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Containing an Introduction to the words, and division of them.
SEldom or never do Judges become Advo∣cates; they give Sentence on the Crime, but they never plead the Cause of the Offender. In doing the one, they dis∣charge the most solemn duty of their place: But in undertaking the other, they descend as it were from the Throne to the Bar. and go both below themselves, and besides the Rule: A pleading Judge being no well-tuned Cymbal. And yet if we look
into these two Epistles of Paul, we shall find him ex∣ercising both these distinct Offices towards the same Person in one and the same Cause. In the first we may behold him as a just, and severe Judge, drawing forth the spiritual Sword of the Church, and smiting with it the Incestuous person, in as great an height of zeal as Samuel did Agag, to the cutting of him off from all Communion with that body, of which he was a Mem∣ber. He being the first (as Calvin expresseth it) Qui¦nitorens Ecclesiae tam turpi not â maculasset. who stained the beauty of that Church with so foul a Sin and Scan∣dall. And if we turn our eyes again to this Second Epistle and Chap••er, we may see the same Apostle performing the Office of a most Compissionate Advo∣cate, in pleading the Cause of him to the Corinthians, who by his Command was cut off, and cast out from among them. He who was the subject of his Cen∣sure as a Judge, is now the object of his entreaties as an Advocate. And the Arguments which he useth for his reception into the bosome of their love are not more numerous than weighty. A brief view of some of which will not be impertinent, in regard they lead us in an orderly way unto the Text, which is the last, but not the least of those many perswasive Pleas which he urgeth on his behalf.
The first is drawn from the Law of Equity, which is, as Philo calls it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Nurse of Ju∣stice. Sufficient to such a man is the punishments which was inflicted of many, Ver. 6. Rewards and Punish∣ments, though they be the golden hinges, upon which the vvelfare of every state turns, yet are they to be regulated by a just, and si•• measure. No Censures are to be excessive, much less Church Censures, vvhose end is chiefly medicinal, they being (as Austin speaks of
the Corrections of God) Castigationes Emendatoriae, non interfectoriae; Chastisements to procure amend∣ment, not to work ruine.
A second Plea is from the present danger, Least perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow, Vers. 7.
Inward troubles and perplexities of mind are far more corrosive and wasting then outward: The Wheeles of a Clock, whose motion is strong, wears sooner then the Finger which moves gently without. They are of∣tentimes like a tempestuous and angry Sea, which doth not onely toss the Ship but sink it. And it became not them to be Spectators of any Mans ruine, without casting forth some Cord or Plank, by the help of which he might reach the Shore. It is Jobs Censure of him who sheweth not pitty to the afflicted, that he hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty, Job 6. 14.
A third is, That he might have a Proof of them, whe∣ther they be obedient in all things, Vers. 9. Spiritual Fa∣thers, as well as Natural delight in the reiterated acts of their Childrens Obedience, as being the most legi∣ble Characters of a Son-like Disposition: And there∣fore the Apostle, who had onely a single triall of their willing complyance to his commands, seekes the con∣firmation of it by a second Testimony: that as they had shewed themselves forward in putting away from among them that Person, whose sin was not to be pa∣ralelled among the Heathen; so now they would, at his entreaties, shew the like readiness in the readmissi∣on of him into their love and favour who of a presump∣tuous Sinner, was become an humble and broken Pe∣nitentiary.
A fourth Plea is from his own practise; He had for their sales forgiven him, as in the sight or Person of
Christ, vers. 10. That is, as he first awakened them to judge the sin, with which for a time they were not af∣fected; so now, by his example, in his sincere Par∣doning of it, as in Christs sight, he did induce them to do the like, and also teach them how to temper their zeale aright, in being neither too remiss in using the Censures of the Church, nor yet too rigorous in retain∣ing of them when inflicted: both extreames being alike prejudicial to the beauty of their zeale. It being with it, as with the Blood in the Body, which if it be dilutus, watrie, through phlegme; or sublimatus nimis, too fiery through Choller, makes the Complexion too wan and sallow, or too red and high coloured.
A fifth Plea is that that comes under present Consi∣deration, and is to be insisted on as the Subject of this present Discourse: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, &c.
In this Verse there are two principal parts, which do equally divide and share it between them.
First, A usefull Caution of Circumspection; Lest Satan should get an advantage: The general Concern∣ment of which is implyed in the relative Particle Us. For in this matter, Satan, as a Common Adversary, did endeavour more then a single Supplantation; he did not Bait a Hook, but Spread a Net. For should the Incestuous Person through despair miscarry, it might occasion a Rent between the Apostle and the Corinthi∣ans, that would hardly be made up: It might render the Gospel less amiable to those upon whom it had newly dawned; and cause it to be as unwelcome and offensive, as light is to weak and sore eyes. It might blemish the Censures of the Church, as having too deep a Tincture of Pharisaicall Rigor: and having their whole Power tending rather to destruction then to edi∣fication.
Therefore it is that the Apostle, like a wise Physitian, is more then ordinary anxious, that the Pa∣tient die not under their hands, and Satan get the ad∣vantage of them both by his sin, and sorrow. In the Original it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which by Inter∣preters is diversly expounded. The Vulgar reades it, Ne Circumveniamur: That we be not Circumvented by Satan, who like a cunning Wrestler, or Fencer, is various, and uncertain in his Motions, that he may take the better hold, or strike his Adversary with the greater advantage. Beza, Ne superemur; That Sa∣tan get not by far the better of us: not by open Force, but by unfore-seen artifices, and slights. Erasmus, Ne occupemur à Satanâ: Lest Satan should usurp upon us; that is, lest he who hath nothing of right, should by fraud obtain a kind of possession among us, by snatch∣ing and taking him from us as his own, who is a mem∣ber of our body; the entire union of which we ought to preserve from such Ruptures and Avulsions, by the due tempering of our zeale and charity towards those, who by the strength of Temptation fall into sin, and by their deep sorrow testifie their unfeigned Repen∣tance for sin. Others again (Etymologically enough) conceive it to be a Metaphor taken from Avaritious and greedy Persons, that for Gaines-sake do in their Con∣tracts and Bargaines, by guile and fraud over-reach those whom they deale with. In all these Expositions there is so full a Concurrence and agreement to the Circum∣stances of the Place, and the Practises of Satan; as that I shall not, by giving a preheminence unto any one above the other, determine the Judgment of the intel∣ligent Reader which to take, but wholly leave him to his free Choice. This onely I shall intimate, that our Translation seemes ••o favour the last.
The second is the forcible and prevailing Motive to stir up their Circumspection: For we are not ignorant of his devices. The Greek word for devises, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: which in its general acceptation doth signifie the thoughts, and musings of the minde (as Estius ob∣serves) but in a more strict and confined sense it is ap∣plyed unto such thoughts that are on purpose framed to deceive; and by studied artifices to bring about design∣ed ends in any kind whatsoever: Such are Ambush∣ments in War, Slights in Wrestling, Deceits in Gaming, Pollicies in State, Fallacies in Disputing, Dark and co∣vered Sentences in Rhetorick, in which one thing is spoken and another intended: these Quintilian in his Institutions calls Noemata. When therefore the Apo∣stle saith, that he was not ignorant of Satans Cogitations (as the Vulgar and others also render the words) it is not to be understood of any intuitive power and ability which he assumed to himself, of discerning and prying into the most retired thoughts of the Prince of dark∣ness, which are onely open and naked to the eye of God, whose Sacred Royalty it is to search the hearts both of Men and Angells; but of a practical and ex∣perimental knowledge, which he, and other Belivers also attain unto, by a diligent observance of their wayes and actions, in which they discover the misterious arts and snares of the Tempter, spread like the Nets of a cunning Fowler, to intrap them in every motion and step that they make, not onely by his various allure∣ments unto sin, but also by his perverting of their best Duties, so as to make them to be losers thereby, and himself to be the onely gainer. And this was it in which he sought to get the better of the Corinthians, turning their just zeale against the sin of the incestuous Person, into an inexorable severity against his Repen∣tance,
though he was well nigh swallowed up of Sorrow.