376

10.

Il

Let him therefore, who fandeth, take Heed left be fall.. Sect. 18. and Interest; as some of them also murmured as some of them also-mini

again and again, and were destroyed by thie Den mured, and were destroyed 1 Cor. X. stroyer (8), who was commiffioned by one Judg

inent and another to take them off.
But let me remind you on the whole, as, I

I Now all these Things
hinted above, that all these calamitous Things, happened unto them for Ea
which happened unto them, were intended as Types ten for our Admonition, up-
or Examples to us, that we might learn what we on whom the Ends of the
are to expect in the like Cafe ; and they are writ. World are come.
ten for otr Admonition, on whom the Ends of the .
World are come (b): As we live under the last
Dispensation, which God will ever give to the
Children of Men, and with which the whole

Oeconomy of their Probation shall wind up. 12 Therefore let me urge this Improvement of the

12 Wherefore, let him whole Survey upon you, and upon all into whole that thinketh he handeth,

take Heed left he fall.
Hand this Epistle may come, and say, let him
that thinketh be ftandeth most securely, and who
may be ready most confidently to trust in his own
Strength, take Heed left be fall so much the lower,
in Proportion to the Degree in which he imagines

himself out of all Manner of Danger.
13
'Tis true indeed, and it is Matter of great tation taken you, but fuch

13 There hath no TempComfort and Thankfulness to reflect upon it, that as is common to Man: But no Temptation has yet taken you, but such as is God is faithful, who will common to Man (i), and such as human Reason, not fuffer you to be tempted properly exercised on the Principles of that Re- above that ye are able ; but velation which you enjoy, may furnish

you

with Motives to refift. And we have the pleasure farther to reflect, that GOD [is] faithful who hath promised (k) to preserve his People, and he will not leave you to be tempted above your Ability; but will with the Temptation, with which he permits

you

allo

(8) The Deffroyer.] The Jews generally interpret this of him, whom they fancy to be the Angel of Death, and whom they call Sammael.

ib) End of the World.] Ten www, properly signifies the concluding Age, or the laß Dif pensation of Gov to. Mankind on Earth ; which, if we believe the Gospel to be true, we must afturedly conclude that it is.

(0) Common to Man.) Arbparativos, may fignify also, proportionable to human Strength, as well as frequent to human Creatures, the Paraphrafe therefore imports that. (k) Faithful , who hath promised!] Compare Psal. ciii. 13, 14, and numberlels Pallages

, in which God encourages his People to hope for his presence and Help in prefing Danger.

3

Reflections on the Conduct of Israel in the Wilderness. 3.17 also make a Way to escape, you to be affaulted, provide g'ou also with a Way of Sect. 18. that ye may be able to bear 'Escape; that if you be not wanting to yourselves, sm

you may be able to bear [it;] yea, and may acquire
new Strength and Honour by the Combat.

it.

I Cor. X.

13.

IM PRO V E M E N 7.

MA

AY Cbristians be always sensible, how happy they are, in having

received such useful Hints from the New Testament, to aslift them Ver. 6,-11. in the Intrepretation of the Old; and particularly, those which are here givert. We see in Israel according to the Flesh, an effecting Emblem of the Church in general. We see all their external Priviledges, tho' many and great, were ineffectual for their Security, when they behaved as unworthy of them.

Alas! how affecting is the Thought, that some who are under the Ver. 1. miraculous Cloud, who passed thro’ the Waters of the divided Sea, who eat Ver. 2.. of the Bread that came down from Heaven, and drank of that living Strean which omnipotent Mercy had opened from the flinty Rock, and Ver. 3. 4. made it to follow them in the Windings of their journey, should yet become, instead of being on the whole the Objects of Divine Favour and Complacency, the Monuments of Wrath. Let us not ourselves therefore be high-minded, but fear. Let us mark the Rocks, on' which Ver. s. they suffered this fatal Shipwreck, if possible to keep clear of them; and pray that Divine Grace

may direct our Course. Let us avoid not only those superstitious and idolatrous Rites of Worship, by which, as Pro- Ver. 7. teftants, we are in little Danger of being ensnared; but also those Lusts of the Flesh, which must, considering our superior Advantage, be highly Ver. 8. displeasing to God; even tho' they should not rise to a Degree of equal Enormity and Scandal.

Let us especially take Heed that we tempt not Christ, who has gra- Ver. 9. ciously been pleased to take us under his Conduct, and to honour his Church with so many demonstrative Tokens of his Presence. Nor let us Ver. 10, murmur, if while we are in this Wilderness State, we sometimes meet with Difficulties in our Way. Still let us make it familiar to our Minds, that God adjusts the Circumstances of every Trial; even that God, who u stands engaged by the Promises of his Word, as well as the Equity and Goodness of his Nature, not to permit us to be tempted above what we are Ver. 13. able to bear. If we see not an immediate Way of Escape, let us calmly and attentively look around us, and humbly look up to him, that be may pluck our Feet out of the Net.

SEC T.

The Apostle farther pursues that Caution against all Ap-:

proaches to Idolatry, which he had been suggesting in the former Section ; particularly arguing from that Communion, which Christians had with Christ at his Iable, which ought to place them at the remotes Distance from that might justly be called having Communion with Devils. I Cor. X. 14,--- 22.

'

Seet. 19.

14.

1 CORINTHIANS X. 14.

1 CORINTHIANS X. 14.

Herefore, my dearly
HAVE just expressed my Cor.fidence in the WH
I

betoved, flee from Care of God to support you under any extra- Idolatry. I Cor. X. ordinary Temptation, which

may

hereafter arise, to draw you out of the Way of your Duty: Wherefore, my beloved Brethren, being assured of this, let me exhort you carefully, to flee from all Approaches to Idolatry, whatever Circum

stances of Allurement, or Danger, . may seem to 15 plead for some Degrees of Compliance. I

Is I speak as to wise now speak, as unto wife Men: I use a rational Men: Judge'ye what I say.. Argument, which will bear the strictest Examination, and which I am willing should be canvassed as accurately as you please; judge you there

fore what I say; for I will refer it to your own
i deliberate and cooler:Thoughts," whether there

be not Danger in thofe idolatrous Participations,
which some of you are so ready to defend; and
whether they may not naturally bring some De-
gree of Guilt upon your Conscience ?
The. facramental Cup, which is to us both the

16 The Cup of Bleffing
Commemoration of past; and the Pledge of future
Blefling, which in the Name of the Lord we fo-
lemnly bless (a), setting it apart to a holy and re-

ligious

16.

which

(a) Which we bless.] This Text very plainly shews, that there is a Sense, in which we may be said to bless the facramental Elements. To render it

, the Cup over which, or for which

For we 17

Because, as Christians, they are one Bread and one Body.

319 which we bless, is it not the ligious Use ; is it not the Token of our

Faith and Sect. 19. Chrift? The Bread which our Communion in these inestimable Priviledges we break, is it not the Com- which are the Purchase of the Blood of Christ, Cor. X. munion of the Body of fhed for the Remission of our Sins ? The Bread

16. Chrift?

which we break, and which was appointed in the
first Institution of the Ordinance for this pur-
pose, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ
in the like Sense ? that is, the Token of our sha-
ring in the Priviledges which he procured at the

Expence of Sufferings, by which his Body was
17 For we being many, broken, and almost torn in Pieces.
are one Bread, and one Bo.
dy: For we are all Partak- Christians being many, are yet, as it were, but
ers of that one Bread. different Parts of one and the fame broken

Bread (6), which we distribute, [and] receive,
in Token of our being Members of one Body;
for we are all Partakers of one Kind of holy
Bread, and one Cup, which we eat, and drink
together, at the saine Table, in Testimony of
our mutual and inviolable Friendship, cemented

in Christ our great and common Head. .18 Behold Ifrael after the

Consider how it is with Israel according to the 18 Flesh : Are not they which

18
eat of the Sacrifices, Par. Flesh, the lineal Descendants of those who were
takers of the Altar? the chosen and peculiar People of God: Are

not they who eat of the Sacrifices, which have
been offered in the Court of their Temple at Je-
rusalem, esteemed to be Partakers of the Altar
of GOD, on which Part of them have been con-
sumed? And is not their eating the Flesh of these
Victims esteemed, as an Act of Communion
with the Deity, to whom they were offered ?
Now you may easily perceive, that the same Ar-
gument will be conclusive to prove, that they,
who share in the Sacrifices presented to Idols,

knowing we bless GOD, is doing great Violence to the Original. That is said to be blessed, which is set apart to a sacred Use, (Gen. ii. 3. Exod. xx. 11.) and on which the Blessing of GOD is solemnly invoked.

(6), Of one Bread.] Many valuable Manuscripts read it, and of one CupElsner has an admirable Note upon this Text, to prove that eating together in a religious Manner hath been, in almost all ancient Nations, a Token of mutual Friendship. See Mr. Lowman's Hebrew Ritual

, pag. 54. and Maimonides, quoted by him there. See more especially, Dr. Cudworth’s. Discourse concerning the True Notion of the Lord's Supper, Chap. i. and Chap. vi. . And it is certain also, as is intimated below, that by Sacrifices, and the Feasts on them, they held Communion with the real or supposed Deity, to which they were presented; as the Author of a Discourse on Sacrifices has shewn at large : But that this was the only End of all Sacrifices, I cannot think that learned Writer fufficiently to have proved.

(C) I would

4

20

320

The Gentiles sacrifice to Dæmons, and not to GOD : Sect. 19. knowing what they do, and especially doing it

in fome Apaftments belonging to the Temples 1 Cor. X. of such Idols, hold a Kind of Communion with 18.

these fictitious and detestable Deities, by no
Means reconcileable with the Sanctity of the
Christian Character, or the Tenor of their facra-

mental Engagements.
19

What then do I say, that an Idol of Wood or 19 What say I then. Stone, of Silver or Gold, is in itself any Thing That the Idol is any Thing, Divine? Or do I say, that the Thing, which is Sacrifice to Idols is any sacrificed to Idols, is in itself any Thing morally and Thing? universally unclean? You well know, that I intend to maintain nothing of this Kind.

But on the other Hand, you must be aware, 20 But I say, that the that what the Heathens facrifice, they sacrifice to Things which the Gentiles evil Dæmons, and not to GOD; fuch Spirits, as vils, and not to God:

And those to which they address their Devotions, must I would not that ye should to be sure be wicked Spirits, if they exist at all; have Fellowlip with Deand Devils may well be supposed

well be supposed to use their utmost Efforts to support such Worship, it being grateful to them, in Proportion to the Degree in which it is affronting and injurious to the great Object of Christian Adoration, and ensnaring to the Souls of Men. Now I would not by any Means, that you who have at your Baptism solemnly renounced the Devil, and all his Adherents, should in any

Degree bave, or seem to have, Communion with 21 Dæmons (C). And indeed this is most incon

21 Ye cannot drink the sistent with those solemn Badges of your holy Profession, by which your baptismal Covenant is

vils.

the

(c) I would not that ye should have communion with Dæmons.] It is a monstrous Notion of Olearius, that the Heathens imagined the very Substance and Body of their Deities infinuated itself into the Victim offered to them, and so was united to the Person eating the Flesh of these Sacrifices. Elsøer, (Observ. Vol. ii. pag. 108.) has sufficiently confuted this his weak Inference from some mistaken Paftages of Firmiaus, and Jamblicus. But this learned and judicious Critick has proved at large, from incontestible Authorities, that the Dæmons were considered as present at these

Sacrifices, and as taking their Part with the Worshippers in the common Feast; by which Means, as Maimonides expresies it, in a very remarkable Passage, (More Nevoch. Part. iii. Cap. 46.) Friendship, Brotherhood and Familiarity was contracted between them, because sé all eat at one Table, and sat down at one “ Board.” The Altar was called the Table of the Lord, Mal. i. 12. Compare Deut. xxx i. 17. But then, as Dr. Cudworth hath Thewn, we are not to conclude from hence, that un der the Gospel Dispensation, the Table of the Lord is properly an Altar ; for the Lord's Sup; per. is not a Sacrifice, but a Feaft upon a Sacrifice. Cudworth on the True Notion of the Lord's Supper, Chap. 5.