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15. If the foot fhall fay, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16. And if the ear fhall fay, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing if the whole were hearing, where were the fmelling?

18. But now hath God fet the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

otherwife gifted Brethren, looks A. D. 57.
as if they thought there was but
one Member (at least but one va-
luable one) in the Church's Body.
And it is abfurd, as if because
the Hand cannot walk, nor the
Ear fee, that therefore neither
Hand nor Ear had their Ufes
and Functions as good and necef-
fary to the Body of Man, as ei-
ther the Foot or the Eye.

17 & 18. As therefore the na-
tural Body would have been very
defective, had it but one of the
Senfes inftead of the five; fo were
there no other fpiritual Gifts, but
thofe particular ones upon which
fome of your Teachers fo magnify
and extol themselves, the Chrif-
a very lame
tian Church would be
and imperfect Society. Against
which God has now most wifely

provided, by fuch a proper and perfect Variety of his
fpiritual Endowments.

19. And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20. But now are they many members, yet but one body.

19 & 20. So that it is Variety that compleats the human Body, and fo it does the Chriftian Church; one Member can claim its Ufefulness and due Refpect as well as another, because there is none but what would be defective without it.

21. And the eye cannot fay unto the hand, I have no need of thee nor again,

21. And as there is no one Member of the human Body, but what receives Benefit and Support from every one of the reft; fo none of your Teachers, with their particular Gifts, could ever keep up and promote the Chriftian Church, without others to act in Confort with

the head to the feet,

I have no need of

you.

them.

2

22. And,

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24. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant ho

nour

to that part

which lacked:

22. And, to make the Parallel perfectly compleat; as in the buman Body there is not the leaft Vein, Muscle, Veffel, or Ligament, but is in its proper Place as Limb we have.

23. Nay, though some of its Parts be called lefs honourable, as not being fit to be expofed, as the reft are, to common View; yet even that is abundantly fupplied by the Care we take to cover them; and fo indeed they may be faid to have more Regard and Refpect paid them than any

24 & 25. [Nature and Providence having thus provided for them all with an equal Care, by a juft Supply given to fome, of what others have no Want, so as to leave no Difagreement or Partiality between them.]

25. That there fhould be no fchifm in the body; but that the members fhould have the fame care one for another.

26. And whether
one member fuffer, all
the members fuffer
with it or one mem-

ber be honoured, all
the members rejoyce
with it.

27. Now ye are the
body of Chrift, and
members in particular.

26. Then again, as no Member of our Bodies can be afflicted with Pain, but the Whole is out of Order, the Harm or Dishonour of the one affecting the whole Frame:

27. So in like Manner is it with you and your feveral Gifts and Graces. You all make up one Church the myftical Body of CHRIST; you grow or decay, profper or fuffer with one another.

28. And God hath

fet fome in the
church, first apostles,
fecondarily prophets,

thirdly

28. This Body Christ has compofed of Variety of Members, Officers, and Ministers, as Apaftles, Prophets, Teachers, Workers

of

thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diverfities of tongues.

of Miracles, Healers of Difeafes, A. D. 57Governors of feveral Kinds, with Affiftants under them, for Diftribution of Charities to the Poor, or for helping them in the Work of the Gospel by any special Gifts or peculiar Talents for which they are remarkable, and Speakers of divers Languages. (See Ver. 8, 9, 10.)

29. Are all apoftles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30. Have all the gifts of healing? do all fpeak with tongues? do all interpret?

29 & 30. Now, it would be no Way proper to the Nature of fuch a Body, for all these to exercife the fame Functions; fome are fitted for me, fome for another; fome to govern, others to be governed; and thefe are all excellent and useful in their Way; and for any to neglect or defpife another, is to act against the Intereft and Conftitution of this Body of Christ.

31. But covet earneftly the best gifts: and yet fhew I unto you a more excellent

way.

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31. Wherefore although you may endeavour each of you to be qualified for the higheft Degrees of thefe fpiritual Gifts and Offices of the Church; yet remember the only true Way of improving them to their moft worthy and proper Purposes, is not to value your felves upon them, but to use them to the Benefit and Advantage of your Fellow Chriftians; as I fhall now further fhow you.

СНАР.

Ver. 31. Znλ75, But covet earnestly, or ye do cover, or affet zealously.

СНАР. XIII.

The CONTENTS.

Charity recommended. Its excellent Acts and Properties, which render it the true End and Life of all spiritual Endowments, and fhows it to be, in itself, preferable to them; and even to excel the Graces of Faith and Hope.

A. D. 57.1.Hough I speak

with the

tongues of men and
of angels, and have
not charity, I am be-
come a founding
brafs, or a tinkling
cymbal.

1.

T

HE true Way* then to render your fpiritual Endowments good and valuable, is to use them with Charity, i. e. with a conftant and fincere Regard to God the Giver of them, and the Good of your FellowChriftians, and the Benefit of the Church. For if, for Inftance, I could fpeak all the Languages of the Earth, nay, could speak like an Angel, and yet had no Regard to God, and to the Good of others in these Improvements, they would be nothing but empty Noise and Oftentation.

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to feed the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

of Charity to the Poor, and even A. D. 57.
become a Martyr for my Religi-
on, yet if these be done out of
Vanity and Oftentation, and not
from a pure Principle of the Love

of GOD and of Mankind, I fhall receive no Advan

tage from them.

4. Charity fuffereth long, and is kind charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itfelf, is not puffed up.

4. This Chriftian Charity is a moft comprehenfive and fruitful Principle. It takes in all our Duty towards Men, founded in a confcientious Regard to God, whofe Image Man is. It obliges us to be gentle and benign, without all Emulation or Uncafinefs at one another's Advantages and Perfections; without Pride, or Ambition of Dignity and Preheminence.

5. Doth not behave itfelf unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is

5. It fuffers us not to infult, or be fharp upon the Weakneffes of our Brethren, or to feek our own Credit at the Expence of another Man's; keeps us from Difguft and violent Refentments at ill Ufage, and from putting the worst Construction upon Words or Actions.

not eafily provoked; thinketh no evil,

6. Rejoyceth not in iniquity, but rejoyceth in the truth.

6. It permits us not to take Pleasure in the Slips and Failings, the Vices and Frauds of out

Neighbours; but makes us rejoice in all their good and fincere Behaviour.

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