286

The Apoftle again fays, that Marriage was then inexpedient.

Sect. 13. Compofure and Satisfaction of our own Spirit now, as well as in thefe abundant Rewards, which the Lord hath laid up for them who fear him.

26.

The Apoftle treats on the Inexpediency of Marriage, in the Circumftances of the Church at that Juncture; and inculcates a ferious Senfe of the Shortness of Time, as the beft Remedy against immoderate Attachment to any fecular Intereft. I Cor. VII. 25, to the End.

I CORINTHIANS VII. 25.

I CORINTHIANS VII. 25.

NOW concerning Virgins, I have no Commandment of the Lord: Yet I give my Judgment as one that hath obtained Mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

Sect. 14. BUT I have been infenfibly led by thefe general Views of our Obligations and Hopes, I Cor. VII. as Chriftians, to digrefs from the Subject of Marriage, which I had firft in View, and to which it is Time I should return. And here, concerning the Cafe of Virgins of either Sex, I have received no exprefs Commandment from the Lord, as I had in the Cafe handled above; whether by what is tranfmitted to us in Chrift's Difcourfes, or by any immediate and perfonal Revelation (a); neverthelefs I give my Opinion, as one who hath received Grace and Mercy of the Lord, to be faithful in the great Charge he hath committed to me; and therefore, confidering the many Inftances, in which I have been enabled to approve my Fidelity to Chrift and his Church, may expect to be 26 heard with fome peculiar Regard. I apprebend this therefore to be right and good in the prefent this is good for the prefent Exigency (b) and Extremity of Affairs, while

the

26 I fuppofe therefore that

Diftrefs,

(a) Or by immediate and perfonal Revelation.] To this, I think, he refers, rather than the former, as he speaks in the fingular Number; whereas elfe he might more properly have faid, we have received none.

(b) Prefent Exigency.] This muft certainly refer to the Prevalency of Perfecution at that

Times

27 Art thou bound unto a Wife? Seek not to he from a Wife? Seek not a

loofed. Art thou loofed

Wife.

287

Ad- I Cor. VII.

27.

He would have them not attached to any fecular Intereft; Distress, I fay, that it is the Church is in fuch a State of Perfecution, that Sect. 14. good for a Man fo to be. [it is] beft for a single Man to continue as he is. Art thou indeed bound to a Wife already? my vice affects not thee; in that Cafe bear patiently whatever Burthens may occur, and feek not to be loofed from her by an irregular and fcandalous Divorce or Separation. But, on the other Hand, art thou loofed from a Wife? Hath Providence never led thee into thofe Engagements, or has it broken the Bond by the Death of thy former Companion? If thou canst conveniently and virtuously continue as thou art, feek not a Wife at present, till the Storm, which now hovers over the Church, be a little blown over, and more

peaceful Times return. Yet if theu doft marry,
thou hast not thereby finned; and if a Virgin
marry, he bath not finned; the Marriage-ftate is
no Doubt both lawful and honourable; yet fuch
will have probably, fome additional Affliction in
the Flesh; they will be encumbered with the Bur-
then of many temporal Affairs: And the Repre-
fentation which I make to you of thefe Things,
is not out of Severity, but Tenderness; as I would
fain Spare you, and fpeak on the whole, in this-
gentle and cautious Manner on the Subject,, to
avoid Extreams either the one Way,, or the
other.

But this I fay, Brethren, with
great Confi-
dence; and defire you would hear it with due
Attention; that the whole Time of our Abode in.
this World. is contracted (c) within very narrow
Limits;.

Time; for nothing can be more abfurd, than to imagine, that an infpired Apostle would in the general, discountenance Marriage; confidering that it was expressly agreeable to a Divine Institution, and of great Importance to the Existence and Happiness of all future

Generations.

(c) Contracted.] The Word ons, properly imports this, being,. (as many have obferved,) a Metaphor, taken from furling or gathering up a Sail. Dr. Hammond, and fome others, would render this, it is but a little while, and they, that have Wives, fhall be, as the' they had none. That is, "I fee thofe Times of Perfecution rifing, which will put: "Men out of a Capacity of enjoying thofe temporal Delights, which they may now be "fondeft of." But this does not feem an exact Translation, tho' L' Enfant mentions it with confiderable Regard.

4

28

29;

288

29.

That they might without Anxiety ferve the Lord.

30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as tho' they poffeffed not;

Sect. 14. Limits; it remains therefore, that we guard It remaineth, that both they against too fond an Attachment to any Relation that have Wives, be as 1 Cor. VII. or Poffeflion in Life: So, that they, who have though they had none; Wives, be in a Manner, as if they had none; 30 And they that weep, as not weeping in Streams of inconfolable Sorrow, tho' Nature may be allowed to drop its moderate Tear; and they that rejoice, as not rejoicing in diffolute and confident Sallies of Mirth, as if fecure from any diftrefsful Revolution; and they that purchase, as not poffeffing by a certain Tenure what they must shortly 31 refign;. And they who use this World, as not carrying the Enjoyments of it to an unbridled Excefs; for the whole Scheme and Fashion of this World paffes off (d), and is gone like a Scene in a Theatre that prefently fhifts; or a Pageant in fome publick Proceffion, which how gawdily foever it be adorned to strike the Eyes of Spectators, is still in Motion, and prefently difappears, to fhew itself for a few Moments to others. So tranfitory are all our Enjoyments, and Afflictions too, and worthy of little Regard, when compared with the folid Realities, which are foon to open upon us, and never to pafs away.

32

33

But I would have you without Anxiety, while you continue here amidst all these Uncertainties; and therefore it is, I advife you in prefent Cir cumftances to decline Marriage, if you conveniently can. For an unmarried Man careth for the Things of the Lord Jefus Chrift, how he may pleafe the Lord, and is in a great Degree at Leisure to employ his Thoughts and Schemes and Labours, for the Advancement of the Redeemer's Kingdom among Men, and fure there is no other Employment fo honourable, fo delightful, and when remote Confequences are taken into the Account, fo profitable: Whereas be, who is married, careth for the Things of the World, how he may maintain his Family, and how he may pleafe [his] Wife,

and

31 And they that use this World, as not abufing it: World paffeth away.

For the Fashion of this

32 But I would have you without Carefulness. He that is unmarried, careth for the Things that belong to the Lord, how he may pleafe the Lord:

But he that is mar33

ried, careth for the Things

that are of the World how

he may please his Wife.

(d) Fashion of this World paffes off.] Exqua Trapayer. Compare 1 John ii. 17.

(e) There

Now they that are married, care for the World. A

34

289

and fo accommodate himself to her Temper, as to Sect. 142
make her eafy and happy. On the other Hand;
there is juft fuch a Difference between the Condi- 1Cor VII.
tion of a Wife and a Virgin (e). She, who is un-
married, is careful about the Things of the Lord,
that she may be holy both in Body and Spirit. She
has Leifure to attend to the higher Improvement
of Religion in her own Soul, by the more abun-
dant Exercifes of Devotion, as well as to do
fomething more for the Advancement of Reli-
gion among others; whereas he that is married,
careth for the Things of the World, how she may
pleafe [ber] Husband (f); and the Diversity of
Humours both in Men and Women, and the Im-
perfection of even the best Tempers, make this
fometimes on both Sides a difficult Talk; on
which Account fingle Perfons have always fome
confiderable Advantages, which are especially ap-
parent in these Times of publick Danger.

But all this I fay for your own Benefit, with a 35
fincere Defire to promote your Happiness
not that I may throw a Snare upon you (g), and
bind you from that, which God for wife Rea-
fons inftituted, and allows, and which the
State of human Nature generally requires;
but out of Regard to what is to be fure very
comely (b) and decent in the Lord, without

any

spiral with the

(e) There is juft fuch a Difference, &c.] Some would connect the Word Clofe of the preceding Verfe, and render it," He that is married cares, &c. how he may "please his Wife, and is divided in his Thoughts, or distracted with a Variety of Anxieties, But this would occasion an unneceffary Ellipfis in the Beginning of this Verfe, and deftroy the Refemblance between the Conclufion of the two Verfes, when it is evident the Apoftle meant to say the fame of both the Husband and Wife.

(f) How She may pleafe her Husband.] The Apofle, in this Text, and the Counter-part to it, feems to declare, that fingle Perfons of either Sex, have generally Opportunities for Devotion, beyond those that are married, even in the moft peaceful Times of the Church; and that a Diverfity of Humours, both in Men and Women, makes it difficult for them. to please each other fo thoroughly, as is neceffary, in Order to make a' married Life delightful. So that it intimates a Counfel to Single People, to value and improve their Advantages, and to married People, to watch against thofe Things that would enfnare them, and injure their mutual Peace and Comfort.

(g) Not that I may throw a Snare upon you.] This 'is the moft literal Verfion I could give of Bpoxov vai Barw. Mr. Locke thinks the Word Broxo, which fignifies Cord, alludes to the Jewish Phrafe of binding what was declared unlawful.

(b) Comely: evoxnuov.] This feems to intimate, that they were now in a Circumstance, VOL. IV.

in

200

He that gives a young Perfon in Marriage, does well; Sect. 14. eny violent Conftraint (i), by which I might feem

35:

to drag you into a State of Life, which fhould

I Cor. VII. make you continually uneafy: For that would quite fpoil its Gracefulness as well as Acceptance, and might plunge you into much greater Incon veniencies another Way.

36

But on the other Hand, if any on mature Deliberation apprehend, that he acts an unbecoming Part towards his Virgin Daughter, or any other Maiden, that may fall under his Guardianship and Care, if he pass the Flower of [ber] Age in a fingle State (k); which, I know, is an Opinion. very prevalent among the Jews; and if he think, that it ought to be jo, let him do what he will in this Refpect; he hath not finned in his Intent of letting her change her prefent Condition; and therefore

let

36 But if any Man think that he behaveth himself

uncomely towards his Virgin, if the pafs the Flower of her Age, and Need fo require, let him do what Let them marry:

he will, he finneth not:

in which God did, as it were, exact a peculiar Severity from all their Thoughts; and that
it was a Time to think of the Trials of Martyrdom, rather than the Endearment of human
I was
Paffions.

f) Without any violent Conflraint.] Apaws, is rendered in our Tranflation by the Addition of feveral Words, that ye may attend on the Lord without Diftraction. But Sir Norton Knatchbull has convinced me, that the Verfion here given is much preferable to ours.

tr

(k) Paft the Flower of her Age, &c.] There is hardly any Paffage in the Epiftie, about the Senfe of which I have been more perplexed, than about this; and I am ftill far from being fatisfied concerning it. I had once tranflated it, " If any one thinks, that he acts an unbecoming Part, by continuing in his fingle State, till he be paft the Flower of his Age,-let "them marry, he that marrieth does well, &c." and had paraphrafed the Words accordingly. And what induced me to this was, that Verfe 37. the Apostle puts the Iffue of the Matter on the Stedfaftnefs of his own Mind, the Power he had over his own Will, and his having no Neceffity; whereas if a Daughter, or a Ward, were in Queftion, her Inclinations, Temper and Conveniency were certainly to be confulted; and it would be the fame, if the Virgin fpoken of, was one, to whom the Man was himself engaged. But it is really doing, fuch Violence to the Original, to render Ixper Inv saules aptvor, keep himself fingle, or keep his own Virginity; and to render xyou, he that marries; that after long Deliberation I chose to abide by our own Verfion; efpecially fince it agrees with most of thofe I have had, an Opportunity of confulting. And if this be admitted, I think it must be taken for granted, that when the Apoftle fpeaks of this Man's having no. Neceffity, he means to take in whatever might urge him to difpofe of her in Marriage,, whether in her Temper and Inclinar tions, or in their domeftick Circumstances. As for Heinfius's Opinion,." that ax

In wapbrov, fignifies, to incur Shame by Reafon of his Virgin;, meaning, if a Man apprehend, that his Daughter will difhonour his Family by Fornication, he will do prudently to marry her: I think the above mentioned Objection lies equally against this Interpretation. But if the Alexandrine Reading of yauta, instead of you, be admitted, it may deferve Confideration, whether the whole Paffage may not refer to the Cafe of a Contract be tween a Man and a young Maiden, the Accomplishment, or Diffolution, of which might,. in fome imaginable Circumftances, depend very much on the Conduct of the Man, as he feemed to urge, or decline, the bringing it into Effect.