Sundry directions

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even as I:

9 But, if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.

1 Thess. 3. 5. ver. 12, 25. 2 Cor. 8. 8. & 11. 17 Acts 26. 29.

4 Ch. 9. 5. Matt. 19. 12. ch. 12. 11. ver. 1, 25.-1 Tim. 5. 14.

traordinary spiritual occasion may render it mutually agreeable; in order that ye may fast and pray, and derive the greatest possible benefit from these duties, by being enabled to wait on the Lord without distraction.

That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.] It is most evident that the separations permitted by the apostle, for he enjoins none, are only for a season; on extraordinary occasions: and, that the persons may come together again, lest Satan taking advantage of their matrimonial abstinence, might tempt either party to illicit commerce.

There are a multitude of rules prescribed in such cases by the rabbins, and indeed even by heathen writers: for this was a matter in which common sense could always judge: and under the direction of experience, heathens, as well as those favoured with Divine Revelation, could see what was proper in all such cases.

Incontinence, axparia, want of strength to regulate one's desires or appetites; from a negative, and xparos strength. It is remarkable, that the apostle supposes that even this temporary continence might produce incontinence: and universal observation confirms the supposition.

Verse 6. I speak this by permission, &c.] It was a constant custom, of the more conscientious rabbins, to make a difference between the things which they enjoined on their own judgment; and those which they built on the authority of the law. Thus Rabbi Tancum, "The washing of hands before meat, is in our own power: washing after meat, is commanded." In relation to this point, Dr. Lightfoot produces some examples from the Jewish writers: "The man is commanded concerning begetting and multiplying, but not the woman. And when does the man come under this command? From the age of sixteen or seventeen years: but if he exceeds twenty years without marrying, behold he violates, and renders an affirmative precept vain. The Gemara says,|| It is forbidden a man to be without a wife; because it is written, it is not good for man to be alone. And whosoever gives not himself to generation and multiplying, is all one with a murderer: he is, as though he diminished from the image of God, &c." We may understand the apostle here as saying that the directions already given were from his

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own judgment, and not from any Divine inspiration; and we may take it for granted that where he does not make this observation, he is writing under the immediate afflatus of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 7. For, I would that all men, &c.] He wished that all that were then in the church, were like himself, unmarried: but this was in reference to the necessities of the church, or what he calls, ver. 26. the present distress: for, it never could be his wish that marriage should cease among men; and that human beings should no longer be propagated upon earth nor could he wish that the church of Christ should always be composed of single persons; this would have been equally absurd. But as the church was then in straits and difficulties, it was much better for its single members, not to encumber themselves with domestic em

barrassments.

Every man hath his proper gift of God] Continence is a state that cannot be acquired by human art or industry; a man has it from God, or not at all: and if he have it from God, he has it from him as the author of his nature: for where it does not exist naturally, it never can exist but either by miraculous interference, which should never be expected; or by chirurgical operation, which is a shocking abomination in the sight of God. See the Note on Matt. xix. 12.

Verse 8. The unmarried and widows] It is supposed that the apostle speaks here of men who had been married, in the word ayaual, but were now widowers; as he does of women who had been married, in the word zi, but were now widows. And when he says ŵ5 ×2 yw, even as I, he means that he himself was a widower; for several of the ancients rank Paul among the married apostles.

Verse 9. But if they cannot contain] If they find it inconvenient and uncomfortable to continue as widowers and widows, let them remarry.

It is better to marry than to burn.] Bishop Pearce translates the original thus, for it is better to marry than to be made uneasy. 11vcovobal, says he, "signifies primarily to burn, but in a metaphorical sense, to be troubled, vexed, or made uneasy. So in 2 Cor. xi. 29. who is offended and I burn not, xa oux εyw πuρouμai, and I am not troubled. So in Terence,

Husbands and wives must not

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Let not the wife depart from her

11 But, and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband and

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12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

Uro hominem, is I vex him." It would be well to soften the sense of this word, in reference to the subject of which the apostle speaks. He cannot mean burning with lust, no more than Virgil means so, when he says, Æn. iv. ver. 68. Uritur infelix Dido, the unfortunate Dido is tormented; and in Ecl. ii. 68. Me tamen urit amor; love torments me. All this may be said with the strictest truth in such cases, where the impure fire, referred to above, has no existence.

A curious story, which certainly casts light on the phraseology of this place, is related by Dr. Lightfoot, from the tract Kiddushin, fol. 81. "Some captive women were brought to Nehardea, and disposed in the house, and the upper room of Rabbi Amram. They took away the ladder [that the women might not get down, but stay there till they were ransomed.] As one of these captives passed by the window, the light of her great beauty shined into the house. Amram, [captivated] set up the ladder; and, when he was got to the middle of the steps, [checked by his conscience] he stopped short, and with a loud voice cried out FIRE! FIRE! in the house of Amram! [This he did that the neighbours flocking in, he might be obliged to desist from the evil affection which now prevailed in him.] The rabbins ran to him, [and seeing no fire] they said, Thou hast disgraced us. To which he replied, It is better that ye be disgraced in the house of Amram in this world, than that ye be disgraced by me in the world to come. He then adjured that evil affection to go out of him; and it went out as a pillar of FIRE. Amram said, Thou art FIRE, and I am FLESH; yet for all that I have prevailed against thee." From this story much instruction may be derived.

Verse 10. I command, yet not I, but the Lord] I do not give my own private opinion or judgment in this case; for the Lord Jesus commands that man shall not put asunder them whom God hath joined, Matt. v. 32. xix. 6. And God has said the same Gen. ii. 24. The following extracts will prove that the law among the Jews was very loose relative to the firmness of the marriage bond:

A woman might put away or depart from her husband by giving this simple reason to the elders, who would give the following certificate. "In day of week, of

year, A. daughter of B. put away before us, and said: My mother, or my brethren, deceived me, and wedded me, or

betrothed me, when I was a very young maid, to C. son of D. but I now reveal my mind before you, that I will not have him."

Sometimes they parted with mutual consent, and this also was considered legal, as was also the marriage of the separated parties to others; witness the following story: "A good man had a good wife; but because they had no children, they mutually put away each other. The good man married a bad, (a heathen,) wife, and she made him bad, (a heathen ;) the good woman married a bad, (a heathen,) husband, and she made him good."

Divorces were easily obtained among them, and they considered them the dissolving of the marriage bond; and, in consequence of these, the parties might re-marry with others. This was contrary to the original institution of marriage; and is opposed both by our Lord and the apostle.

Verse 11. But, and if she depart] He puts the case asprobable, because it was frequent; but lays it under restrictions.

Let her remain unmarried] She departs at her own peril ; but she must not marry another: she must either continue unmarried, or be re onciled to her husband.

And let not the husband put away his wife.] Divorces cannot be allowed but in the case of fornication: an act of this kind dissolves the marriage vow; but nothing else can. It is a fact that, among the Jews, the wife had just as much right to put away her husband, as the husband had to put away his wife. As divorces were granted, it was right that each should have an equal power; for this served as a mutual

check.

Verse 12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord] As if he had said, for what I have already spoken, I have the testimony of the Lord by Moses; and of my own Lord and Master Christ. But for the directions which I am now about to give, there is no written testimony; and I deliver them now for the first time. These words do not intimate that the apostle was not now under the influences of the Divine Spirit; but, that there was nothing in the sacred writings which bore directly on this point.

If any brother] A Christian man, have a wife that believeth not, i. e. who is a heathen; not yet converted to the | Christian faith and she be pleased to dwell with him, not

there be no person to complain, it may be presumed that there is none injured. But I have known instances where even a marriage after seven years' absence, has been very unfortunate; the husband returning at the end of ten or twelve years, and to his utter distress finding his wife married to another man, and with issue of that marriage! There can be no safety in this case, unless there be absolute certainty of the death of the party in question.

God hath called us to peace.] The refractory and disagreeing party should not be compelled to fulfil such matrimonial engagements, as would produce continual jarring and discord. At the same time, each should take care that he give no cause for disagreements and separations for the author of the Christian religion is the author of peace, and has called us to it.

Verse 16. For what knowest thou, O wife] You that are Christians, and who have heathen partners, do not give them up because they are such; for you may become the means of saving them unto eternal life. Bear your cross, and look up to God, and he may give your unbelieving husband or wife to your prayers.

Verse 17. But as God hath distributed to every man, &c.] Let every man fulfil the duties of the state to which God, in the course of his providence, has called him.

So ordain I in all churches.] I do not lay on you a burthen which others are not called to bear: this is the general rule which, by the authority of God, I impose on every Christian society.

Verse 18. Is any man called being circumcised?] Is any man, who was formerly a Jew, converted to Christianity. Let him not become uncircumcised] Let him not endeavour to abolish the sign of the old covenant, which he bears in his flesh. The Greek words un ETIσTasw, let him not draw over, is evidently an elliptical expression: the word Try anpolusiav the fore-skin, being understood; which, indeed, is added by the Armenian and the Itala, and several of ||

John 15. 14. 1 John 2. 3. & 3. 24. lean. 16.——————1 Gr.made free.— ch. 9. 21.

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John 8.36. Rom. 6. 18, 22. PhiGal. 5. 13. Eph. 6.6. 1 Pet. 2. 16.

the Latin Fathers. It is a fact, that it was possible, by the assistance of art, to do this: and Celsus himself prescribes the mode De Medic. vii. 25. by frequent stretching, the circumcised skin could be again so drawn over, as to prevent the ancient sign of circumcision from appearing. Some, in their zeal against Judaism, endeavoured to abolish this sign of it in their flesh it is most evidently against this that the apostle speaks. Many false Jews made use of this practice that they might pass through heathen countries unobserved; otherwise, in frequenting the baths, they would have been detected.

Let him not be circumcised.] Let no man who, being a Gentile, has been converted to the Christian faith, submit to circumcision, as something necessary to his salvation.

Circumcision is nothing] Circumcision itself, though commanded of God, is nothing of itself, it being only a sign of the justification, which should be afterwards received by faith. At present, neither it, nor its opposite, either hinder or further the work of grace: and keeping the commandments of God, from his love shed abroad in a believing heart, is the sum and substance of religion.

Verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling] As both the circumcised and uncircumcised, in Christ, have the same advantages, and to their believing, the same facilities; so any situation of life is equally friendly to the salvation of the soul, if a man be faithful to the grace he has received. Therefore, in all situations, a Christian should be content: for all things work together for good to him who loves God.

Verse 21. Art thou called being a servant ?] Aouλos exAns; art thou converted to Christ while thou art a slave? the property of another person, and bought with his money; care not for it: this will not injure thy Christian condition: but, if thou canst obtain thy liberty, use it rather; prefer this state for the sake of freedom, and the temporal advantages connected with it.

Verse 22. For he that is called] The man who, being a