of the Spirit to every one to profit withal, To one by the Spirit the | ſhew them the difference betwixt the Apoſtles, and them, and
wodef wiſdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, toanother 5he gift of healing, &c. all by the ſame Spirit.
8 Now ye are full, now * ye are rich, s ye have reigned as Kings without us, # and I would to God ye dd reign, that we alſo might reign with you «.
:You that are the Teachers at Corinth, or you that are the Mcmbers of the Church there, think your ſelves full of knowledge! and wiſdom, ſo as you ſtand in need of no further learning or | nftrudtion .c Ye think now you have got a Kingdom, and are ar. rived at the top of felicity : and, « I am fo far from envying you, that I wiſh it were ſo, and we might have a ſhare with you, The Apoſtle ſpeaketh this 1ronicaly, not that he indeed thought they were ſo, but reflefting upon their vain and too good [1 opinion of themſelves. | 9 For I think that God hath ſet forth || us the apo- lleslaſt * : as it were appointed to death w. For
we are made a + ſpectacle unto the world, and co anpels,and to men x.
w The lot of us who are the Apoſtles of Chriſt is not ſo exter- tally happy, but a lot of poverty and miſery, as if we were the
Forit of men, men appointed to death. x To be a meer ſight or gaing-ſtock to the world, Angels or men. Some think that the
poſtle here hath a reference to the barbarous praQtice of the mens, who firſt expoſed and carried about for a ſight thoſe per-
nsthat were condemned to fight with wild beaſts, rhat by them ty might be torn in pieces. You are happy men, ſaith the Apo- ie, if you can own Chriſt, and profeſs Chriſtianity, and yer be
A ſuch credit and favour with the world, ſo full, and fo rich,
nd fo like Princes; we are thoſe whom God hath honoured to
tis Apoſtles and the firſt Miniſters of the Goſpel, our lot and non 15 far otherwiſe.
19 * We are fools for Chriſt's ſake, but ye are wiſe
Uiriſt, * We are weak, but ye rc ſtrong : ye are
Murable, but we are deſpiſed y.
1 We are accounted fools for Chriſt's ſake by the wiſe men of
their Teachers, and poſſibly refletting upon them, as being in ſome degree guilty of this ſcorn and contempt of rhem, or at leaſt more than they ought, negleCing them under theſe mean and af. flictive circumſtances.
14 I write not theſe things to ſhame you, but * as" " Thell : *. 35.
my beloved fons I warn you g.
g I tell. you notof this to make you bluſh, as having had any hand in theſe indignities which are pur upon us, nor yet to ſha»? you (though potlibly you have reaſon to be aſhamed, eirher for your negle& of us,or for your adding to our affliction) I look upon you as my ſons, and ſons whom I love : I only write co warn you both of your duty, to have ſome reſpet for us, and of your ſin, if you have negleQed us beyond what was your duty to have done.
I5 For though you have ten thouſand inſtrudters in
Jeſus I have begotten you through the goſpel 7. IT,
þ The great leſſon of this Text is, That people ought to have a G3): 4+ 19 tender reſpe& for thoſe Miniſters whom God hath honoured with * 241:
their firſt Converſion,and bringing them home ro Chritt. God may ;
carry on his work in their ſouls to perfe&ion ; bur he maketh uſe of ſome particular Miniſter at firſt to convince them, and be an inſtrument in the changing of their hearts; ſuch a one chey ough: to have a great value for, they are their ſpiritual Fathers in a p:0- per ſenſe. 7 For, faith the Apoſtle, 7: Chrif# 7:jus I have begr-ter: you through the Goſpel : where we have Regenzration (as it ignthetl a new ſtate) ſetour in its cauſes. The principal ethcient Cault is Chriſt Feſus : the inſtrumental cauſe is the Miniſt:y of the Goſpel : the mean is the DoFrinz of the Goſpel, or the preaching of the Goſps]. In Chriſt Jeſus ſignifieth here by the grace of Chriſt Jeſus, thote who are born again, are not born of feſh or of 402d, bur of the willof God, Joh. 1. 13- and by the influence of Chriſt upon thei. hearts, though God makes uſe of the Miniſter of the Goſpel as his inſtrument, and the Miniſter makes uſe of the 1rd and tiz preaching of the Goſpel, as the ſacred mean which God hath ap- pointed to that end, 1 Pet. 1. 23. All theſe cauſes unite and cor:-
* world, and we are willing to be ſo accounted, but you think | cyr in the work of Regeneration.
it ſelves wiſe, and yet in Chriſt. We are weak in the opinion Mn, we ſuffer evil, and do not r2ſiſt ; but you account your \%, and are by the world accounted ſtrong ; you are accounted | and honourable, but we are deſpiſed and contemprible.
I * Even unto this preſent hour we both hunger thirſt, and are naked, and * are buffeted, and have Kan dwelling place &.
k T might as a Father command you, but I beſcech you be ze followers of me in preſerving the unity, and promoving the hol:. neſs of the Church : Chap. 11. 1. he expounds tis, Be ye fol/ow- ers of me, as I am of Chriſt. Holineſs of lite and converſation is ne- ceflary to a tzus Miniſter of Chriſt ; for their peopl: 0:1ght not on -
L
{Aaaaa] 17
Chap. IV.
| id y and] I2 * And labour, working, with our hands, : a Beino * AQs 12 heir t-2rers might take no offence at his free reproving of reviled, we bleſs ; b being perſecuted, we {iffter it c, we | = a We do not only labour in the Word and Do&rine, but we * T9 2.
. . . . A ! F E — Church, our hands miniſtring to our neceſſities, 4#:; 20. 34. 2 Ti ] 2,
13 * Being delamed 4, we intreat e : * We are made * Mat KOM, 12.
It. ” Lu. +
Chriſt, yet have ye not many fathers 5 : for * in Chriſt * AQs 18.
I make uſe of a multitude of miniſters to inſtruct Chriſtians, ang Jam 1-16
16 Wherefore |1 beſeech you *, be ye followers of* 2 Tir me k, 3-9
#42 2
o Chap. V. | CORINTHIANS. = . . . *M4 Iv to be their Hearers, but their Follower, they are enſamples 'o the perſon with ſome near relation, as a mot/cr, a ſiſter : in ſtr]
Fiek 1 Per. 5. 3- and ought to be examples of Believers 1n word, | 198 = fin here tories on was Inceſt ; bur the Scciprare je
Gn corver/22ion, in charity, in ſpirit, in faith, in purity, 3 Tim. 4. 12.| WOT comprehends all ſpccies of unlawful Mixtures. & This fin b.