תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

* after the manner of men I have fought with beaft at Ephesus, what profiteth it me if the dead • rife not? Let us eat, and drink, for to-morrow 'we die.' That St. Paul, in thefe verfes, argues for the refurrection and a future ftate, from the grievous fuffering of Chriftians, is indeed evident; but it is evident from hence, that he argued from the very fame topick, eleven verfes before, where nothing of that kind is expreffed, or intimated? I fhould rather think, that he proceeds here to prove his point by a new medium, not before particularly infifted on. This, as it is in itfelf moft probable, fo it is most agreeable to St. Paul's manner of handling the prefent arguFor however his reafonings in theft, and othe rparts of this chapter may, upon a flight view of them, feem to fall in with each other; yet u pon a clofer examination, we fhall find them to have been propofed by him with great variety and diftinction.

ment.

But we will fuppofe, that the apostle argues from the fame medium in both thefe places, and that the 30th, 31ft, and 32d, verfes are a bare comment on his affertion in the 20th; it will even from hence appear, that his affertion is not limited to the cafe of perfecution, because, in the laft of these three verfes, there is fomewhat laid down, inconfiftent with the fuppofal of fuch a limitation. For the apoftle there plainly allows, that, "if the dead rife not,' it might be reasonable to refolve with the men of this world, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. Let us please and gratify ourselves with what we like beft, and be VOL. N.

g

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

as eafy as we can in this world, fince we have no 'profpect of another."

His doctrine here is far from being pointed on the particular cafe of perfecution: it relates to the ordinary and quiet courfe of things; and manifeftly implies, that, without hope in another life, the aufterities of religion would be an unneceffary entrenchment on the happiness of thofe, who tyed themselves up to the strict practice of them: that is, the best men would by this means [as well as by reafon of the fufferings to which they are expofed] become the leaft happy, or the] most miferable. And this is the very thing that I have affirmed, in my fecond propofition; except only, that I have qualified it with the word, often; thereby making allowance for thofe cafes, wherein men of excellent minds may poffibly, by a long practice of virtue, have rendered even the heights and rigours of it delightful, and brought their duty and happiness to be in every cafe confiftent, with out attending to the rewards of a future state. But these instances are fo rare, that the apoftle feems to have overlooked them in his decifion and therefore declares in general, that, if the dead rife not,' the inference would be juft; Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die.* And his steps, therefore, I followed, his doctrine I re-afferted, When I thus explained these words in my fermon,Suppofing the present to be the only life we are to lead, I fee not but that happiness or misery might be measured from pleafing or painful fenfations." Which being granted, it will follow, that, fince beasts have a manifeft advantage of men, in these respects, they

may

may be called the happier creature of the two, as enjoyinig greater pleafures, allayed with fewer pains: and fo, even my first propofition, tho' it be not contained exprefly in St. Paul's words, yet will be found perfectly agreeable to his doctrine, and manner of reafoning.

Let me add one thing, to prevent any cavil, which may be raised about the fenfe of these, words; that this verfe is pointed wrong in our Englifb tranflation; for in the original it was read otherwise; the first member of the fentence ending with the words, What advantageth it me? and the next beginning with thofe, If the dead rife not, [If after the manner of men I have fought with beafts at Ephefus, what advantageth it me? If the dead rife not, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. This way of reading the words completes the fenfe of the laft claufe, which would otherwise be too abrupt, and disburthens the first of a double if, whereby the construction is rendered intricate.

Thus therefore moft of the Greek expofitors divide the verfe, particularly St. Chryfoftome and Theophylact. Thus the Pfeudo-Ignatius (and his two ancient interpreters) in the epiftle ad Tarfenfes, read it *; thus St. Jerome cites it, in his comments +; thus the Araibck verfion hath rendered it; nor doth it appear that the vulgar Latin read it otherwife: for, the oldeft MSS. of that verfion being in capitals, without any diftincton of words, the prefent way of pointing them is of

• Pat. Apoft. Vol. ii, p. 107. 138. 156. Ed. Cleric.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

no authority. Daniel's edition of Beza's N. T. fo divides the verse, both in the Greek, and in his verfion. Pifcator, therefore, * Crellius, and others, juftly contend for this division; and who pleases may, in the latter of these, see very convincing reafons for it. However, without fuch a divifion, the fenfe of the apostle is still the fame, and fufficiently plain; as I might fhew from the teftimony of various expofitors, if that were requifite. I fhall only place their names at the bottom t; and the reader may be affured, that all of them, though they followed the ufual way of pointing this verfe, yet suppose the apostle to have allowed the Epicure's maxim to be good, if fo be there were no refurrection. And the terms, in which feveral of them deliver his meaning in this cafe, are much fuller and stronger than any I have employed to that purpofe in my fermon.

As far therefore as the context can guide us into the meaning of St. Paul, we may now reft affured, that he did not intend to limit the af"fertion of the text merely to the times of most "grievous perfecution."

Indeed, were his affertion fo limited, his argument would not be conclufive; Chriftians not be ing of all men moft milerable, merely on the account of their perfecutions and sufferings; for the Jews

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

had been then, and have been fince, perfecuted for adhering to their religion in (at least) an equal degree with the Chriftians. No one can doubt of this, who knows the ftory of that people, their fufferings, during their feveral captivities, and under their several conquerors, and particularly in the times of the Maccabees. Of these fufferings St. Paul hath given a very copious and inoving description in the xith chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, in order to fortify the new-converted Jews, by propofing to them the heroic patterns of patience under affliction, and conftancy in religion, which had been fet by their foretathers; implying certainly, that the inftances of conftancy and patience which he propofed, were as remarkable as those to which he invited Chriftians by the means of them. In later ages, tho' the perfecutions of Chriftians were very great, yet thofe of the Jews were not lefs violent. For, after the miferable flaughter made of them at the deftruction of Jerufalem, they were scattered into all corners of the earth, driven from one kingdom to another, oppreffed, spoiled, and detefted every where; and fometimes even maffacred and extirpated. Perfecutions therefore having been the common and equal lot of Jews and Chriftians; Chriftians cannot by St. Paul be represented as of all men most miserable, merely on the account of thofe perfecutions It must be somewhat peculiar to the evangelic institution, fomewhat that distin guifbes the Christian scheme of duty from all others, which gave rife to this decifion of the apoftle: and that plainly is, the fublimity and rigour of thofe precepts of mortification and

felf

« הקודםהמשך »