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immediately from himself, which he has promised to convey only by the use of means. Even this, his blessing makes effectual and, after all, his Spirit supplies much that man cannot teach. Every preacher should take care to inculcate this on the hearts of his hearers. When you have learned all you can from your ministers, remember you have much to learn from God and for this you should diligently wait on him by the reading of his word, and incessant prayer. Verse 10. But when that which is perfect] The state of eternal blessedness: then that which is in part, that which is imperfect, shall be done away; the imperfect as well as the probationary state shall cease for ever.

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properties of love to God and man.

translated mirrors; as out of those very articles which we absurdly translate looking-GLASSES, the brazen laver was made!

In the Greek version, the word aroney is not found but twice, and that in the apocryphal books.

In the book of the wisdom of Solomon, chap. vii. 26. speaking of wisdom, the author says, "She is the brightness of the everlasting light, και εσοπτρον ακαλιδωτον, aud the unspotted mirror of the power of God and the image of his goodness."

In Eccles. xii. 11. exhorting to put no trust in an enemy, he says, "Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet Verse 11. When I was a child] This future state of take good heed, and beware of him, and thou shalt be unto him blessedness is as far beyond the utmost perfection that can ως εκμεμάχως εσοπτρον, as if thou hadst wiped a lookingbe attained in this world, as our adult state of Christianity glass, (mirror,) and thou shalt know that his rust hath not is above our state of natural infancy; in which we under- altogether been wiped away." All these passages must be stood only as children understand; speak only a few broken understood of polished metal, not of glass; which, though articulate words; and reason only as children reason; hav-it existed among the Romans and others, yet was brought to ing few ideas, little knowledge but what may be called mere very little perfection: and as to grinding and silvering of instinct, and that much less perfect than the instinct of the glass, they are modern inventions. brute creation; and having no experience. But when we became men; adults, having gained much knowledge of men and things, we spoke and reasoned more correctly, having left off all the manners and habits of our childhood.

Verse 12. Now we see through a glass, darkly] ▲ ETOπTρOU EV aшiyuari. Of these words, some literal explanation is necessary. The word εCOTTρov, which we translate a glass, literally signifies a mirror, or reflector, from es into, and ontoμas I look: and among the ancients, mirrors were certainly made of fine polished metal. The word here may signify any thing by which the image of a person is reflected, as in our looking, or look in glass. The word is not used for a glass to look through; nor would such an image have suited with the apostle's design.

The Ecopov, or mirror, is mentioned by some of the most ancient Greek writers; so Anacreon, Ode xi. ver. 1.

Λεγουσιν αι γυναικες,

Ανακρέων γερων ει

Λαΐων ΕΣΟΠΤΡΟΝ αύρει,
Κόμας μεν ουκέτ' ούσας.

The women tell me,

Anacreon, thou art grown old :
Take thy mirror, and view
How few of thy hairs remain.

And again, in Ode xx. ver. 5.

Εγω δ' εσοπτρον είην

Όπως αει βλεπής με

I wish I were a mirror,

That thou mightest always look into me,

In Exod. xxxviii. 8. we meet with the term lookingglasses; but the original is maroth, and should be

Some have thought that the apostle refers to something of the telescopic kind; by which distant and small objects become visible, although their surfaces become dim in proportion to the quantum of the magnifying power: but this is too refined; he appears simply to refer to a mirror, by which images were reflected, and not to any diaphanous and magnifying powers, through which objects were perceived.

Possibly, the true meaning of the words 'TORTFOV EV amyari, through a glass darkly, may be found among the Jewish writers, who use a similar term to express nearly the same thing to which the apostle refers. A revelation of the will of God, in clear and express terms, is called by them poos aspecularia maira, a clear or lucid glass, or specular; in reference specularibus lapidibus, to the diaphanous, polished stones, used by the ancients for windows, instead of glass. An obscure prophecy they termed po aspecularia dela naharia, "A specular which is

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Observations on faith, hope, and love, I. CORINTHIANS.

him in dreams and visions, i. e. through the obscure specular. In these distinctions and sayings of the ancient Jews, we must seek for that to which the apostle alludes. See Schoettgen.

The word aypart, which we render darkly, will help us to the true meaning of the place. The following is Mr. Parkhurst's definition of the term and of the thing. “Anyua from yux, the perfect passive of airTw, to hint, intimate, signify with some degree of obscurity; an enigma, in which one thing answers or stands in correspondence to, or as the representative of, another; which is, in some respects, similar || to it, occurs 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now, in this life, we see by means of a mirror reflecting the images of heavenly and spiritual things, e amypatı, in an enigmatical manner, invisible things being represented by visible; spiritual, by natural; eternal, by temporal; but then, in the eternal world, face to face; every thing being seen in itself, and not by means of a representative or similitude."

Now I know in part] Though I have an immediate reve. lation from God, concerning his great design in the dispensation of the gospel; yet there are lengths, breadths, depths, and heights of this design, which even that revelation has not discovered; nor can they be known and apprehended in the present imperfect state. Eternity alone can unfold the whole scheme of the gospel.

in reference to a future state.

says one, is the foundation of the Christian life, and of good works: Ilope rears the superstructure; but love finishes, completes, and crowns it in a blessed eternity. Faith and hope respect ourselves alone; love takes in both Gon and MAN. Faith helps, and hope sustains us; but love to God and man makes us obedient and useful. This one consideration is sufficient to shew that love is greater then either faith or hope.

2. Some say love is the greatest, because it remains throughout eternity, whereas faith and hope proceed only through life; hence we say, that there faith is lost in sight, and hope in fruition. But does the apostle say so? Or does any man inspired by God, say so? I believe not. Faith and hope will as necessarily enter into eternal glory, as love will. The perfections of God are absolute in their nature, infinite in number, and eternal in their duration. However high, glorious or sublime the soul may be in that eternal state, it will ever, in respect to God, be limited in its powers; and must be improved and expanded by the communications of the Supreme Being. Hence it will have infinite glories in the nature of God to apprehend by faith, to anticipate by hope, and enjoy by love.

3. From the nature of the Divine perfections, there must be infinite glories in them which must be objects of faith to disembodied spirits; because it is impossible that they should

As-I am known.] In the same manner in which dis- be experimentally, or possessively known by any creature. embodied spirits know and understand.

Even in the heaven of heavens we shall, in reference to the infinite and eternal excellencies of God, walk by faith, and not by sight. We shall credit the existence of infinite and illimitable glories in Him, which, from their absolute and in

Verse 13. And now, [in this present life,] abideth faith, hope, charity] These three supply the place of that direct vision, which no human embodied spirit can have; these abide or remain for the present state. Faith, by which we appre-finite nature, must be incommunicable. And, as the very hend spiritual blessings, and walk with God. Hope, by which we view and expect eternal blessedness, and pass through things temporal, so as not to lose those which are eternal. Charity or love, by which we shew forth the virtues of the grace which we receive by faith, in living a life of obedience to God, and of good will and usefulness to man.

But the greatest of these is charity.] Without faith it is impossible to please God; and without it, we cannot partake of the grace of our Lord Jesus: without hope, we could not endure, as seeing him who is invisible; nor have any adequate notion of the eternal world; nor bear up under the afflictions and difficulties of life: but great and useful, and indispensably necessary as these are, yet charity or love is greater: LOVE is the fulfilling of the law; but this is never said of faith or hope.

It may be necessary to enter more particularly into a consideration of the conclusion of this very important chapter.

1. Love, is properly the image of God in the soul; for God is LOVE. By faith, we receive from our Maker; by hope, we expect a future and eternal good; but by love, we resemble God; and by it alone are we qualified to enjoy heaven, and be one with Him throughout eternity. Faith,

nature of the soul shews it to be capable of eternal growth and improvement; so the communications from the Deity, which are to produce this growth, and effect this improve ment, must be objects of faith to the pure spirit; and, if objects of faith, consequently objects of hope: for, as hope is "the expectation of future good," it is inseparable from the nature of the soul, to know of the existence of any attainable good, without making it immediately the object of desire or hope. And is it not this that shall constitute the eternal and progressive happiness of the immortal spirit; viz. knowing, from what it has received, that there is infinitely more to be received; and desiring to be put in possession of every communicable good which it knows to exist? 4. As faith goes forward to view, so hope goes forward to desire; and God continues to communicate; every commu nication making way for another, by preparing the soul for greater enjoyment; and this enjoyment must produce love. To say that the soul can have neither faith nor hope in a future state, is to say that, as soon as it enters heaven, it is as happy as it can possibly be; and this goes to exclude all growth in the eternal state; and all progressive manifestations and communications of God: and consequently to fix a spirit which is a composition of infinite desires, in a state of

Observations on faith, hope, and

CHAP. XIV.

love, in reference to a future state.

eternal sameness, in which it must be greatly changed in its || cited. cited. 11. The power to gratify, in the Divine Being, and constitution, to find endless gratification.

5. To sum up the reasoning on this subject, I think it necessary to observe-1. That the term faith is here to be taken in the general sense of the word, for that belief which a soul has of the infinite sufficiency and goodness of God; in consequence of the discoveries he has made of himself and his designs, either by revelation, or immediately by his Spirit. Now we know that God has revealed himself not only in reference to this world, but in reference to eternity: and much of our faith is employed in things pertaining to the eternal world, and the enjoyments in that state. 2. That hope is to be taken in its common acceptation, the expectation of future good; which expectation is necessarily founded on faith; as faith is founded on knowledge. God gives a revelation which concerns both worlds; containing exceeding great and precious promises relative to both. We believe what he has said on his own veracity; and we hope to enjoy the promised blessings in both worlds, because he is faithful who has promised. 3. As the promises stand in reference to both worlds, so also must the faith and hope to which these promises stand as objects. 4. The enjoyments in the eternal world are all spiritual, and must proceed immediately from God himself. 5. God, in the plenitude of his excellencies, is as incomprehensible to a glorified spirit, as he is to a spirit resident in flesh and blood. 6. Every created, intellectual 6. Every created, intellectual nature, is capable of eternal improvement. 7. If seeing God as he is, be essential to the eternal happiness of beatified spirits, then the discoveries which He makes of himself must be gradual; forasmuch as it is impossible that an infinite, eternal nature, can be manifested to a created and limited nature, in any other way. 8. As the perfections of God are infinite, they are capable of being eternally manifested: and, after all manifestations, there must be an infinitude of perfections still to be brought to view. 9. As every soul that has any just notion of God, must know that he is possessed of all possible perfections; so these perfections being objects of knowledge, must be objects of faith. 10. Every holy spirit feels itself possessed of unlimited desires for the enjoyment of spiritual good; and faith, in the infinite goodness of God, necessarily implies that he will satisfy every desire he has ex

the capacity to be gratified in the immortal spirit, will necessarily excite continual desires; which desires, on the evidence of faith, will as necessarily produce hope, which is the expectation of future good. 12. All possible perfections in God, are the objects of faith: and the communication of all possible blessedness, the object of hope. 13. Faith goes forward to apprehend, and hope to anticipate, as God continues to discover his unbounded glories and perfections. 14. Thus discovered and desired, their influences become communicated, love possesses them, and is excited and increased by the com munication. 15. With respect to those which are communicated, faith and hope cease, and go forward to new apprehensions and anticipations; while love continues to retain and enjoy the whole. 16. Thus an eternal interest is kept up; and infinite blessings, in endless succession, apprehended, anticipated and enjoyed.

6. My opinion, that faith and hope, as well as love, will continue in a future state, will, no doubt, appear singular to many, who have generally considered the two former as necessarily terminating in this lower world: but this arises from an improper notion of the beatified state; and from inattention to the state and capacity of the soul. If it have the same faculties there, which it has here, howsoever improved they may be, it must acquire its happiness from the Supreme Being, in the way of communication; and this communication must necessarily be gradual, for the reasons already alleged; and if gradual, then there must be, (if in that state we have any knowledge at all of the Divine Nature,) faith, that such things exist, and may be communicated; desire to possess them because they are good; and hope that these good things shall be communicated.

7. I conclude, therefore, from these, and a multitude of other reasonings, which might be brought to bear on this subject, that faith and hope will exist in the eternal world as well as love; and that there, as well as here, it may endlessly be said, The greatest of these is love. With great propriety, therefore, does the apostle exhort, Follow after love; it being so essential to our comfort and happiness here, and to our beatification in the eternal world; and how necessary faith and love are to the same end, we have already seen.

CHAPTER XIV.

We should earnestly desire spiritual gifts; but prophesying is to be preferred, because it is superior to the gift of tongues, 1, 2. Prophesying defined, 3. How to regulate this super-natural gift of tongues, in teaching for the edification of the church, 4-13. In praying and giving thanks, 14-17. Those who speak with tongues, should interpret, that others may be edified, 18-22. What benefit may accrue from this in the public assemblies, 23-28. How the prophets or teachers should act in the church, 29-33. Women should keep silence in the church, 34, 35. All should be humble, and every thing should be done in love, 36—40.

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4 He that speaketh in an unknown ronis Crs. 3. tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with

Ch. 12. 31. Num. 11. 25, 29.

• Acts 2. 4. & 10. 46.- Gr. heareth. Acts 22. 9.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIV. Verse 1. Follow after charity] Most earnestly labour to be put in possession of that love which beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things. It may be difficult to acquire, and difficult to retain this blessed state; but it is essential to your present peace and eternal happiness. This clause belongs to the preceding chapter.

Desire spiritual gifts] Ye are very intent on getting those splendid gifts which may add to your worldly consequence; and please your carnal minds but labour rather to get the gifts of God's Spirit, by which ye may grow in grace, and be useful to others and particularly desire that ye may prophesy, that ye may be able to teach and instruct others in the things of their salvation.

Verse 2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue] This chapter is crowded with difficulties. It is not likely that the Holy Spirit should, in the church, suddenly inspire a man with the knowledge of some foreign language, which none in the church understood but himself; and lead him to treat the mysteries of Christianity in that language, though none in the place could profit by his teaching.

Dr. Lightfoot's mode of reconciling these difficulties is the most likely I have met with. He supposes that, by the unknown tongue, the Hebrew is meant and that God restored the true knowledge of this language when he gave the apostles the gift of tongues. As the Scriptures of the Old Testament were contained in this language, and it has beauties, energies and depths in it, which no verbal translation can reach it was necessary, for the proper elucidation of the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and the establishment of the Christian religion, that the full meaning of the words of this sacred language, should be properly understood. And it is possible that the Hebrew Scriptures were some times read in the Christian congregations, as they were in the Jewish synagogues; and if the person who read and understood them, had not the power and faculty of explaining them to others; in vain did he read and understand them himself. And we know that it is possible for a man to understand a language, the force, phraseology, and idioms of

which he is incapable of explaining, even in his mother's tongue. tongue. We shall see, in the course of these Notes, how this view of the subject will apply to the illustration of the apostle's words throughout the chapter.

Speaketh not unto men but unto God] None present understanding the language, God alone knowing the truth and import of what he says.

In the spirit he speaketh mysteries.] Though his own mind, (for so veupari is understood here by many eminent critics,) apprehends the mysteries contained in the words which he reads or utters : but if, by the Spirit, we understand the Spirit of God, it only shews, that it is by that Spirit that he is enabled to speak and apprehend these mysteries. See the Note on ver. 19.

Verse 3. But he that prophesieth] The person who has the gift of teaching, is much more useful to the church than he is who has only the gift of tongues, because he speaks to the profit of men, viz. to their edification, by the Scriptures he expounds; to their exhortation, by what he teaches; and to their comfort, by his revelation.-Whitby. I must here refer to my sermon on this text, intituled, "The Christian Prophet and his Work," in which I have endeavoured to consider the whole of this subject at large.

Verse 4. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue] In the Hebrew for instance; the knowledge of the depth and power of which he has got by a divine revelation, edifieth himself by that knowledge.

But he that prophesieth] Has the gift of preaching, Edifieth the church.] Speaketh unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort, ver. 3.

Verse 5. I would that ye all spake with tongues] The word bew, does not so much imply a wish, or desire, as a command or permission. As if he had said, I do not restrain you to prophesying or teaching, though I prefer that ; but I give you full permission to speak in Hebrew whenever it is proper; and when one is present who can interpret for the edification of the church; provided yourselves have not that gift, though you understand the language. The apostle said tongue, in the singular number, ver. 2, 4. because he

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6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

8 For, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

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10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous dof spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an un

9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue known tongue pray that he may interpret.

a Ver. 26.- b Or, tunes.

spoke of a single man: now he says tongues, in the plural number, because he speaks of many speaking; but he has the same meaning in both places. Lightfoot.

• Gr. significant.— Gr. of spirits.

trumpet should give a different sound to that which is ordinarily used on such occasions; the soldier is not informed of what he should do, and therefore does not arm himself; consequently, that vague, unintelligible sound of the trumpet, is of no use.

Greater is he that prophesieth] A useful, zealous preacher, though unskilled in learned languages, is much greater in the sight of God, and in the eye of sound common sense, than he who has the gift of those learned tongues: except he interpret; and we seldom find great scholars good preachers. This should humble the scholar, who is too apt to be proud of his attainments, and despise his less learned, but more useful brother. This judgment of St. Paul is too little regarded. Verse 6. Speaking with tongues] Without interpreting. What shall I profit you?] i. e. I shall not profit you; Except I shall speak to you either by revelation] Of some secret thing: or by knowledge, of some mystery: or by prophesying, foretelling some future event: or by doctrine, in-nations, each possessing a different language, &c. structing you what to believe and practise.-See Whitby. These four words are taken in different acceptations by learned men. The general sense of the terms is that given above but the peculiar meaning of the apostle is perhaps not easily discerned.

Verse 9. Likewise ye] If ye do not speak in the church, so as to be understood, your labour is useless: ye shall speak into the air; your speech will be lost and dissipated in the air, without conveying any meaning to any person: there will be a noise or sound, but nothing else. Gifts of that kind, thus used, are good for nothing.

Verse 7. And even things without life] I may, as if he had said, illustrate this farther, by referring to a pipe or harp; if these were to utter mere sounds without order, harmony, or melody though every tone of music might be in the sounds, surely no person could discern a tune in such sounds, nor receive pleasure from such discords: even so is the person who speaks in an unknown tongue, but does not interpret. His speech tends no more to edification, than those discordant and unmeaning sounds do to pleasure and delight. Verse 8. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound] If, when the soldier should prepare himself for the battle, the

Verse 10. There are, it may be] El Tuxo, for example. So many kinds of voices] So many different languages; each of which has its distinct articulation, pronunciation, emphasis and meaning; or, there may be so many different

Verse 11. If I know not the meaning of the voice] Ty duvar Tys ows, the power and signification of the language.

I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian] I shall appear to him, and he to me, as a person who had no distinct, and articulate sounds which can convey any kind of meaning. This observation is very natural, when we hear persons speaking in a language of which we know nothing; we wonder how they can understand each other; as, in their speech, there appears to us no regular distinction of sounds or words. For the meaning and origin of the word barbarian, see the Note on Acts xxviii. 2.

Verse 12. Forasmuch as ye are zealous] Seeing ye affect so much to have spiritual gifts; seek that you may get those by which ye may excel in edifying the church. Verse 13. Pray that he may interpret.] Let him who

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