the Ordinance depended upon the worthinesse of the Minister; Therefore Paulin the following words tels us for his part, that he baptized very few of them : left they should say, that he baptized into his own name. And I find in very good Authors, that from this time, the form of Baptism in the Greek Church was altered: For whereas before, 'was Egei Bartisa, ever since this 'was Bertilitaidir loi Xorsi left they should seeni to baptize into their own name. It is not for me to question the wisdome of the Church, in altering their form:But this I am sure, that that which we still keep, is very warrantable : while the Mi. nifter faith, I baptize theo. 'Tis clear, not in his own name, while he addes, as they also did: In the name of the Fatber, and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost. But secondly, I am of Paul, and I am of Apolls: They are words of such as glory'd in the feveral Gifts, and diverfity of Excellencies which they had in preaching the Gospel, and publifhing the welcome newes of Sal. vation by Chrift; and thus 'tis, I am Pauls etisciple, and I am Apollos his. One likes the powerful plainsesse of Paul, another the ample plenty, and variety of Apollos: A third, the rolidity, and perfpicuity of Cepbas. And here we will see as well as we can, by those obscure vestigia which we meet withall, wherein their several excellencies lay. And as for Paul, we find him himself yielding by way of confeffion; 2 Cor i i. g. that he was is redtns or nógo, rude in speech.' Alhough indeed, I know not where to meet with more strong zi aud masculine Eloquence, chen in this our Apoftle; that eloquence that had 11G Ba'po, as Eunapius speaks : Eloquence niore fitted, and suited to the persons to whom he spake, and the place where he Yet this was that so much obje&ed to him by those false Apoflles , that prided themselves so much in a flaunting gaudy eloquence of their own; and esteemed Pauls preaching meer fimplicity; and their followers,even the wiser sort of the Corin. thians thought it no better then foolishnesse, as he himself tells But some of the moft Chriftian fort among them, they ran into the other extreme; and were so farre in love with that as they lik'c none else. He preach'd in a plain and a familiar way, sharply convincing the judgement. We have these chara&ers of Apollo in the 18th.of the agis: that he was, l, drie aére, 737 WX an eloquent man. 2, durerê é mais yegpais, well us. well skilled in the Scriptures, so the Idiom carries; we render's powerful in the Scriptures. 3. Siwy od mrtólats, he was earneft in his preaching, servent in spirit. 4. ena'ma ij isid arkey a'xeßās, he taught us accurately, exa&ly; we have it diligently. 5. He did sepinoidlertal. As ihe Heathens painted their Apollo, their god of eloquence; he had his harp, and his arrowes, his sweet and piercing expressions, there was the voyce of the Charmer charming moft sweetly: and there were arrowes in the hand of the Migbty: happy he, for he had his quiver full of them. I suppose he wrought chiefly upon the affe&ions, in a more Rhe. torical manner. Cepbasz he laid down the Principles of Religion in a more Catechetical way; he opened the Scriptures, and discovered a . treasure of Heavenly wildom in every iota of holy Writ. Such places, as he is in Epitle calls to surrónta, he layed them guusa' ġ ostegxmaruíra, that I may borrow the expresfron in the και τετραχηλισμένα, I Hebrews, and so he was more for the enlightening, and information of the mind. Peter , he unsheathed the Sword of the Spirit: Apollos, he flourilh't, and brandilh't the glittering Sword: Paul, he ftrikes with it, and piercelh to the dividing alunder of the joyots and marrow: and to the discerning of the very thoughts and intentions of the heart : And though those horę say no more, then I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos: Abrupt language will serve their turn: it is enough they can exprefle their mindes: Yet no doubt, but some of the Corinthians could spin out their thoughts into a fairer thred, and thus one might speak for Paul. What, did you ne're hear Paul preach ? Did you ne're fee him weild chose weapons of his warfare, which are not carnal: but mighty through God,co che pulling down of the frong Holds of Satan, and to the beating down every high, aod towering imagination, which advancech. it self againlt the Knowledge of, Chrift: and captivating ic into the obedience of Jesus Christ? Oh how he speaks, as if he wēre within a man: as if he supplyed. the place of conscience ! He has a window into the breait: he opens the window and darts in a beam oficrefiftible ligh:Which though vain man may seek to imprison in uprighteousnefle, and thos become the Jaylor of Truth: Yet as the Lighc for a while, Thuc up in a cloud : easily breaks prison, and thews its glorious face a 2 و face to all beholders : So the Truth discovers it self, will set it self at liberty; and, when he sees his prisoner loose, like that other Jaylor in the Ads; fall down, and amazed, cryes our, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved ? 'Tis hard to imprison to ftrong a light. Cephas indeed preachech very well, and soundly, And Apollos perhaps with more Elegancy of expression, and greater discovery, of affe&ion; but give me the convincing Itrength of Paul, who though he be rude in speech, yet he comes in the very evidence and demonstration of the Spirit ; as for me, I am of Paul. Another he's for Apollos. Tis true, Paul preaches very poppe erfully , and so doth Cephas very profitably; but yet me thinks none Co movingly as Apollo . O did you see with what a sweet facility he slides into his hearers ? O how with a happy fuence he infinuates himself into them? Oh did you see how llaw and 'Aráyxu met together, how sweetness and violence kiss'd each other? Did you mind with what a holy variety he refrelhed his hearers, and how he led affe&ion by the hand which way ke he pleafed ? One while he dips each word in a tear; another while he steeps every phrase in honey;now he breaths out flames that he may thaw a frozen generation; by and by he speaks in a Glken Diale&; and cloaths his speech with the cost raiments of a more pleasant eloquence. If he flames in terrors. you'ld think the Pulpit a mount Sinai, nothing but thundring and lightning, and the voice of the Trumpet; so that the people exceedingly quake and tremble. If he breath out peace, and open the bowels of mercy, if he display the riches of reconciliation in Chrift, why now it becomes a mount of Olives, nothing but peace and sweetness, and gentle air. Christ is seen in the mount, now his Do&trine drops as the rain, and his speech distilleth as the dew : as the soft rain upon the tender herbs, and as the showers upon the grass. Heavenly Apollo ! How is my soul taken with thy powerful eloquence? O that I might for ever live under so happy a Minifter! Let whose will be for Paul, I am for Apollo. A third, he's for Cepbas. For my part, I like Paul well-enough; neither can there be much fault found with Apollo : but yet none pleases me lo well as Cephas. O how doth he explain the Oracles of God, and unriddle the mysteries of salvation? O how doth he stoop to the B loweft lowest capacity, and feed us with the fincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby ? how doth he come with line upon line, drop opon drop, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little ? O how doch he unvail and unmask heavenly truths ; so as each eye may see their beauty, and every foul become enamoured with them? What a luftre doth ie set upon the pearl of price, so as one would willingly part with all they have for the purchaling of it. Let others follow Paul, and admire Apollo : I am sure I profic by none so much as by Peter ; I I am of Cephas. You see here the Corinthians vanity, and in it our propensity to glory in men, and that because we are carnal, which brings us to the Apostles censure pointed with a stinging interrogation, Are ye not carnal? öxl ogxexoi ise , nonne homines eftis? So the vulgar Latine, it seems that makes equivolent to be men, and to be carnal; indeed there's but little difference, Paul himself calls it in the former verse retrpuroy metaliiv. Nonne corporei estis ? So the Syriack hath it, as it is usually translated, Don't you seem to be all body, to have nothing of a soul in you, nothing of a more refined part, whilft you thus judge only according to outward appearance ? and so I suppose avale reprikos is a de. gree below buxoxds, and yet he favours not the things of God. But the force of the Original there reaches further ; even to this Nonne cadaverosi eftis? as the word 8738 from whence it springs, plainly thews.' Carnal men they are dead in trespasses and lins(rapon éga fuxe, as Lucian calls old men) though they esteem it their only life, as he sings Vivamus mea Lesbia. But 'tis to be took in a more candid sense : for the Apoftle speaks to such as were regenerate, and in the state of grace, to fuch as were reóquТI , he himself calls them babes in Chrift, ro that here'uis meant either (first) have not you fuch gross apprehepsions as carnal men use to have? or else (secondly) are nor ye carnal in this ? and thus the most refined and spiritual zed Chriftian is gross, and carnal in part. In the best soul There are Schisms and Divilions even here and there are Xpides nxosariu. "Exgsnuwe Artós ési rý oúr , as the MoraliA:Every one has a double self, an Antagonist within himself. We use to call a friend Alter ego ; but here the dra éged is the greatest enemy. enemy. This Plato means when he tells us of his tá Tâs fuxeñs urou 2. You that would seem to be spiritual, are ye not carnal? What’s become of your fair fhews, and promising out-fides, and {pecious profesfions ! are they vanight into this nothing, or worse Is this your B 2 |
