246

Sect. 6.

Ver. II.

Ver. 10.

And their Obligation to build, fo as to ftand the Trial. ly, and our Life, Madness. So cenfured they the Prophets, and Apoftles, before us; nor did our Mafter himself efcape the Calumny and Outrage. We fhall be happy enough, if we approve our Fidelity to him, and if we build a wife Superftructure on Chrift, as the great, the only Foun

dation.

Let his Minifters efpecially, be folicitous, that they may not lose the Labour of their Lives, by chofing unhappily to employ them, in that which will turn to no Account, in the great Day of his Appearing. Let them carefully 'examine their Materials. Surely if they have Senfes fpiritually exercised, it cannot be had to diftinguish between the fubVer. 12,-15. ftantial and undoubted Doctrines of Chriftianity, which are as Gold, and Silver, and precious Stones, and thofe fictitious, or at beft, dubious and intricate Points, which in Comparison with the former, are but Wood, and Hay, and Stubble. And if in urging thefe, they paffionately inveigh against their Brethren, and endeavour to bring them into Contempt, or Sufpicion, what do they but cement thefe combuftible Materials with Sulphur.

Ver. 13.

Oh! let the frequent Views of that last searching Fire, that grand Period of all, be much in our Thoughts: That Day, when not only the Works of Minifters, but every private Perfon, muft, as it were, pafs thro' the Flames. May we then be faved, not with Difficulty, but with Praife and Honour! May our Works, of what Kind foever they are, abide, fo as to be found worthy of Applause, and thro' Divine Grace receive a diftinguished Reward.

SECT.

Minifters are Stewards, and fhould be faithful;

SECT. VII.

To lay in a further Remedy against the Pride and Faction, fo ready to prevail among the Corinthians, the Apostle leads them into feveral useful Reflections on the Nature of the Minifterial Office, the final Judgment of him who fearcheth all Hearts, and the Obligations they were under to the Divine Goodness, for every Advantage by which they were diftinguished from others. 1 Cor. IV. 1,---7.

I CORINTHIANS IV. I.

ET a Man fo account of us, as of the Minifters of Chrift, and Stew

GOD.

I

I CORINTHIANS IV. I.

247

HAVE told you, how rich and happy you Sect. 7. are in the Divine Donation, in Confequence

ards of the Mysteries of of which all Things are yours; and particularly, I Cor. IV. 1. Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, with their various Gifts and Endowments. Learn therefore to form your Eftimate of us aright; and let a Man fo account of us, not as the Mafters of the Church, but as the Servants of Chrift, who are in Obedience in his Commands, to wait on his Family; esteeming it Honour and Happiness enough, if we approve ourselves, as Stewards of the Mysteries of GOD; as Perfons whofe Bufinefs it is, with the fincereft Regard to his Glory, to dispense that Gospel, which contains such sublime Truths, for fo many Ages concealed from the Knowledge ed in Stewards that a Man be done, in the Discharge of this Office, I hope And as for what remains to 2 we shall always remember, that it is demanded in Stewards, that a Man be found faithful; fince they also, as well as lower Servants in the Family, are fubject to Account. And accordingly it is my highest Ambition, that my great Master may judge me faithful, whether my Fellow-fervants be 3 But with me it is a pleafed, or difpleased, with my Conduct. And 3 very if my Fidelity to my Lord may offend them, which is a very fuppofable Cafe, I am well con

2 Moreover, it is requir- of the World.

be found faithful.

tented

248

Sect. 7.

1 Cor. IV. 3.

Because be that judgeth them, is the Lord. tented to abide all its Confequences. For I will very fmall Thing that I freely declare in this View, it is with me the fmal- of Man's Judgment; yea, fhould be judged of you, or left Thing that can be imagined that I should be I judge not mine own felf. judged by you, dear as you are to me, or by any Man's Judgment: His Day will fo foon be over; his Cenfures can effect fo little, that amidft the great Profpects I have before me, it feems fcarce to deserve a Mention. Nor indeed do I fo judge myfelf, as if my Cafe were finally to be determined by my own Apprehenfions concerning it. 4 For tho', I blefs GOD, I am not confcious to mySelf of any Thing criminal, of any defigned Neglect of my Office, or Unfaithfulness in my Truft, yet I am not hereby juftified (a): That is not the main Thing in Queftion; I know Partiality to ourselves may often lead us to overlook many Faults, for which GOD may another Day condemn us. But be that judgeth me, the Perfon by whofe Judgment I am to ftand, or fall, is the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fearcheth the Hearts and trieth the Reins of the Children of Men.

5 Therefore be ftrictly careful, that ye judge nothing
before the appointed Time, that is, until he, the
great Lord of all, fhall come, who shall pluck off
the Mask of every artful Hypocrite, how high fo-
ever he may bear himself in the Chriftian Church;
fhall bring to Light the bidden Things of Dark-
nefs (b), and fhall manifeft all the fecret Counfels
of the Hearts (c). And then shall every one have
in the most publick Manner, that Praife from

GOD,

4 For I know nothing by myfelf, yet am I not judgeth me is the Lord. hereby juftified: But he that

before the Time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness, and Counfels of the Hearts: And then fhall every Man have Praife of GOD:

5Therefore judge nothing

will make manifeft the

(a) Yet am I not hereby juftified.] This feems a gentle, but a very affecting, Infinuation, that his Opponents, confident as they might feem in their own Integrity and Safety, would do well to take greater Heed, that they were not impofed upon by the Deceitfulness of their own Hearts.

(b) Bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness.] This is a lively and juft Infinuation, that, under fpecious Forms, his Enemies concealed very dark Defigns, which would not bear the Discoveries of that awful Day.

(c) Manifeft all the fecret Counfels of the Hearts.] This Paffage alfo fuggefts a very folid Argument against magnifying one Minifter above another, namely, that the fecret Principles of Men's Actions are unknown; and it is enlarged upon to very good practical Purposes while the Apofle, at the fame Time, takes an Opportunity of making a very folemn Profeffion of his own Faithfulness, and fhewing the Boldness he had towards GOD, and his Modefty, and Candor to Men; all which were extremely fuitable to the general Purposes he has in View.

(d) Transferred

One Teacher therefore, fhould not be fet up against another.

GOD, before the affembled World, which is Sect.
proportionable to his real Character and Con-
duct.

249

7.

1 Cor. IV. 6.

Thefe Things, Brethren, I have by a very obvious
Figure transferred to myself, and [to] Apollos (d),
mentioning our Names, and that of Cephas on-
ly, inftead of many more, fince you know the
entire Friendship there is among us, and how far
the Names of inoft, about whom you contend,
are inferior to these. And I have done this, not
on our own Account, as you may eafily appre-
hend, but for your Sakes, that you may learn in
attending to what has been faid concerning us,
distinguished as we are by our Office, Furniture,
and Succefs, not to entertain too high an Opinion
of yourselves, or others, whom you are most rea-
dy to admire, above what is here written (e), and
appears reasonable on the Principles which have
been laid down: That ye may not be puffed up for
one Teacher, and against another; which furely
you cannot allow with Refpect to other Teachers,
when you fee us renouncing all fuch Attachment
to ourselves. And indeed this would be very 7
unreafonable, if the Distinctions were as great,
as you, or they, who have the higheft Conceit
of themselves, can imagine. For allowing all,
that Self-love and Prepoffeffion can wish, let
me afk the Man who carries it to the greatest
Height, Who maketh thee to differ [from another]
in any Furniture, or Attainment, whether intel-
lectual, or moral (ƒ)? And what haft thou of
any

Kind,

(d) Transferred to myself, &c.) Some, and particularly Mr. Locke, have inferred from hence, that not St. Paul, and Apollos, but fome other Perfons, were fet up among the Corinthians for Heads of Parties, for whofe Names the Apofile fubftituted his own, and that of his moft intimate Friend; but the learned and judicious Witfius well obferves, (Meletem. pag. 104.) that 'tis probable their Names were ufed among fome others omitted, and the Figure was only this, that the Names of St. Paul and Apollos were ufed to fignify themfelves, and any others fo extolled; and when the Apostle would fay, how little Minifters were in themselves, he chofe, out of Humility and Prudence, rather to take fuch Freedom with him. felf, and his moft particular and intimate Friend, than with others.

(e) What is here written.] Elfner (Obferv. Vol. ii. pag. 85.) confirms this Interpretation, and produces many Inftances, in which pove is used to exprefs, having too high an Opinion of one's Self. L' Enfant explains it in fomething of a different Senfe," above what Scripture

warrants.'

(f) Whether intellectual, or moral.] I include moral Attainments, becaufe the Apofle VOL. IV.

I i

had

<

250
Sect. 7. Kind, which thou didst not receive from GOD, the
great Parent of univerfal Good? But if thou hast
1 Cor. IV. 7. received [it] all from him, why doft thou boaft in
the Gift of his liberal Goodnefs, as if thou hadft
not received [it] from him; but it were originally
and effentially thine own? Would you all but
feriously reflect upon this, it would teach you
humbler Sentiments, much more rational in
themselves, and on the whole, much more for
your Credit, as well as Comfort.

Reflections on the Nature of the Minifterial Office:

Ver. 1.

Ver. 2.

Ver. 3.

didft not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadft not received it?

IMPROVEMENT

OTHING can be more conducive to the Advantage of Chrifti- " anity, and by Confequence, of the World, whofe Happiness is fo much concerned in its Support and Succefs, than that its Preachers fhould confider, and their Hearers remember, the Nature of their Office. They are not Lords over GOD's Houshold and Heritage, but Minifters of Christ, whofe Bufinefs it is to promote their Mafter's Honour; Stewards of his Myfteries, who are to endeavour both to keep and to difpenfe them with all good Fidelity. From their Mafter therefore may they take all their Inftructions; and to him let them refer all their Administrations. Various Judgments will be paffed upon them; and they, who will oppofe the Attempts of fome of their Brethren to introduce Corruption and Confufion into his Family, will have many an unkind Reflection thrown upon them, and experience the Severity of Cenfure, for a Conduct which merits the jufteft Approbation. But let them learn by this excellent Apoftle, to be above the Judgment of Men, and to keep the Judgment of the Lord in View; that they may, not only be fupported under that Petulance of their Fellow-fervants, but may learn to guard against, what is much more dangerous, the Treachery of their

own

had in the preceding Verfes, been fpeaking of Fidelity in the Miniftry, and he elsewhere in this Epifle fpeaks of obtaining Mercy to be faithful, (Chap. vii. 25.) and would be underflood, as referring, not only to his giving us our Faculties, but exciting us to the right Use of them, both by external Calls and Advantages, and by inward Impreffions of his Grace on the Heart; tho' ftill in a Manner fuited to our free and rational Natures, and which, however fome may be diftinguifhed by them, leaves all who choose wrong, without Excufe, and admits the Exercife of Juftice, as well as Grace, in the final Diftributions of Good and Evil. See the Paraphrafe on Chap. iii. 7. which feems very applicable to this Claufe. Yet as it is certain, the Corinthians chiefly gloried in their Gifts, and in thofe of their favourite Teachers, I doubt not but it is to thefe that the Apoftle chiefly refers in this Place, and cannot think that the Strefs of the Controverfy relating to the fanctifying Influences of Divine Grace, does by any Means reft on this Pallage.