unite with us in the service. From its very nature, it brings all who partake of the bread and wine into fellowship with Christ and with one another, vs. 14-17. The same is true of Jewish sacrifices. Whoever eats of those sacrifices, is thereby- brought into communion with the object of Jewish worship. The act is in its nature an act of worship, v. 18. The conclu- sion is too plain to need being stated — those who join in the sacrificial feasts of the heathen, join in the worship of idols. Such is the import of the act, and no denial on the part of those who perform it can alter its nature. It is not to be in- ferred from this mode of reasoning, that the objects of heathen worship are what the heathen suppose them to be. Because Paul argued that, as partaking of the Lord's Supper is an act of Christian worship, partaking of an idol-feast must be an act of heathen worship, it is not to be inferred that he regarded Jupiter or Juno as much real beings as Christ is. Far from it. What the heathen sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons ; and therefore, to partake of their sacrifices under circumstances which gave religious significance to the act, brought them into communion with demons, vs. 19. 20. The two things are incompatible. A man cannot be a worshipper of Christ and a worshipper of demons, or in communion with the one while in communion with the other. Going to the Lord's table is a renunciation of demons ; and going to the table of demons is a renunciation of Christ, v. 21. By this conduct the jealousy of the Lord would be excited against them, as of old it was excited against the Jews who turned aside after false gods, V. 22.
14. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee frora idolatry.
Wherefore^ i. e. because such severe judgments came upon the idolatrous IsraeUtes ; because you, as well as they, are in danger of being involved in that sin ; and because your dis- tinguished privileges can protect you neither from the sin nor from its punishment any more than their privileges protected them. My dearly beloved. Paul addresses them in terms of aflfection, although his epistle is so full of serious admonition and warning. Flee from idolatry^ i. e. avoid it by fleeing from it. This is the only safe method of avoiding sin. Its presence is malarious. The only safety is keeping at a dis- tance. This includes two things ; first, avoiding what is ques-