2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, ^'ER. 1, 11
majesty of the Roman empire. But Augustus Caesar ' afterwards repaired it (c). And now for neglecting of God's ambassadors, the preachers of the gospel, it is under another miserj', but spiritual ; it is under the bondage, I say, of that t}Tant.
What is become of Rome, that glorious city ? It is now ' the habitation of devils, a cage of unclean birds,' Rev. xviii. 2. What is become of those glorious churches which St John wrote those epistles to in his Revelation ? and which St Paul wrote unto ? Alas, they are gone ! the gospel is now come into the western parts. And shall we think all shall be safe with us, as the Jews did, cijing, * The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord? ' Jer. vii. 4. No, no ! unless we respect Christ's blessed gospel of salvation, except we bring forth fruits worthy of it, except we maintain and defend it, and think it our honour and om- crown, and be zealous for it. If we sufi'er the insolent enemies of it to grow as vipers in the very bosom of the church, what is like to become of us ? If there were no foreign enemies to invade us, we would let shp the glorious gospel of salvation. God will not suffer this indignity to this blessed jewel, his truth ; he will not suffer the doctrine of the gospel to be so disrespected. You see the feaiful example of the church of Corinth. Let those whom it may concern, that have any advan- tage and authority, let them put in for God's cause, put in for the gospel, labour to propagate and to derive* this blessed truth we enjoy to posterity, by suppressing as much as they may the underminers of it. It is an acceptable service. ' To the chm-ch of God at Corinth.'
' And alt the saints in Achaia.' Corinth was the city, Achaia the country wherein Corinth was. There were then saints, holy men in all Achaia. And St Paul wTites to ' all saints,' to weak saints, to strong saints, to rich saints, to poor saints ; because every saint hath somewhat that is lovely and respec- tivef in them, somewhat to be respected. The least grace deserves respect from the greatest apostle. And all have one head, all have one hope of glory, all are redeemed with the same ' precious blood of Christ,' 1 Pet. i. 19 (and so I might run on). The many privileges agree to all. There- fore, all should have place in our respect. ' To all saints,' that the least should not think themselves undervalued. Weakness is most of all subject to complaining if it be disrespected. Therefore, in heavenly wisdom and prudence, the apostle puts in ' all saints,' in all Achaia whatsoever. Be- sides the mother city, the metropolis of that country, which was Corinth, there were saints scattered. God in heavenly wisdom scatters his saints. As seed, when it is scattered in the ground, it doth more good than when it is on heaps in the bam ; so God scatters his saints as jewels, as the lights of the world. Here he will have one to shine and there another. Here he will have one fruitful to condemn the wicked world where they are, and by their good example, and their heavenly and fiiiitful conversation, to di'aw out of the wicked estate of nature those with whom they are. Therefore he will have them scattered here and there, not only at Corinth, but ' saints in all Achaia,' besides scattered in other places.
But we must know, by the way, that these saints had reference to some particular church : for though it be sufficient to make a Christian to have union with Christ (there is the main, the head) ; yet notwithstanding, he must be a branch, he must be a member of some particular congi-egation. Therefore we have it in Acts ii. 47 : ' God added to the church such as should be saved.' Those that are added to salvation must be added to the • That is, 'transmit.' — G. t That is, 'respect-worthy.' — G.
12 OOMMENTAET ON
church ; a man must he a memhcr of some particular church. So, though these were scattered, they were members of some church. God's children are as stones in some building ; and there is an influence of grace comes from Christ, the Head, to every particular member, as it is in the body. God quickens not straggling members, that have no reference to any parti- cular church. That I note by the way. ' To the church of God at Corinth, and all the saints in Achaia.'
'Saiiits.' Queftt. The apostle calls them saints. All believers are called saints. Are they so ? Aire all in the visible church saints ? Yes, say some, and thei-efore they say that our church is not a true visible church ; because many of them are not saints, say some that went out from among us.
A71S. I answer, all are, or should be saints. St Paul wrote here to those that were sacramental* saints, and such as by outward covenant and pro- fession were saints ; not that they were all of them inwardly so ; but aU should be so done. He calls them so, to put them in mind of their duty. To clear this point a little.