{ Gr. lob upon, viz. with reſpe& and veneration, or 4 care and concern to pleaſe "him. þ% An honourable place, either contrary to the uſual orders of the Churches, according to which (as ſome ay ) the Elders ſat in Chairs, the next to them on: Benches ; and the Novices on the Pavement at their Feet; the Apoſtle taxing the car- -pal partiality in diſpoſing theſe places to the People as Rich, not as Chriftians ; or, it may note their diſpoſing Church-Offices to them that were rich, or favouring them in their Cauſes rather than the Poor. [The meaneſt places, and belonging to the youngeſt Diſci- ples ; both are expreſſions of contempt.
4 Are ye not then partial in your ſelves mr, and are become judges of evil thoughts 7 ?
m Either, are ye mt judged in your ſelves, convitted by your own Conſciences of partiality, and accepting Mens Perſons, or, have ye nt made a difſerence ? viz. out of a corrupt affeaion rather than a ri;ht judgment; and then it falls in with our Tranſlation, are ye not partial 2 The Greek word is uſed in this ſenſe, Ads 15. 9. 7ude 22. 7 1, e. Judges that have evil Thoughts,or are evil affected, g. d. vou evidence the corruptneſs of your affef&ions by your thus per- verily judging. |
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, * Hath not God choſen the poor » of. this World p, rich q in faith 7, and heirs of || the kingdom / + which he hath pro- niſed to them that love him 7 ?
» Not that God hath choſen all the Poor in the World, but his choice 15 chiefly of them, 1 Cor. T. 26, 28, Poor he means in the
orpoſed to thoſe that Paul call rich in this World, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. 7 Some inſert the Verb Subſtantive #9 be between this and the for- mer cauſe, and read, hath nor God choſen the por of this World to be rich, &c. So Rom. £. 29. Predeſtinate to be conformed; the like de- feitive ſpzeches we find 7ohn 12. 46. and 2 Cir. 3.6. And the Verb underſtood here is exprefled, Ephe/. 1. 4. after the ſame word we have in this Text ; and yet if we read the words as they ſtand in our Tranlation, they do not prove that fore-{ight of Faith is pre- vicus to El:&ion, any more than that being Heirs of the Kingdom is ſo*o0. »r Either in the greatneſs and abundance of the Faith, Maith. 15. 28. Rom. 4. 20. or, rather Rich in thoſe Priviledges and Hopes to which by Faith they have a Title. / An inftance of their heins rich in that they are to inherit a Kingdom. # See Chap. I. 12. where the fame words occur, only that whichis here a Kingdom 1s
fliere a Crown. : 6 But * ye have deſpiſed the poor z. Do not rich+
ment ſear 5.
u God's Poor, viz. By your reſpe&ing Perſons. x Either thoſe taat werdanbelieving Jews or Heathens ; or ſuch as made a Profel- !50n of Chriſtianity, but were not cordinal friends to it; or, both may be included. y Inſolently abuſe you, and unrighteoutly, ei- their uſurping a Power over you which” belongs not to them, or a- buſing the Power they have. .z Eſpecially before unvelieving Judges, 1 Cor. 5. 1,6, they would colovr their Opprefſion with a pretence
FAMES.
of Law, and therefore drew the poor Saints beforc the Judgment Seat. ages
7 Do not they blaſpheme a that worthy b nams %. which ye are called c? =
a If the Rich here ſpoken of, were Chriſtians ; then they may be ſaid to Blaſpheme Chriſt's Name, when by their wicked carciao. they cauſed it to be blaſphemed by others, Unbelievers amon.- wh they were, Rom. 2. 24. 1 Tim. 6.1, but if rich Unbelievers be here meant, the Rich Men of theſe times being generally great Ene- mies to Chriſtianity ; he would from thence ſhew how mean a con. ſideration Riches were, to encline the Profeſſors of Reli»ion tn ſuch partiality as he taxeth them for. - þ Or, good or honourable (;- good 'place, ver. 3. for honourable) Name of Chriſt ; they B1zc. pneme what they ſhould adore. c Or, which 7s called upon 194, < | ther, which was called upon over you, when you were baptiſed | 1nto 1t, or rather it is an Hebrew phrale, and implies no more than (as we read it) their being called by it, ag Children are after their Fathers, and Wives after their Husbands, "Gen. 48. 16. JI. 4, x. For ſo God's People are called by his Name, Dent. 28.10, / Phe, 3 1's.
s It ye tulfl « the royal law e according to the *
ſelf, ye do well g.
d Or, perfe#, the Word ſignifies to accompliſh perfetly, but ng more 1s meant by it than the ſincerity in obſerving the Dutics ofth- Law in an indifferent reſpet& to one-as well as another, which je ſeems to oppoſe to their partiality 1n the Law, by reſpe&ins ſan;
and neglefting others. e Either the Law of God the great inp, or Chriſt the Ring of Saints, or rather the Royal Law is the Kin»'s Law, 7. e. the great Law which 1s the ſame to all, Rich and Poor.the common Rule by which all are to a&, as, the King's way, Numb. 21, 22. 7, e, the great plain Way in which all are to travel. Her: may hikewiſe be a tacit refleion on the ſervile diſpotition of theſe accepters of Men's Perſons, evil becoming them that pretend- ed to be governed by the Royal Law, which was to be obſerved with a more free and King-like ſpirit. f See Matth. 22. 39. Gal, 5. I4. g Ye are not to be blamed but commended ; the Apolt!c ſeems here to anſwer an objeQion they might make in their own defence ; that in the reſpe& they gave to Rich Men, they did but att according to the Law which commands us to love our Neizh- bour as our ſelves; to this he replies partly in this Verſe by way of conceſſion, or on ſuppolition, that if the refped they gave to Rich Men were indeed in obedience to the Law of Charity, which com- mands us to love our Neighbour as our ſelves, then they did well, and he —_ no fault with them, but the contrary he ſhews in the next Verſe.
fin, and are convinced of thelaw 7 as & tranſgreliors.
h The fecond part of the Apoſtle's anſwer, in which he ſor; Perſons in oppoſition to Neighbour, q. d. it you inſtead of loving your Neighbour, which excludes no ſort of Men, poor no more than rich, chuſe and 1ingle out (as ye do) only ſome few (viz. Rich Men) to whom ye give reſpett, deſpiſing others ; ye are ſo far from fulfilling the Royal Law, that ye fin againſt it, 7 Either by the par- ticular Law againſt reſpe&ting Perſons, Lev. 19. 15. or rather by that very Law you urge ; your thus partially reſpe&ing the rich to the excluding of the poor, being fo contrary to the command of loving your Netghbour, which excludes none. þ To be Trant- greflors, viz. of the whole Law, as follows,