Now the Table of Demons was inconfiftent with the Lord's Table.

Cup of the Lord, and the
Cup of Devils: Ye cannot
Table, and of the Table

be Partakers of the Lord's
of Devils.

22 Do we provoke the Lord to Jealoufy? Are we stronger than he?

L'

321

21.

fo frequently ratified, and renewed. Ye cannot, Sect. 19.
with tolerable Decency and Confiftency, at one
Time drink of the Cup of the Lord, in that holy 1 Cor. X.
Rite in which you commemorate his Death, and
at another Time, of the Cup of Damons; of Liba-
tions poured out in their Honour, or Cups drank
at their Feafts. Ye cannot furely think, you
should be Partakers of the Table of the Lord, and
go
from thence to the Table of Damons, or from
theirs to his, to share alternately in fuch holy and
fuch polluted Rites and Entertainments. Yet it
is certain, that by partaking in their Feasts, you
do, as it were, contract a Kind of Friendship
and Familiarity with these infernal Spirits.

Do we, by fuch a Conduct as this, deliberately 22
mean to provoke the Lord to Jealousy (d), by thus
careffing thofe, whom he abhors, as his Rivals?
Must it not incense him exceedingly? and must
it not, in its Confequences, be detrimental, and
even fatal to us? Or are we ftronger than be?
fo as to be able to refift, or to endure, the dread-
ful Effects of his Displeasure.

IMPROVEMENT.

ET us bear and fear: For it is the Tendency of every wilful Sin,

to provoke the Lord to Jealoufy; it is a Challenge to him, as it Ver. 22 were, to let loose the Fierceness of his Wrath. And alas, how can such feeble Creatures as we endure its Terrors! Let the Confideration urged by the Apoftle, to deter Men from partaking in idolatrous Sacrifices, be weighed by us, as extending to every Thing, whereby GOD may be difhonoured, and Chrift affronted.

bleffed fefus hath inftituted, in Commemo of his dying Love, do

They who are Chriftians indeed, and partake of that Feaft, which the

herein partake of the Body, and the Blood of Chrift: Let it be remem- Ver. 21. bered as a Pledge of everlasting Obedience, fince it is a Memorial of infinite Obligation: It fhews that we belong to him, as his willing and peculiar People, that we renounce all his Rivals, particularly Satan, and

his

(d) To Jealousy, &c.] Alluding to the Notion of Idolatry, as a Kind of fpiritual Adultery, which moved the Jealousy of GOD. Yet every deliberate Sin is in Effect daring his omnipotent Vengeance.

VOL. IV.

Sf

322

Sect. 19.

Ver. 17, &c.

Reflections on our partaking of the Lord's Supper.

his Kingdom, and whatever favours and fupports his accurfed Caufe."
Let us be faithful to our Allegiance, and have no more to do with
of thefe Abominations.

१

Let us alfo remember this as a Pledge of everlafting Peace and Love: We are all one Bread, and one Body. Let us not envy and provoke, grieve and revile one another; but study mutual Comfort and Edification. And when little Jealoufies arife, and our fecular Interefts feem to interfere, which may often be the Cafe; let us open our Minds to thofe exalted Sentiments, which our common Relation to Chrift tends to infpire; and let the fweet Remembrance of the Communion we have had with him, and each other, in that holy Ordinance, blot out of our Minds the Memory of every Difference, which might tend to promote Difguft and Alienation.

Sect. 20.

SECT. XX.

The Apoftle gives more particular Directions, as to the Cafes and Circumftances, in which Things facrificed to Idols might, or might not, lawfully be eaten; and urges farther Confiderations, to engage them willingly to refign their own Gratification in fome Inftances, for the Glory of GOD, and the Good of their Brethren. I Cor. X. 23, to the End. Chap, XI. I.

VECE CORINTHIANS X. 23.

0 I CORINTHIANS X. 23.

I a ldolatry. An- for me, pblient!
HAVE faid a great deal, to guard you ALL Things are law-

I Cor. X.

23.

fwer to this, I know, it may be replied, that
there are certain Things which may accidentally
lead to it, and yet, being in their own Nature
indifferent, may be fo ufed as to decline the Dan-
ger. Granting it then, that all thefe Things are
lawful for me, I am perfuaded, nevertheless, you
will readily acknowledge, that all fuch Things are
not in every Circumftance expedient. Granting,
I fay, that all thefe Things, about which we have
been

2

All

323

The Apoftle fays, that what was fet before them, they might eat :
been difcourfing, are lawful for me, yet it is un- Sect. 20.
deniably apparent, that all Things edify not; and

All Things are lawful for
me, but all Things edify

not.

24 Let no Man seek his own: But every Man ano

ther's Wealth.

25

Whatever is fold in

ing no Question for Confci-
ence Sake.

26 For the Earth is the Lord's, and the Fulness thereof.

23.

I ought certainly to confider what may moft ef- 1 Cor. X.
fectually conduce to the Edification of my Neigh-
bour, and of the Church in general, as well as
what may fuit my own particular Inclination, or
Convenience: For I may find good Reasons for
declining many Things, as enfnaring to others,
which, were I to regard myself alone, might be
perfectly indifferent. Let no one therefore feek 24
the Gratification of his own Humour, or the
Advancement of what may feem his perfonal In-
tereft; but let every one pursue another's [Welfare ;]
endeavouring to enrich all that are around him
in Holiness and Comfort.

Believe me, my Brethren, I am defirous not 25
the Shambles, that eat, afk- to lay you under any unneceffary Reftraints. And
therefore, whatever [Flefb] is fold in the Shambles (a),
that I allow you to eat; afking no Questions for
Confcience Sake, that is, not fcrupuloufly enquir-
ing, whether it have, or have not, made a Part of
an Idol-facrifice. For as the Pfalmift expref- 26
fes it, (Pfal. xxiv. 1.) the whole Earth [is] the
Lord's, and the Fulness thereof. All these Things
therefore are to be taken as they come to our
Hands, and used with Chearfulness and Thankf-
giving, as the common Bounties of his Provi-
dence to his human Creatures. And farther, if 27
any of the Unbelievers, who live in your Neigh-
bourhood, invite you (b) to his Houfe, and
are difpofed to go, eat whatever is fet before you at
the Entertainment not asking any Questions for
Confcience

27 If any of them that believe not, bid you to a Feaft, and ye be difpofed to go; whatsoever is fet before you, eat, afking no Quef

tion for Conscience Sake.

you

(a) Sold in the Shambles.] Herodotus obferves, that the Egyptians, when they had cut off the Head of their Victims, used to carry the Carcafe to the Market, and fell it to the Greeks, if they could find any to purchase it; if not, they threw it into the River, judging it unlawful to eat it themselves. Raphel. ex Herod. in Loc. And tho' the Grecian Priefts had no fuch Scruples, yet as they had often more Flesh of their Sacrifices, than they, and their Families, could confume, it was natural for them to take this Method of difpofing of it to Advantage; and at Times of extraordinary Sacrifice, 'tis probable the neighbouring Markets might be chiefly supplied from their Temples.

(b) Invite you.] That xa, often fignifies to invite, Raphelius, (Annot. ex Xen.) has fhewn at large; but to conclude that it muft generally be fo rendered, is very unwarran

table.

324

1 Cor. X.

28.

to

Unless they were told, it had been facrificed to an Idol:

you,

Sect. 20. Confcience Sake, but receiving it, whatever it be,
as that Supply which Divine Providence has then
been pleafed to fend you.
But if any one fay
this Food is Part of what hath been facri-
ficed to an Idol, eat it not; both out of Regard to
him, that fhewed thee this Circumftance; whe-
ther he be an Heathen who may hereby be con-
firmed in his Idolatry, or a Brother, who may
otherwise be enfnared by thine Example, and
tempted to violate the Dictates of his own Mind;
and, I may fay, out of Regard to Confcience too;
for thou canst not injure thy Brother in this Re-
fpect, without fubjecting thyself to fome Remorfe
on a ferious Reflection. And the Scripture, I
mentioned before, may fuggeft a pertinent Con-
fideration here: For as the Earth [is] the Lord's
and the Fulness thereof (c), thou mayeft reasonably
hope he will provide for thee fome other Way,
and mayest be affured, that he cannot want the
29 Means of doing it. I fay, [for the Sake of] Con-
Science; but I mean, not thine own immediately,
but that of another Perfon; for how indifferent
foever thou mayeft efteem the Matter, thou art
obliged in Duty to be very cautious, that thou doft
not wound and grieve that of thy Brother: (But
you will obferve that I here fpeak only of Acts ob-
vious to human Obfervation; for as to what imme-
diately lies between GoD and my own Soul, why is
my Liberty to be judged, arraigned and condemned
at [the Bar of] another Man's Confcience (d)? I am
not, in fuch Cafes, to govern myself by the Judg-
ment and Apprehenfion of others, nor have they
any Authority to judge, or cenfure me, for not
concurring

6

28 But if any Man fay in Sacrifice unto Idols, eat unto you, This is offered not for his Sake that fhewed it, and for Confcience Sake. For the Earth is the Lord's,

and the Fulness thereof.

37

29 Confcience, I fay, not thine own, but of the o

thers: For why is my Liberty judged of another Man's Confcience?

(c) The Earth, &c.] Some good Copies omit thefe Words, yet they have fo evident a Propriety and Beauty here, in Contraft with Verfe 26, that I was by no Means difpofed to follow them.

(d) Why is my Liberty, &c.] Some think the Meaning is, "Why fhould I ufe my Li"berty fo as to offend the Confcience of any." Others think, it is an Objection in the Mouth of the Corinthians, and be thus understood," But why fhould I fuffer myfelf to be thus impofed upon, and receive Law from any, where Chrift has left me free?" I rather think, that this, and the 30th Verfe, come in, as a Kind of Parenthefis, to prevent their extending the former Caution beyond what he defigned by it.

(e) Jews

30 For, if I by Grace be a Partaker, why am I evil fpoken of for that for which I give Thanks?

325

And then they should abftain, that they might give no Offence. concurring with them in their own narrow No- Sect. 20. tions and Declarations. For if I by the Divine Grace and Favour, am made a Partaker of 1 Cor. X. 30. the common Gifts of Providence, why am I reviled for my free and chearful Ufe of that, for which I give GOD my humble Thanks, as tracing it up to the Hand of the great fupreme Benefactor?)

32 Give none Offence, neither to the Jews, nor to

Church of GOD:

Therefore, on the whole, to conclude this Difcourfe; fince no one particular Rule can be laid down, to fuit all the Diverfities of Temper and Apprehenfion, which may arise, inftead of uncharitable Contentions with each other, or any Thing that looks like mutual Contempt, let us take all the Pains we can to meet as in the Centre of real Religion; fee to it then, that whether ye eat or drink, or whatfoever else you do, in the common, as well as facred, Actions of Life, ye do all to the Glory of GOD, pursuing the Credit of the Gospel, and the Edification of the Church, that he may be honoured in the Happiness of his Creatures, and more univerfally acknowledged as the Author of all Good.

31

In this Respect, and in every other, fee to it, 32 the Gentiles, nor to the that ye be inoffenfive, both to the Jews, who you know, abhor every Thing that looks like the leaft Approach to Idol-worship; and to the Greeks (e), and other unconverted Gentiles, who are fo much attached to it, that they are willing to catch at all Pretences of juftifying themselves in the Practice; and to the Church of GOD, whether confifting of circumcifed, or uncircumcifed Converts to Christianity, who would grieve to fee the common Edification obftructed, in Inftances wherein they themselves might not be endangered. Endeavour to follow, in this Refpect, 33 my Example; acting as I alfo do, who study in all Things to pleafe all Men, fo far as I apprehend it for their real Advantage; not feeking

33 Even as I please all Men in all Things, not seeking mine

mine

(e) Jews and Greeks.] As thefe are both oppofed to the Church of GOD, I conclude he fpeaks of unconverted Jews, or Greeks; and refers to the Danger there might be, of prejudicing them against Christianity, by the Indulgences againft which he cautions them.