376 And to do all Things decently and in Order. Sect. 27. 38. 39 40 may But 39 Wherefore, Brethren, covet to prophefy, and forbid not to speak with Tongues. 40 Let all Things be done Therefore, my Brethren, to conclude this long "Difcourfe, and to fum up the Point in a few Words, defire chiefly to prophesy, and yet forbid not those who are willing to do it, under fuch Regulations as I have advanced, to speak with Tongues; for it is a noble Endowment, which I would encourage none to flight or neglect. especially remember this great Comprehenfive decently, and in Order. Rule, to be applied to a thousand Varieties which may arife, let all Things be done decently (m), and according to Order: Let all be conducted in a regular Manner, to prevent fuch Difturbances, Difputes, and Scandals, for the future, as have already arisen in your Society, and will proceed to greater Evils, if you do not immediately fet upon reforming them. Ver. 20. HOW IMPROVEMENT. OW fondly do Men flatter themfelves with empty Appearances! And often, how juftly do thofe deferve the Imputation of childish Folly, the Height of whofe Temper will least allow them to bear it! Let us dare to examine ourselves impartially, and be concerned that we may not be Children in Understanding; but forming our Minds on the Maxims of Scripture, and our Lives on the Example of Chrift, may we grow up in him to the Measure of the Stature of a perfect Man. But let us be Children in Malice: Let us endeavour to be as free from every gloomy, malignant, selfish Paffion, as new-born Infants are. Who can fay he has fully attained this happy and amiable Character? Yet let us follow after it; remembering, that there is a Sense, in which, (proud and interested, envious and malignant, as alas! we too much are,) we muft become as liltle Children, or we cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD. Thofe (m) Decently, &c.] It must be by a mere Accommodation, that this Expreffion can be applied to Ceremonies, which may be decent, or indecent, according to different Circumflances attending them. In the Senfe given in the Paraphrafe, the Words are ufed by the Philofopher, when he exhorts Men to confider the exact Order, and regular Motions of the heavenly Bodies, that they may thereby learn to evo na to llayevor, what is decent and orderly. Whichcot's Sel. Serm. pag. 177. Edin. Edit. Reflections on the Ufe of the miraculous Gifts. 363 Those extraordinary Gifts, which suited the first planting of Chriftia- Sect. 27. nity in the World, are now ceased; but let us blefs GoD, they were ever given; and that we have fuch an inconteftible Evidence of the Truth of the Gospel, as this Chapter affords. Such Endowments must certainly argue a Divine Power, fetting its Seal to the Gofpel; and the Reality of fuch Endowments can never be queftioned, when we reflect on the Manner, in which the Apostle here reproves the Abuse of them : And that in a Society, where fo many were alienated from him, and his Ministry; and consequently, where fuch Appeals, if not founded on the strictest and most apparent Truth, must have exposed him to a Contempt, never to have been removed. These miraculous Gifts, having abundantly answered their End, are Ver. 24, 25. wifely withdrawn ; yet still the Divine Prefence is with the Church; of which we have this happy Proof, that there are thofe, who find the Secrets of their Hearts made manifeft, by the faithful and fkilful Adminiftration of Chriftian Ordinances: So that if they do not publickly fall down upon their Faces, in fuch extraordinary Transports, they inwardly adore the Lord GOD in their Hearts, and acknowledge, that he is with his Church of a Truth. May Inftances of this Kind be more frequent, and may the Spirituality and Fervour with which Divine Ordinances shall be adminiftred, be such as may afford more Reason to expect them! Let us regard GOD, as the Author, not of Confufion, but of Peace; Ver. 33. making it our Concern to behave in his Sanctuary, in a Manner agreeable to this View; with fuch folemn Decorum, and with such a tender Regard to the Edification and Comfort of each other, as he may approve. May the GOD of Peace deliver Chriftians, of every Sect, and Rank, from that Spiritual Pride, which has thrown many religious Societies into great Disorder. And, to advance a State, so happy, as that of Humility and Love muft neceffarily be, may what the Apostles have written, Ver. 37. be acknowledged as the Commandments of the Lord; and Chriftian Worship, and Practice, be more regulated by their truly authentick Canons; which would render many that have been fince devised, relating to indifferent Matters, as unneceffary, as fome others are burthenfome, fuperftitious, and abfurd. VOL. IV. Bb b SECT. 378 Sect. 28. I Cor. XV. The Apoftle puts the Corinthians in Mind, The Apoftle enters on his Difcourfe concerning the Refurrection of the Dead; which he introduces with fome Remarks on the Certainty and Importance of Chrift's Refurrection. XV. 1,---11. I CORINTHIANS XV. I. CORINTHIANS XV. I. Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the Gofpel which I preached unto you, which alfo you have received, and wherein ye stand. HERE is one Topick more that remains fully 2 By which allo ye are faved, if ye keep in Me (a) Unworthy Hope.] It is well known, that the primitive Chriftians were often infulted by the Heathen Philofophers, for their Hope of a Refurrection; which one of them, ridicuJoufly enough, calls the Hope of Worms Compare 2 Tim. xi. 18. and the Note there. Others taught Virtue to be its own neceffary Reward, in fuch a Manner, as tended to overthrow the strongest of all natural Arguments for a future State; I mean, that taken from fuch an unequal Diftribution of Rewards and Punishments, as could not otherwise take Place under the Government of a righteous GOD. If Chriftians were by this tempted fo to refine on the Doctrine of the Refurrection, as in Effect to explain it away, it fhews the Propriety of the Apostle's fetting himself to prove the Refurrection of Chriftians rather than a Refurrection in general. (b) Retain 1 of the Evidence of the Refurrection of Chrift: mory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 2. 379 fully retain (b) thofe joyful Tidings which I deli- Sect. 28. vered unto you; unless indeed (c) ye have believed in vain: Which will certainly be the Cafe, if ye I Cor. XV. let go that great Anchor of your Soul, which must support it in the fierce Storms and Tempests, to which you will here be expofed. For I de- 3 livered to you among the firft [Principles,] which I inculcated, when I came to preach the Gospel among you, what I have also received (d), and been taught by Divine Inspiration, that Chrift died for cur Sins according to the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, in which he was foretold, and represented, as the great Sin-offering; (Ifai. liii. 6, 12. Dan. ix. 26.) And I alfo inftructed 4 you, that he was buried in a new Tomb; and that his dead Body was kept by a Guard of his Enemies but kept in vain, for to their Confufion, and the perpetual Establishment of the Faith and Hope of his humble Followers, he was raifed the third Day according to the Scriptures (e), which intimate that he should not fee Corruption in the Grave. (Pfak xvi. 10.) And in Confirmation 5 of this great Truth, I told you, that the fame Day that he rofe, he was feen first of Cephas, or Peter, to whom, that he might comfort his wounded Heart under its Sorrows for his late Fall, he condefcended to make his firft Appearance, excepting that to the Women at the Sepulchre; and (b) Retain.] So naleyfis evidently fignifies. To keep in Memory fuggefts a very inadequate Cenfe. (c) Unless indeed.] Exlosun is a very remarkable Form of Expreffion. Perhaps there may be more in it than moft Readers are aware. If I mistake not, it fuggefts the Thought exprefled Verfe 17. So the two first Verfes may be a Tranfition; as if he had faid, I preach the fame Gospel ftill, and I hope you will retain it; yet I have Reason to fear fome of you entertain Notions, which tend quite to enervate it. I Cor. xi. 23. (d) Received] For the Import of this Phrafe, fee Gal. i. 12. (e) Raised the third Day, according to the Scriptures.] It has been queried, where the Scriptures foretel, that Chrift fhould rife from the Dead on the third Day. Some think, there is a Tranfpofition, or Parenthefis, fo that the Meaning will be, he rofe again, according to the Scriptures; and this on the third Day. Chand. of Chriftianity, pag. 370. and fo Dr. Bullock replies, that he would have rifen according to the Scriptures, had it been on the fifth or tenth Day, (Bull. Vind. pag. 48.) But Mr. Jefferies, whom I follow in the Paraphrafe, gives what appeared to me the beft Solution, as it is intimated, John xi. 39. that Bodies began to corrupt on the fourth Day. See Jeff. Review, pag. 127. 6. 6 After that he was feen of above five hundred Bre thren at once: of whom the greater Part remain unto this prefent, but some are fallen asleep. (380 Who was feen by the Twelve, and above five hundred Brethren; Sect. 28. and afterwards he was feen by that Company who were called the twelve (f) Apostles, tho' fe1 Cor. XV. veral of the Number were then absent. Afterwards he appeared according to his repeated Appointments, to above five hundred Brethren at once (g) in Galilee, where he gave the most glorious and inconteftible Proof of the Reality of his Refurrection, in the Prefence of this great Concourfe, of whom the greater Part continue [alive] until now, and conftitute a Cloud of Witneffes to this important Truth; but fame are fallen afleep in Jefus, and gone to dwell with him, as the great Lord of Life. $7 7 After that, he was feem Apostles. And you may remember, I told you also, that after this he was feen of fames, and afterwards, of James: then of all the juft before his Afcenfion, by all the Apostles (b). 8. But last of all be also appeared to me, as to an Embrio, or one born out of due Time, a poor, weak, contemptible Creature, from whom nothing Good was 8 And laft of all he was feen of me alfo, as of one born out of due Time. is obferved bot "welve. It is certain neither Judas, nor Thomas, were there; and as it of the is obferved below, James might probably be abfent; but as the Council of twenty three among the Jews might be faid to be affembled, if the greater Part were prefent, tho' the Number might not be compleat; fo the Company might be called the twelve, tho' we fhould fuppofe the fourth Part to have been abfent. Compare Mark xvi. 14. Luke xxiv. 36. John xx. 26. (g) Above five Hundred.] Probably it was in Galilee, where there was fuch a Number of Difciples; the there were no more than an hundred and twenty at Jerufalem, when Matthias was chofen. Dr. Prideaux, Mr. Ditton, and many others, urge this as a glorious Proof of the Refurrection of Chrift. Had it been an Impofture, fo many falfe Hearts and Tongues could never have acted in Concert; nor would they all have kept a Secret, which Remorse, Intereft, and perhaps often Torture, might urge them to divulge; efpecially as there had been one Traitor among the twelve, on Account of which, had they been confcious of Fraud, a general Sufpicion of each other's Secrecy muft have arifen. See Prid. Lett. to a Deift, pag. 241. (b) By all the Apostles.] The Change of Phrafe, from that in the Conclufion of the 5th Verfe, is very remarkable; and as a very learned, candid, and fagacious Perfon, has fuggefted to me, it very probably intimates, that they who were there called the twelve, that is, the greater Part of the Company who used to be fo denominated, were not all the Apof tles. On which Circumftance this Gentleman grounds a very probable Conjecture, that James might by fome Accident, perhaps Illness, or Affairs indifpenfably neceffary, be detained from meeting his Brethren, both on the Day of the Refurrection, and that Day Seventh-night, and likewife at the Time when Chrift appeared to the five Hundred; and that he might in this Refpect, be upon a Level with them, our Lord appeared to him alone, after all the Appearances mentioned before. And this Account of the Matter appears vaftly more credible, than that which St. Jerome quotes from the Gospel of the Nazarenes, that on the Death of Chrift, James made a Vow, that he would neither eat nor drink, till he faw Chrift rifen. from the Dead: an Event, of which the Apoftles had certainly no Expecta tion. |
