but we have received, in large and liberal Supplies, that Spirit, which is from GOD, and which is the noblest of his Gifts to the Children of Men, by which their Minds are both informed and regulated; that so we might both notionally and experimentally know the Things which are freely given us by GOD: Which Things alfo Which we alfo make it our Business to speak, and 13:

to

(1) The Spirit of a Man.] I do not apprehend, that the Distinction between the Soul and Spirit, to which fome refer thefe Words, is of great Importance in the Interpretation of them. They muft fignify the perfect Acquaintance with all the Divine Schemes and Purposes, which the Holy Spirit has, and which the Apofile's Argument directly proves, that no Creature can have: So that it seems a glorious Proof of the Deity of the Spirit, and has accordingly been urged as fuch, by all who have defended that important Doctrine.

(m) Thofe

232

Sect. I.

And in Words, dictated by the Holy Spirit;

i

fpiritual Things with fpiri

14 But the natural Man the Spirit of GOD: For receiveth not the Things of they are Foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned.

to communicate to others, not in Words dictated we fpeak, not in the Words by buman which Man's Wisdom teachby human Wisdom, to excite Men's Curiofity, eth, but which the Holy a Cor. II. 13. amuse their Imaginations, or gain their Applaufe; Ghoft teacheth; comparing but in thofe dictated by the Holy Spirit (m); and confequently beft adapted to convey fuch Ideas tual. as he would impart, and to imprefs the Hearts and Confciences of Men, with a reverent and deep Sense of those holy Mysteries: And this we do with all ferious Care and Attention, explaining fuch fpiritual and sublime Things by fpiritual (n) [Words], fuggested by him as beft adapt14 ed to them. But in the mean Time, vain and foolish Men find a great deal in our Preaching to cavil at, and object against. And it is no Wonder, they do; for the animal Man (o), who continues under the Influence of his Appetites and Paffions, and is a Stranger to the noble Exercises and Principles of the Divine Life, receiveth not, with any inward Relish or Senfe, the Things of the Spirit of GOD, which are too fublime and refined for his low, corrupted, and degenerate Tafte: For in Proportion to the Degree in which they are full of Divine Wisdom, they will appear Foolishness to him; neither can he rightly know [them,] whilft he continues in his prefent State, and under fuch unhappy Prejudices as thefe: For they are fpiritually difcerned, and a Man must have a fpiritual Taste, formed by the Influences of the Holy Spirit upon his Heart, before he will thoroughly enter into their Excel15 lence. But the Spiritual Man, whofe Heart, illuminated and fanctified by the Divine Spirit,

is

15 But he that is fpiritual,

(m) Thofe dictated by the Holy Spirit.] This Expreffion may certainly convince us, of the great Regard which we ought always to maintain, to the Words of Scripture; and may efpecially teach Minifters how attentively they fhould ftudy its Beauties, and how careful they fhould be to make it the Support of their Discourses.

(n) Explaining fpiritual Things.] This Senfe of ovyxportaç occurs, Gen. xl. 8. and Numb. xv. 34. in the Seventy.

(0) The animal Man.] Without examining all that the learned and judicious Dr. Owen hath faid one Way on this Text, or Dr. Claget, and Dr. Stebbing another, I have taken that which feems to me the due Medium, and for the farther Vindication of this Expofition, muft refer to Clifford, in the 2d Volume of the Phanix, pag. 544. and to my third Letter to the Author of Chriflianity not founded on Argument, pag. 39, 40. only reminding my Readers, that this very Word us is rendered fenfual, fam. iii. 15. Jude, Ver. 19.

(p) TV bo

Reflections on the Preaching of Chrift by the Power of GOD.

it to others. With this Divine Science, fhall thofe vour to propagate it to others. Minifters of the Gospel, who knew leaft of the Excellency of Speech and the enticing Words of Man's Wisdom, do more important Things for the Reformation of the World, and the Salvation of Souls, than without it, the greateft Masters of Language, or Adepts in Philosophy, will ever be able to effect. Let the Princes of this World boaft of the Knowledge, and refined Policy, which is fo foon to perish, by which fo many of their Subjects perifh, and fometimes themfelves before their Time. In how many Inftances does it leave them to imitate the destructive Maxims of thofe, who, under Pretence of publick Good, but really under the Inftigation of the bafeft private Paffions, crucified Jefus, the adorable Saviour, the Lord of Glory.

"

May GOD teach us more of that hidden Wisdom, which they who are truly initiated into real Christianity know, and which opens upon us Views and Hopes, beyond what Eye bath feen, or Ear heard, or it hath particularly and fully entered into the Heart of Man to conceive. There is no Need we should diftinctly conceive it. It is enough that we know in the general, it is what GOD bath prepared for them that love him; which Confideration may furely teach us to trample under our Feet, that which he so often beftows on them who hate him, and are abhorred by him; on those with whom he is angry every Day.

;

May that Spirit, which fearcheth all Things, even the hidden Things of GOD, give us more deeply and affectionately to know the Things, which are freely given us of GOD, and to adore that free Grace, from which we receive them! Thefe Things we learn with the highest Advantage from the Holy Scriptures, where they are delivered in Words which the Holy Ghoft taught in Words therefore, the most admirably adapted, to express those spiritual and fublime Ideas, they were intended to communicate: In which Words confequently, we learn to speak of the Things of GOD with the exacteft Propriety and the trueft Edification. May we be enabled fpiritually to difcern them, with whatever Contempt they may be treated by natural, that is, by animal Men, by thofe, who, though conceited of their rational Powers, can relish little or nothing, but what low and fenfual Life. Confcious of that inward S to this Difcerning, which difcovers all Things to true Light, even as in the Things of infinite Importance, may we pity that undifcerning Rashness of blind Arrogance and Pride, with which fome, who think themselves the wifeft in Proportion to the Degree, in which they are the more wretched of Mankind, may treat us, and not only us, but that Gospel, which is our Glory and our Joy, We have the Mind of Chrift delivered to us by his holy Apoftles, who were intimately and miraculously inftructed in it. Let us humbly receive the Oracles they deliver; and whilft others are prefuming haughtily to cenfure them, may we think ourselves

happy.

235

He could not speak to the Corinthians, but as to Babes in Christ; happy, if, with meek Subjection to their unerring Authority, we may Sect. 4. fit at the Feet of fuch Teachers, and regulate our Lives by their Inftructions!

SECT. V.

The Apostle reproves the Carnality of the Corinthians, in contending about human Teachers, and urges many important Confiderations to cure them of fo unbecoming a Temper.

1 Cor. III. 1,---9.

I CORINTHIANS III. I.

I Cor. III. 1:

HAVE been speaking of that great Plain- Sect. 5. nefs, with which I addreffed myself to you, when I came to preach the Gospel among you at Corinth; And I hope, my Brethren, you will not despise me for it: For truly, as it became my Character as an Apoftle of Chrift, so it suited yours, as being under the Power of Prejudices, which fo far prevailed, that even when you were converted to the Profeffion of Chriftianity, I could not speak unto you as unto fpiritual Perfons, who had made any Attainments in Religion, proportionable to the Illuminations and Influences of the Spirit, which you had received; but was obliged in many Inftances to addrefs you, as those who were ftill in too great a Meafure, carnal in your Temper and Views, and therefore were but as Babes in Chrift (a), and Beginners in the Divine Life. I might have faid fublimer Things, and in a more elevated Manner; but found fo much Pride and Faction among you, that it was neceffary to infift much upon the plain and fundamental Doctrines of the Crofs, rather than on Things,

which,

(a) Babes in Chrift.] By explaining this of Beginners in the Divine Life, or fuch as had made but little Proficiency in it, we reconcile this with thofe Paffages, which fpeak of the Eminency of their Gifts. 1 Cor. i. 5. 2 Cor. viii. 7. Gg 2

(b) Fed