tuted the heirs of God, and joint-beirs with Chrift Jefus, of an beavenly inheritance. The Romans would perfectly understand him-and his words would have all their effect upon their minds, when he told them, that they had not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear, but that they had, through the benignity of God in the gofpel difpenfation, received the spirit of adoption, and could, with liberal and filial confidence, cry out, Abba, father.-In like manner, before we defcend to a critical examen of the Epiftles to the Corinthians, it will be proper to reflect, what Corinth was celebrated for, and what principally distinguished that renowned city. - Now, moft antient writers make mention of its abandoned. luxury and effeminacy, and in their hiftorical monuments eternize its profligacy, voluptuousness and debauchery. Euripides calls it the city of Venus. And Strabo fays, that the temple of Venus was fo opulent, as, in honour of the Goddess, to maintain above a thousand prostitutes, whom both fexes joined in dedicating to her †. Hence we fee with what peculiar propriety it is, that St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, uses every argument and perfuafive to deter them from debauchery, and to guard them against the fen * fuality * Ακρον Κορινθον Ιερον οχθον πολιν Αφροδίτας. Furipides apud Strabonem, p. 379. Paris 1620. + Το, τε της Αφροδίτης ἱερὸν ουτω πλουσιον ὑπῆρξεν, ώσε πλείους η χιλιας ἱερόδουλους εκέκτητο έταιρας, ὡς ανε τίθησαν τη Θεῳ και ανδρες και γυναικές. Strabo, k 8. p. 378. fuality and licentioufnefs of the place in which they lived. He again and again declaims against libidinous indulgences. Every page is full of the most warm and pathetic admonitions, to fly thefe fatal exceffes; and his epiftles to this people, more than all his other writings, abound with remonftrances against luft and diffolutenefs-for the Apoftle knew, that the Goddess of pleasure reigned at Corinth, that it was a scene of almoft univerfal riot and revel, and he wifely adapted his instructions to the genius and manners of its inhabitants. We learn also from history, that the Ifthmian games were celebrated in the vicinity of Corinth. Thefe were folemnized every fifth year in honour of Neptune, and a vast concourse of people from all Greece, on this occafion, affembled at the Ifthmus, on which Corinth was fituated. At thefe games great numbers of Combatants, who were previously prepared by a regular and strict regimen, for this arduous contention, entered the lifts, and generously vied with each other, in various exercifes, for the envied palm. With what an elegant and beautiful propriety is it then, that the Apoftle addreffes the Corinthians, in whofe neighbourhood thefe games were folemnized, in the following terms. Know ye not, that they who run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain; and every man that friveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible erown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore fo run, not 317 not as uncertainly, fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection: left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself fhould be a caft-away. These are all agonistic terms, beautifully applied to our vigorous contention in the Christian raceand fuch an addrefs to the Corinthians was quite in character, and properly introduced with Know ye not, for every citizen in Corinth was perfectly acquainted with every minute circumftance of this most splendid and pompous folemnity.-With regard to the Epistle to the Ephefians also, we know that the temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the most fuperb and magnificent edifices the world ever faw. Antient authors are lavish in their descriptions of the grandeur and stateliness of the pile, and the various decorations and embellishments that diftinguished it. How elegantly allufive and finely conceived, therefore, is the following figurative addrefs to the Ephefians, of which every one of them muft peculiarly feel the ftriking force and moment: Ye are built upon the foundation of the apoftles and prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner ftone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an HOLY TEMPLE in the Lord; in whom ye alfo are builded together, for an HABITATION OF GOD, through the spirit. The imagery is taken from their temple, and is not only diftinguishingly proper, confidering their local fituation, but hath, moreover, a fingular elegance and fublimity, as a metaphorical metaphorical defcription of the Chriftian Church, which, in allufion to a temple, is here reprefented, as having the Apostles and Prophets for its foundation, Jefus Chrift for the chief corner tone, and the structure, as confifting of various parts, but combined into one harmonious and magnificent fabric, facred to God, and inhabited and poffeffed with the fulness of the Divinity. A CHRO No. I. A Chronological TABLE of the facred books of the New Teftament, according to Dr. Lardner, Before the end of 62 Before the end of 62 52 52 56 About May 61 I Timothy Macedonia 2 Timothy Rome Macedonia, or near it Before the end of 56 Rome Titus Philemon Before the end of 62 No. II. A Chronological TABLE of the Evangelifts, according to Dr. Henry Owen. |