" Malus bonum cum simulat, time est pessimus."
These things, therefore, can have here no place.^ Hereby, then, the apostle informs them wherein the foundation of all church relation, order, and worship, did consist: for whereas they had all respect unto the Lordship of Christ and their acknowledgment thereof, this was not from themselves, but was a pure effect of the operation of the Holy Ghost in them and towards them. And any^thing of the like kind which doth not proceed from the same cause and fountain is of no use to the glory of God, nor of any advantage unto the souls of men.
Some think that this saying of Jesus to be the Lord is to be re-
vios 70V @lov; ob^) llctuXu 'iXiyov, ouToi o\ avf-uiTroi "hovXoi Tov 6iou Tou v^iffTou tiffiv ; aXXic (/■a.(rriZ,ofii)ioi, aXX' avayxat.if^ivoi, ixavri; 2s xa) fih fitt-artyovjiivoi, ovhapLoZ. — Chrysost. in loc.
CHAP. I.] THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WOEK. 1 9
strained unto the manner of speaking afterward insisted on-/ for the apostle in the following verses treateth of those extraordinary gifts which many in that church were then endowed withal. " None can," saith he, " say ' Jesus is the Lord,' in an extraordinary manner, with divers tongues, and in prophecy, but by the Holy Ghost ;" — with- out his especial assistance, none can eminently and miraculously de- clare him so to be. And if this be so, it is likely that those before intended, who said Jesus was accursed, were some persons pretend- ing to be acted, or really acted, by an extraordinary spirit, which the apostle declares not to be the Spirit of God; and so Chrysostom interprets those words of them who were visibly and violently acted by the devil. Many such instruments of his malice did Satan stir up in those days, to preserve, if it were possible, his tottering king- dom from ruin. But there is no necessity thus to restrain the words, or to affix this sense unto them ; yea, it seems to me to be incon- sistent with the design of the apostle and scope of the place : for intending to instruct the Corinthians, as was said, in the nature, use, and exercise of spiritual gifts, he first lays down the spring and fountain of all saving profession of the gospel, which those gifts were designed to the furtherance and improvement of. Hereupon, having minded them of their heathen state and condition before, he lets them know by what means they were brought into the profession of the gospel, and owning of Jesus to be the Lord, in opposition unto the dumb idols whom they had served ; and this was by the Author of those gifts, unto whose consideration he was now addressing him- self The great change wrought in them, as to their religion and profession, was by the Holy Ghost ; for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, which is the sum and substance of our Christian profes- sion, but by him, though some think he hath little or no concern at all in this matter. But to say Christ is the Lord includes two things: — First, Faith in him as Lord and Saviour. So was he de- clared and preached by the angels, Luke ii. 11, "A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And this word " Lord " includes, as the dignity of his person, so his investiture with those offices which for our good this Lord did exercise and discharge. Secondly, The profession of that faith. Which two, where they are sincere, do always accompany each other, Rom. x. 10; for as the saying of Jesus to be anathema did comprise an open disclaimer and abrenunciation of him, so the calling of him Lord expresseth the profession of our faith in him, and subjection unto him. And both these are here intended to be sincere and saving: for that faith and profession are intended where- by the church is built upon the rock; the same with that of Peter, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," Matt. xvi. 16. ' Crel. de Spir. Sane, Prolegom., pp. 29-31.
20 GENERAL PEINCIPLES CONCERNING [BOOK I.
And that these are the works of the Holy Ghost, which none of themselves are sufficient for, shall, God assisting, be afterward abun- dantly declared.
Having thus stated the original and foundation of the church, in its faith, profession, order, and worship, he farther acquaints them that the same Spirit is likewise the author of all those gifts whereby it was to be built up and established, and whereby the profession of it might be enlarged : 1 Cor. xii. 4, " Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." These are the things which he intendeth to discourse upon, wherein he enlargeth himself in the whole ensuing chapter. Now, because the particulars here insisted on by him in the beginning of his discourse will all of them occur unto us and be called over again in their proper places, I shall only point unto the heads of the discourse in the verses preceding the 11th, which we principally aim at.
Treating, therefore, 'ffspi rSjv 'xviviMariKm, of these spiritual things or gifts in the church, he first declares their author, from whom they come, and by whom they are wrought and bestowed. Him he calls the " Spirit,'" verse 4; the "Lord,'' verse 5; "God," verse 6; and to denote the oneness of their author, notwithstanding the di- versity of the things themselves, he calls him the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God. The words may be understood two ways: First, That the whole Trinity, and each person distinctly, should be intended in them ; — for consider the immediate operator of these gifts, and it is the " Spirit" or the Holy Ghost, verse 4; consider them as to their procurement and immediate authoritative collation, and so they are from Christ, the Son, the " Lord," verse 5 ; but as to their first original and fountain, they are from " God," even the Father, verse 6 : and all these are one and the same. But rather the Spirit alone is intended, and hath this threefold denomination given unto him ; for as he is particularly denoted by the name of the " Sj^irit," which he useth that we may know whom it is that eminently he in- tendeth, so he calls him both "Lord" and "God," as to manifest his sovereign authority in all his works and administrations, so toingene- rate a due reverence in their hearts towards him with whom they had to do in this matter. And no more is intended in these three verses but what is summed up, verse 11, "But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."