1. Disentangled from worldly cares —
[St. Paul, as he tells us in the foregoing context, had equal liberty with others to marry, and to take a wife with him in his journies. But he knew that such a step would involve him in n)any cares, and impede his exertions in the cause of Christ. He therefore lived in celibacy himself, and recommended it to others, both men and women, especially during those seasons of persecution, when they were liable every day and hour to be called to lay down their lives for the Gospel's sake*". Now, though there is not any necessity for us to imitate him in this individual act, yet we must admit the princij)le in its fullest extent, and live under its influence con- tinually. We must study to be " without carefulness*^." We must endeavour to " serve the Lord as much as possible with- out distraction*^." We must " not entangle ourselves more than is necessary with the affairs of this life^," or multiply our cares in such a way as to rob our souls of the attention due to them. To do this would be as absurd as to " load our feet with thick clay V' when we were about to run a race. On the contrary, we should endeavour to " lay aside every weight^," conscious that cares of every kind impede our progress in the divine life, and, if suffered to increase, will endanger our ulti- mate success \]
2. Divested of selfish principles —
[Never was a selfish spirit more subdued and mortified, than in the Apostle Paul. Instead of claiming from the Co- rinthian Church that support, which God himself had assigned to every minister of the Gospel, he endured numberless wants and hardships, in order to set an example of disinterestedness to others*. And, when he himself was perfectly acquainted with the extent of Christian liberty, he " made himself the servant of all," becoming all things to all men, that by all means he might save some*^. Thus did he forego what he might have justly claimed, and consent, as it were, to pay, what none had any right to demand : he willingly sacrificed both his pecuniary rights, yea, and his Christian liberty too (as far as conscientiously he could) for the benefit of immortal souls.
meaning of the text, the whole chapter should be borne in mind : and in that view it will unfold to us a subject of no ordinary importance. This should be distinctly marked in all the passages that are referred tti in this chapter.
b ver. f). with 1 Cor. vii. 1, 7, 8, 26, 27. " 1 Cor. vii. 32.
<i 1 Cor. vii. 35. « 2 Tim. ii. 4. f Hub. ii. 6.
g Heb. xii. 1. '' Matt. xiii. 22. ' ver. 12 — 15.
k ver. 19—22.