1 Corinthians 10

Here are two ends of life specified, 1. The glorifying of God. 2. The enjoying of God. First, I begin with the first, the glorifying of God (1 Peter 4:11): That God in all things may be glorified; the glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions (1 Cori…

Finis specificat actionem: In religion the end is all. The end of our obedience must not be to stop the mouth of conscience, or to gain applause and preferment; but that we may grow more like God, and bring more glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Do all to the glory of God.

I come next to answer some objections of the Arminians. 1. The first objection of the Arminians is, if a believer shall persevere in grace, then to what purpose are all those admonitions in Scripture, Let him take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12), and (Hebrews 4:1): Let u…

Exercise a holy fear and jealousy over your own hearts (Romans 11:20). Be not high minded but fear (1 Corinthians 10:12). Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

(Job 5:19) He shall deliver you in six troubles, and in seven. How is the Scripture bespangled with these promises, as the firmament is with stars; either God will deliver them from death, or by death; [illegible], he will make a way to escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). When promise…

First, against reason. Are we able to stand it out against God (1 Corinthians 10:22)? Do we provoke the Lord, are we stronger than he?

Oh, unthankful! Israel's murmuring cost many of them their lives (1 Corinthians 10:10): "Neither murmur you as some of them did, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Their speeches were venomous, and God punished them with venomous serpents.

2. If it be a great blessing to be delivered from Egypt, Popish idolatry, then it shows their sin and folly, who being brought out of Egypt, are willing to return into Egypt again: having put off the yoke of Rome, would fain put it on again. The Apostle says, Fly from idolatry (…

6. If God be our Father then he will correct us in measure (Jeremiah 30:11). I will correct you in measure; and that two ways: 1. It shall be in measure for the kind; God will not lay upon us more than we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He knows our frame (Psalm 103:14).

The Papists tell us of five more, namely Confirmation, Penance, Matrimony, Orders, and the Extreme Unction. Resp. 1. There were but two Sacraments under the Law, therefore there are no more now (1 Corinthians 10:2-4). 2. These two Sacraments are sufficient: the one signifying ou…

1. Because there is no standing it out against God. If we do not obey him we cannot resist him: (1 Corinthians 10:2) Are we stronger than he? (Job 40:9) Have you an arm like God?

1 Corinthians 8:6. And one Lord Jesus, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1 Corinthians 10:9. Neither let us also tempt Christ as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents; compared with (Numbers 21:6). Phil. 2:5, 6. Let this mind be in you which was also in…

The disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, having made that great confession of him, in distinction and opposition to them who accounted him only as a Prophet, you are Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:14, 15, 16), he does on the occasion thereof, give out to them that g…

Qu. 11. How are mutual love and communion among believers testified and confirmed in their observation? Answ. In that they are appointed by the Lord Christ for that end, and in their own nature as attended to in their assemblies, are in an especial manner suited to that purpose…

And what is not so appointed, neither does, nor can be any part thereof. Of this nature are the celebration of all other ordinances with prayer; for every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:5); of some of them indispensably in the assemblies of the Ch…

These he warns, reproves, instructs, threatens, commands, all in order to their walking before him in the condition of particular Churches (Revelation 2 and 3 at large). Besides, as he has appointed them to be the [illegible] and subject of all his ordinances, having granted the…

(4) That the Lord having called them to faith, repentance, and newness of life by Jesus Christ, they give up themselves to be saved by him, and to obey him in all things; and therefore (5) are willing and ready through his grace, to walk in subjection to all his commands, and in…

Quest. 52. Wherein consists the duty of any Church of Christ towards other Churches? Answ. (1) In walking circumspectly, so as to give them no offence. (2) In prayer for their peace and prosperity. (3) In communicating supplyes to their wants according to ability. (4) In receivi…

(3.) Ephesians 4:12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Jude 20. (4.) 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17. Explication.

What is the spiritual blessing, or thing signified? The general sum thereof is Christ himself, and our communion with him, and withal the benefits of his passion (Matthew 26:26, &c.; 1 Corinthians 10:16). What are the things signified more particularly?

And again also 2, the Holy Ghost may represent to him and remind him of all those examples of men in whom, for their going on in sin, his soul has had no pleasure, and of God's dealings with them: as how he swore against many of the Israelites for their provocations of him, that…

Some have enough to struggle under one of these, and it is seldom that all befall one. Some spirits are so weak that they would faint and not be able to sustain themselves, and God never suffers any to be tempted above what they are able (1 Corinthians 10:13). Some men's bodies…

So to prepare you for it, it is good to take notice that such a condition exists. In like manner also in 1 Corinthians 10:13 the apostle says for the same end of other kinds of trials, that nothing had befallen them but what is common to man. There is great relief in that — that…

Answer. This could not be in reason, but it was indeed to Abraham's faith: whereby he saw Christ more lively, and more to his joy and consolation, so many hundred years before he was; than many which lived in Christ's time, and saw him, and heard him, and conversed with him: for…

In this example of faith, we are taught to hold fast true religion, and to prefer the enjoying of it, before all the pleasures and commodities in the world; yea, before life itself. This point, Paul urges in sundry exhortations; saying, Let him that thinks he stands, take heed l…

So that if we would die well, as Jacob did, praising God, then let us lead our lives as he did; namely, by faith, and the direction of his word and promises. Then come death when it will, and how it will, we may indeed be sore assaulted by sickness and temptation; but yet we sha…

Lastly, Moses went with courage out of Egypt. This departure of his was a sign of our spiritual departing out of the Kingdom of darkness: for, so Paul applies it, 1 Corinthians 10. And therefore after Moses' example, we must with courage come every day more and more out of the K…

Answer. Not all: for Paul says, With many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness: 1 Corinthians 10:5. Which shows, that all that passed over had not true faith; for, some believed: and by the force of their faith all went over safely.

Hereby were they taught to look for the bread of life from heaven, which should maintain them in their spiritual, and nourish them to eternal life. When the whole Church was ready to perish for want of water; a rock was smitten with the rod of Moses, which brought water out of i…

Doctrine is compared to, and called Baptism (Deuteronomy 32:2). Hence the people were said to be Baptized to Moses, when they were initiated into his doctrines (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2). The Baptism of John was his doctrine (Acts 19:3).

Therefore as God engages his omnipotency or all-sufficiency as the foundation of all his covenant actings towards us (Genesis 17:1), so he often pleads the same power to assure us of the accomplishment of his promises (Isaiah 40:28, 29). And it is expressly asserted as the princ…

The design which the Law of God has assigned for our good works, is, that the great God, may be acknowledged, and magnified, and glorified: and the Gospel of God, coming in, has assigned a further design for them; namely, to express our gratitude to our Lord Redeemer, for His re…

And we think this arguing to be better, and more strong, than to say, That because they are not under such Discipline as was then, that therefore now they are under none at all. And plain it is, that the Apostle argues for the maintenance of the Ministry now under the Gospel, fr…

And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies, and not of our souls. It remains therefore as being most agreeable to the scriptures, that the souls of men are then created by God of nothing, when they are infused into the body (1 Corinthians 10; Hebrews 12). And thoug…

And the thing itself implieth a contradiction; this were to fall away because we cannot fall away: you may as soon say that the fire should make a man freeze with cold, as that certainty of perseverance in grace should make us do actions contrary to grace. Again, we do not say t…

Reason 5. 1 Corinthians 10:3-4: The fathers of the Old Testament did eat the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the rock which was Christ. Now they could not eat his body which was crucified, or drink his blood shed bodily, but by faith, be…

Here (say they) is a prayer made to angels. Answer: By the angel is meant Christ, who is called the angel of the covenant (Malachi 3:1) and the angel that guided Israel in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:9 compared with Exodus 23:20). Objection 2.

Works are to be done in respect of God: that his commandments may be obeyed — 1 John 5:12; that his will may be done — 1 Thessalonians 4:3; that we may show ourselves to be obedient children to God our Father — 1 Peter 1:14; that we may show ourselves thankful for our redemption…

However a man may be assured of his present estate, yet no man is certain of his perseverance to the end. Answer: It is otherwise: for in the sixth petition, lead us not into temptation, we pray that God would not suffer us to be wholly overcome of the devil in any temptation: a…

And whereas God denied the believing Israelites, with Moses and Aaron to enter into the land of Canaan, it cannot be proved that it was a punishment or penalty of the law upon them. The scripture says no more but that it was an admonition to all men in all ages following, to tak…

Thus it is with us: looking through the glass of carnal fear upon the waters of trouble, the swellings of Jordan, we cry out, 'O, they are unfordable! we must surely perish in them!' But when we come into the midst of those floods indeed, we find the promise made good: 'God will…

For example, conscience will justify, that a man should strive to enter in at the straight gate, and make religion his work and end, to which all other things should give place, so as neither worldly business, nor idle visits, nor recreations should divert a man from it. Conscie…

And whereas some have seemed to condemn the superstitious part of Christmas, but plead hard for the hospitable part, as they call it: the answer is, that the feasting and sporting is an appendix to the worship, or rather to the superstition, and therefore stands or falls togethe…

I shall but offer to you three reasons briefly to evince it. Reas. 1. Because the Scripture calls it a table, but not an altar, and we ought to speak as God and Christ has taught us of his ordinances, (1 Corinthians 10:21) "You cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table, and of the…

Therefore the Lord so interprets false worship, that a new God is devised for the Object of it. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to Devils, and not to God (1 Corinthians 10:20). And the Jewish idolatry was no better, they shall no more offer their sacrific…

Although that which is foretold in these two chapters, and namely in the fourth and fifth verses of this chapter, was in part fulfilled when the people of God returned from captivity in Babylon at the end of seventy years: yet we must not limit the place to that time only, but m…

It shall be the business of my whole life to please myself. Therefore, when God is represented as our end, as in 1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. And as it is in 2 Corinthians 5:15: No man is to live to himself, etc.

And what then? I pray, is not the body of Christ, sometimes mentioned without speaking of the blood, and the blood oftener without speaking of the body; is not the whole Supper called the Cup, without mentioning of the Bread (1 Corinthians 10:21), all by the same Synecdoche? I s…

'The one who is devoted to piety,' he says, 'sacrifices nothing animate to the gods, but to daemons and other divine powers, whether good or evil' — that is: 'The studious of piety sacrifices nothing animate to the gods, but to daemons and to other divine beings, both good and e…

Whereby we gather, if meat and drink, and the use of marriage, must be sanctified with the word of God and prayer, much more recreations, which are not of that necessity with the other, and whereby we are more in danger to fall into abuse, especially the sober minded, who will n…