266 Sett. 1o. He obferves, that the Saints fhall judge the World, 1 Cor. VI. 1. Ufage, and the utmoft Tenderness in accommo- 3 3 Know ye not that we much I repeat it again; and you will find it a striking Argument, if you will allow yourselves to reflect fhall judge Angels? How upon it; know ye not that we shall judge even the fallen Angels (b) themfelves, who, notwithftanding all their Malignity and Pride, fhall be brought to that Tribunal at which you, having gloriously paffed your own Trial, fhall be feated with Chrift, Effect to declare, were generally unjust; Christians were generally good, righteous, and holy Men. There might be Exceptions on each Side, but the Apostle's Argument turns on what might commonly be fuppofed. The Saints, who are to judge Angels, are not merely profeffing Chriftians. To fuppofe, that the Cafe of the inceftuous Corinthian had been carried before a Heathen Judge, as Mr. Locke fuppofes, feems entirely groundless. A thousand other Difputes might have occafioned the Remonftrance before us. ཁ་ (b) Shall judge Angels.] Had the Apofile, as Dr. Whitby fuppofed, referred to the Power' which many Chriftians had, of driving out Damons from thofe, who were poffeffed by them, he would not have fpoke of this as a future Thing, nor can we fuppofe it to have been common to all Chriftians, nor would it have afforded an Argument equally forcible with that which the Paraphrafe fuggefts. Mr. Reynolds extends the Interpretation yet farther, and feems to infer from it, that the holy Angels are fill in a State of Probation, and fhall be rewarded at the laft Day, according to the Degree of their Fidelity and Activity in the S Services affigned to them by Chrift, as the Head of Angels, who fhall take his redeemed from among Men, to be Affeffors with him in that final Sentence. Reyn. of Ang. pag. 183. But the Angelick Legions are reprefented in quite another View, namely as miniftering to Chrift, adding Pomp to his Appearance, and executing his Sentence; which, I think, fufficiently proves, that this is an ungrounded Interpretation, and that if any fuch Judgment is to pafs with Regard to them, it must be at fome other Time, and in fome other Place. But there feems a peculiar Dignity and Propriety in this Determination of the great GOD, that when the Devils, who are exprefsly faid to be referved in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day, fhall be condemned, the Saints being raised to the Seats of Glory which these wicked Spirits have forfeited and loft, fhould affift in that Sentence, which fhall difplay the Victory of Chrift over them in thefe his Servants, once their Captives, and will no doubt, render the Sentence itself, yet more intolerable to Creatures of fuch Malignity and Pride. (c) Da tain to this Life? 4 If then ye have Judgments of Things pertaining to this Life, let them to judge, who are least efteem ed in the Church. 4 267 And should not be judged by Perfons, not eßeemed in the Church. much more Things that per- Chrift, your victorious Lord, when by his righ- Sect. 10. teous Sentence he fhall fend thefe rebellious Spirits to that flaming Prison, which Divine Justice I Cor. VI. 3. hath prepared for them. And [are ye] not then much more apparently [worthy to judge] the little trifling Affairs which relate to this mortal Life? If therefore ye, who have fuch great Honours and Dignities in View, have, in the mean Time, any little Controverfies with each other, relating to the Affairs of this Life, do ye fet thofe to determine them, who are of no Efteem at all in the Church (r), but whom ye know to be Idolators, Defpifers of the Gofpel, and Enemies to your great Master and his Caufe, as your Heathen Neighbours undoubtedly are? I Speak [this] 5 to your Shame; and hope you blush while you read it. Are Things indeed come to such a Pass in your Church, celebrated as it is, and boasting fo much of its Wisdom, that this fhould be neceffary? What is there not one wife intelligent Perfon among you all, who may be able to determine the Caufe of a Chriftian Brother? But tho' the civil Conftitution allows you to decide thefe Things among yourselves, one Brother hath a Suit against another, and this before Infidels (d), who cannot but be greatly fcandalized at this, and take Occafion, from your mutual Quarrels and Accufations, to brand the whole Body of you as injurious and avaritious; who while you pretend to be fo far fuperior to fecular Views, are yet fo a wife Man amongst you ? 5 I fpeak to your Shame. Is it fo, that there is not No, not one that shall be able to judge between his Brethren? 6 But Brother goeth to Law with Brother, and that before the Unbelievers. strongly (c) Do ye fet them, &c.] Our Tranflation renders it, Jet them to judge, who are leaft efteemed in the Church, as if the Apostle had faid, "take the meaneft Chriftian, rather than any Hea "then." But I follow that preferred by Beza, and Whitby. Limborch would understand xpimpia, as equivalent to dixaria, and render it, as a Piece of Advice, " conftitute to your"felves Courts of Judicature, relating to civil Affairs.". -Elfner fhews, that bew, fignifies to place Perfons on judicial Seats. Obferv. Vol. it. pag. 93. (d) One Brother has a Suit against another, &c.] Jofephus obferves, that the Romans, (who were now Mafters of Corinth,) permitted the Jews in foreign Countries, to decide private Affairs, where nothing Capital was in Queftion, among themselves: And from hence Dr. Lardner argues the Juftnefs of this Rebuke of St. Paul, as there is no Room to doubt, but Chriftians might have had the fame Priviledge, as they were looked upon as a Jewish Sect. Credibility, Vol. i. pag. 165. But feparate from that, they might certainly by mutual Confent have chofen their Brethren as Referees. 6 268 The Unrighteous fhall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD. Sect. 10. ftrongly attached to them, that with all your Pro feffions of univerfal Benevolence and brotherly 1 Cor. IV. 7. Love, you cannot forbear wronging one another? Therefore whoever may have the Right on his Side on this or that particular Queftion, even this is altogether a Fault among you, that you bring it under the Cognizance of Heathens (e), on whatever Occafion it be, that ye have fuch Lawfuits and Contests with each other. Why do ye not rather endure Wrong patiently, and fit down by the Lofs? Why do ye not rather fuffer yourselves to be defrauded, than feek fuch a Remedy as 8 this? But indeed, to speak plainly, you do Wrong; and you defraud even [your] Brethren. By fuch Proceedings as thefe, you do much greater Injury to the Church of Chrift, and the common Cause of Religion, than you can fuftain from any particular Brother, against whom you advance a Complaint. Nor is this the only Thing, wherein you are to blame, nor the only Inftance, in which you injure each other. And permit me to expoftulate with you a little on this Head. What! can you contentedly facrifice this great and glorious Hope, which the Gofpel gives you? With all your boafted Knowledge, do ye not indeed know, that the Unjuft fhall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD? Be not deceived by a vain Imagination, that the Christian Name and Priviledges will fecure you in the Practice of your Vices For I now folemnly affure you, as I have often done, that neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate Persons, who give themselves up to a foft indolent Way of living, and can endure no Hardships in the Way of Duty and Honour; nor Sodomites, thofe infa10 mous Degraders of human Nature, Nor Thieves, nor those who are infatiably covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor rapacious Perfons, who by Extortion, or any other Kind of Violence, invade the Property of their Neighbours; Spall 7 Now therefore there is utterly a Fault among you, because ye go to Law one with another: Why do ye not rather take Wrong Why do ye not rather fuffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do Wrong and defraud, and that your Brethren ? 9. Know ye not that the Unrighteous fhall not inheBe not deceived: Neither rit the Kingdom of GOD; Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, nor Abufers of themfelves with Mankind, ro Nor Thieves, nor covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, fhall (e) Even this is altogether a Fault among you.] That nd, should be rendered even, Raphelius hath well observed, and proved. Annot ex Herod. in Loc. ? The Corinthian Converts were once of the worft Character. 269 hall inherit the Kingdom fhall inherit that pure and peaceful Region, the Sect. 10. Kingdom of GOD, where Holinefs and Love of God. II And fuch were fome of you: But ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified in the Name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our GOD. A must for ever reign, under the aufpicious Go- 1 Cor. VI. vernment of his Son. And while I write this, excufe me, that I think it my Duty folemnly, tho' tenderly, to call you my dear Brethren, to recollect, that fuch detefted Creatures, as these, were some of you in your unconverted State! as many of your Neighbours know, and as you yourselves, with deap Humility and Agony of Soul confeffed. But ye are washed, not merely by the Baptifm of Water; but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified; Divine Grace has made a happy Change in your State and Temper; and ye are purified and renewed, as well as difcharged from the Condemnation to which you were juftly obnoxious, in the Name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of him, whom we are now taught, thro' that common Saviour, to call with Complacency our GOD. You ought therefore ever to maintain the most grateful Senfe of this important Bleffing, to ftand at the remotest Distance from Sin, and to be tender of the Peace and Honour of a Society, which God hath founded by his extraordinary Interpofition, and into which he hath been pleased in fo wonderful a Manner to bring even you, who were once in the most infamous and deplorable State.. IMPROVEMENT. LAS! How great a Reproach do we bring on our Chriftian Pro I 1 10. feffion, by fo immoderate an Attachment to our fecular Interests! How much does the Family of our common Father fuffer, while Brother Vet. 6: goes to Law with Brother? What are these little Interests of mortal Life, that the Heirs of Salvation, by whom Angels are to be judged, fhould wran- Ver. 8. gle about them, and for the Sake of them do Wrong, and that even to their Brethren! Men had Need, where such a Temper prevails, to examine themfelves, and take Heed that they be not deceived; for tho' good Men may Ver. 9. fall into fome Degrees of this Evil, thro' Negligence or Mistake; yet 5 certainly, 270 Reflections on Divine Grace, which faves the vileft Sinners. Sect. 10. certainly, it looks too much like the Character of fuch, of whom the Apoftle teftifies, that they shall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD. Let us Ver. 9, 10. obferve, that in this Catalogue, are contained, not only the most infamous and enormous Offenders, but fome, who perhaps may be tempted, because of their Freedom from flagitious Crimes, to think much better of themselves, than they ought. We find here the Effeminate, and Covetous, and Revilers, and Extortioners, ranked with Adulterers, and Fornicators, with Thieves and Drunkards, with Idolaters and Sodomites. We can never be fecure from Danger of falling into the greatest Sins, till we learn to guard against the leaft; or rather, till we think no Evil fmall; viewing every Sin in its Contradiction to the Nature of God, and in the fad Afpect it wears with Regard to an eternal State. Ver. 11. But how aftonishing is it to reflect, that when the Apostle is fpeaking of Perfons of fuch infamous Characters, he fhould be able to add, in his Addrefs to his Chriftian Brethren at Corinth, And fuch were fome of you! Who muft not adore the Riches and Sovereignty of Divine Grace? Were fuch as these the best of the Heathen World? Were fuch as these prepared by their distinguished Virtues to receive farther Affiftance? Let us rather repay our Homage to that Grace, which went, as it were, into the Suburbs of Hell, to gather from thence Citizens of Heaven. And let the worst of Men learn, not to defpair of Salvation, when made fincerely defirous of being washed and fanctified, as well as juftified in the Name of our Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our GOD. 'Tis that Name, 'tis that Spirit alone, which accomplishes Works like these. And, bleffed be God, all the Wonders of this Kind were not exhausted in those early Ages, but some have been referved for us, on whom the End of the World is come: The Gospel hath exerted its Triumphs in our own Days, and they shall be renewed in those of our Children. Only let none from hence prefume to turn the Grace of GOD into Wantonness, left, instead of being among the few, who are made the Trophies of the Divine Mercy, they fhould perish with the Multitude of the ungodly World, who die in their Pollutions, and go down to final and irrevertible Condemnation. 2 SECT. |