1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1

Am I not,] may not I doe those things which by right Apostles may do as well as any other Apostle v. 5. 6. and yet have forborn in things which belong to mine owne particular, to avoid scandal and matter of caumnie. See 2. Cor: 12 11 Free,] by that Christian liberty by which belevers are freed from the ceremonies of Moses his law have I not seen,] namly in the visions Acts. 22 18. O in extasie. 2. Cor, 12. 2. 4. Now he addeth this because his adversaries did vilifie his ministery by reason he had not bin conversant with Christ upon the earth as if he wanted some thing either in the dignitie of his person, or in his Apostoicall authoritie, or in the knowledg of those things which were taught by the Lord My worke,] a Church founded by me, by the meanes of Christspower and grace, working in mee and by mee. Or instructed by mee in the Christian faith, and united in the communion of him, 1 Corinthians 4:15.

1 Corinthians 9:2

If I bee not,] if others make a question of mine Apostleship, as having not felt the effects therof nor seene the tryalls, but you ought to be assured thereof seeing that you have felt the effects and seen the tryall thereof most amply, and powerfully towards you, whereupon your Church is a noble confirmation of my ministery In the Lord,] namely thorow his power. See 2 Corinthians 12:12.

1 Corinthians 9:3

Mine answer,] I doe ordinarily produce your Church for a proose of my vocation, and my faithfull exercising my selfe in it, to any one that doubts of it, or cavilleth with mee about it. See 2 Corinthians 3:2.

1 Corinthians 9:4

To eate,] namely to have my diet at the Churches charges. Others hold this to bee spoken of the indifferent use of meates without any Iewish distinctions, from which things hee had also voluntarily abstained, when hee judged it to bee expedient.

1 Corinthians 9:5

To lead about,] to live in matrimony, and have a woman with mee whither soever I goe A Sister,] a beleeving Christian honestly joyned to me in holy matrimony Cephas,] that is to say Peter who was married, Matth. 8. 14.

1 Corinthians 9:6

Forbeare working,] with our hands to galne our living,. Acts 18:3.

1 Corinthians 9:8

As a man,] onely by some humane equitie, reason, or custome.

1 Corinthians 9:9

Doth God,] the end of Gods Law is not to shew how cattell should bee fed, but to command equitie to be used in the just rewarding of those who labour for us.

1 Corinthians 9:10

Should plow,] it is sitting that when hee laboureth, he should be encouraged by hope of maintaining his life thereby, otherwise hee would never undergoe it.

1 Corinthians 9:12

Hinder,] as it might happen, if some to not contribute towards the charge should refuse to receave the Gospell: Or if the adversaries should thereupon take occasion to calumniate us, as if wee should seeke our owne profit onely, and not the salvation of soules, or as if we made traffick of holy things.

1 Corinthians 9:13

Minister,] in Gods Temple amongst the Iewes Live of the,] namely of the offerings which are made there Are partakers,] by the Law they have certain portions of the same sacrifices, of which the other parts are offered to God, and burnt upon the Altar.

1 Corinthians 9:14

Should live,] should bee maintained, for a just reward of their labour, that they may not need to looke after any thing else.

1 Corinthians 9:15

Then that any man,] then that I by changing mine intent of preaching unto you freely and without reward, the false Apostles should take away this honour from mee, of not having sought that which was my due, to attribute it to themselves, and by this meanes obtaine grace and credit for th owne false doctrine and defame mine.

1 Corinthians 9:16

For though.] an answer to an objection which might have beene made thus. And what great glory can there bee in this? is not the charge of preaching the Gospell of it selfe a thing of far greater value, then this scrupulous abstaining from reward? he answers my charge was imposed upon re by an expresse command which I must obey, unle I will draw down Gods curse upon me: now there can be no glory in doing of things which are of absolute necessitie, but in those which are of free-will, as in refusing to take any thing of you, to avoid scandall and calumnie.

1 Corinthians 9:17

For if,] here ought to bee supplied; by preaching the Gospell, I doe howsoever escape the punishment for disobedience, but this is not suffici〈…〉 for I must doe it of a free will; which onely makes the workeman acceptable to God, and capable of the free reward of eternall glory and not the worke or labour it selfe, to which God oftentimes bdes him, and many times drives him thereunto against his will See Isaiah 50:5. Ieremiah 20. 7. Ezekiel 5:14. 1 Peter 5:2.

1 Corinthians 9:18

What is my reward,] namely the present reward of men, of which the Lord hath said the labourer is worthy That when I preach,] instead of recompence and reward, I have this comfort, that I have taken away all occasion from weake and wicked men of speaking ill of the Gospell and me That I abuse not,] namely that I make no indiscreet use of it not regarding the consequences, and other 〈◊〉 understandings.

1 Corinthians 9:19

Though I be,] though I be not bound 〈◊〉 any one, and that no body can impose any Law on mee by any authority in these things, yet through charitie, I have framed my selfe to the will of others to draw them so much the easilier unto the 〈◊〉, Romans 1:14. Galatians 5:13 The more,] namely as many as possibly I can.

1 Corinthians 9:20

As a Jew,] namely in the observing of many externall ceremonies of the Law in which the Iewes who were converted to the faith, did yet beleeve, and did devoutely observe them, abhorring to keep company with such as did not use them.

1 Corinthians 9:21

To them that,] namely to the Ge〈…〉 Romans 2:12; Romans 2:14 To God,] namely in mine 〈◊〉 parts, and in respect of God, and the obedience 〈◊〉 to im, conforming all mine actions and motions, 〈◊〉 the rue of his spirituall and everlasting Law Un the,] this mine obedience to God is not after the lewish manner, in ceremonies and externall observations, but such as Christ app os, and inspires into those who are his. Rom. 7. 6. 1. Cor. 7. 22. 2. Cor. 3. 6.

1 Corinthians 9:22

Became 1,] I condescended to their weaknesse, either in teaching of them according to their capacity, or bearing with their defects, or Keeping my self from offending or provoaking them.

1 Corinthians 9:23

For the Gospell,] to procure the advancement of the Gospell for the salvation of others and that I likewise, by the faithfull accomplishment of mine office, may obtaine the effect of the promises of it in the life everlasting.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Know ye not,] as in your race there are some which fall in the middle of the race, or cannot finish their course or come not time enought to the end, so you following mine example must perseruere and set all our strengths, to the finishing of the race, of your heavenly calling without contenting your solues with haveing begun.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Every man,] this other comparison of astlers or others that strive upon stages or at publick shewes after the ancient manner serves to shew 〈◊〉 Christians vocation is also to fight and overcome. Now these Kinde of wrastlers or strivers either to gaine or, to preserue strength, used to keep very good diet, in a choice, and certaine quantily of food and grea. continence and all this they did to obtaine the victory in these publik sports, which victorie was honoured with some garland, of flowers, herbes, or leaves from whence the Apostle drawes these exhortations, to desire beleevers to abstaine from lust, and delights of the flesh: especially in those heathnish feasts, which were joyned with much intemperancie that theymight prove the stronger and abler in their spirituall combates and obtaine the crowne of everlasting glorie, in all things,] which may hinder his profession or his end as especially in their use of woman for they did 〈◊〉 to seed abundantly and upon grosse meates.

1 Corinthians 9:26

Not as,] to that I may not be in any danger or doubt of having runne in vaine without obtaining any reward, thorow any default of mine owne for not making use of those meanes as god had appointed, not as on that,] striking and missing as your in expert beginners doe, who cannot hi nor any right nor certainly.

1 Corinthians 9:27

Keep under,] by mortifying my carnall affections and by all manner of, ou exercises, I dobring my self in the obedience and discipline of Gods spirit, and to patience and constancie in all travailes and to strength and 〈…〉ity requried in these spirituall combates, a cast a y,] found unworthy of beeing approved and 〈…〉ded as one of Gods bold Champions he hath a relation to that there were certaine colledges 〈…〉s of these exercises of armes in which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 entred, if they did not submitt themselves to the rigor of the discipline or did not prove as they should doe were crossed out by the masters: or if they were before knowen to be base or cowardly they were not admitted at all.