3 ing proclaimed to others, I myself should be one not approved. tive: lest perhaps having proclaimed to others, the qualifications required in the combatants, and the laws of the combat, I myself should be one not approved. to the tribunal of the Hellanodicks, who examined their conduct during the combat. Then a herald taking the chaplets from the tripod, placed them on the head of such of the conquerors as were approved by the judges: and putting into their hands the palms, they led them thus equipped through the stadium, preceded by a trumpeter, who during the procession, proclaimed with a loud voice, their names, the names of their fathers, and of their countries, and specified the particular combat in which they were conquerors. And as they passed along, they were saluted with the acclamations of the spectators, accompanied with showers of herbs and flowers, thrown upon them from every side. Such was the office of the herald or crier in the sacred games. In allusion to that office, the apostle calls himself Kugu, The herald, in the combat for immortality; because he was one of the chief of those who were employed by Christ to introduce into the stadium, such as contended for the incorruptible crown. He called them to the combat; he declared the kind of combat in which they were to engage; he proclaimed the qualifications necessary in the combatants, and the laws of the battle. Withal, he encouraged the combatants, by placing the crowns and palms full in their view. 4. I myself should be one not approved. Aur adoniu© gevæμas, literally, I myself should be without proof. Here adoniu, signifies one who when tried in the manner described in the preceding note, was found not to be of the character and station required by the established regulations. Besides the previous trial, the Hellanodicks or judges, after the combat was over, made a most accurate and impartial scrutiny into the manner in which the victors had contended, in order to find whether they had contended vuus, according to the laws of the combat. And if, on trial, it appeared that they had failed in the least particular, they were cast; the term for which was exxpired. See 1 Cor. xi 31. note. In consequence of this sentence, they were denied the crown, and sometimes beaten out of the stadium with disgrace. Such contenders, whether they were cast before or after the combat, were Adoniμoi, persons not approved. Wherefore, to avoid that disgrace, the apostle who was a combatant in the Christian race, as well as an herald, was careful to qualify himself for the combat, and in combating, to observe all the laws of the combat, lest having proclaimed these laws to others, he should be found not approved himself. This the apostle said to stir up all, but especially the ministers of the gospel, to the greatest diligence in acquiring habits of self-government and purity, not only that they may secure to themselves the crown of righteousness, but that they may be patterns to their people. The foregoing account of the Grecian games, is mostly taken from West's Pindar. CHAPTER X. View and Illustration of the Matters handled in this Chapter. THE apostle's design in this chapter cannot be rightly understood, unless we suppose the Corinthians, in their letter, to have put three questions to him concerning meats sacrificed to idols. First, Whether they might innocently go with their heathen acquaintance into the idol's temple, and partake of the feasts on the sacrifices which were eaten there in honour of the idol? Secondly, Whether they might buy and eat meats sold in the markets, which had been sacrificed to idols? Thirdly, Whether, when invited to the houses of the heathens, they might eat of meats sacrificed to idols, which were set before them as a common meal? To the first of these questions, the apostle answered, chap. vii. That their joining the heathens, in their feasts on the sacrifices in the idol's temple, even on the supposition that it was a thing in itself innocent, might be a stumbling-block to their weak brethren, in which case it ought to be avoided; but whether such a practice were a thing innocent or sinful in itself, he did not on that occasion consider. In this chapter, therefore, he resumed the subject, that he might treat of it fully, and answer the other questions proposed to him by the Corinthians relative to that matter. The false teacher, to free the brethren from their scruples respecting the feasts on the sacrifices in the idol's temple, had I suppose, told them, that their knowledge and profession of the gospel, rendered them so much the objects of the favour of God, that he would not be displeased with them, if, to gain the favour of the heathens, and to save themselves from persecution, they partook of their feasts in the idol's temple. He added, that whatever influence their eating of these sacrifices might have to pollute them, assuredly their baptism, but especially their eating the Lord's supper, would have a greater influence to sanctify them. The confutation of these fallacious arguments, the apostle brought from what happened to the Israelites, the ancient people of God, who were as much the objects of the divine favour, as the disciples of Christ could be. They were led out of Egypt under the cloud, and made to pass through the Red Sea in a miraculous manner, ver. 1.-By being in the cloud and in the sea, they were all baptized into the belief that Moses was commissioned by God to deliver them, ver. 2.-They all ate the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink, ver. 3, 4.-In short, they all enjoyed the favour of God, together with the ex ternal privileges belonging to his people, in as ample a manner as the professed disciples of Christ did. And, therefore, if external privileges accompanied with the divine favour, could have secured those who possessed such advantages from displeasing God, the Israelites must always have continued the objects of his favour. Nevertheless they refused to go into Canaan, for which sin God was so exceedingly displeased with them, that he destroyed them all in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua, ver. 5.-To bring these things home to the Corinthians, the apostle told them, that the sins which brought destruction on persons so high in favour with God, are examples to mankind in every age, to prevent them from lusting after the pleasures of the table, as the Israelites lusted after the flesh-pots of Egypt, ver. 6.—and from becoming idolators, as many of them became, when dancing round the altar which Aaron had raised, they worshipped the golden calf in the frantic manner in which the heathens worshipped their idols, ver. 7.-and from committing whoredom, as many of them did with the daughters of Moab, for which twenty-three thousand of them were slain in one day, ver. 8.—and from tempting Christ by distrusting his care, as the Israelites tempted God by speaking against him and against Moses, for bringing them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness; and for that great sin were destroyed of serpents, ver. 9.-and from murmuring at the restraints laid on them by the gospel, and at the sufferings to which they were exposed in their passage to heaven, as the Israelites murmured, on account of the difficulties they had to encounter in taking possession of Canaan, and were destroyed, ver. 10.-All these things, the apostle told the Corinthians, happened to the Israelites as examples, and are written for our instruction, that we may avoid courses which proved so destructive to them, ver. 11.-The whoredom of the Israelites with the daughters of Moab, was mentioned to the Corinthians on this occasion, with singular propriety, because, the Moabitish women tempted the Israelites to commit fornication, by inviting them to partake of the sacrifices of their gods; the very thing which the apostle was exhorting the Corinthians to avoid.. As the foregoing facts, recorded in the scriptures, were set before the Corinthians, to shew them how dangerous it is for persons who are the objects of God's favour, and who enjoy great external privileges, to fancy that their sins are not displeasing to God, the apostle drew this conclusion from the whole: wherefore, let him who thinketh he standeth firm in the favour of God, take heed lest he fall, ver. 12.-and by taking notice, that the Corinthians were exposed to none but common temptations, he insinu- ated that there was no reason for their being so anxious to gain the favour of the heathens; especially as God, who hath promised to assist his people, is faithful, and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear; or with the temptation will make a passage for them out of it, ver. 13.—In short, idolatry having proved so ruinous to the ancient Israelites, the apostle earnestly exhorted the Corinthians to flee from it, ver. 14. But the false teacher, it seems, had told the Corinthians, that their partaking with the heathens in their feasts on the sacrifices in the idols temple, was not idolatry in persons who knew that an idol is nothing in the world, because to such it was only a common meal. In what follows therefore, the apostle proved, that such an action was a real worshipping of the idol, on whose sacrifice they feasted. And to draw the attention of the Corinthians to what he was going to say, he told them he would speak to them on that subject as to wise men, (an appellation of which the Greeks were exceedingly fond,) and desired them to judge impartially, of what he should say to them, ver. 15.-Do not we, said he, who are the disciples of Christ, consider our joint drinking of the cup in the Lord's supper, as a symbol of our joint partaking of the benefits procured by the shedding of the blood of Christ? And our joint eating of the loaf in the Lord's supper, as a symbol of our joint partaking of the benefits belonging to the body or church of Christ? ver. 16 —And because there is one loaf used in the Lord's supper, we the many who partake of it, are thereby declared to be one body or society, under the government of one head, and to be animated by the same principles, and to follow the same practices, ver. 17— The Jews likewise entertain the same sentiments, with respect to those who join in their religious services. Do they not hold, that the persons who eat of the sacrifices offered to the God of Israel, are joint partakers of his altar; that is, join in the worship performed to him on the altar, and partake of the benefits procured by that worship? ver. 18.-By parity of reason, they who in the idol's temple eat of the sacrifices offered to the idol, are justly considered by the heathens as joining in the worship of their God's, and as declaring their desire, jointly to share with them in the blessings which their gods are supposed to bestow. Nay they consider them as holding communion with them, both; in their principles and practices. This application of the argument, indeed, the apostle hath not made; but in the following verse he supposes his readers to have made it: for he adds, what then do I affirm, namely, when I say, that your eating the sacrifices of idols is a joint participation in their worship? Do I affirm that an idol is a god? or that the sacrifices offered to idols, are sacrifices to beings who are gods? ver. 19.-By no means. But I affirm, that the sacrifices which the heathens offer, they offer to demons; that is, to the souls of dead men, and to evil spirits, neither of which are gods; since they have no power in the government of the universe, as the heathens fancy. And I would not have you to be joint partakers with the worshippers of demons, either in their principles, their practices, or their expectations, ver. 20.-Besides, the worship of the true God is incompatible with the worship of demons: for it consists in good dispositions, and virtuous actions. Whereas the worship of demons consists in vile affections, lewdness, and all manner of debauchery. Therefore, ye cannot consistently partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons, ver. 21. Some of you pretend, that ye eat the sacrifices of idols, to shew your belief that an idol is nothing. But I reply, ye thereby provoke the Lord to jealousy, because, by the heathens, your eating of these sacrifices is considered as an honouring and worshipping of the idol. Now, before ye give the heathens reason to think, that ye pay to their idols the honour which is due to Christ, ye should know that ye are stronger than Christ, to defend yourselves against his wrath, ver. 22. With respect to the questions, whether the meats sacrificed to idols, which were sold in the markets, might be eaten by Christians; and whether they might eat of these meats in the houses of the heathens, when set before them as a common, not as a religious meal, the apostle observed, first, that although under the gospel all meats are lawful to every person, all meats are not expedient for every person. And even in cases where they are expedient, the eating of them may not tend to the edification of others, ver. 23.-Secondly, that in the use of meats, one ought to study not his own advantage only, but the advantage of his neighbour also, ver. 24.-And having laid down these principles, he desired the Corinthians to eat whatever was sold in the shambles, without inquiring whether it had been sacrificed to idols or not; because they knew that idols have no dominion over the world, but that the earth is the Lord's, and all that it contains, ver. 25, 26.-And if a heathen invited them to his house, and they inclined to go, they were to eat whatever was set before them, asking no questions for conscience sake; because by no reasonable construction, could that action be considered as a worshipping of idols, even though the meat they were going to eat, had been sacrificed to an idol, ver. 27.-But |