that way God indeed comm ret imprefiions but whether,
Angels can do the like, or what their way is of communicatiny
their minds each to other, is a great Secret, and we oug willingly ignorant of what God hath not. pleaſed in any
d we ought to be part 0? ot.
1p.
tus re 2:0Pe - th cating 25. th Subſta and th
the Ape the hear many af thoſe wh
2 Ar 'and uni and che
move DN thing g. d It ha eth anext mitive T either as t come tO Pp of the M e Though any notior ther Divi that whic; he meant, would vp: trary to © of our $av true Love ! ble to Salv: nothing, b Salvation. 3 And poor 6, and have bThe A bits, toa&t e a preat ryice t9 G nd thar n« that way, te Cauſe of pof his Veath, bury, by (elf ro t d Princip teſe ations O me, as to e may ob wunty towa! Reritorious a bot of ſavin r 20d in cl Woot and Pr gs, are { WY proceed obey and rc le Roots and d acceptabl, With refere
4 * Char _ not
ed up p, [Leſt a C We you difcc poltle here gi Charity he «
p
beſt | have will * But ving
hapter, xcellent of the ourle : cſaing er; for or ad- ; of the lecſtand Argels y which SOCIEtYy yithout d wills Scheol- ommul \re(ſions
hecher. icacing ht to be part 0; ot.
NIE
oper ro this place, where the Tongues of Angels unqueſtionably ſig- £ the beſt and molt excefſent waysot expreſſing and communi-| 2 boaſting, and ating r
cating our (-Ives to others, as Manna 15S Called Angels food, Pſal. 78
LCORINTHIANG
tis reveated Will, td tell us- Neither do I judge it a queſtion is no true root of Love tg God or to his Neighbour in his heart.
s He doth not prefer himſelf before others, ambitiouſly glorying
1 ; aſhly to promote his own el d ſatfsfiz his own intemperate r Fwdlon luſts. p He ner paikel
hat is, the moit excellent food ; for Angels being Spiritual UP» proudly lifting up himſelf above others i i 25 ances, need no food, have no mouths to eat, nor bellies to fill; high conceits of himſelf. , and ſwelling with
, ; S and this the Apoltle meaneth, 7 hough I could expreſs my ſelf, or communicate my mind to others in the moſt excelleat way, or in
che greateſt variery of exprefſion, Yer if I have not (Za, which we cran{[:ite Charity, bur poſſibly might be better tranſlated Love, becauſe we uſually by Chariry (in common ſpeech) under-
d that indication of brotherly Love, which is 1n a&ts of boun- ty, feet the hungry, cloathing th: naked, giving to thoſe thar are in want, which 1t 15 poſſible that men may do out of meer humanity,
cr 2 ſuperſtitious opinicn of meriting thereby, withour any true Profit. or advantage only ;
root of Love £0 our N-ighbours; which 1s never true, if jitdoth not grow out of a Love to God.
brofs, &c. that 1s, I only make a noile, but it will conduce no- thing co my Salvation, it will be of no uſe to me : Bur if I have this true root of Love, then 1t will be of avail to me. And thus the Apoſtle proveth, that the habir of Love to God and man in che heart 1s tar more excellent chan the gifr of Tongues, which many of the Corinth:ans had, or covered, or boaſted in, deſpifing thoſe who bad ic nor.
cIf I want Love (faith the A-|# Such a man is nor eaſy provoked ; he is not with ofile) a true root of love ro men, flowing from a true Love to| but he is not governed by his paſſions, and over. God, and out of obedience to his Precept, I am bur as ſounding fl
evil z,
7 He doth not behave himſelf rowards any in a e unbeſceming manner, and will do nothing Seer =. which in the opinion of men ſhall be a filthy or indecent a&tion. r He doth nor ſcek what is his own, that is, whar is his own : he hath aneye to the good, and advan. tage of his brother, as well as his own profit and advanrage,
our his paſſions,
ruled by the y out extravagantly againſt his brother upon every behr bor ye
vial occaſion; he knows how to bear injuries, and is willi
_ fo bear letler wrongs, loſſes and dy than to R_ ' =, 1n revenge of himſelf, or to che more remarkable prejudice - 1s Neighbour. : He thinketh »o evi, that is, »o miſchief, no. - ung chat may be hurtful and prejudicial to his neighbour. Or c - he doth nor rathly ſuſpe&t his neighbour for doing evil,(which poſibly may be the better Interpretation) ; and ſo ir teacherh us,
» And though I have the gift of * prophecy d, That lightly to to take up evil Reports of our Neighbours, is a
nd underſtand all myſteries, and all knowledge e,
and though I have all faith, * fo that 1 could re-
thi
eh anextraordinary power or faculty, by which men in thoſe Pri- mitive Times were enabled to reveal che Mind and Will of God,
come to paſs in the World, or by further explicationor application of the Mind and Will of God already revealed in Holy Writ. eThough, faith rhe Apoſtle, I had a vaſt knowledge, and could in any notion comprehend the moſt ſublime and hidden things, whe- ther Divine or Humane : f And chough I had all Faith (except chat which is ſaving and juftifying) : he further opens what Faith he meant, viz. Faith of Miracles, a firm perſuaſion, that God would upon my Prayer work things beyond the power, and con- trary to the courſe of Nature, (the Apoſtle alludeth to the words of our Saviour, Matt. 17. 20.) yet, ſaith he, if I have nor Love,that eve Love to God and men, by which that Faith, which is profita- bleto Salvation, workerh and ſheweth ir ſelf: g it will all ſignifi nothing, be of no profit nor avail unto me inorder to my eternal Sation. I may periſh for ever notwithſtanding ſuch Gifts.
3 And though I beſtow all my goods to feed the poor &, and chough I give my body to be burned z, and have not charity, ic profiteth me nothing &.
b The Apoſtle proceedeth from common gifts, powers, and ha- birs, toa&tions, and inſtanceth in two ; the firſt of which might e a great ſervice to men; the latter, an appearance of a great rice to God. Though, faith he, T feed the poor with my goods, id that not ſparingly, bur liberally, ſo as I ſpend all my Eſtate that way, and make my ſelf as pooras they. # Though I die in be Cauſe of Chriſt, for the Teſtimony of his Goſpel, or for own-
death, burning, and be not dragged to the ſtake, bur freely give up &y (elf ro thar cruel kind of death. &+ Yet if I have not a Root | Principle Love to God in my heart, that carrieth meout to eſe ations, and theſe ſufferings, they all will ſignifte nothing e may obſerve, That, 1.
jounty towards men, (which we uſually call good Works) are not Reritorious at the hand of God, and may be ſeparated from a true