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?

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.

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…

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…

Fifth, indeed, the law was no less a letter of condemnation to them than to us (Romans 8:3; Romans 10:3; Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10, 13; 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 13-15). Sixth, they drank of the same spiritual rock with us, and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Hebre…

So that Abraham's faith first closed with Christ in the promise, and therefore he is said to see Christ's day and to rejoice in embracing him. And so all the succeeding fathers (that were believers) did, more or less, in their types and sacraments, as appears by 1 Corinthians 10…

So the Israelites in the wilderness tempted him before his coming in the flesh; and Christians may now tempt him, after his ascension into heaven. Both are in one place, (1 Corinthians 10:9): Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpen…

You have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your God, which you made to yourselves. As God appointed the Levites to bear the tabernacle, for communion in the service of them (1 Corinthians 10:18). Are not they that eat of the sacrifices partak…

2. His fidelity, which will not permit him to suffer you to be tempted above measure. We do not stand to the devil's courtesy, to tempt us as long as he likes, but are in the hands of the faithful God (1 Corinthians 10:13). There has no temptation taken you, but what is common t…

Hence I gather, that there is but one Gospel, one in number and no more. For there is but one way of salvation by Christ, whereby all the Elect are saved, from the beginning of the world to the end (Acts 15:11; 1 Corinthians 10:3). It may be demanded, how they of the Old Testame…

Lastly, it may be said, how shall we be able to do this? Answer: God is faithful, and will not lay on us more than we shall be able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:3). By this we are admonished, not to make a reckoning in this world, of pleasure, and delight, as though the Gospel were…

They are two Testaments] they are, that is, they signify: and so Hagar is Sinai a mountain in Arabia, that is, signifies Sinai. Thus the Rock in the wilderness is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), that is, figures Christ. Like to this is the Sacramental phrase, This is my body, that…

Otherwise the thing in itself is not necessary, but remains still indifferent, and may be used or not used, if contempt and scandal be avoided. The Apostles made a law that the Gentiles should abstain from strangled and blood, and things offered to idols (Acts 15:28), yet Paul s…

So that were it not for this preventing and cooperating grace, he would fall into as great enormities as other men. In regard of the time to come, Consider yourself, lest you also be tempted: remember Paul's Item (1 Corinthians 10:12), Let him that thinks he stands, take heed le…

This is the second proof of God's mercy towards his elect; whom he judges with the world, lest they should be condemned with the world: for while he smites them, he so moderates his blows, that he still has an eye to their weakness; so as he will never correct them beyond measur…

And questionless the only remedy in adversity is, to go and ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord, and not to fix our eyes upon the outward estate of things present; but in our spirits to comprehend the salvation to come, which the Lord has promised us. For he is faithful (as the…

While it is foolish and improper to press, as some do, the literal meaning, so as to include both the sign and the thing signified, we must observe, that the connection subsisting between the sign and the thing signified is denoted by these modes of expression. In this sense, th…

Now we know that the Church was governed by God in such a manner that Christ, as the Eternal Wisdom of God, presided over it. In this sense Paul says, not that God the Father was tempted in the wilderness, but that Christ himself was tempted, ‐Mais que Christ luy-mesme a esté te…

Again, as he declares that he is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, (1 Corinthians 10:13,) we shall never be in want of strength to resist, provided that our weakness be not nourished by indifference.

I pass by general figures, which occur frequently in Scripture, and only say this: whenever an outward sign is said to be that which it represents, it is universally agreed to be an instance of metonymy. If baptism be called the laver of regeneration, (Titus 3:5;) if the rock, f…

In this point have stumbled and foully failed our Grand masters and teachers which have heretofore taken upon them to expound and interpret the Scripture. As when they expound and stretch that saying of Christ, Matthew 16, "You are Peter," etc., to be meant of the Pope, which ad…

Therefore there is a choice to be kept in the study of obeying, and profit is to be considered, that we may willingly grant to our brother, whatever serves to the furthering of his salvation. As Paul admonishes in another place, all things are lawful to me, but all things are no…

They in the mean time really finding themselves acted by a Power superior to them, took and owned that to be the Power of their God; and thereby became immediate Worshippers of the Devil. This our Apostle declares 1 Cor. 10. 20. Whatever those who left the true God aimed at to w…

But when to this Power which Examples have naturally and morally to instruct and affect our Minds, things are peculiarly designed and instituted of God to be our Examples, He requiring of us, that from them we should learn both what to doe, and what to avoid, their Force and Eff…

Do you think to strengthen yourself against God, and be able to make your part good with him? Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he (1 Corinthians 10:22)? Do you flatter yourself that you shall find out ways for your ease and support, and make it out tolera…

That it supposeth the people of God to have a foresight of troubles and distresses approaching and drawing near to them: I confess 'tis not always so, for many of our afflictions, as well as comforts, come by way of surprizals upon us: but oft times we have forewarnings of troub…

(5.) Is it not fully convictive, that there is a God who takes care of you, in as much as you have found in all the temptations and difficulties of your lives his promises still fulfilled, and faithfully performed in all those conditions? I appeal to your selves, if you have not…

Did God abandon and cast you off in the day of your straits? certainly you must belye your own experience, if you should say so. 'Tis true, there have been some plunges and difficulties you have met with, wherein (1.) You could see no way of escape, but concluded you must perish…