« A!! theſe diſpenſations of Divine Providence in therevelations of Divins wrath againſt ſeveral tor:s of (inners, happened to the Jews, which were God's firit and antient people, and enjoyed tioſe great priviiedges, which were b:fore mentioned, not only a5 juſt puniſhments upon them for their ſins, but as Examples or 7;ps, to {zt the tucceeding World know what they ſhould find God ruward ſuch kind of ſinners, w and God in his wile Providence hath ordered the Record of them in holy Writ, that others who ſhould live afterward, mighr read, and hear, and fear, and take warning, andbeware of ſuch wicked aCtions, as pulled down ſuch Vengeance upen a pcop'e, than which nonecan plead toa near- er re'ation to Gcd, or the zeceiving of greater favours and privi- ledpes from him. x The Apoſtes ordinarily 1a their Epiſtles ſpeak of the World, asn vh to an endintheir Age, though it hath tince continued mote than 1600 years; which would incline one to think, that they thought it would have beeca atan end before this time, but had no ſuch Revelation from God. So true is that of our Szviour, That of that day a:d hour knoweth no man; and it ſhould teach us to beware of too particular determinations in the caſe, which the Apoſtles did not make, though they ſpake of theirs as the laſt rimes, and themſelves as ſuch upon whom the ends of the World were come.
12 Wherefore * let him that thinketh that he ſtand: eth y, take heed leſt hc fall <.
7 Either in a right and ſound judgment and opinion of things, or in a ſtate of Favour with God, or confirmed 1n an holy courſe of Lite and converſation. Srtandeth in Grace, Rom. 5. 2. A man may ſtand in theſethings, and he may bur think thar he ſtand- eth : be it as it will, he 15 concerned z to take heed leſt he fall, he may but think he ſtandeth, and if fo, he will fall; he may really ftand in a right judgment and opinion of things, and be a Member of the Church of Chriſt, and yet may fall into er. rours and ſome looſe prattices, ſo as to bring down Divine Ven- geance upon himſelf; he may have God's favour fo far as con- cerns external priviledges, and yer periſh, as many of the Jews did in the inſtances before mentioned ; nay, he may really ſtand in a ſtate of Juſtification and Regeneration, and yet may fall; though not 70:aly and finally, yet toully, ſo as to loſe his peace, and bring God's ſevere judgments upon him ; therefore he that Thir.keth char he ſtandeth, whether his apprehenſions be falſe or trur, had necd uſe all means and cautionthat he may not fall ; a::d that becauſe, if he keepeth his ſtanding, it muſt be by the
againſt a perſen or 1hing out ing of all fins inits kind the greateſt rranſgreſſion
THIANS. Chi 13 There hath no temptation «a taken You, * þ; what is || common to man 6, but * God j; (4... * who will not ſuffer you to be tempted aboye Os ve are able c ; bur will with the eemptation UW b, * make a way to eſcape, that ye may be able "2h
bear ir . x 0; a Temptation (as hath been ſaid before) ſignifieh in n Pop neral norion of it no more than Tryal, and is often, ſ@ uſe j j ++ Wrir. Now in regard we are tryed either by :Mi&;-y; — vly "fer or by motions made to us, either from God, or our —_ wall or the Devi), or Men of the World. T:wmprarians in eas a, rimes {ignifie Afiic#ien, as Jam. 1.2. 1 Pet. 2, 6, Somtimes w.” ons mance to us by ; God, Gen. 22. 2. both which ſotts of ns are good in themſelves. Sometimes the rerm Gall. made by the laſt and unrenewed part of our own Souls a>. che Devil, or by ſinful men in the World; theſe are ful by tations, and what we moſt ordinarily call by that name. What, the Apoſtle here means all or ſome of theſe, cannot EY be determined; whar he faith ts true of all, and therefore rw, the ſafeſt interpretation of the term in this place, though h h y not been before ſpeaking indeed of afflictive Temprations. : had before affrighred them with minding them of the poſſibilje 2 cheir falling, rhough they did ſtand, or thought they ſtood J of cautioned them to take heed : Here he comforteth them by _ ing them, b that no tempration had befallen them, bur whar _ _ cident and common to men, e/yJeomrG> and they could _ pect to be freed from the common Fate of Mankind : «the h minds them, char that God who had promiſed ſtrength al fiitance to his people, Matt. 7. 11. Luke 11, 13. 2 Cy. : 1 Theſſ, 5. 4. 2 Thefſ. 3.3, was one that would be as good _ < word, being taithful, and would not ſuffer them to betem Wo bove their ſtrength, and ability co oppoſe and reſiſt : py p would make a way to eſcape, both the evil ofthe tempration 5 ir ſhould not over-bear them to a total ruine of cheir Soul; = likewiſe the burdenſome and affliftire evil, that ic ſhould no: " cinually lie upon them, provided they uſcd their juſt endear, and (as he had ſaid before) took þzed leſt they fell. "* 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, * flee fro latry e.
e The Apoſtle would have them avoid all ſin, but eſpecially, keeping ar rhe utmoſt diſtance imaginable
M ido.,
Lolatry max; from chat be. ! ſins inirs kind «ion: uponiig account it 1s often in Scripture compared to Whoredom. Thouoh
we ought to be afraid of, and to decline all (in; yet as God bath
revealed his wrath againſt any particular fin more than other 6 \ every good Chriſtian is obliged more to deteſt and abhocthy fa
How the Corin:5ians were concernedin this caution, we ſhallrgy afrerwards v. 20. For though 14o/atry be properly where the failye 151n the ultimate or mediate obje& of our Worſhip, or the me. um 1n and by which we worſhip the Creator ; yet there are many other ways by which we may be partakers of the Sins of other; and this fin of Idolatry in particular : and 1dol-try being a finof che greateſt magnitude, from which they were bound to keep the furtheſt diſtance, they were bound to rake heed of being partt kers of other mens fins of this kind.
15 I ſpeak as to wiſe men : judge ye what ſay f f As to the preſent caſe, you are perſons rhat underſtandthe Principles of Chriſtian Religion, I will make you judgesiatiis Cale. *
16 * The cup of bleſſing which we bleſs g, 5 it not the communion of the blood of Chriſt ! The
bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Chrift 2 5,