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to play.

some of them also tempted,

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8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Ver. 14. Exod. xxxii. 6. Ch. vi. 18. Rev. ii. 14.- Namb. xxv. 1, 9. Ps. cvi. 29.— -e Exod. xvii. 27. Numb. xxi. 5. Deut. vi. 16. Ps. lxxviii. 18, 56. xcv. 9.

the same spirit the Corinthians had most evidently fallen; they lusted after the flesh in the idol feasts, and therefore frequented them to the great scandal of Christianity. The apostle shows them that their sin was of the same nature as that of the murmuring rebellious Israelites whom God so severely punished; and if he did not spare the natural branches, there was no likelihood that he should spare them.

Verse 7. Neither be ye idolaters] The apostle considers partaking of the idolatrous feasts as being real ae's of idolatry; because those who offered the flesh to their gods considered them as feeding invisibly with them on the flesh thus offered, and that every one that partook of the feast was a real participator with the god to whom the flesh or animal had been offered in sacrifice. See ver. 21.

Rae up to play.] See the note on Exod. xxxii. 6. The Jews generally explain this word as implying res acts only: I have considered it as implying acts of impurity, with which idolatrous acts were often accompanied. It also means those dances which were practised in honour of their gods. That this is one meaning of the verb maižti, Kypke has largely proved The whole idolatrous process was as follows: 1. The proper victim was prepared and set apart. 2. It was slain, and its blood poured out at the altar of the deity. 3. The flesh was dressed, and the priests and offerers feasted on it, and thus endeavoured to establish a communion between themselves and the object of their worship. 4. After eating, they had idolatrous dances in honour of their god; ard, 5. as might be expected, impure mixtures, in consequence of those dances. The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play; and it is in reference to this issue of idolatrous feasts and dancings that the apostle immediately subjoins: Neither let us commit FORNICATION, &c.

Verse 8. Fell in one day three and twenty thousand.] In Numb. xxv. 9, the number is 24,000; and, allowing this to be the genuine reading (and none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading in the pace), Moses and the apostle may be thus reconciled: Numb. xxv. 4, God commands Moses to take all the heads (the rulers) of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun; these possibly amounted to 1000, and those who fell by the plague were 23,000, so that the whole amounted to 24,000. Instead of coopers Xixiadeç, 23,000, two MSS., with the later Syriae and the Armenian, have εικοσιτεσσα

as

and

pents.

were destroyed of ser

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some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto

cvi. 14.- fNumb. xxi. 6. Exod. xvi. 2. xvii. 2. Numb. xiv. 2, 29. xvi. 41.- h Numb. xiv. 37. xvi. 49.- Exod. xii. 23. 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. 1 Chron. xxi. 15.

pes xiλiades, 24,000; but this authority is too slender to establish a various reading, which recedes so much from the received text. I think the discordance may be best accounted for by supposing, as above, that Phineas and his companions might have slain 1000 men, who were heads of the people, and chief in this idolatry; and that the plague sent from the Lord destroyed 23,000 more; so an equal number to the whole tribe of Levi perished in one day, who were just 23,000. See Numb. xxvi. 62 ; and see Lightfoot.

Verse 9. Neither let us tempt Christ] I have already supposed, in the note on ver. 4, that Christ is intended by the spiritual rock that followed them: and that it was He, not the rock, that did follow or accompany the Israelites in the wilderness. This was the angel of God's presence who was with the church in the wilderness, to whom our fathers would not obey, as St. Stephen says, Acts vii. 38 and 39. Instead of Xorov, Christ, several MSS. and a few Versions have Kupov, the Lord, and some few Otov, God. But though some respectable MSS. have the Lord instead of Christ, yet this latter has the greatest proportion of authority on its side. And this affords no mean proof that the person who is called Yehovah in the Old Testament, is called Christ in the New. By tempting Christ is meant disbelieving the providence and goodness of God; and presuming to prescribe to him how he should send them the necessary supplies, and of what kind they should be, &c.

Verse 10. Neither murmur ye] How the Israelites murmured because of the manna, which their souls despised as a light bread-something incapable of affording them nourishment, &c, and because they had been brought out of Egypt into the wilderness, and pretended that the promises of God had failed; and how they were destroyed by serpents, and by the destroyer or plague; may be seen at large in the texts referred to in the margin on this and the preceding verses. It appears, from what the apostle says here, that the Corinthians were murmuring against God and his apostle for prohibiting them from partaking of the idolatrous feasts, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness in reference to a similar subject. See the history of Phineas, with Zimri and Cosbi, and the rebellion of Corah and his company, &c. &c.

Destroyed of the destroyer.] The Jews suppose that God employed destroying angels to punish those rebellious Israelites; they were five in number, and

Christians must flee

C

d

standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but

f

k

from idolatry.

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15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye

I say.

what

one of them they call n Meshachith, the destroyer; which appears to be another name for Samael, the angel of death, to whose influence they attribute all deaths which are not uncommon or violent. Those who die violent deaths, or deaths that are not in the common manner of men, are considered as perishing by immediate judgments from God.

Verse 11. Upon whom the ends of the world are come.] Τα τελη των αιώνων The end of the times included within the whole duration of the Mosaic economy. For although the word atov means, in its primary sense, endless being, or duration; yet, in its accommodated sense, it is applied to any round or duration that is complete in itself: and here it evidently means the whole duration of the Mosaic economy. Thus, therefore," says Dr. Lightfoot, " the apostle speaks in this place that those things, which were transacted in the beginning of the Jewish ages, are written for an example to you upon whom the ends of those ages are come; and the beginning is like to the end, and the end to the beginning. Both were forty years; both consisted of temptation and unbelief; and both ended in the destruction of the unbelievers-that, in the destruction of those who perished in the wilderness; this, in the destruction of those that believed not: viz. the destruction of their city and nation." The phrase soph yomaiya, the end of days, says the Targum of Jerusalem, Gen. iii. 15, means x xɔbo‍t "pra beyomoi demalca Meshicha, in the days of the King Messiah. We are to consider the apostle's words as referring to the end of the Jewish dispensation and the commencement of the Christian, which is the last dispensation which God will vouchsafe to man in the state of probation.

Verse 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth] 'o doкwv έoravaι Let him who most confidently standeth -him who has the fullest conviction in his own conscience that his heart is right with God, and that his mind is right in the truth, take heed lest he fall from his faith, and from the state of holiness in which the grace of God has placed him. I have already shown that the verb doke, which we render to seem, to think, to suppose, is used by the best Greek writers, not to lessen or weaken the sense, but to render it stronger and more emphatic. See the note on Luke viii. 18.

In a state of probation every thing may change; while we are in this life we may stand or fall: our standing in the faith depends on our union with God; and that depends on our watching unto prayer, and continuing to possess that faith that worketh by love. The highest saint under heaven can stand no longer than he depends upon God and continues in the obedience of faith. He that ceases to do so will fall into sin, and get a darkened understanding and a hardened heart: and he may continue in this state till God come to take away his soul. Therefore, let him who most assuredly standeth, take heed lest he fall; not only partially, but finally.

Verse 13. But such as is common to man] Av0pwVog Chrysostom has properly translated this word ανθρωπινος, τουτεστι μικρος, βραχύς, σύμμετρος, that is, small, short, moderate. Your temptations or trials have been but trifling in comparison of those endured by the Israelites; they might have been easily resisted and overcome. Besides, God will not suffer you to be tried above the strength he gives you; but as the trial comes, he will provide you with sufficient strength to resist it; as the trial comes in, he will make your way out. The words are very remarkable, toinσel ovv Ty Tεlpaσμų kaι тηy erßariv, "He will, with the temptation, make the deliverance, or way out." Satan is never permitted to block up our way, without the providence of God making a way through the wall. God ever makes a breach in his otherwise impregnable fortification. Should an upright soul get into difficulties and straits, he may rest assured that there is a way out, as there was a way in; and that the trial shall never be above the strength that God shall give him to bear it.

Verse 14. Wherefore-flee from idolatry.] This is a trial of no great magnitude; to escape from so gross a temptation requires but a moderate portion of grace and circumspection.

Verse 15. I speak as to wise men] The Corinthians valued themselves not a little on their wisdom and various gifts; the apostle admits this, and draws an argument from it against themselves. As ye are so wise? surely ye can see the propriety of abominating idolatry of every kind: for an idol is nothing in the world, and can do nothing for you and nothing against you.

Verse 16. The cup of blessing] The apostle speaks

The nature and design

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Christ?

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17 For we, being many, are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.

18 Behold Israel after the flesh: dare not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

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21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

here of the Eucharist, which he illustrates by the * 1 cos_habberacah, cup of blessing, over which thanks were expressed at the conclusion of the passover. See this largely explained at the conclusion of the notes on Matt. xxvj., and in my Discourse upon the Eucharist, 8vo. 2nd edit. 1814.

The communion of the blood of Christ?] We who partake of this sacred cup, in commemoration of the death of Christ, are made partakers of his body and blood, and thus have fellowship with him; as those who partake of an idol feast, thereby, as much as they can, participate with the idol, to whom the sacrifice was offered. This I have proved at large in the above tract to which I must refer the reader, as the subject is too voluminous to be inserted here.

Verse 17. For we, being many, are one bread] The original would be better translated thus: Because there is one bread, or loaf, we, who are many, are one body. As only one loaf was used at the passover, and those who partook of it were considered to be ae religious body; so we who partake of the eucharistical bread and wine, in commemoration of the sacrificial death of Christ, are one spiritual society, because we are all made partakers of that one Christ whose blood was shed for us to make an atonement for our sins; as the blood of the paschal lamb was shed and sprinkled in reference to this of which it

was the type.

Verse 18. Behold Israel after the flesh] The Jews not yet converted to Christianity: the latter being Irael after the Spirit. As the design of the apostle was to withdraw his converts at Corinth from all temptations to idolatry, he produces two examples to show the propriety of his endeavours. 1. All who join together in celebrating the Lord's supper, and e partakers of that one bread, give proof by this that they are Christians, and have fellowship with Christ. 2. All the Israelites who offer sacrifice, and partake of those sacrifices, give proof thereby that they are Jews, and are in fellowship with the object of their worship: so they who join in idol festivals, and eat things which have been offered to idols, give proof that they are in communion with those

idolaters, and that they have fellowship with the demons they worship.

Verse 19. What say I then?] A Jewish phrase for, I conclude; and this is his conclusion: that although an idol is nothing, has neither power nor influence, nor are things offered to idols any thing the worse for being thus offered; yet, as the things sacrificed by the Gentiles are sacrificed to demons and not to God, those who partake of them have fellowship with demons: those who profess Christianity cannot have fellowship both with Christ and the devil.

Verse 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord] It is in vain that you who frequent these idol festivals profess the religion of Christ, and commemorate his death and passion in the Holy Eucharist; for you cannot have that fellowship with Christ which this ordinance implies while you are partakers of the table of demons. That the Gentiles, in their sacrifices, fed on the slain beasts, and ate bread and drank wine in honour of their gods, is sufficiently clear from various accounts. See my Discourse on the Holy Eucharist, where many examples are produced. The following from Virgil, Æn. viii., verse 179-273, is proof in point:

Tum lecti juvenes certatim aræque sacerdos
Viscera tosta ferunt taurorum, onerantque canistris
Dona laboratæ Cereris, Bacchumque ministrant.
Vescitur Æneas simul et Trojana juventus

Perpetui tergo bovis et lustralibus extis.-
Quare agite, o juvenes, tantarum in munere laudum,
Cingite fronde comas, et pocula porgite dextris,
Communemque vocate Deum, et date vina volentes.
The loaves were served in canisters; the wine
In bowls; the priests renewed the rites divine:
Broiled entrails are their food, and beef's con-
tinued chine.

Ye warlike youths, your heads with garlands crown,
Fill high the goblets with a sparkling flood,
And with deep draughts invoke our common god.

Verse 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?] All idolatry is represented as a sort of spiritual adultery ;

We must be cautious

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24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 25 b Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

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28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not, *for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience

in Hindoo houses, and with it they rub their bodies, and occasionally sip a drop, regarding it as the water of life.-See Ward.

Asking no question for conscience sake] Dr. Lightfoot observes, that "the Jews were vexed with innumerable scruples in their feasts, as to the eating of the thing, as well as to the company with which they

Verse 23. All things are lawful for me] I may lawfully eat all kinds of food, but all are not expedient; ov wavra ovμpeper It would not be becoming in me to eat of all, because I should by this offend and grieve many weak minds. See the notes on chap. vi. 12, &c.

Verse 24. Let no man seek his own, &c.] Let none, for his private gratification or emolument, disturb the peace or injure the soul of another. Let every man live, not for himself, but for every part of the great human family with which he is surrounded. Verse 25. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat] The case to which the apostle refers is simply this: it was customary to bring the flesh of the animal to market, the blood of which had been poured out in sacrifice to an idol; or, taken more particularly, the case was this: one part of the sacrifice was consumed on the altar of the idol; a second part was dressed and eaten by the sacrificer; and a third belonged to the priest, and was often sold in the shambles. To partake of the second share, or to feast upon the sacrifice, St. Paul absolutely forbids, because this was one part of the religious worship which was paid to the idol; it was sitting down as guests at his table, in token that they were in fellowship with him. This was utterly incompatible with receiving the sacrament of the Lord's supper, which was the communion of the body and blood of Christ. But as to the third share, the apostle leaves them at liberty either to eat of it or forbear; except that, by eating, their weak brethren should be offended; in that case, though the thing was lawful, it was their duty to abstain. See the notes on chap. viii. 1, &c. Hindoos eagerly embrace whatever has been offered to an idol hence it is common to see the flowers that have been thus offered placed in the hair of a Hindoo. Water that has been thus made sacred is preserved

and herbs brought to the table, they were to inquire whether they were tithed according to custom; whether they were consecrated by the Truma, or whether they were profane; whether they were clean, or touched with some pollution, &c. And concerning flesh set on the table, they were to inquire whether it was of that which had been offered to idols; whether it were the flesh of an animal that | had been torn by wild beasts; or of that which had been strangled, or not killed according to the canons; &c. &c. All which doubts the liberty of the gospel abolished as to one's own conscience, with this proviso, that no scandal or offence be cast before another man's weak or scrupulous conscience."

From this it is evident that the apostle had the case of the Jewish converts in view, and not the Gentiles. The latter were not troubled with such extraordinary scrupulousness.

Verse 26. For the earth is the Lord's] And because God made the earth and its fulness, all animals, plants, and vegetables, there can be nothing in it or them impure or unholy; because all are the creatures of God.

Verse 27. If any—bid you to a feast] The apostle means any common meal, not an idol festival; for to such no Christian could lawfully go.

Whatsoever is set before you, eat] Do not act as the Jews generally do, torturing both themselves and others with questions, such as those mentioned on

ver. 25.

Verse 28. This is offered in sacrifice unto idols] While they were not apprised of this circumstance they might lawfully eat; but when told that the flesh set before them had been offered to an idol, then they were not to eat, for the sake of his weak conscience who pointed out the circumstance. For the apostle still takes it for granted that even the flesh offered in sacrifice to an idol might be eaten innocently at any private table, as in that case they were

Verses 29, 30. For why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? &c.] Though in the case of flesh offered to idols, and other matters connected with idolatry (on which it appears there was much of a tender conscience among some of the Corinthians), it was necessary to sacrifice something to an over scrupulous conscience, yet the gospel of Christ did not lay any man under this general burthen, that he mast do nothing at which any weak brother might | feel hurt or be stumbled; for the liberty of the gospel Just not take for its rule the scrupulosity of any conscience; for if a man, by grace-by the allowance or authority of the gospel, partake of any thing that God's bounty has sent, and which the gospel has not forbidden, and give thanks to God for the blessing, no man has right or authority to condemn such a person. This seems to be the meaning of these two verses; and they read a lesson of caution to rash judgers, and to those who are apt to take offence.

Verse 31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink] As no general rule can be laid down in reference to the above particulars, there is one maxim of which no Christian must lose sight-that whether he eats or drinks of this or the other kind of aliments, or whatever else he may do, he must do it so as to bring glory to God. This is a sufficient rule to regulate every man's conscience and practice in all indifferent things, where there are no express commands or prohibitions.

Verse 32. Give none offence, &c.] Scrupulously avoid giving any cause of offence either to the unconverted Jews or the unconverted Gentiles, so as to prejudice them against Christianity: nor to the church of God, made up of converts from the above parties.

Verse 33. Even as I please all men] Act as I do: forgetting myself, my own interests, convenience, ease, and comfort, I labour for the welfare of others;

and 3. His connexion with the church of God. Let us review some of the principal parts.

1. We should be on our guard against what are called little sins, and all occasions and excitements to sin. Take heed what company you frequent. One thing, apparently harmless, may lead by almost imperceptible links to sins of the deepest dye. See the example in this chapter: 1. The people sat down to eat and to drink. 2. They rose up to play, dance, and sing: and 3. They committed fornication, and brought upon themselves swift destruction.

2. However conscious we may be of our own sincerity and uprightness, we should ever distrust ourselves. God has made nothing independent of himself; the soul has no principle of self-dependance either in itself or its attainments: it is wise, powerful, and happy, only while it is depending on infinite wisdom, unlimited power, and endless mercy.

3. The Gentiles were in communion with demons by their idolatrous services. In what communion are those who feed themselves without fear, who eat with the glutton and drink with the drunkard? Do they partake of the Lord Jesus who are under the influence of pride, self-will, hatred, censoriousness, &c., and who carry their self-importance and worldly spirit even into the house and worship of God?

4. A spirit of curiosity too much indulged may, in an irreligious man, lead to covetousness and theft: in a godly man, to a troublesome and unscriptural scrupulosity of conscience, productive of nothing but uneasiness to itself, and disturbance to others. Simplicity of heart saves from this, and is an excellent gift.

5. In many actions we have a twofold rule-the testimony of God and charity and in many things charity is the best interpreter of the testimony. The testimony often permits what charity forbids, because circumstances in time, place, &c., may render a thing improper on one occasion that might be proper on another.

6. Pious Quesnel has well said: Every thing honours God when it is done for his sake; every