TEXT.

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret ?

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.

PARAPHRASE.

29 and such as are able to speak diversity of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers 30 of miracles? Have all the gift of healing? Do all speak di31 versity of tongues? Are all interpreters of tongues? But ye contest one with another, whose particular gift is best, and most preferable; but I will show you a more excellent way, viz. mutual good-will, affection, and charity.

NOTE.

That this is the apostle's meaning here is plain, in that there was an emulation amongst them, and a strife for precedency, on account of the several gifts they had, (as we have already observed from several passages in this section) which made them in their assemblies desire to be heard first. This was the fault the apostle was here correcting; and it is not likely he should exhort them all, promiscuously, to seek the principal and most eminent gifts, at the end of a discourse wherein he had been demonstrating to them, by the example of the human body, that there ought to be diversity of gifts and functions of the church, but that there ought to be no schism, emulation, or contest amongst them, upon the account of the exercise of those gifts; that they were all useful in their places, and no member was at all to be the less honoured or valued for the gift he had, though it were not one of the first rank. And in this sense the word λ is taken in the next chapter, ver. 4, where St. Paul, pursuing the same argument, exhorts them to mutual charity, good-will, and affection, which he assures them is preferable to any gifts whatsoever. Besides, to what purpose should he exhort them" to covet earnestly the best gifts," when the obtaining of this or that gift did not at all lie in their desires or endeavours, the apostle having just before told them, ver. 11, that "the Spirit divides those gifts to every man severally as he will," and those he writ to had their allotment already? He might as reasonably, according to his own doctrine in this very chapter, bid the foot covet to be the hand, or the ear to be the eye. Let it be remembered, therefore, to rectify this, that St. Paul says, ver. 17 of this chapter: "If the whole body were the eye, where were the hearing," &c. St. Paul does not use to cross his own design, nor contradict his own reasoning.

SECTION IX. NO. 4.

CHAPTER XIII. 1-13.

CONTENTS.

ST. Paul having told the Corinthians, in the last words of the preceding chapter, that he would show them a more excellent way, than the emulous producing of their gifts in the assembly, he, in this chapter, tells them, that this more excellent way is charity, which he at large explains, and shows the excellency of.

TEXT.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing,

PARAPHRASE.

1 If I speak all the languages of men and angels, and yet have not charity, to make use of them entirely for the good and benefit of others, I am no better than a sounding brass, or noisy cymbal, which fills the ears of others, without any 2 advantage to itself, by the sound it makes. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and see, in the law and the prophets, all the mysteries contained in them, and comprehend all the knowledge they teach; and if I have faith to the highest degree, and

C

NOTES.

1 "Tongues of angels" are mentioned here, according to the conception of the Jews.

A cymbal consisted of two large hollowed plates of brass, with broad brims, which were struck one against another, to fill up the symphony in great concerts of music; they made a great deep sound, but had scarce any variety of musical

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notes.

2 Any predictions, relating to our Saviour or his doctrine, or the times of the Gospel, contained in the Old Testament, in types, or figurative and obscure expressions, not understood before his coming, and being revealed to the world, St. Paul calls "mystery," as may be seen all through his writings. So that 66 mystery and knowledge" are terms here used by St. Paul, to signify truths concerning Christ to come, contained in the Old Testament; and “prophecy," the understanding of the types and prophecies containing those truths, so as to be able to explain them to others.

TEXT.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up;

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth:

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

PARAPHRASE.

power of miracles, so as to be able to remove mountains, and 3 have not charity, I am nothing, I am of no value. And if I bestow all I have in relief of the poor, and give myself to 4 be burnt, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. Charity is long-suffering, is gentle and benign, without emulation, in5 solence, or being puffed up; Is not ambitious, nor at all selfinterested, is not sharp upon others' failings, or inclined to ill 6 interpretations: Charity rejoices with others, when they do

well; and, when any thing is amiss, is troubled, and covers 7 their failings: Charity believes well, hopes well of every one, 8 and patiently bears with every thing: Charity will never cease, as a thing out of use; but the gifts of prophecy, and tongues, and the knowledge whereby men look into, and explain the meaning of the Scriptures, the time will be, when 9 they will be laid aside, as no longer of any use. For the knowledge we have now in this state, and the explication we 10 give of Scripture, is short, partial, and defective. But when, hereafter, we shall be got into the state of accomplishment and perfection, wherein we are to remain in the other world, there will no longer be any need of these imperfecter ways of information, whereby we arrive at but a partial knowledge 11 here. Thus, when I was in the imperfect state of childhood,

NOTES.

To remove mountains," is to do what is next to impossible.

7 May we not suppose, that, in this description of charity, St. Paul intimates, and tacitly reproves their contrary carriage, in their emulation and contests about the dignity and preference of their spiritual gifts?

TEXT.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.

PARAPHRASE.

I talked, I understood, I reasoned after the imperfect manner of a child: but, when I came to the state and perfection of 12 manhood, I laid aside those childish ways. Now we see but by reflection, the dim, and, as it were, enigmatical representation of things: but then we shall see things directly, and as they are in themselves, as a man sees another, when they are face to face. Now I have but a superficial, partial knowledge of things; but then I shall have an intuitive, comprehensive knowledge of them, as I myself am known, and lie open to the view of superior, seraphic beings, not by the obscure and im13 perfect way of deductions and reasoning. But then, even in that state, faith, hope, and charity, will remain : but the greatest of the three is charity.

SECTION IX. NO. 5.

CHAPTER XIV. 1-40.

CONTENTS.

ST. Paul, in this chapter, concludes his answer to the Corinthians, concerning spiritual men, and their gifts; and having told them that those were most preferable that tended most to edification, and particularly shown that prophecy was to be preferred to tongues, he gives them directions for the decent, orderly, and profitable exercise of their gifts, in their assemblies.

TEXT.

1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

2 For he, that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth him: how beit, in the Spirit, he speaketh mysteries.

PARAPHRASE.

1 Let your endeavours, let your pursuit, therefore, be after charity; not that you should neglect the use of your spiritual 2 gifts, especially the gift of prophecy: For he, that speaks in an unknown tongue, speaks to God alone, but not to men :

NOTES.

1 • Ζηλοῦτε τὰ πνευματικά, That ζηλοῦν does not signify to covet or desire, nor can be understood to be so used by St. Paul in this section, I have already shown, chap. xii. 31. That it has here the sense that I have given it, is plain from the same direction concerning spiritual gifts, repeated ver. 39, in these words, ζηλοῦσε τὸ προφητεύειν καὶ τὸ λαλεῖν γλώσσαις μὴ κωλύετε, the meaning, iu both places, being evidently this, that they should not neglect the use of their spiritual gifts; especially they should, in the first place, cultivate and exercise the gift of prophesying, but yet should not wholly lay aside the speaking with variety of tongues in their assemblies. It will, perhaps, be wondered why St. Paul should employ the word λo in so unusual a sense; but that will easily be accounted for, if what I have remarked, chap. xiv. 15, concerning St. Paul's custom of repeating words, be remembered. But, besides what is familiar in St. Paul's way of writing, we may find a particular reason for his repeating the word here, though in a somewhat unusual siguification. He having, by way of reproof, told them that they did ζηλοῦν τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ κρείτ7ονα, had an emulation, or made a stir about whose gifts were best, and were, therefore, to take place in their assemblies. To prevent their thinking that šŋλoữ might have too harsh a meaning, (for he is, in all this epistle, very tender of offending them, and therefore sweetens all his reproofs as much as possible,) he here takes it up again, and uses it, more than once, in a way that approves and advises that they should our wveuμalixà, whereby yet he means no more but that they should not neglect their spiritual gifts; he would have them use them in their assemblies, but yet in such method and order as he directs.

2 He, who attentively reads this section about spiritual men and their gifts, may find reason to imagine that it was those, who had the gift of tongues, who caused the disorder in the church at Corinth, by their forwardness to speak, and striving to be heard first, and so taking up too much of the time in their assemblies, in speaking in unknown tongues. For the remedying this disorder, and better regulating of this matter, amongst other things, they had recourse to St. Paul. He will not avoid easily thinking so, who considers,

1st, That the first gift which St. Paul compares with charity, chap. xiii., and extremely undervalues, in comparison of that divine virtue, is the gift of tongues, as if that were the gift they most affected to show, and most valued themselves upon; as indeed it was, in itself, most fitted for ostentation in their assemblies of any other, if any one were inclined that way: and that the Corinthians, in their present state, were not exempt from emulation, vanity, and ostentation, is very evident.

2dly, That chap. xiv. when St. Paul compares their spiritual gifts one with another, the first, nay, and only one, that he debases and depreciates, in com