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
introduced it: You are all the Body of Chrift, and
Members [each] in particular. And as GOD 28
hath placed fome Members in more eminent Sta-
tions in the Body; fo alfo fome Chriftians in the
Church. He hath placed in the first Rank,
Apoftles; who are honoured with an Office of the
higheft Diftinction, and furnished with Endow-
ments peculiar to themselves. In the fecond Place,
are ranked Prophets; whofe Bufinefs it is to fore-
tel future Events, or to speak by immediate In-
fpiration, for the Edification of the Church. In
the third, Teachers of a more ordinary Kind; af-
terwards, thofe who are endowed, upon fome
particular Occafion, with [miraculous] Powers;
then the Gifts of healing Difeafes, by anointing
the Sick with Oil, and praying for their Reco-
very. Befides thefe, he has endowed fome with
fuch extraordinary Activity and Sagacity, as may
fit them to be Helpers in the Management of
Charities; others are qualified by their Prudence
to be Governments (f), by whofe Advice, the
Affairs

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
Tongues? Do all interpret?

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
Though
Tongues of Men, and

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
to contend; and I have recommended it as a more
excellent Way. That of which I fpeak, is the ling Cymbal.
incomparable and Divine Grace of Love; which
indeed is not only of the highest Excellence, but
of abfolue Neceffity. For if I were to speak
with all the Variety of Tongues (a), which are
ufed among all the Nations of Men, and were
capable of employing them even with the Elo-
quence of Angels, and knew their celeftial Dia-
lect; but have not Love (b) to GOD and my Fel-
low-creatures, be iny Strains of Difcourfe ever
fo harmonious, or ever fo fublime, I am become
but founding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal (c), at
beft but like an Inftrument of Mufick, and hard-

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.
the nobler Kind. So little Delight would any of
my
most pompous
Performances give to GOD, or I Cor. XIII.
to any of his most valuable Creatures, who fhould
know that Love was wanting, that I might as
well think to recommend myself to Acceptance,
by the noisy Clank made by brazen Instruments,
in the Worship of Ifis, or Cybele.
And if, 2
befides those Gifts of Tongues and Eloquence,
I have that of prophesying, so as to foretel the
moft diftant and important future Events; and
know all thefe Mysteries, which have hitherto
been concealed from the most penetrating and il-
luminated Eyes; or have all the exactest Know-
ledge of Religion, or any other Object that can
be fuppofed the Subject of my Inquiries; and if,
joined with this, I have all the most miraculous
Faith (d), by Virtue of which I fhould be able
to produce Effects, that might amaze the whole
World, fo as to remove Mountains from their Ba-
fis, to transport them from one Part of the Earth
to another, and to change the whole Face of
Nature with a Word; but with all these wonde..
rous Endowments, have not Love, fimple as that
Principle is, and comparatively mean as it may
be esteemed, yet for Want of it, I am nothing (e)
in the Sight of GOD, and have in Reality no true
Worth and Excellence. And I may farther
add, that no external Act of Charity, or of Zeal,
will fignify any Thing, if this inward Principle,
which should be the Life of all, be wanting;
for if I diftribute all my Goods in Alms for the Su-
ftenance of the Poor, and deliver up my Body to
be burnt in Defence of Religion itself, and do it
from a fecret Defire of human Applause, and
Oftentation of Charity, or of Piety; but have
not in the Sight of GOD that Love, to which I

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