TEXT. 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: (for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.) 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. PARAPHRASE. 3 the cloud and the sea. And they all eat the same meat, which 4 had a typical and spiritual signification; And they all drank the same spiritual, typical drink, which came out of the rock, and followed them, which rock typified Christ: all which were typical representations of Christ, as well as the bread and wine, which we eat and drink in the Lord's supper, are typical re5 presentations of him. But yet, though every one of the children of Israel that came out of Egypt, were thus solemnly separated from the rest of the profane, idolatrous world, and were made God's peculiar people, sanctified and holy, every one of them to himself, and members of his church: nay, though they did all partake of the same meat, and the same drink, which did typically represent Christ, yet they were not thereby privileged from sin: but great numbers of them provoked God, and were destroyed in the wilderness, for their 6 disobedience. Now these things were set as patterns to us, that we, warned by these examples, should not set our minds a-longing, as they did, after meats, that would be safer let 7 alone. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose NOTES. 5 It may be observed here that St. Paul, speaking of the Israelites, uses the word vres, all, five times in the four foregoing verses; besides that, he carefully says, To avrò papa, the same meat, and rò avrò wópa, the same drink, which we cannot suppose to be done by chance, but emphatically to signify to the Corinthians, who, probably, presumed too much upon their baptism, and eating the Lord's supper, as if that were enough to keep them right in the sight of God: that though the Israelites, all to a man, eat the very same spiritual food, and, all to a man, drank the very same spiritual drink, yet they were not all to a man preserved; but many of them, for all that, sinned and fell under the avenging hand of God in the wilderness. 6 Κακῶν, "evil things:" the fault of the Israelites, which this place refers to, seems to be their longing for flesh, Numb. xi., which cost many of them their lives and that which he warns the Corinthians of here, is their great propension to the pagan sacrifice feasts. TEXT. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man : PARAPHRASE. 8 up to play." Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thou9 sand. Neither let us provoke Christ, as some of them pro10 voked, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the 11 destroyer. Now all these things happened to the Jews for examples, and are written for our admonition, upon whom 12 the ends of the ages are comes. Wherefore, taught by these examples, let him that thinks himself safe, by being in the church, and partaking of the Christian sacraments, take heed lest he fall into sin, and so destruction from God overtake 13 him. Hitherto, the temptations you have met with have NOTES. 74 Play, i. e. dance; feasting and dancing usually accompanied the heathen sacrifices. 10 '0x00ρEuròs, "Destroyer," was an angel, that had the power to destroy, mentioned Exod. xii. 23. Heb. xi. 28. 11 'It is to be observed, that all these instances mentioned by the apostle, of destruction which came upon the Israelites who were in covenant with God, and partakers in those typical sacraments above-mentioned, were occasioned by their luxurious appetites about meat and drink, by fornication, and by idolatry, sins which the Corinthians were inclined to, and which he here warns them against. 8 So I think Tà téλn twy aiúvwv should be rendered, and not, contrary to grammar, the end of the world ;" because it is certain that ran and ourlédeia toũ alvos, or Tür alwvwv, cannot signify every where, as we render it, "the end of the world," which denotes but one certain period of time, for the world can have but one end; whereas those words signify, in different places, different periods of time, as will be manifest to any one who will compare these texts where they occur, viz. Matt. xiii. 39, 40, and xxiv. 3, and xxviii. 20. 1 Cor. x. 11. Heb. ix. 26. It may be worth while, therefore, to consider whether alw hath not ordinarily a more natural signification in the New Testament, by standing for a considerable length of time, passing under some one remarkable dispensation. TEXT. but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men: judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread, which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, being many, are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they, which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing? PARAPHRASE. been but light and ordinary; if you should come to be pressed harder, God, who is faithful, and never forsakes those who forsake not him, will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength; but will either enable you to bear the persecution, 14 or open you a way out of it. Therefore, my beloved, take care to keep off from idolatry, and be not drawn to any approaches near it, by any temptation or persecution whatso15 ever. You are satisfied that you want not knowledge" and therefore, as to knowing men, I appeal to you, and make you 16 judges of what I am going to say in the case. They, who drink of the cup of blessing, which we bless in the Lord's supper, do they not thereby partake of the benefits, purchased by Christ's blood, shed for them upon the cross, which they here symbolically drink? And they, who eat of the bread broken there, do they not partake in the sacrifice of the body of 17 Christ, and profess to be members of him? For, by eating of that bread, we, though many in number, are all united, and make but one body, as many grains of corn are united into 18 one loaf. See how it is among the Jews, who are outwardly, according to the flesh, by circumcision, the people of God. Among them, they, who eat of the sacrifice, are partakers of God's table, the altar, have fellowship with him, and share in the benefit of the sacrifice, as if it were offered for them. 19 Do not mistake me, as if I hereby said, that the idols of the Gentiles are gods in reality; or that the things, offered to them, 15h Vid. chap. viii. 1. NOTES. 16 "Cup of Blessing" was a name given by the Jews to a cup of wine, which they solemnly drank in the passover, with thanksgiving. This was also taken from the custom of the Jews, in the passover, to break a cake of unleavened bread. TEXT. 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? PARAPHRASE. change their nature, and are any thing really different from what they were before, so as to affect us in our use of them!. 20 No: but this I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that you should have fellowship, and be in league with devils, as they, who by eating of the things offered to them enter into 21 covenant, alliance, and friendship with them. You cannot eat and drink with God, as friends at his table, in the eucharist, and entertain familiarity and friendship with devils, by eating with them, and partaking of the sacrifices offered to them: You cannot be Christians and idolaters too: nor, if you should endeavour to join these inconsistent rites, will it avail you any thing. For your partaking in the sacraments of the Christian church will no more exempt you from the anger of God, and punishment due to your idolatry, than the eating of the spiritual food, and drinking of the spiritual rock, kept the baptised Israelites, who offended God by their idolatry, or 22 other sins, from being destroyed in the wilderness. Dare you, then, being espoused to Christ, provoke the Lord to jealousy, by idolatry, which is spiritual whoredom? Are you stronger than he, and able to resist him, when he lets loose his fury against you? NOTES. 19 This is evident from what he says, ver. 25, 27, that things offered to idols may be eaten as well as any other meat, so it be without partaking in the sacrifice, and without scandal. m 21 It is plain, by what the apostle says, that the thing he speaks against here is their assisting at the heathen sacrifices, or at least at the feasts in their temples upon the sacrifice, which was a federal rite. SECTION VI. NO. 2. CHAPTER X. 23-XI. 1. CONTENTS. WE have, here, another of his arguments against things offered to idols, wherein he shows the danger, that might be in it, from the scandal it might give: supposing it a thing lawful in itself. He had formerly treated of this subject, ch. viii. so far as to let them see, that there was no good nor virtue in eating things offered to idols, notwithstanding they knew that idols were nothing, and they might think, that their free eating, without scruple, showed that they knew their freedom in the Gospel, that they knew that idols were in reality nothing; and, therefore, they slighted and disregarded them, and their worship, as nothing; but that there might he evil in eating, by the offence it might give to weak Christians, who had not that knowledge. He here takes up the argument of scandal again, and extends it to Jews and Gentiles; vid. ver. 32, and shows, that it is not enough to justify them, in any action, that the thing they do is in itself lawful, unless they seek in it the glory of God, and the good of others. TEXT. 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 27 If any of them, that believe not, bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you eat, asking no question for conscience sake. PARAPHRASE. 23 Farther, supposing it lawful to eat things offered to idols, yet all things that are lawful are not expedient: things that, in themselves are lawful for me, may not tend to the edification 24 of others, and so may be fit to be forborn. No one must seek barely his own private, particular interest alone, but let every 25 one seek the good of others also. Eat whatever is sold in the shambles, without any inquiry, or scruple, whether it had been 26 offered to any idol, or no. For the earth, and all therein, are the good creatures of the true God, given by him to men, for 27 their use. If an heathen invite you to an entertainment, and |