A compleat history and mystery of the Old and New Testament logically discust and theologically improved : in four volumes ... the like undertaking (in such a manner and method) being never by any author attempted before : yet this is now approved and commended by grave divines, &c. / by Christopher Ness ...

CHAP XVIII. Paul's Preaching at Corinth.

NOW come we to Paul's fifth Station which was at Corinth, Acts 18. v. 1. The Metropolis of Achaia a Sea-Town situated between the Aegean and the Jonian Seas in the very Isl••hmus or narrow neck of Land that joyns Peloponesus unto Achaia, a very rich City, made a Roman Colony, where Paul gathered a famous Church.

If we take a distinct prospect of Paul's Station in Corinth, there be three Circum∣stances do offer themselves principally to our observation. The first is, His Entertain∣ment. The second is, His Actions. The third is, His Passions or Sufferings there. These three are but Circumstances (so called in the largest sense) in respect of his Station in that Populous City, under which the place, time, manner and other Circumstances in the strict∣est notion are Comprehended.

(First,) His Entertainment in this place was twofold. 1. In the house of Aquila, verse 2, 3. where Paul's host is described not only by his Name, but by his Nation and Countrey, by the occasion of his coming to Corinth and his Imploy or Occupation there. His 2. was in the House of Justus, verse 7. who lived nearer to the Sy∣nagogue.

(Secondly,) His Actions or Doings here are described, verse 4, 5. He was pressed in Spirit by an extraordinary and Divine Inspiration to dispute in the Synagogue every Sabbath-day, persuading (as far as he could) both the Jews and the Greeks that JESƲS was the CHRIST, who was promised by the Prophets, exceeding all other Anointed ones.

(Thirdly,) His Passion or Suffering was twofold. 1. While he Sojourn'd with his first host, namely, in Aquila's house, and studiously took all opportunities to preach the Doctrine of the Gospel, and to convince the gain-sayers, yet the obstinate Jews would not be convinced, but did [oppose themselves and blasphemed] verse 6. not only mis-cal∣ling Paul (while they pertinaciously bad him battle as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies, which we read opposing) but even Paul's Master also the blessed Messiah, whose Dishonour grieved him most, and thereupon he shook his raiment, that none of the dust of that place (where such blasphemy was spoken) might stick to him, and uttered that Hebrew phraise [Damo berosho, Josh. 2.19.] your blood be upon your own heads, with much vehemency, as 2 Sam. 1.16. and Matth. 27.25. intimating, you are self destroyers, 'tis none of my fault if ye perish: he had blown the Trumpet and warned them, shewing the way of life to them, therefore was he free from their blood and loss of their Souls, Ezekiel 33.4.

N. B. However this opposition moved Paul to change his quarters and to betake

himself to a new Lodging, verse 7. being put in some small pang of fear, which the Lord relieved him off by incouraging him with two Arguments.

First, That Christ's presence should continually keep him from being harmed.

And Secondly, That he had much chosen Wheat in that great heap of Chaff to call out by his Ministry, so no need of doubting the success of his Ministry, nor his per∣sonal safety, verse 9, 10.

(Lastly,) Paul in his new Lodgings (whether he was constrained to go by the Jews pertinacy) at the house of Justus, there he made an hard shift to hold a longer abode, tarry∣ing in that Lodging with Silas & Timotheus teaching the people for a whole year & an half, verse 11. This Lodging is commended three ways, (1.) From the honesty and holiness of his host Justus both in name and nature, a worshipper of God, whom some suppose to be the same with Titus (call'd Justus Titus) one who had cast off the Polutheism (or many Gods) of the Gentiles. (2.) Form the Commodious Situation of this Host's House, [it was nigh to the Synagogue] verse 7. And (3.) From the Suceess of Paul's Teaching there [many of the Corinthians believed] verse 8. N. B. When Crispus, the chief Ruler of the Synagogue believed, then many of the people believed also. Great men are Looking-Glasses of the places where they live, according to which most men dress themselves.

Though Paul had said (upon the Jews discovering their first obstinacy against the Gospel [from henceforth I turn to the Gentiles, verse 6.) yet loth he was so easily to let go his hold of his own Country-men, therefore made he this house his fixed place of residency because it was so nigh to their Synagogue and even Contiguous to it, here Paul Preached much and oft, yea long, for 18. Months, least he should seem to withdraw, the Grace of the Gospel altogether from those of his own Nation, still hoping that his threatning, to depart from the Jews, and preach to the Gentiles, might awaken them, and the Aemulation of the Gentiles might provoke them to believe. But their obstinate and obdurate hearts Received no impression by any thing, but made an evil use of every thing, so they rendred themselves incurable as they had done before, Acts 13.46.

Hereupon they Unanimously accord to raise a new Perseution against Paul, verse 12 accusing him to the Governour of breaking the Roman Law, verse 13. or the Law of Moses, not of Murder, Theft, or any such injury, wherefore when Paul was about making an Apology for himself, the Governour Gallio himself undertook his defence against his accusers, telling them, That none of their Articles against Paul did belong to the Cognizance of his Court, so drove them out of the place of Iudicature, verse 14, 15, and 16. N. B. And because they hastned not out fast enough, from troubling the Court the Gentile-Greeks (that attended Gallio in his Judgment-seat) laid hands upon Sosthenes (a chief Ruler of some other Synagogue, and probably one of Paul's principal Accusers) and beat him out of the Croud withall his Fellow-Jews▪ that their bawling against Paul might give no farther disturbance to the proceedings of the Judge in more necessary causes, verse 17.

N. B. The Catastrophe of this new-persecution was wonderful through the over-powering hand of Christ who had promised Paul his preserving presence, verse 9.10. for here∣by though the matter came to hand-blows yet these fall upon the Accusers, but Paul the Accused (against whom they all conspired) comes off untouched, and without any harm at all, verse 17.

The Remarks do follow the foregoing Analysis or Resolution of the whole into its distinct parts of this History.

The first Remark is; That such Cities as are very rich, are usually very loose and very Luxurious, so was this Corinth which Paul here came to. This City being accommodated with two havens near to it on either side of it, the one Jochaeum at which they took Shipping for Italy and those western parts, and the other at Cenchrea (mentioned Acts ch. 18. ver. 18, &c.) at which they took shipping for Asia: Much Merchandise, Arriving at those two Ports from those several parts of the world, were all brought to Corinth▪ which lay in the middle betwixt them, and by this extraordinary advantage this City became the great Exchange for those parts of the world: The compass of Co∣rinth was five Miles about, being strongly walled round. So that those Citizens might say with David [our lines are allotted us in a pleasant place, and we have a godly heritage] Psal. 16.6.

Yet did not this wealthy Mart-Town make any good improvement of these Mani∣fold mercies of God, but abused all with their Idolatry and notorious licentiousness, for they had within their City the Temple of Isis, or Jo (an Aegyptian Goddess) to

whom they Sacrificed a Goose and were silly Geese themselves in their Solemnities; but without the City they had the Temple of Venus to whom there were well nigh a thousand Curtizans (such Nuns as Venus had) consecrated for their lasciuious and wanton worship. This Idol-Temple must needs have a very Ample Foundation and be a most prodigious Structure that could contain covents or convenient Lodgings for above (as some say) a thousand of those Wanton Dames: Those Corinthians were ge∣nerally so leavened with Licentious notions, N. B. That they held Fornication to be no sin, for this cause Paul in his Epistle to the believing Corinthians is so earnest against that sin, 1 Cor. 5. and many other places: The Luxury and wealth of this City is a plain Comment upon that old adage [Magna Cognatio, ut rei, it a nominis, Vitijs et Divitijs.] Vices and Riches as they have (in the Latin tongue) an harmony in name, so they dif∣fer not much in their Nature, when wealth is abused to wickedness. N. B. Notwith∣standing all this, Paul, Leaving Athens, comes to Corinth (which was the other eye of Greece, being (full of Orators and Philosophers) where he expected an Harvest of Con∣verts whereof God assured him after he should reap in great plenty, Acts 18.9, 10. yet Paul himself came poor enough to this wealthy City, altogether, a stranger, and without Money in his Pocket, he is constrained to betake himself to work with his hands for his present subsistency, in the work of Tent making but neglects not to frequent the Syna∣gogue every Sabbath to gain Converts.

The second Remark is; A wicked world is soon sick of the Saints, and long to worm them out of their Cities and Societies, tho' their own preservation from utter ruine be for the Saints sake. God saith to Abraham [I will not destroy wicked Sodom and her Sisters if ten Righteous Souls may be found in all those five Cities.] Gen. 18.32. and he saith also [If there be but one Cluster of Grapes (one Church of Sanctified Souls) that hath a bles∣sing in it, I will not destroy the Vine for their sakes.] Isa. 65.8. Nay yet lower are divine condescensions toward pardoning mercy [find out but one man that is Righteous in Jerusa∣lem and I will pardon it] Jerem. 5.1. Notwithstanding all this, as the Emperor Clau∣dius did, Acts 18.2. so all the the Potentates of the world do banish the true Servants of God from their Socities. Claudius commanded all the Jews to depart out of Rome and from Italy.] and with the Jews the Christians were likewise banished, for the Pa∣gan-Romans did not care to distinguish betwixt them, because they both worshipped but one God, and both agreed to oppose their Idolatry.

Beside, the same quarrel was got to Rome with the Gospel, which did attend it in all parts of the World where it came among the Jews, who every where opposed it, and the Contesting also at Rome against it, thereby such Tumults were bred by the Jews against the Christians, as occasioned this Decree of the Emperor (which Suetonius mentioneth) for the banishment of them both.

Thus foolish are the powers of the Earth, that they are resolved to be rid of the Saints who torment those that dwell upon the Earth, Revel. 11.10. never considering that those Saints in the Earth, Psalms 16.3. do bear up the Pillars of the Earth, Psalms 75.3. and that God gratifies his own Servants with the preservation of their persecutors, as he did Paul with the live; of all those Infidels who were in the Ship with him, Acts 27.24, 37, 42. Thus the Stagg in the Emblem by biting off the boughs under which he lay hid from the Hunters) bewrays and betrays himself into their hands, &c.

The third Remark is; Paul chused to labour with his hands, rather than he would disadvan∣tage the Gospel, or become burdensome to those poor people who had here received the Gospel. 'Tis said, [He wrought with Aquila in Tent-making] Acts 18.3. This Trade Paul learnt, before he was called to the Ministry. N. B. The most Learned among the Jews did alway learn some Handy-craft-Trade, holding themselves obliged by their Traditional Law, that every Father must teach his Child some Trade; and their Rabbi Judah saith, that whosoever doth not teach his Child a Trade, doth as bad, as if he bad him go play the Thief. Paul therefore, having learnt this Trade of a Tent-maker, did work with his hands here for his own subsistency, as he did in other places upon the same exigent, 1 Cor. 4.12. 1 Thes. 2.9. and 2 Thes. 3.8. Paul had power enough and warrant to chal∣lenge Maintenance for his Preaching-work (as he intimateth many times over in his Epistles). N. B. But (1.) There was not yet any Church at Corinth to maintain him (2.) When there was a Church there; he would take nothing of the Gentiles for the greater honour and promotion of the Gospel among them. (3.) The persons that em∣braced the Gospel and believed, were mostly the most mean persons, as appears most probably from 1 Corinth. 1.26. [Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many Noble are called] Therefore spared he those poor Proselytes, and would

not be burdensome to them. (4) It was to shew that he sought them more than theirs, their persons to be saved by him, more than their purses for him to be sustained by them. N.B. Yet did he assert his own Right, and the Right of Ministers by Divine Appointment, 1 Cor. 9.6, 11, 12, 14, &c. But because of the present Necessity and Emergency of Affairs, he denied himself here, as Acts 20.34. 2 Cor. 11.7, 8. and 2 Thes. 3.9. &c. working with his hands in sowing Skins together, whereon to make Tents, used much by the Souldiers in those hot Countreys, and by others also, to keep off the violence of the Weather, &c. N.B. Hereupon one saith of him, [That he was no less busie in his Shop among his Tents, than in his Study among his Books and Parchments, which he mentions 2 Tim. 4.13. yet was it no work of supererogation (as the Romanists say) for in this case it was a duty (saving the honour of the Ministry) but no general Rule. So thus Musculus, when driven out of his place by Persecution, was forced to pick up a poor living by Digging and Weaving. And a late Martyr (as great a Scholar as Europe had) being banished, served a Mason for his livelihood.

The fourth Remark is; That painful Preachers must not be blamed for the blood of their perishing People. N.B. Paul saith here, [I am clean, your blood be upon your own heads] ver. 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, I am not in the fault if ye perish. The Kill-Christ Jews cryed [His blood be upon our heads] Matth. 27.25. that is, the guilt and punishment thereof: Accordingly Paul proposeth his speech to his opposers [your blood be upon your own heads] answerable to that aforesaid wish in their wretched Imprecation; and according to the Jews Cu∣stom of the Witnesses laying their hands upon the head of the guilty person, as de∣voting him thereby to death, Deut. 17.7. And as the Sacrificers laid their hands upon the head of the Beast to be sacrificed, whereby they transmitted their own sin upon the Sacrifice, Exod. 29.10, 15. and Levit. 1.4. and 3.2, &c. N.B. But they had ano∣ther manner of the High Priest's laying his hands upon the Scape-Goat's head also, Levit. 16.10, 21. that this Live-Goat might carry away all their sins from them along with him into the Land of everlasting forgetfulness (never to be remembred against them any more, as Isa, 43.25.) which was a Type of our Dear Redeemer, upon whom God hath laid all our Iniquities, Isa. 53.6, 7. and whom those Opposers rejected when tendered to them by Paul's Preaching Christ, and therefore Paul tells them, they were so many Felo's de se, Self-destroyers, and were guilty of their own Death and Damna∣tion; for seeing they refused that Christ should redeem them, and save them from their sins, they must bear their own burdens, which (without Repentance) would bear them down into the bottomless Pit. N.B. Nor could Paul be charged with the loss of their Souls, for he was free from their blood, because he had warned them of their Damnable State, and shewn the way of Life and Salvation to them [He had blown the Trumpet, &c.] Ezek. 3.17, 18, 19, 20, 21. and 33.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The Watch-man must give warning of Danger, if his warning be effectual for Reformation, then both the Warner and the Warned do deliver and save their own Souls. If the Watch-man's Warning be not heeded by the Hearers, they shall die in their sins, but there is no danger to the Watch-man, for he did his duty as Paul did here. But if the Watch-man give no Warning, not only the Sinner dies by his unrepented-of-sins, but also the Minister, by his not admonishing the Sinner, becomes involved in that guilt, death and damnation: God will punish him as a Dumb Dog, Isa. 56.10. for not barking ac∣cording to his duty; to sound an Alarm of his People's danger, Isa. 58.1. All these passages in this Prophet Isaiah (as one saith) seem [non Verba, sed Tonitrua] not Aery words, but frightful Thunder-bolts: What then will become of Idol-or Idle-Ministers? But Paul was a better Pattern, being a painful Preacher, he doth his part here, and would not have to answer for the blood of them that perished through any neglect in him, but leaves it at their own door, and upon their own heads, as here, and Acts c. 20. v. 26.

The fifth Remark is; The Lord's promise of his presence is a sweet incouragment to his Servants for their Abiding in a place, and among a people notwithanding their fears from angry men and from inraged Devils. Thus here, the Lord Christ spake again to his Servant Paul, saying [be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, &c.] Acts 18. verse 9.10. N.B. We may well wonder what was the cause of any new fear in Paul, that Christ should now say to him [fear not] seeing the coming of Silas and Timothy to him (according to his order, Acts 17.15.) had made him so brisk in his work, verse 5, 6.) his Spirit was then warmed with the company of these two good men, as two flints, tho' both be cold yet yield fire when smitten together. Now some sudden pang of fear came upon him (as he confesseth, that in Macedonia his flesh had no rest, but was troubled on every

side, without were fightings and within were fears, 2 Cor. 7.5.) here Christ came to comfort him, using two Arguments to persuade his continuance in Corinth.

The first is; The Promise of Christ's presence to protect him from harm, &c.

And the second is; That Christ had a great Harvest a Ripening in that City to be reaped by Paul's Ministry, and he, thus incouraged, by this double Motive, commits himself to his faithful Creator (Christ) for a year and six Months, verse 11.

Thus God promised his protecting presence to his Prophet Jeremy, Jer. 1.17, 18. and no less hath Christ promised to all his faithful Ministers, Matth. 28.20. and tho' some of them be killed, yet are they not hurt. Rom. 8.36, 38. N.B. From whence we Learn 2 Lessons. 1. That though the Ingratitude and perversness of Hearers do oft discourage their Ministers, yet God Animates them to their duty that for the invincible malice of some, the Salvation of others may not be neglected. And 2. Tho' God per∣mit that his Ministers be Murdered by their persecutors (tho' Paul was promised here a more peculiar protection from the killing Plots of his opposers) notwithstanding God is with his Servants both in life and death and then most of all, 2 Tim. 4.16, 17, 18. So their fury must make us more fervent, that the Servants of the Lord may not be out-vyed by the Slaves of the Devil, who cannot dare to do more evil than God's Servants are made able to bear both with patience and joyfulness, &c.

The sixth Remark is; Prophane Persons have a most prodigious prejudice against the power of Godliness, exceeding low thoughts of the purity of Christianity. Thus Gallio (tho' bro∣ther in Law to that deservedly famous Seneca) esteemed no better of Divine Doctrine than a Cento of Empty Words and Aery-Notions or Vain Discourse•• saying [If it be a Question of names or words, &c.] verse 15. N.B. Yea his Brother Seneca (who being Tutor to Nero, Claudius the Emperor's Adopted Son, procured the Consulship over all con∣quered Greece for his brother Gallio) notwithstanding all his vast depth of humane Learning, and his Exact knowledge in moral Philosophy, yet did this Seneca but Jear the Jews for casting away a Seventh part of their precious time upon a Weekly Sabbath.

N.B. No wonder then, if Gallio, tho' a great man in the Roman Government, and a good man too according to the extent of Moral Goodness (for Historians give him this Character, That he was a man of a most Candid Disposition, an hater of flattery and addicted to no manner of exorbitant Vices, &c.) yet being but an Heathen and acting by the Dins Light of Nature in the fallen Estate, made so mean an account of the Mysteries of the Gospel. N.B. However God made use of this Gallio and his Moral Goodness to preserve Paul from the bloody hands of the Jews, who, being Animated to attempt evil against Paul, hoping that this new Judge would favour them against the Christians; but he be∣ing a prudent Governour, Supercedes the Jews Cavilling and Quarrelling Cause, tells them he would meddle only with Civil Government and not with Religious matters, where∣in he had (as he accknowledged) no skilful knowledge. So he made those Cavillers to be driven by force out of the Court that they might not any longer trouble the Bench with their (as he thought) unnecessary Controversies, then the Greeks (which the Syriack reads, the Prophane) beat Sosthenes an enemy (as Austin saith) to Paul, here∣by Christ performed his promise to Paul, verse 10. Suffering no Man to hurt him. verse 16, 17.

The seventh Remark is; While Paul tarryed a Twelve-Month and an half at Corinth, Acts 18.11, 18. As Christ blest him by his presence with many Converts (such as Crispus and Gaius and the House of Stephanas, yea and Sosthenes also, tho' supposed before to be Paul's adversary, verse 17. 1 Cor. 1.14. and Epenetus, Rom. 16.5. and 1 Cor. 16.15. called his first Fruits there, because Converted at his first coming to Corinth) so in the time of his abode in this City he wrote his first Epistle to the Thessalonians (which was the first of all Paul's Epistles that he wrote.)

N.B. Tho' the Postscript of that Epistle dateth it from Athens, which as it is not Canonical, so nor consonant to truth, because this Epistle was sent by Silas (the contract of Silvanus) and Timothy, as well as in Paul's name, 1 Thess. 1.1. and those two came to Paul when he was at Corinth, Acts 18.5. nor was there any Church in Achaia while Paul was at Athens, for from thence he went to Achaia and planted a Church at Corinth, Acts 18. verse 1. but there was a Church in Achaia when he wrote that Epistle, 1 Thess. 1.7. However, the occasion of it was, the New-planted Church at Thessalonica was much discouraged to behold the Jews persecute the Christians, and to lose by death some of their useful and Eminent Members, the Apostle having notice thereof, and the Devil (either by disputes, or by Tumults, or by Layings in wait for his life) hindered him from giving them a personal visit, 1 Thess. 2.18. Thereupon he wrote

this Epistle to incourage and comfort them in the ways of the Gospel. N.B. And the Apostle, being informed of some mistakes put upon some passages in the first Epistle about the coming of Christ, and still being hindered to go thither himself, he writ∣eth also a second Epistle, wherein he taketh up the same argument and discourse again for thir further and fuller Establishment.

The eighth and last Remark; At Paul's parting from Corinth, he is shaven as a Naza∣rite in the Haven of Cenchrea belonging to Corinth according to the Law, Numb. 6.18. This he did, verse 18. because [He must needs go up to the Passover-feast at Jerusalem.] verse 21. That he might wait an occasion, and take the opportunity of that prodigious concourse of people there, and that he might be the more acceptable to the weak be∣lieving Jews, who yet were Zealous of the Law, Acts 21.20, 21, 23, 24. and that by gratifying them in this condescention to the praescription of the Law, he gained many to the Faith by becoming a Jew to the Jews, 1 Cor. 9.20. in Circumcising Timothy, Acts 16.3.

N.B. Tho' these Ceremonial Rites dyed with Christ, Eph. 2.15, 16. yet were not buryed, therefore were the Jews indulged in the observance of them, till they came to a clearer sight of their Christian liberty and freedom from them: so that Paul did not do this, as any part of God's Worship, nor was there any Dissimulation in the case: for the Matter of purifying himself, he did that heartily (saith Calvin) but for the Ceremonious and External Rites of the Nazarites Vow; He only yielded there∣to as yet indifferent: Nor is it any other than Ridiculous for the Romanists to make this the Ground of their Religious Vows and for their shaven Crowns, which is now so bald a Ceremony in France, that some be ashamed of the Mark.