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ried, as he was doing, ver. 8.-But at the same time he told them, if they found that too difficult, it was better for them to marry than to be tormented with lust, ver. 9.

Next, in answer to their question, concerning the separation and divorce of married persons, the apostle considered, first, the case of the married who were both of them Christians. To these, his command, and the command of Christ was, that the wife depart not from her husband, on account of the inconveniencies attending marriage, ver. 10.-However, if any wife finding the troubles of a married state, in those times of persecution, too great for her to bear, separated herself from her husband, she was in her state of separation to marry no other man; because her marriage still subsisted. And if on trial, she found that she could not live continently in a state of separation, she was to be reconciled to her husband. In like manner, a husband, was not on acconnt of the inconveniencies attending a married state, to put away his wife. Or, having put her away, if he could not live chastely without her, he was to be recon, ciled to her, ver. 11.

In the second place, with respect to such Christians as were married to heathens, he told them, that what he was going to say was his commandment, and not the Lord's; meaning that the Lord, while on earth, had given no precept concerning such a case. These persons, the apostle by inspiration, ordered to live together, if the heathen party was willing so to do; because difference of religion does not dissolve marriage, ver. 12, 13.— And to shew the propriety of continuing such marriages when made, he told them, that the infidel husband was sanctified, or rendered a fit husband to his believing wife, by the strength of his affection to her, notwithstanding his religion was different from hers. And that by the same affection, an infidel wife was sanctified to her believing husband, ver. 14.-But if the infidel party who proposed to depart, maliciously deserted his or her believing mate, notwithstanding due means of reconciliation had been used; the marriage was, by that desertion, dissolved with respect to the Christian party willing to adhere, and the latter was at liberty to marry another, ver. 15.-In the mean time, to induce persons of both sexes who were married to heathens, to continue their marriages, he told them, it might be a means of converting their infidel yoke-fellows, ver. 16.

In the first age, some of the brethren, entertaining wrong notions of the privileges conferred on them by the gospel, fancied that on their becoming Christians, they were freed from their former political as well as religious obligations. To re

move that error, the apostle, after advising the Corinthians to continue their marriages with their unbelieving spouses, ordered every Christian to continue in the state in which he was called to believe; because the gospel sets no person free from any innocent political, and far less from any natural obligation, ver. 17. The converted Jew, was still to remain under the law of Moses, as the municipal law of Judea: and the converted Gentile, was not to become a Jew, by receiving circumcision, ver. 18. Because, in the affair of men's salvation, no regard is had either to circumcision or uncircumcision, but to the keeping of the commandments of God, ver. 19.-Every one therefore, after his conversion, was to remain in the political state in which he was converted, ver. 20.-In particular, slaves after their conversion were to continue under the power of their masters as before, unless they could lawfully obtain their freedom, ver. 21.— And a free man, was not to make himself a slave, ver. 22.-The reason was, because being bought by Christ with a price, if he became the slave of men, he might find it difficult to serve Christ, his superior master, ver. 23.—And therefore the apostle a third time, enjoined them to remain in the condition wherein they were called, ver. 24.—This earnestness he shewed, because if the brethren disobeyed the good laws of the countries where they lived; or, if such of them as were slaves, ran away from their masters after their conversion, the gospel would have been calumniated as encouraging licentiousness.

In the third place, the apostle considered the case of these young persons who never had married, perhaps because they were not well established in the world, or were still in their father's family. This class of persons of both sexes, he called virgins, and declared that he had no commandment of the Lord concerning them: by which he meant, that Christ, during his ministry on earth, had given no commandment concerning them; but the apostle gave his judgment on their case, as one who had obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful: That is, he gave his judgment as an apostle, who had received inspiration to enable him faithfully to declare Christ's will, ver. 25.-Beginning therefore with the case of the male virgin, he declared it to be good in the present distress, for such to remain unmarried, GREEK TEXT.

OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. VII. 1 Now

1

Περι δε ὧν εγραψατε concerning the things μοι, καλον ανθρωπῳ γυναι

whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

κος μη απτεσθαι.

ver. 26. But if they married, they were not to seek to be loosed. And if their wives happened to die, he told them, they would find it prudent not to seek a second wife, ver. 27.-At the same time he declared, that if such persons married again, they did not sin. The same he declared concerning the female virgin : only both the one and the other would find second marriages, in that time of persecution, attended with great bodily trouble, ver. 28.

By the way, to make the Corinthians less solicitous about present pleasures and pains, the apostle put them in mind of the brevity of life; and from that consideration, exhorted them to beware of being too much elevated with prosperity, or too much dejected with adversity, ver. 29, 30, 31.-And to shew that he had good reasons for advising both sexes against marriage, while the persecution continued, he observed, that the unmarried man being free from the cares of a family, had more time and opportunity to please the Lord; whereas, the married man was obliged to mind the things of the world, that he might please his wife, ver. 32, 33.-The same things he observed concerning wives and unmarried women, ver. 34.-And told them, he gave them these advices, and pointed out to them the inconveniences of a married state, together with the advantages of a single life, not to throw a bond upon them; but to lead them to do what was comely, and well befitting their Christian profession, without restraint, ver. 35.

Lastly, with respect to female virgins who were in their father's families, and under their father's power, the apostle pointed out to the fathers of such virgins, the considerations which were to determine them, whether they would give their daughters in marriage, or keep them single, ver. 36.-39.

This long discourse the apostle concluded, with declaring that all women whether old or young, are by their marriage covenant bound to their husbands, as long as their husbands live. But if their husbands die, they may marry a second time. Yet he gave it as his opinion, that they would be more happy if they remained widows, considering the persecution to which they were exposed. And in so saying, he told them he was sure he spake by the Spirit of God, ver. 39, 40.

COMMENTARY.

NEW TRANSLATION. • CHAP. VII. 1 Now, CHAP. VII. 1 Now concerning concerning the things of the things of which ye wrote to me, I which ye wrote to me, Ir say it is good, in the present disIs good for a man not to tressed state of the church, for a touch'a woman. man who can live chastely, not to have any matrimonial connection.

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2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man

have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3 Let the husband ren

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3 Τη γυναικι ανηρ την

der unto the wife due bene- οφειλομενην εύνοιαν αποδιδο

volence and likewise also

:

the wife unto the husband.

4 The wife hath not

power of her own body, but the husband : and like

των ὁμοιως δε και ἡ γυνη τῷ ανδρι.

4 Ἡ γυνη του ιδιου σωματ τος ουκ εξουσιάζει, αλλ' ὁ ανηρ ὁμοιως δε και ὁ ανηρ του wise also the husband hath ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιάζει,

not power of his own body, but the wife.

5 Defraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that

αλλ' ἡ γυνη.

5 Μη αποςερείτε αλλη λους, ει μη τι αν εκ συμφώνου προς καιρον, ἵνα σχολαζητε

τη νηςεία και τη προσευχη και παλιν επι το αυτο συνερ

Ver. 1.-1. To touch. Epictetus, sect. 33. uses this word to denote one's marrying.

Ver. 2.—1. On account of whoredoms. τας πορνειας. The word boredoms being plural, is emphatical, and denotes all the different kinds of whoredoms mentioned chap. vi. 9. See chap. v. 1. note 1.

2. Let every woman have her own husband. Here the apostle speaks in the imperative mode, using the style in which superiors give their commands. But although he recommends a single life in certain circumstances, this and the injunction, ver. 5. given to all who cannot live chastely unmarried, is a direct prohibition of celibacy to the bulk of mankind. Farther, as no person in early life, can foresee what his future state of mind will be, or what temptations he may meet with, he cannot certainly know whether it will be in his power to live chastely unmarried. Wherefore as that is the only case in which the apostle allows persons to live unmarried, vows of celibacy and virginity taken on in early life, must in both sexes be sinful.

Ver. 3.-1. The due benevolence. That compliance with each other's desires, respecting the matrimonial enjoyment, which is here enjoined to married persons, is called the due benevolence, because it is a duty resulting from the nature of the marriage-covenant.

Ver. 4.1. The husband bath not the command of bis own body, but the wife. The right of the wife to her husband's body, being here represented as precisely the same with the husband's right to her body, it excludes the husband from simultaneous polygamy, otherwise the right of the husband to

2 (Aiz de, 100, 112.) Nevertheless, on account of whoredoms,1 let every man have a wife of his own, and let every woman have her own husband.2

3 Let the husband render to the wife (TM 4λMEVA) the due benevolence;1 and in like manner also, the wife to the husband.

4 The wife hath not the command of her own body, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband hath not the command of his own body, but the wife. 1

5 Deprive not one another, unless, perhaps, by consent for a time, that ye may have leisure for fasting and prayer; and again, come ye together to

2 Nevertheless, on account of avoiding whoredoms, let every man, who cannot live chastely in a single state, have a wife of his own, and let every woman, who finds it difficult to live chastely in a single state, have her own husband.

3 And to prevent in the wife irregular desires after other men, let the husband comply with the desires of his wife, respecting the matrimonial enjoyment. And in like manner, also, let the wife comply with the desires of her husband.

4 The wife hath not the command of her own body, so as to refuse her husband, or give her body to any other man: but the husband hath an exclusive right thereto. And in like manner, also, the husband hath not the command of his own body, to refuse his wife, or give his body to any other woman; but his wife hath an exclusive right to his body.

5 Deprive not one another, unless perhaps by mutual consent for a time, that ye may have leisure for fasting and prayer, when ye are called to these duties, by some special occurrence. And do not continue the separation

his wife's body, would not exclude her from being married to another, during her husband's lifetime. Besides the direction, ver. 2. Let every woman have her own busband, plainly leads to the same conclusion.—The right of the wife to her husband's body is a perfect right, being founded on the ends of marriage, namely the procreation of children, their proper education, and the prevention of fornication. But these ends would in a great measure be frustrated, if the wife had not an exclusive right to her husband's person,

Ver. 5.—1. That ye may have leisure for fasting and prayer. Because it is the duty of the clergy to pray for their people at all seasons, Jerome and the papists, from this text infer, that they ought to live in perpetual celibacy. But the inference is inept, because the apostle is speaking, not of the ordinary duties of devotion, as is plain from his joining fasting with prayer, but of those acts of devotion to which the people are called by some special occurrence, whether of a public or of a private nature.

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