Now the Table of Demons was inconfiftent with the Lord's Table. Cup of the Lord, and the be Partakers of the Lord's 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. Do we, by fuch a Conduct as this, deliberately 22 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." 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! I Cor. X. 23. fwer to this, I know, it may be replied, that 2 All 323 The Apoftle fays, that what was fet before them, they might eat : All Things are lawful for 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- 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. Believe me, my Brethren, I am defirous not 25 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, 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. |