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a gracious vision of the Lord Jefus* who said to Paul in the night, "I have much people in this city," encouraged him to continue here a year and a half. The rage of the Jews would doubtlefs be raised to the highest pitch; but, as ufual, the moderate fpirit of the Roman government prevented its fanguinary exertions. Gallio the proconful, brother of the famous Seneca, was perfectly indifferent concerning the progrefs of Chriftianity, and refufed to pay the leaft attention to their complaints against Paul, who now found himself fo effectually preferved from the fury of his countrymen, that he remained in Corinth a confiderable time longer than the abovementioned year and a half. After his departure Apollos, a zealous and eloquent Alexandrian Jew, came to this city, and was made a very powerful inftrument of building up this Church, and of filencing the oppofition of the Jews. The modefty of this man was as confpicuous as his fpirit. Till he was inftructed more perfectly by Aquila and Prifcilla, he knew no more of Chriftianity, than what was contained in the fyftem of John the Baptift. That fo able a man could fubmit to profit by others, was a proof of a humble frame.

It appears, that St. Paul, fo far as circumftances admitted, kept up a conftant correfpondence with the Churches. The care of them, as he fays, "came upon him daily." The Corinthians wrote to him to afk his advice on fome cafes of confcience; and he understood, that a variety of evils and abufes had crept in among them. On thefe accounts he wrote the two epiftles to the Corinthians. We are aftonished to find in reviewing them, how faulty many perfons of this Church were; and the fcene, which they exhibit, more refembles modern than primitive times in a variety of circumftances. It falls not within the defign of this hiftory to enlarge. Former

* Acts xviii.

Former writers have, with more than fufficient accuracy, detailed the evils; let one at least be allowed briefly to record the good things of the Church of Chrift. In regard to the people of Corinth, their exemption from perfecution under Gallio, and their ftate of eafe and profperity, fo uncommon with other Churches, in a great meafure account for the little fpirituality which they manifefted. Perhaps no Church was more numerous, and none lefs holy in the apoftolic age. And it may teach us not to repine at the want of the MIRACULOUS operations of the Holy Spirit, when we confider that thefe Corinthians abounded in them. But they were proud of gifts, contentious, felf-conceited, and warm partizans of Paul, Apollos, or Peter; and by the indulgence of this fpirit, fhewed how little they had learned of true wisdom, which gives the Apoftle occafion* to recommend the wifdom that is from above, to point out the nature and properties of fpiritual underftanding, and to pour a juft contempt. on that, which is merely natural.

With the pride of falfe wifdom they joined a very blamable neglect in practice. One of their Church lived in inceft, nor was the offender excommunicatedt. St. Paul rebukes them alfo for their litigioufnefs and lafcivioufnefst. In answer to their queries, he recommends celibacy as preferable to matrimony, where a man can practife it, and that I think from general reafons §, as more favourable to holinefs, without however depreciating matrimony, or giving the least countenance to the flood of monaftic abuses, which afterwards prevailed in Chriftendom. But mankind are ever prone to extremes: and the extreme which is oppofite to fuperftition fo much prevails at prefent, that I fhould not wonder, if fome

1 Cor. four first Chapters. + Chap. v.
Chap. vii.

perfons

Chap. vi.

perfons fhould ftartle at what I have mentioned as the fentiments of St. Paul, though it be impoffible for any unprejudiced perfon to understand him otherwise.

So little were the Corinthians expofed to perfecution, that they were invited by their idolatrous neighbours to partake of their idol feafts; and there were those who complied*.. There were falfe apoftles among them, who, by pretending to inftruct them gratis, endeavoured to depreciate Paul as a mercenary perfon. Hence, while he rebukes the faults or defects of this people, he obferves that HE laboured among them freely, which the falfe apoftles pretended to do. He proceeds to correct an abufe which obtained in their affemblies, in the article of decency of drefs; and another much worse,the profanation of the Lord's Supper. He infifts alfo on the correction of their abufe of fpiritual gifts, particularly thofe of languages §. It appears that gifts were more prized by them, in fome refpects, than grace itfelf; and that love, which he beautifully defcribes, was at a low ebb among them. He occafionally mentions however a very common effect attendant on the preaching of the Gospel even at Corinth: If an ignorant idolater came into their affemblies, he was fo penetrated with the difplay of the truth as it is in Jefus, that he could not but discover the very fecrets of his foul: he would proftrate himself in the worship of God, and report that God was in them of a truth . And, if where the

1 Cor. viii. 10. +1 Cor. ix. compared with 2 Cor. xi. 13-20. 1 Cor. xi. § Chap. xii. xiii. xiv. This is a proof of the Divine Influence attendant on Chriftianity. General proofs of its authenticity may be drawn also from the fubject of miraculous gifts. The Apoftle's manner of defcribing these things proves their reality and their frequency. For no man could have convinced these Corinthians, that they were in poffeffion of thofe gifts, if they themselves had not been confcious of them.

the Gospel was fo little honoured by the lives of its profeffors as at Corinth, fuch power attended the difpenfation of it, how much more of the fame kind, may we suppose, happened at Philippi and at Theffalonica? For we have not yet mentioned all the evils of this outwardly flourishing, but inwardly diftempered Church. There were fome, who even denied the refurrection of the body, which gives occafion to the Apoftle to illuftrate that important article *.

Though he had promised to re-visit them foon, yet, in the next epiftle, he affigns a reason why he delayed longer than he had intended. Their Chriftian ftate was very imperfect; and he wifhed to be enabled, by their reformation, to come among them with more pleasure. In truth, he wrote the first epiftle in much anguish and affliction +. His foul was deeply affected for this people; and while great progrefs in profeffion feemed fo inconfiftent with their experience and their practice, he felt the fincereft grief. He was relieved at length by the coming of Titus. From his account it appeared, that the admonitions were by no means fruitlefs. The cafe of the inceftuous perfon at length was attended to by them as it ought they proceeded even with more feverity. than the Apoftle defired; for, though the man gave the ftrongeft proof of repentance, they refused to re-admit him into their Church, till St. Paul fignified his exprefs defire that they would do fo.

There can be no doubt but that many perfons belonging to this Church were recovered to a ftate of affection and practice worthy of Chriftianity. In particular the Apoftle commends their liberality toward the diftreffed Chriftians §. But there

Chap. xv. † 2 Cor. ii. 4. 2 Cor. vii. § 2 Cor. ix.

was

was an obftinate party ftill attached to the falfe apoftles, whofe conduct extorted from him a zealous and honeft commendation of himself, his endowments, and his office, which yet he manages with great addrefs and delicacy, while he bewails the fcandalous practices ftill exifting among them*.

On his arrival at Corinth after thefe epiftles, he doubtless executed what he had threatened, namely, fome wholesome feverities on offenders, unless their fpeedy and fincere repentance prevented the neceffity of fuch a step. He spent three months in † his fecond vifit. But we have no more particular account in Scripture of this Church.

Chap. xi. xii. + Acts xx.

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