not according to the spirit of the world, but of God: 211 ten, Eye hath not 4,) when the prophet, speaking of the bless- SECT. seen, nor ear heard, ings of the Messiah's kingdom, says, Eye hath neither have entered into the heart of not seen, neither hath ear heard, neither have en- 1 Cor. manthe things which tered into the heart of man, what glorious things. 9 God hath prepared God hath prepared for them that love him. Nor for them that love had the generality of mankind, or even the him. people who enjoyed the benefit of the Jewish scripture, any just conception of the nature of this sublime plan, and the method by which it 10 But God hath was to be accomplished. But God hath reveal- 10 revealed them unto ed [them] to us Christians, and especially to us as by his spirit: for his apostles, by the extraordinary inspiration of the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the his Spirit, who intimately and fully knows them: deep things of God. for the Spirit searcheth and penetrates all things, even the deep things of God, the profoundest mysteries of his counsels, and his gospel. (Compare Rom. xvi. 25; Eph. i. 9; chap. iii. 3, 5, 11 For what man 7.) And well may he be acquainted with all 11 knoweth the things these things; for who of mankind knoweth the spirit of man, which things of a man, the secret recesses of his mind, is in him? even so on many occasions, and in many circumstances, the things of God unless it be the Spirit of a man which is in him,1 knoweth no man, but which knows it by consciousness, to a degree of of a a man, save the the spirit of God. 12 Now we have certainty which no observation or reasoning can Now this is entirely to the present purpose; 12 received, not the for the spirit, which we have received, is not that but the Spirit which of the world, nor do we gov. rn ourselves by those is of God; that we carnal views which engross and enslave so great spirit of the world, a part of mankind; but we have received, in to have been found in an apocryphal book of them. They must signify the perfect The spirit of a man.] I do not apprehend that the distinction between the soul and spirit, to which some refer these words, is of great importance in the interpretation acquaintance with all the Divine schemes and purposes which the Holy Spirit has, and which the apostle's argument directly proves, that no creature can have : so that it seems a glorious proof of the Deity of the Spirit, and has accordingly been urged as such, by all who have defended that im portant doctrine. 1 Cor. n in the words which 14 But the natural receiveth not man things of the SECT. the things which are freely given us by God: might know the iv. Which we also make it our business to speak, things that are freely and to communicate to others, not in words dic- given to us of God. 13 Which things ii. 13 tated by human wisdom, to excite men's curiosi- also we speak, not ty, amuse their imaginations, or gain their applause; but in those dictated by the Holy Spiritm man's wisdom teacheth, but which the and consequently best adapted to convey such Holy Ghost teacheth; ideas as he would impart, and to impress the comparing spiritual hearts and consciences of men, with a reverent things with spiritual. and deep sense of those holy mysteries: and this we do with all serious care and attention, explaining such spiritual and sublime things by spiritual [words,] suggested by him as best adapt14 ed to them. But in the mean time, vain and foolish men find a great deal in our preaching the to cavil at, and object against. And it is no Spirit of God; for wonder they do; for the animal man, who they are foolishness continues under the influence of his appetites unto him: neither can he know them, and passions, and is a stranger to the noble ex- because they are ercises and principles of the Divine life, receiv- spiritually discerneth not, with any inward relish or sense, the ed. things of the Spirit of God, which are too sublime and refined for his low, corrupted and degenerate taste; for in proportion to the degree in which they are full of Divine Wisdom, they will appear foolishness to him; neither can he rightly know [them,] whilst he continues in his present state, and under such unhappy prejudices as these: for they are spiritually discerned, and a man must have a spiritual taste, formed by the influences of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, before he will thoroughly enter into their 15 excellence. But the spiritual man, whose heart, illuminated and sanctified by the Divine Spirit, spiritual judgeth all is set on spiritual and noble objects, discerneth things, yet he him. all things about him rightly, while he himself is 15 But he that is Those dictated by the Holy Spirit.] ing all that the learned and judicious Dr. This expression may certainly convince us, of the great regard which we ought always to maintain to the words of scripture; and may especially teach ministers how attentively they should study its beauties, and how careful they should be to make it the support of their discourses. Explaining spiritual things, &c.] This sense of σuyxgivores occurs, Gen. xl. 8; and Numb. xv. 34, in the Seventy. n • The animal man.] Without examin Owen hath said one way on this text, or Dr. Claget, and Dr. Stebbing another, I have taken that which seems to me the due medium, and for the farther vindication of this exposition, must refer to Clifford, in the 2a volume of the Phanix, p. 544, and to my third letter to the Author of Christianity not founded on Argument, p. 39, 40, only reminding my reader, that this very word uxos is rendered sensual, Jam. iii. 15; Jude, ver. 19. man. for the apostles have the mind of Christ. 213 iv. 1 Cor. self is judged of no discerned by no man; by none of those who are SECT. most forward and heady in their but censures; remains like a man endowed with sight, among those born blind, who are incapable of appre- ii. 15 hending what is clear to him, and amidst their own darkness cannot participate of, nor understand, those beautiful ideas and pleasing sensations which light pours upon him. 16 For who hath known the mind of And surely, if you consider matters aright, 16 For who the Lord, that he you cannot much wonder at this. may instruct him? hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath But we have the instructed him ?P There must undoubtedly be mind of Christ. in the Divine counsels, many secret and hid- IMPROVEMENT. 2 LET it be the resolution of every Christian, and especially the verso determination of every minister, with St. Paul, to know nothing but Jesus Christ, even him that was crucified: to esteem this the most important of all knowledge, to cultivate it in their own minds, and endeavour to propagate it to others. With this Di- 1 vine science, shall those ministers of the gospel, who knew least of the excellency of speech and the enticing words of man's wisdom, do more important things for the reformation of the world, and the salvation of souls, than without it, the greatest masters of language, or adepts in philosophy, will ever be able to effect. Let the princes of this world boast of the knowledge and refined Who hath instructed him.] Some good interpreters, and particularly Mr. Pyle and Dr. Guyse, explain this of the spiritual man; but it seems more agreeable to the construction, and its connection with what follows, by him, to understand God. We have the mind of Christ.] This part of the epistle is very artificially conducted. He is now aiming at the great point of establishing his authority which had been suspected among them; yet he does not directly propose, but obliquely insinuate, arguments against such suspicions; arguments which might possess their minds before they were aware of what he intended to effect by them. This important remark will often present itself to the attentive reader of St. Paul's epistles. 214 Reflections on the preaching of Christ by the power of God. verse SECT. policy which is so soon to perish, by which so many of their sub. iv. jects perish, and sometimes themselves before their time. In how many instances does it leave them to imitate the destructive maxims of those, who, under pretence of public good, but 8 really under the instigation of the basest private passions, crucified Jesus, the adorable Saviour, the Lord of glory. 6 May God teach us more of that hidden wisdom which they who are truly initiated into real Christianity know, and which 9 opens upon us views and hopes, beyond what ear heard, or it hath particularly and fully entered into the heart eye hath seen, or of man to conceive. There is no need we should distinctly con ceive it. It is enough that we know in the general, it is what God hath prepared for them that love him; which consideration may surely teach us to trample under our feet that which he so often bestows on them who hate him, and are abhorred by him; on those with whom he is angry every day. May that Spirit, which searcheth all things, even the hidden 12 things of God, give us more deeply and affectionately to know the things which are freely given us of God, and to adore that free grace from which we receive them! These things we learn 13 with the highest advantage from the holy scriptures, where they are delivered in words which the Holy Ghost taught in words therefore, the most admirably adapted to express those spiritual and sublime ideas they were intended to communicate: In which words, consequently, we learn to speak of the things of God with the exactest propriety and the truest edification. May we be enabled spiritually to discern them, with whatever 14 contempt they may be treated by natural, that is, by animal men; by those, who, though conceited of their rational powers, can relish little or nothing but what relates to this low and sensual 15 life. Conscious of that inward discerning, which discovers all things to us in their true light, even things of infinite importance, may we pity that undiscerning rashness of blind arrogance and pride, with which some, who think themselves the wisest in proportion to the degree in which they are the most wretched of mankind, may treat us, and not only us, but that gospel which 16 is our glory and our joy. We have the mind of Christ delivered to us by his holy apostles, who were intimately and miraculously instructed in it. Let us humbly receive the oracles they deliver; and whilst others are presuming haughtily to censure them, may we think ourselves happy, if, with meek subjection to their unerring authority, we may sit at the feet of such teachers, and regulate our lives by their instructions! He could not speak to the Corinthians, but as to babes in Christ. 215 The apostle reproves the carnality of the Corinthians, in contending about human teachers, and urges many important considerations to cure them of so unbecoming a temper. 1 Cor. III. 1–9. 1 COR. III. 1. AND 1, breth ren, could not v. 1 CORINTHIANS III. 1. I HAVE been speaking of that great plain- sEcT ness with which I addressed myself to you speak unto you as when I came to preach the gospel among you anto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as at Corinth; and I hope, my brethren, you will anto babes in Christ. not despise me for it: for truly, as it became 1 Cor. my character as an apostle of Christ, so it suited yours, as being under the power of prejudices, which so far prevailed, that even when you were converted to the profession of Christianity, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual persons, who had made any attainments in religion, propertionable to the illuminations and influences of the Spirit, which you had received: but was obliged in many instances to address you, as those who were still in too great a measure, carnal in your temper and views, and therefore were but as babes in Christ, and beginners in the Divine life. I might have said sublimer things, and in a more elevated manner; but found so much pride and faction among you, that it was necessary to insist much upon the plain and fundamental doctrines of the cross, rather than on things, which, if they might have suited your inclinations better, I have fed you would have suited your circumstances less. with milk, and not was forced to preach to you, as to persons weak with meat: for hithas infants; and so feed you with milk, which I did as it were pour into your mouths with a tenderness, like that of a mother, or a nurse, when feeding her sucking child; and could not conveniently feed you with strong meat. I waved discoursing on some of those doctrines iii. 1 12 exactly signifies, I give you to drink; but as that rendering would not suit the other word with which it is connected, strong meat, I thought it best to retain our ver sion. Parallel instances to this manner of expression are produced by Mr. Blackwall, in his Sacred Classies, Vol. I. p. 72. |