And if one Member fuffer, all the reft Juffer with it. Member fuffer, all the 35F other, as being each an important Part of the Sect. 24. 26 And whether one whole. So that if one Member fuffer, all the Members fuffer with it (e), and are concerned to 1 Cor. XII. remove the Complaint; or if one Member be boncured and adorned, all the Members rejoice with it; the Ornament of one Part being looked upon as that of the whole. Members fuffer with it: Or one Member be honoured, all the Members rejoice with it. Now to apply this to the Purpofe, for which I 27 fo) If one Member fuffer, &c.] Bos, in his Exercitations on this Text, has collected many parallel Paffages from Seneca, and other Heathen Writers. (f) Helpers, Governments, &c.] I think, we can only guefs at the Meaning of thefe Words; not having Principles on which to proceed in fixing them fo abfolutely. I have inferted what feemed to me moft probable in the Paraphrafe. The Author of Mifcellanea Sacra thinks, much Light is to be derived, by comparing Verfes 8,-10, with Verfes 28,38. the Order in one Text corresponding with that of the other; but the Order of the faine Words differing in the two Places demonftrates the contrary. I have met with no Remark. here, which feems more pertinent, than that of Monf. Amyraut; who thinks, that the fame Perfons might goffers many of thefe Gifts, and fuftain feveral of thefe Characters, which were not stated diftinct Offices; and might be called Helpers, in Reference to their great Dexterity and Readiness to help thofe in Diftrefs; and Governments, in Regard to that Genius for Bufinefs, Sagacity in judging the Circumftances of Affairs, and natural Authority in the Councils and Refolutions of Societies, which rendered them fit to pretide. on fuch OccaLions. (g) Are: 26. 352 28. M 29 Are all Apoftles? Are all Prophets? Are all TeachMiracles? ers? Are all Workers of 30 Have all the Gifts of They should not therefore contend about the best Gifts. Sect. 24. Affairs of Societies may be fteered and conducted in the fafeft and happieft Manner: There are 1 Cor. XII. alfo wonderful Operations, by which Men are taught [different] Kinds of Tongues, which they had never learned by any human Methods. 29 Now as the Offices of the Church are different, the Gifts by which Men are fitted to discharge them, are proportionably fo. [Are] all the Members or Minifters of the Church, Apostles (g)? Yea, [are] all, who are fubordinate to them, Prophets? Or [are] all that Sort of inferior Teachers, whom I obferved to ftand in the third Clafs? [Have] all thofe [miraculous] Powers, which I have again 30 and again mentioned? Or, to inftance only in one of the loweft of them, have all the Gifts of healing Diseases, in that extraordinary Manner in which fome have effected it? Yea, do all Speak with Tongues, which they have never learned? Or do all others find themselves able to act in that lower Sphere I fpoke of before, and to interpret into their native Language, or any other, what has been uttered in a Tongue to them generally Thefe Things are well worthy 31 unknown? your Confideration; but instead of attending to them, ye contend earnestly about the beft or most fhining Gifts (b); envying, and it may be, detracting from the fuperior Endowments of others. Yet I fhew you a Way of the highest Excellence, to which it will be your greatest Wisdom carefully to attend. Healing? Do all speak with 31 But covet earnestly the beft Gifts: And yet fhew unto you a more excellent I Way. (g) Are all Apoftles, &c.] It appears that this invidious Temper was not extirpated from among the Corinthians, even by this juft and lively Expoftulation; for Clemens Romanus, writing to them many Years after, complains of its continued Prevalence, as leading them to neglect a due Regard to thofe Prefbyters, who were, according to Divine Direction, fixed among them, and to throw them out of their Epifcopal Office. See Clem. Epiftle to the Cor. Sect. 44. (b) Ye contend earnestly about the beft Gifts, &c.] I doubt not but this is the juft Rendering of nella xaprouala ra xpeilrova: For it feems quite contradictory to fuppofe, that after the Apostle had been fhewing them, that thefe Gifts were not at their own Option, and that they ought not to emulate the Gifts of each other, nor to aspire to Superiority; he fhould in Effect unfay all again, and give them fuch contrary Advice. 6 IMPROV E 1 Reflections on the different Gifts and Offices in the Church. TH IMPROVEMENT. 353 Ver. 18. HE Wisdom and Goodness of GoD, as difplayed in the Forma- Sect. 24. tion of the human Body, is a Subject that well deferves our attentive Reflection, and humble Acknowledgement. All its feveral Parts are useful to the whole; and the most noble cannot upbraid the meanest, Ver. 20. as an Incumbrance. Each has Reason to rejoice in its own Situation, as well as in the Addition of all the reft; and were the lowest Place higher than it is, it would become ufelefs, burthenfome, and monstrous. Let us acknowledge the fame Hand in the wife Subordination, appointed in civil Societies, and in the Church of Chrift. Let none be difcouraged at the low Station, wherein they are fixed; but rather let all acquiefce in the prudent and gracious Difpofal of the fupream Lord, and apply themselves to their proper Functions. Let each Member confider all the rest with Pleasure; and rejoice with Thankfulness, in the Health and Vigor of the other Parts, making the proper Use of them, and communicating in Return, its proper Services. If any be weak, let all ftrengthen it. If there be any Blemish and Imperfection in any Part, let all the reft tenderly cover it; unless when a Regard to the Health and Ver. 23 Happiness to the whole, requires that it should be laid open, and fearched in order to its being cured. And the whole, fo far as we can prevent it, let there no Schifm in the Body. Alas, that there fhould be fo Ver. 25. many Breaches and Contentions! Let us lament them; let each in his Place endeavour to heal them; and unite in a sympathizing Care of one another. So fhall we best express our Regard to our common Head; fo shall we, in the remotest Confequences, beft confult our own Interest and Honour. upon Blessed be GOD, that he hath, in his Church, given not only Apoftles, Ver. 28. and Prophets, but alfo Paftors and Teachers! Adored be that Bounty, with which he hath scattered down his Gifts, whether ordinary or extraordinary on the Children of Men. Let all be used, not to the Purposes of Oftentation, but of Edification. And let us be defirous of those whereby we may bear most of the Image of Christ, and may moft promote the great Defign, for which he visited this low World of ours, and was pleased to unite his Church unto himself, and its several Members to each other, in fuch dear and indiffoluble Bonds. VOL. IV. Y y SECT. 354 Sect. 25. I Cor. XIII. I. The Gifts of Tongues, of Prophecy, and of Knowledge, To engage the Corinthians to cultivate Charity, as more excellent and important than any of thofe Gifts, about which they were fo ready to contend; the Apoftle gives a moft lovely Defcription of it; which he concludes with a Reflection on its perpetual Duration, in which it exceeds even the Graces of Faith and Hope. I Cor. XIII. throughout. I CORINTHIANS XIII. 1. HAVE been urging you to purfue fome I CORINTHIANS XIII. I. Hough I speak with the I thing more excellent, than any of thofe Gifts, of Angeln und have, mot Charity, I am become as founding Brafs, or a tink about which fome among you have been fo ready ly (a) Speak with the Tongues, &c.] Dr. Whitby fhews, by a great many admirable Quotations both from Jofephus, and the Jewish Rabbies; how much each of thefe Things was regarded by the Jews, which St. Paul here fpeaks of as abfolutely of no Avail without Charity. (b) Have not Love.] Ayarn is not fo properly rendered Charity. It muft here be taken in the nobleft Senfe, for fuch a Love to the whole Church, and the whole World, as arifes from Principles of true Piety, and ultimately centers in GOD. (c) Tinkling Cymbal.] Mr. Locke very juftly remarks, that as a Cymbal was made of two Pieces of hollow Brafs, which being ftruck together made a tinkling, with very little Variety of Sound; St. Paul chofe to inftance in this, rather than in a Harp, or Flute, or any other more harmonious Inftrument of Mufick. See Commentar. de Cymbalis, at the End of Fortuita Sacra. 6 are of no Importance without Love. 2 And though I have the Gift of Prophecy, and understand all Mysteries, and all Knowledge; and though I have all Faith, fo that I could remove Mountains, and have no Charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I beftow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and though I give my Body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing. 355 25. ly worthy to be compared to an Inftrument of Sect. make (d) Moft miraculous Faith.] As it is here fuppofed, that this Faith might in Fact be feparated from Love; it cannot fignify, the fame, as in the Epistle to the Romans; where it is fuch an Affent to a Divine Declaration, as produces a fuitable Temper and Conduct. (e) I am nothing.] A Perfon fo eminently favoured by GOD, as this Defcription supposes, yet deftitute of true Piety and Benevolence, must be very contemptible, and justly odious. 3 1 |