Who

It would carry me too far to dwell on the excellent apology of Paul delivered before this court. He reproved their idolatry in language and by arguments perfectly claffical, and announced fo much of the gofpel, as was adapted to the very ignorant ftate of his audience. ever duly examines this little malter-piece of eioquence, may fee that he labours to beget in them the fpirit of conviction, and to prepare them for gofpel-mercy, juft as Peter did in his first fermon at Jerufalem. The means ufed by the two Apostles are as different, as the circumftances of a Jewish and Athenian audience were. The end aimed at by both was the fame.

There is reafon to apprehend, that God never fuffers the plain and faithful denunciation of his gofpel to be altogether fruitlefs. A few believed in reality and with ftedfaftnefs, among whom was Dionyfius a member of the court, and a woman named Damaris. Thefe Paul left to the care of that gracious God who had opened their eyes, and departed from a city as yet too haughty, too fcornful, and too indifferent concerning things of infinite moment, to receive the gofpel. A church could hardly be faid to be formed here, though a few individuals were converted. The little fuccefs at Athens evinces that a fpirit of literary trifling in religion, where all is theory, and the confcience is unconcerned, hardens the heart effectually. What a contrast between the effects of the fame gofpel difpenfed to the illiterate Macedonians, and the philofophical Athenians. Yet there want not many who call themselves chriftians, who affect to bestow on men of the former fort the appellation of barbarians, of the latter enlightened perfons.

SEC

SECTION XI.

TH

CORINTH.

HIS was at that time the metropolis of Greece. Its fituation in an ifthmus rendered it remarkably convenient for trade. It was the refidence of the Roman governor of Achaia, the name then given to all Greece, and it was at once full of opulence, learning, luxury, and fenfuality. Hither the Apostle came from Athens, and laboured both among the Jews and the Gentiles. Here Providence gave him the acquaintance of Aquila and his wife Prifcilla, two Jewish christians lately expelled from Italy, with other Jews, by an edict of the emperor Claudius. With them he wrought as a tent-maker, being of the fame occupation: For every Jew, whether rich or poor, was obliged to follow fome trade. After the arrival of Silas and Timothy, the Apostle with much vehemence preached to his countrymen; but oppofition and abufe were the only returns he met with. The modern notions of charity will fcarcely be reconciled to the zealous indignation which he fhewed on this occafion. He fhook his garment and told them, that he was clear of their deftruction, he would leave them, and apply himself to the Gentiles in this city. With this denunciation he left the fynagogue, and entered into the houfe of one Juftus, a devout perfon, well-affected to the gofpel. Crifpus alfo, the ruler of the fynagogue, with his whole family, received the truth. But we hear of no more Jewish converts here. How

ever many Corinthians were converted. And a gracious vifion of the Lord Jefus*, who told him that he had much people in this city, encouraged him to ftay 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 indif. ferent concerning the progrefs of chriftianity, and refused to pay the lealt attention to their complaints against Paul, who now found himfelf fo effectually preferved from the fury of his countrymen, that he remained a confiderable time longer in that city. After his departure Apollos, a zealous and eloquent Alexandrian Jew, came to Corinth, and was made a very powerful inftrument of building up this church, and of filencing the oppofition of the Jews. The modesty 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 an 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 conscience, and he understood, that a variety of evils and abufes had crept in among them. On these accounts he wrote the two epiftles to the Corinthians. We are aftonifhed to find in reviewing them, how faulty many of this church were,

* Acts xviii.

and

and the scene, which they exhibit, more refembles modern than primitive times in many refpects. It falls not within the defign of this hiftory to enlarge. Former writers have with more than fufficient accuracy recorded the evils, let one at least be allowed to record the good things of the church. Their exemption from perfecution under Gallio, and their state of eafe and profperity, fo uncommon with other churches, in a great mealure account for the little fpirituality of this people. 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 these Corinthians abounded in them. But they were proud of gifts, contentious, felf-conceited, and warm partizans for Paul, Apollos, or Peter, and by the indulgence of this fpirit, fhewed how little they had learnt of true wifdom, which gives the Apoftle occafion* to recommend the wifdom that is from above, to point out the nature and properties of fpiritual understanding, and to pour a juft contempt on that which is merely natural.

With the pride of falfe wifdom they joined a very blameable neglect in practice. One of their church lived in inceft, nor was the offender excommunicated t. He rebukes them alfo for their litigioufnefs and lafcivioufnefst. In answer to their queries, he recommends celibacy as preferable to matrimony, where a man can practise it, and that I think from general reafons §, as more favourable to holiness, without however depretiating matrimony, or giving the least countenance to the flood of monaftic abuses, which afterwards F 2 pre

I Cor. four first Chapters. Chap. v. Chap vi. § Chap.

vii.

prevailed in chriftendom. But mankind are ever prone to extremes; and the extreme oppofite to fuperftition fo much prevails at prefent, that I fhould not wonder, if fome should startle at what I have mentioned as the fentiments of St. Paul, though it be impoffible for any unprejudiced per

fon to understand him otherwife.

So little were the Corinthians expofed to persecution, that they were invited by their idolatrous neighbours to partake of their idol feafts, and there were thofe who complied*. There were false apostles among them, who, by pretending to inftruct them gratis, endeavoured to depretiate Paul as a mercenary perfon +. Hence, while he rebukes the evils of this people, he obferves that he laboured among them freely, which the falfe apostles pretended to do. He proceeds to correct an abuse 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 itself, 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 gofpel 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 difcover the very fecrets of his foul; he would proftrate himself in the worship of God, and report that God

I Cor. viii. 10. 1 Cor. ix. compared with 2 Cor. xi. 13-20. 1 Cor xi. § Chap. xii. xiii. xiv.