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A. D 57.

16. Know ye not 16. Let your new and false that ye are the temple Teachers moreover confider, that of God, and that the the Chriftian Church is the TemSpirit of God dwelleth ple of God, in a much higher in you? Senfe than the Jewish Temple ever was; and that the fame God who formerly manifefted himself among the Jewish People, and was faid to dwell in their Temple, does now, in a much more eminent and effectual Manner, dwell in you as his Chriftian Church, by the fuller Infpirations, Powers and Evidences of the Holy Spirit.

17. If any man defile the temple of God, him fhall God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which temple

ye are.

17. Now to teach a falfe Doctrine, and thereby to divide, and break the Peace of the Chriftian Church, especially if it be done wilfully and knowingly, is to defile the Church of GOD; a Crime profaning the Courts or Services of Such a Man cannot escape a final

much greater than
the Jewish Temple.
and most dreadful Punishment.

18. Let no man de-
ceive himself: If any
man among you feem
eth to be wife in this
world, let him become
a fool, that he may
be wife.

11. Beware then, and let none of your Teachers draw you or himself into fo fatal a Miscarriage, by their Philofophy, Eloquence, or vain Traditions. If they pretend to Wisdom above other Men, let them fhow it, by embracing the plain and fimple Truths of Chriftianity, which, as mean and foolish as they are now apt to account them, will at last prove to be their highest Wisdom, and their greatest Intereft and Concern. 19. For the wisdom

of this world is foolifhnefs with God: for it is written, He tak eth the wife in their eth the wife in their 20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wife, that they are vain.

own craftiness.

Difpenfation, God has plainly de19 & 20. Since by this Gofpelmonftrated the Folly and Infufficiency of all human Learning and Subtlety for the Salvation of Mankind; agreeable to thofe Words of Job v. 13. and of Pfal. xciv.

II.

21 & 22.

21. Therefore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours, 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, things to come; all

or

21 & 22. Wherefore do not a- A. D. 57. ny longer divide and diftinguish yourfelves under different Teachers and Parties. All the true Minifters of Chrift, and all that concerns the Salvation of Mankind, belongs equally to you all. Paul and Apollos, and Peter are Apoftles to you all. The World * was made for you all, Gentiles as well Jews. You were all defigned by God to live and die to the fame happy Ends and Purposes. The Comforts and Privileges, Afflictions and Troubles of the prefent Life, and the future Joys of the next, are the intended Portion of you all alike.

are yours;

23. And ye are Chrifts; and Chrift is Gods.

23. And if fo, the chief Matter of your glorying ought to be, not any new Teachers, or new Opinions; but this, that you are Members of the Church of Christ, the common Author of all our Bleffings; and that you are all his peculiar Church and People, as he is the Son of God, and by him appointed to be the Redeemer, Saviour and Governor of Mankind.

*Ver. 22. "Els nósu, Or the World. Note, the Jews vainly imagined the World was created for the Seed and Pofterity of Abraham only. Against which Fancy this feems plainly to be levell'd.

CHA P. IV.

The CONTENTS.

The Apostle again declares he aims at no peculiar Respect as the Head of a Party. Defires only to be efteemed as an Apoftle, and faithful Minifter of the Gospel. Is not afraid of the Cenfures caft upon him; and is fo far from rafhly judging other Men, that he will not abfolutely justify himself, tho' he be not confcious of any Neg

Y 4

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A. D. 57:

1.

lect of his Office. Exhorts them to let Chrift judge his own Minifters. He argues with the Heads of their Faction. Reprefents their Pride and Vain-Glory, and his own Labours, Sufferings and Patience. Recommends himself and his Doctrine to them, for their Imitation and Practice. Propofes to fend Timothy to them, to give them ftill further Affurances how conftant he was to himself and them. And threatens those who suggested, He dare not make his perfonal Appearance among them.

L'

ET a man fo account of us, as of the minifters of Chrift, and ftewards of the mysteries of

God.

I.

AST difcourage and dif

countenance all Gospel Minifters *, from fetting up for Leaders of Parties, fo do I fully practife this Leffon my felf. For I defire to be called Mafter by no People whatever; all I aim at is, to be esteemed and refpected as what I really am, viz. an Apostle of Christ, a Steward intrusted by him, to dispense and preach the Gospel Doctrine.

2. Moreover, it is
required in stewards
that a man be found
faithful.
you.

3. But with me it
is a very small thing
that I fhould be judg-
ed of you, or of mans
judgment: yea, Ijudge

2. And as the chief good Property of a Steward is to be faithful in his Office, that is the only Character I defire to have among

3. And though fome of your ambitious Teachers would infinuate to you, as if I were not fo, it gives me no great Pain what they or any other People judge of me, fo I be but fincere and true in the Sight of God. In the mean Time, I fhall be fo far from imitating their Practice, of rafhly cenfuring other Men, that I will not prefume fo much as to an abfolute Juftification of my self.

not mine own felf.

4. For I know nothing by my felf, yet am not I hereby juftified: but he that judg

eth me is the Lord.

4. For though I am not confcious, I have any Way wilfully neglected or betrayed my Truft as an Apoftle, yet I fhall not infift upon that, to justify myself to

Chap. iii.

you

you at present, but leave it to God to declare my Since- A. D. 57. rity at the great Day of Accounts.

5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of dark nefs, and will make manifeft the counfels of the hearts, and then fhall every man have praise of God.

5. Do you all then follow my Example herein, pafs Sentence neither upon me, nor any of you fpiritual Minifters, but wait for that folemn Day of Tryal, in which Chrift will come and lay us all open; and may perhaps how thofe to be innocent and faithful whom you may now efteem otherwife; and difcover abundance of fecret Frauds and hypocritical Pretences in fome Perfons you now fo highly magnify and extol. And as he will then set an Estimate upon every one according to his real Deferts, 'tis to no Purpofe for you to load them with vain Applaufes now.

6. And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to my felf, and to Apollos, for your fakes: that ye might learn in us not to think of men, above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

7. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what halt thou that thou didft not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why doft thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?

6. I have thus made use of my
own Name and that of Apollos,
mine and your Friend, as the
moft proper Inftances in the pre-
fent Argument. I name no other
of your Heads and Teachers, that
I may offend and exafperate none.
But I hope fince we difclaim all
Titles of Diftinction among you;
others may well be fo modeft as
not thus to magnify themselves a-
ny longer.

7. For let me ask those mighty
Pretenders a little further. Sup-
pofe you really had fuch spiritual
Gifts and Endowments as exceed-
ed mine; did you not receive
them from the fame Holy Spirit
mine to me? But
gave
your
infulting and proud Behaviour
looks as if you thought them your

that

own, attain'd by your own Parts and Learning, and that you were not beholden to God at all for them.

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A. D. 57:

8. You abound much in your own Wisdom; you esteem yourfelves rich in Knowledge, you have no Need (you think) of my Affiftance in the Miniftry; but seem to rule and reign in the utmoft Profperity without me. I

8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us, and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

only wish you were truly profperous and flourishing in the Concerns of true Religion, that I might come and partake of your Happiness.

9. For I think that God hath fet forth us

the apostles, laft, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a fpectacle unto the world, and to angels,

and to men.

to be brought laft

9. But while you thus flourish and triumph; my Portion is to be defpifed and flighted; the true Apoftles of Chrift are the Marks of the Malice of evil Spirits, and of evil Men; to them we are expofed, like thofe poor Criminals* among the Romans that were wont upon the Theatre, either to fight

with wild Beafts, or with the Gladiators, or else to be thrown naked and difarmed to their Adverfaries; and so were sure to be destroyed by them.

10. We are fools

for Chrifts fake, but ye are wife in Chrift: we are weak, but ye are ftrong; ye are honourable, but we are defpifed.

10. I am called ignorant and illiterate for preaching the plain Articles of the Chriftian Faith; while you from your deep Speculations, and Traditions, glory in the Titles of wife Men and Philofophers. I am counted a mean imperfect † Teacher, am fubject to Reproaches and † Sufferings; you are efteemed confummate and happy ones; and while you are honoured, I am fet at nought.

11. Even unto this

prefent hour we both
hunger and thirst, and

are

II. You live in a rich and plentiful City, while I am forced to travel from Place to Place, and

The Gladiators, called by the Greeks devoted to certain Death upon the Stage.

endure

Davalos, Men

+ Ver. 10. 'Adeeves weak. 'Aérea, fignifies either Infirmities, or Suffering, in St. Paul's Epiftles. It not being certain which it means here, I have expreffed both Senses.

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