A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
1. MOreover, brethren, I would not that ye ſhould be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all paſſed through the ſea; 2. And were all baptized unto Moſes in the cloud, and in the ſea; 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.)
1, 2, 3, 4. And becauſe your boaſt of Knowledge, and your ſcandalous uncharitable abuſe of your Liberty, and inſulting therein, give me cauſe to be jealous of many among you, let me further remember you, That it is not your being Baptized, and being Partakers of outward Privileges, and being eminent in the Church, that will ſave you, if you live in Sin: For all the Iſraelites paſſed through the Sea, and were under the Cloud, and ſo were typically baptized by Covenant to Moſes's Law; and they did all eat the Paſſover, which was Sacramentally Spiritual Meat, and typically as our Euchariſt; and they all drank of the miraculous Rock-water oft in the Wilderneſs, which Rock and Water were typically or ſpiritually Chriſt and his Sacramental Blood.
5. But with many of them God was not well pleaſed: for they were overthrown in the wilderneſs.
5. And yet with many, yea moſt of them, God was ſo offended by their Sin, that he overthrew them in the Wilderneſs.
6. Now theſe things were our examples, to the intent we ſhould not luſt after evil things, as they alſo luſted.
6. Now theſe were admoniſhing Types to us, and written to warn us, that we luſt not after forbidden gratifying of the Fleſh, as they did: (If they are accuſed as luſting in the Wilderneſs for Fleſh, when they had onelyonly Manna for forty years, what exceſs of Luſt is it in them that take it for their Liberty and Wiſdom to ſerve their Fleſh and Appetite, to the ſcandal of others by their ill Example?)
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.
7. And take warning by them, and do not partake of Idols Feaſts, and make a ſport of that which God is jealous in.
8. Neither let us commit fornication, as ſome of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thouſand.
8, And take warning by their Deſtruction, Num. 25.1, 2, 3. to avoid Fornication, which ſome of you make light of.
9. Neither let us tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them alſo tempted, and were deſtroyed of ſerpents.
9. And be warned by their Plagues, that you make not your Fleſhly Luſts, and your impatience of Sufferings, to be the Law and Meaſure of your Expectations from God, as if he muſt needs do what your Fleſh would have him, and allow you to do what you deſire.
10. Neither murmur ye, as ſome of them alſo murmured, and were deſtroyed of the deſtroyer.
10. And let not the Life of Self-denial, and Sufferings in the Fleſh, which Chriſt calls you to, provoke you to murmur and be impatient under the Croſs, or weary of Chriſtianity, leſt you be deſtroyed by the Executioners of Gods Juſtice, as they were by the Plague.
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.
11. The Hiſtory of them, and their Sins and Puniſhments, are written for the uſe of all following Generations, even for us that live in the laſt Age of the World, to warn us to avoid the like.
12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he ſtandeth, take heed leſt he fall.
12. Therefore in ſtead of Self-conceitedneſs and Self-confidence, let even thoſe that think beſt of themſelves for Wiſdom and Stability, take heed leſt they fall to Sin and Miſery.
13. There hath no temptation taken you, but ſuch as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation alſo make a way to eſcape, that ye may be able to bear it.
13. There hath yet no tempting Trial befallen you, but ſuch as Men in your State of Humanity ordinarily undergo; ſo that your Sufferings have been no juſtification of any ſelf-ſaving Compliance with Idolaters: And you have no cauſe to diſtruſt God for the time to come; for he is faithful, and will not let your Trials be intolerable, but with the Trial will ſhew you a ſafe paſſage out of it at laſt, that by the forefight of that, and the breyity, you may be able to undergo it.
14, 15. Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I ſpeak as to wiſe men: judge ye what I ſay.
14, 15. As you plead for Wiſdom, I will ſuppoſe I ſpeak to Men of Wiſdom, who can judge of Reaſon; and I offer the Reaſon of my Exhortation to your wiſeſt Judgment.
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?
16. Is not our Communion in the Lords Supper, in Wine and Bread bleſſed, a common Reception Sacramentally of the Blood and the Body of Chriſt? Do we not join in a profeſſed Reception of theſe, communicated to us by Chriſt?
17. For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
17. For we that are many Perſons, are one Church or Body of Chriſt, by Covenant-union with him the Bread of Life, of whom we all Sacramentally and profeſſed'y partake; as many Grains of Corn make one Loaf and many Members one Body.
18. Behold Iſrael after the fleſh: are not they which eat of the ſacrifices partakers of the altar?
18. Do not they that eat of the Sacrifices of the Jews, thereby profeſs Worſhip to the God they ſacrifice to?
19. What ſay I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in ſacrifice to idols is any thing? 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.
19, 20. And now do not we know as well as others, that an Idol or Image is nothing, (but Wood, Stone, Gold, &c.) and that the Meat that is offered them is not in it ſelf at all changed from what it was? But I ſay, that it is Devils that ſeduce the Heathens to this Idolatry, and Devils whom they thereby obey, and Devils whom they worſhip, as ſuppoſed Demigods, there repreſented; and conſequentially, Devils with whom they have this Federal Communion. And I would not have you Chriſtians to be Subjects and Communicants with Devils.
21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of devils.
21. Think not that you may do both: You cannot lawfully, acceptably, or effectually, Sacramentally and Federally, communicate in the Blood and Body of Chriſt, or receive that ſacred Cup and Bread, and be made Members of him and his Church, and alſo communicate in the Federal Sacrifices to Devils; no, not with your Bodies, though you never ſo much deſpiſe them in your Hearts.
22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealouſie? are we ſtronger then he?
22. Shall we provoke God by that which in the Second Commandment, and often, he hath told us, he will be a jealous Avenger of? Are we ſtrong enough to overcome him, or to bear the Wrath of the Almighty?
23. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edifie not.
23. As I am from under Moſes's Law, and not bound by it, as ſuch; ſo alſo I know that all Meats are in themſelves now clean, and lawful to me: But lawful things may be uſed contrary to the Will of God, the Ends of Chriſtianity, and the Edification of others; and the Law of Chriſt forbiddeth us ſo to uſe them.
24. Let no man ſeek his own: but every man anothers wealth.
24. We are bound by Chriſt to love others as our ſelves, and therefore not to prefer our own ſmall and bodily Intereſt or Safety, before the ſpiritual, greater Good of others; nor to do only what we think beſt for our ſelves, but alſo what is beſt for others, (eſpecially for the Church of Chriſt.)
25. Whatſoever is ſold in the ſhambles, that eat, asking no queſtion for conſcience ſake. 26. For the earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof.
25. If it be ſold in the Shambles, it is common Food to you; your Conſciences need not ask whether it be unclean, or whether it was ever offered to any Idol. 26. God, that is the Lord of all the Earth, hath allowed us all that is fit for Food.
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.
27. As it is not unlawful when invited to go to a Feaſt to Unbelievers; ſo, when you ſee cauſe to go, eat what is ſet before you, and queſtion not the Lawfulneſs of it your ſelves.
28. But if any man ſay unto you, This is offered in ſacrifice unto idols, eat not, for his ſake that ſhewed it, and for conſcience ſake. The earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof.
28. But if any Man ſay, This is part of the Meat that was an Idol Sacrifice, eat not of it, for his ſake that told thee ſo, leſt thou tempt him to venture on Idol-Sacrifices; and for Conſcience ſake, that thou uncharitably ſeduce not his Conſcience. God hath allowed thee lawful Meats enough; thou needeſt not eat to others hurt.
29. Conſcience I ſay, not thine own, but of the others: for why is my liberty judged of another mans conſcience?
29. When I ſay Conſcience, I mean, that you wrong not anothers Conſcience. I mean not that this Meat is unlawful to you, had you not been told it was offered to Idols, or had eaten it privately, where no one was hurt by it: For another Mans Conſcience is not my Guide, nor makes Lawful Food Unlawful to me. But Uncharitableneſs, and Hurtfulneſs to others, (as well as Corporal Idolatry) I muſt make Conſcience to avoid my ſelf, as againſt the great Commands of Chriſt.
30. For, if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil ſpoken of for that for which I give thanks?
30. For if I neither ſeem to worſhip the Idol my ſelf, nor hurt another, but with Thankſgiving eat what's ſet before me at a Common Feaſt, though another expect that I ſhould enquire whether it was not an Idols Sacrifice, I ſin not, nor ought he to ſpeak evil of me as a Sinner.
31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatſoever ye do, do all to the glory God.
31. Therefore, as in all that you do, ſo in theſe things, where God hath made no particular, common, determining Law, the Intereſt of our Great End, the Glory of God, muſt be our common and moſt obliging Law: Neither eat, nor drink, nor do any thing againſt the Glory of God, and your Reliligion, and the Good of others, in which God is glorified. Yea, do nothing but what, as ſome Means, hath its tendency to his Glory; nothing that is either hurtful or vain.
32. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Avoid all unneceſſary things, which will be a ſtumbling, or hurtful Temptation, to Jews or Heathens, or the Church of God, or any Members of it.
(So dangerouſly are abundance of Religious Perſons miſtaken, that ſcruple not offending or hardning the ungodly by ſowr Contempt, and cauſeleſs Singularity, and that take diſpleaſing miſtaken Cenſorious Chriſtians to be the Offence here meant, when pleaſing them by ſeeming to own their Miſtakes (as Peter did, Gal. 2. by his Separation) is a uſual hurtful way of ſcandalizing them.)
33. Even as I pleaſe all men in all things, not ſeeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be ſaved.
33. Imitate me in this, who in things which God hath leſt undetermined to my power, do chuſe that part which pleaſeth other Men, ſo far as is for their profit, and do not humour or pleaſe my own ſelf-will, for any carnal Intereſt of my own, but do that which tendeth to the good of moſt, even their Salvation.
Note, O happy had it been with the Chriſtian World, if the Biſhops had been of Paul's mind, and had not choſen to ſilence, baniſh, burn, and murder thouſands of Gods faithful Servants, for not humouring their Wills, and obeying unneceſſary Canons, impoſed by Papal Uſurpation.