L. 1t2ene
' The Apof'e purſues bis former 7 , comparing the 1m* ror ſtare of Believers, as toknow!edge in this life, with what Nite in the life char is ro come. In this life ir 1s as 1n a Look- inn-glsfr, (where we only fre the Tmages and imperfeQ Repre- Inraticns of things) and. darkly, in a riddle; it 1s but a lircle nowledce that we have, and what we have we g-r with a great &-11 of dificulry ; but in Heaven we ſhall have juch knowledge 2x two men have,. who ſee one another face to face, and ſhall know Cod fully, in ſome fort, though not in the ſame degree of the fulach and perfeRions wherein God knoweth us.
23 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, thete|
three : bur the greateſt of theſ2 7 chainty 7. |
and Love, by which we delight our je!ves in God, and ſhew obe- dience to the Will of God, Bur of ail theſe, Love 1s the greateſt,
Chip
3 But he that propheſieth, ſpeaketh un
T H AP. XIV.
Proph'cy is commrnaed an? preferred befare ſpoaking with Tongs 1—-6. Proved by o Cormpariſes drawn fron 4 Pipe, Harp, and Trumpet : Th: one is as @ Barlarian, the other edifieth. JT ———13- We muſt
Spirit, and alſ» with Underſtanding, for elſe others cannst
ſay Ann 10 it 5 07 ae thy edified. 14 —-- 17. The ApoBtle's Exe
aunbls to be imitate. 18 — 2D. The nc of firange Tongues : How
irza8 [1 without Intorpretatien < 4 me Excelioncy of Proph:cy. 21 — 28.
Prophecy.mg muſt by by turns : andthe Prophets j edge thercof. 2933:
1 3e0 muſt be [ileu; 411 the Church 34, 35. Theſe hi: Ordinance 5 aye
*he Commandments of Coriſt : And ail things muſt be aone 14 Order.
2 7 em,
; Ba Loeb od 4 & 1/ Fa ') L# 14 tt: "
x} : Ollow after charity a, and * deſire ſpiritual gifts, & * hut rather that ye may propheſie 5. 2 That Love to God and your Brethren, concerning which I kave been ſpeaking ſo much, as preferrable to a!] common gitts, follow that with your utmoſt diligence, as the Perſecutors follow vou ; (for itis the ſame word that is ordinarily uſed to ſignifie the viotenr profecution of Perſecutors, though it be applied alſo to things which we ought eagerly to fol'ow, Rom. 9. 31. and 14. 19) þ Burt rather, or principally, that you may be able to reveal the Mind and Will of God unto others. Some think by fore-relling things to come; but that is not very probable, fuch an ability of prophetying being given but to few under the New Teſtament : it is therefore more probable, that he ſpeaketh of an ability ro o- p<n the Scriptures, either by immediate Revelation (asro which they could uſe no means buc Prayer andan holy Life) or by ordi- nary Meditation, and ſtudy of Scriptures. For though the for- mcr Species of Propheſying, by Prediction of future things, when th: truth of ir was juſtified by ſuch Prophecies accompliſhment, was of great uſe to confirm the DoQtrine of the Goſpel; yet the latter was of greater and more general uſe for the good of others, which makesth: Apoſtle put them upon che coveting, and earneſt detire of that facuiry or ability, becauſe, of all others, it made them moſt eminently and generally uſeful ro others, as well thoſe within the Church, as thoſe without ; and thus the Apoſtle ex-+ poundeth himfſelt; v. 3. | |
2 For he that * fpeaketh in an «&zown tongues c,, ſpeakecth not unto men 4, but unto God e: for no man + underſtandeth bi f, howbeit in the fpirit he
g.
e By a Tongs (for unknown 15 not inthe Greet, but neceſlarily added by our Tranſlators, for he ſpeaketh of fuch a Language) he meaneth a Language not known to all, or ar leaſt not to the moſt of them that hear him. Ir may be asked, what unknown Lan- guage the Apoſtle here meaneth ? Shall we thinkthat any Paſtors or Teachers in the Church of Corinth were ſo vain, asto preach in the Arabick, Sc3thian, or Parthian Languagetoa people who under. ftood only the Gr-e&? Our learned Lizhtfoor thinks this not pra- bable, and that if any had beenſo vain for oftentation, the Apoe ſtie would rather have chid them for ſuffering ſuch an abuſe, and have forbidden ſuch fturcher pra&ice; than have given dire&ion, that if any ſo ſpake, he ſhould interpret, as he doth v. 5. He ra- ther thinks therefore, that the Apoſtle meaneth the H:brew Tongue; the uſe of which, though it was by this time much loſt through the Jews mixture with other Nations, yet was reſtored in a great meaſure to the Guides of Churches, for their better underſtand. ing the Scriptures of the O1d Teſtament; and continued amongſt the Jews in their reading of the Law in the Synagogues. Now there being many Jews in this Church, and the Service of God being ordinarily in the Jewiſh Synagogues performed in that
Language, it is very probable, that ſome of theſe Jews that were Chriſtianized, (to ſhew their skill) might, when they ſpake to the | whole Church of Corizth, uſe to ſpeak in Hebrew, though few or none underſtood that Language. The Apoſtle ſaith, he that did ſo,d ſpake not to mien, that is, not to thoſe men who did not under. ſand that. Language, not to the generality of his Hearers, though poſſibly here and there ſome might underſtand him, « but unto God, who being the Author of all Languages, muſt neceffarily
know the ſignificancy of all wordsin them : f For (hefaith) ſcarce | 1. whar to do. the Trumpet muſt not only ſound, but ſound in-
any man underſtood him. g Howbeit he may ſpeak myſterious things to himſelf, and to the underſtanding of his own Soul and | Spirit. Others rhinkthat it was poſſible, that ſome who name nem being but the inſtruments of the holy Spirit, might not them. | {elves underftand all which they.ſaid ; but thatis hardly —
1p. X
R , ; , to edification z, and exhortation &, and comers. At R_en
h That is, to the underſtanding of men, and for the , ages profic of men. # To Edification, for their increaſe in þ ond and z D and all habits of Grace. k And Exhortation, to quicks NOWledps that h exerciſe and praCtice of ſuch duties, as God hath, in be ter In yet nc required of th?m. 7 And for the relief of them under n Word, ned; | dens, to ſupport and uphold their troubled or wounded 6. ledge Theſe expreflions make ir probable, that the Apoſtle b bPirit | che th in this Texr, underſtands miniſterial Preacing ; which ! Protieg Lang! perly tends to Edificarion, Exhortation, and Comfart th . many telling of things to come. ; We fors _
4 He that ſpeaketh in an unknown tongue, if _ th himfelf 22; but he that propheſieth edifice} op are lea Church ». : the they k