1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:1

TOngues of men and of angels] The Angels being spirits, Hebrews 1:14. have no tongues properly as we have: this therefore must be understood either of the facultie of expresling their conceptions, one to another, which serveth them to that use as our tongue doth us: Or the Apostle hath referenco to the varietie of tongues which the Angels may or have used, when they have been sent to deliver messages to men of divers Nations and Languages; and then the meaning is, It I conld speak with as many tongues or languages as ever man or Angels spake with: Or else the Apostle hath reference not somuch to the varietie of tongues as to the gift of eloquence, and exquistie kind of speech; and then the meanig is, If I could speak like and Angel, that is, most exquistiely, most divinely, as Steven is said to have had the look of an Angel, Acts 6:15. They saw his face as ti had been the face of an Angel; that is, with such shining beauty and lustre as Angels have appeared with, and Manna is said in the Psalme (78. 25.) tobe the food of Angels; that is, a most daintie food, fitter for Angels then for men or, such as Angels, if they woudl taste any corporall food, would make choice of.

as sounding brasse] That is, instruments of metall which make a great hideous noise, but without any pleasantnesse: or like a tinckling Cymball which yeeldeth a pleasant sound to the eare, but is of little use at all; or that giveth an uncertain sound without any distinction of notes, as those did who used the gift of Tongues in the Church without an interpreter.

1 Corinthians 13:2

understand] Or, know.

mysteries] Or, secrets.

all faith] By faith he meaneth the gift of doing miracles, of which faith our Saviour speaketh, Matthew 17:20. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to another place: and it shall remove. For that faith may be severd from charitie, but justifying faith cannot, which alwaies worketh by love: So then all fatth, that is, all degrees of miraculous faith.

no charitie] Gr. not charity.

1 Corinthians 13:3

to feed the poore, &c.] Though these seeme to be most eminent acts, the former of our love to our brethre, the latter of our love to Christ and his Gospel: yet if they be done in vain-gloy, or we propound to our selves in them any other end but Gods glory and the good of our brother, they shall prosit nothing to our salyation.

to be burned] Gr. that I be burned.

it profiteth me nothing] Go. I am nothing benesited thereby.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Charitie suffereth long] Here the Apostle setteth forth the force and nature of Charitie, partly by a comparison of contrarues, and partly by the effects of it, whereby te Corinthians may understand both how prositable it is in the Church, and how necessarie; and also how farre they were from it; and consequently how vainly, and whihout cause they were pussed up with other gifts, wanting this the chief of all.

vaunteth not it self] Or, is not rash. Or, doth nothing preposterously. The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 some derive from the Latine perperam, and then it is of a large signification, as if he had said, it doth nothig inconsi lerately, or amisse: others, as Coruclius a Lapide, a Perperis fratribus procacissimis, and then it signifieth, it doth nothing scornfully, or vain-gloriously. Hesychius a great Master of the Greek tongue interpreteth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, It doth not insolently cary if self, or foolishly preferre if self above others: the lnterpreter of Sophocles expoundeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vainglorious talkers, and braggers of themselves, In the 15. Canou of the second Councel of Nice we read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 over sprucenesse in apparell, and in decking and ttimming our selves is called by the name of the vice here mentioned; whereby it appears that the meaning of the Apostle is, that those who have charitie do not vainly put forth themselves, nor carry themselves insolently nor scornfully towards others.

1 Corinthians 13:5

not behave it self unseemly] Or. nothing uncomely.

not easilty prevoked] Gr. not exasperated.

thtnketh no evill] Or, casteth, projectet, resolveth, or reckoneth upon no evill. The word in the Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may be diversly translated; either imputeth no evill, or thinketh of no revenge, or plotteth no evill in his minde against another.

1 Corinthians 13:6

Rejoyceth not in iniquitie] Taketh no pleasure in speaking or doing evill or wrong; or rejoyceth not, but rather grieveth when any evill befalleth his brother of what kind soever.

but rejoyceth in the truth] Or, with the truth. Rejoyceth at the righteousnesse of the righteous. For the Hebrew sometime by truth mean righteousnesse; the meaning then of the Apostle is, that a charitable man is so farre from takinig any delight in the calamitie, hurt, or disgrace of another, if they be found guiltie, or taken tardie in any thing; that on the contrarie when any that is brought in question as a Delinquent, and afterwards by evidence of truth is cleared, he congratulateth the partie that is aequit, and as much rejoyceth, as at the clearing of his own innocencie.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Beareth all things] Or, supporteth, The word in the Originall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to bear up, as a pillar bears the roofe laid upon it, and it differeth from the other word used in this vers. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that this implieth a supporting of our weak brother and helping his infirmities; but the other a patient end uring of wrongs offered to us; or sustaining wharsoever burden is laid upon us.

beleeveth all things] These three acts of love, namely, beleeveth, hopeth, endureth all things, may be either referred to God, or our neightbour: if they be referred to God, then the meaning is this; love beleeveth every word of God, hopeth for all the good things he promiseth, and patiently expecteth the nccomplishment of all his gracious promises, and meekly endureth all his chastisements. If they be referred to our neighbour, then the meaning is, love beleeveth and hopeth all good of our neighbour, adn patiently beareth all wrongs, even death if self, if it so stand with the will of God, that it be inslicted on him. Now we are not from hence to inserre that a charitable man is improvident to prevent evill, or carelesse to right himself. (Proverbs 14:15.) For all that the Apostle here affirmeth of love comes but to this, that a charitable man is apt to construe all things to the best, and hope for the best where there is not apparent reason to the contrary: and that he is more willing to suffer the greatest wrong then to desire revenge, or offer the least injurie, he endureth all things which he may with a good conscience, and he perswadeth himself may make for the glory of God, or advantage of the truth: but the latter is more proper.

endureth] Or, sustaineth.

1 Corinthians 13:8

Charitienever faileth] G. falleth away. He commendeth the excellencie of Charitie of Charitie in that, that it sahll never be abolished in the Saints; whereas the other gifts which are necessary for the building up of the Church, so long as we live here shall no place in the world to come.

shall fail] Gr. be abolished. or, cassed.

knowledge, it shall vanisth away] Or, be made frustrte. Either by Knowledge the Apostle here meaneth the way to get knowledge by prophecying; or such imperfect knowledge as we have in this life: or that knowledge which is acquired by sense and expcrience; or that gift whereby God enableth us to instruct other, and to teach in the Church, that shall be abolished after this life: because then there shall be no need of it.

1 Corinthians 13:9

For we know in part] We are now in that state that we ought to learn daily, and therefore we have need of those helps, to wit, the gift of Tongues and knowledge of them that tach them: but to what purpose srve they then when we have obtained and got the full knowledge of God? which serveth now but for them which are impersect and go by degrees to perfection.

1 Corinthians 13:10

done away] Or, evacuated.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spake as a child] He illustrateth what he said before by an elegant similitude, comparing this life to our infancie or childhood, wherein we stammer rather then specak, and think and understand but childish things, and therefore need of such helps as may frame our tongues, and informe our minds: but when we become perfect men in Christ Jesus, to what end should we desire that stammering speech and those childish helps, and such like things whereby our childhood is framed by little and little.

thought] Or, reasoned.

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glasse] There is such a difference between our present knwoledge, and that which we shall enjoy hereafter inthe life to come, as there is between the seeing of a mans Image in a glasse, and looking him full in the face. Now we fee God in the Word and Sacraments, and in his Works; in which there is revealed unto us by a kind of reflection, the Image of those things whereof we cannot directly see the originall truth, and proper essence in this world 2. Cor. 5. 7.

darkly] Gr. in a riddle. In the Originall it is in a riddle, provetbiall or oenigmaticall speech, and the Apostle hath reference unto Numbers the 12. 8. where God speaking of Moses, saith, I will speak unto him mouth to muouth, and by vision, and not in dark words: and the Apostle hereby implyeth, that there is such a difference between the imperfect knowledge which we have in this life, and the perfect knowledge which we have in the life to come, as is between the propunding the same thing in the obseuritie of a Riddle, and deelaring of it in, plain, proper and significant tearms: or the seeing of a thing immediately and in its proper shape; and the seeing it through a mirrour, or the image of it in a glasse. We here in this life see but the image of things, neither can we contemplate in the foresaid glasse the pure and naked image, but cloathed and wrapped about with an intricacie of words, and corporall significations accommodated to our grosse manner of apprehending and reasoning.

as also I am known] The Greek words may benr a double sense, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Either I shall knwo him according to the measure of that knowledge wherewith I shall then be endued by him: or I shall come to the perfect knowledge of my election how I am known, that is, chosen and marked out for his by my cleare vision God, and full conjunction and communion with him. At that time I shall know him as I am known of him; that is, most certainly, clearly, and face to face, as I am known of him, though not so perfectly; for the creature can never know the Creator so fully and prefectly as the Creator knoweth it. There is yet another opinion which thus glosseth the words; I shall know God then immediately, and as it were, face to face, as I was known of him, and saw him in my coelestiall vision and rapture when I was taken up into the third heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith] Either the meaning is, Whilest we are in this life, it is very needfull that all these three graces be, and abide within us, Faith, Hope, and Charity; for without faith we cannot be justified nor made acceptable to God, vvithout hope faith cannot shbsist, and by love faith must be working; but after this life faith shall be turned into vision, hope into fruition, but then love sahll be in greatest perfection. Or, the Apostles meaning is, that faith, hope and charitie are vertues that are to abide and continue in the Church militant, and have their vvorking in true belecevers at all times, and shall have in all ages, whereas the gift of tongues and miracles were necessary in the first planting of the Church, but afterwards were to cease, as now they have done for many ages.

the greatest of these is charitie] Gr. greater. If the Apostle speak here not of justifying faith, but of the faith of miracles, or whereby men vvork vvonders, of vvhich he speaketh vers. 2. then faith: but because here he joyneth with it hope, which is a grace common to all true Christians, & most of th eancient and later Divines understand this verse of the three prime Theologicall vertues, most necessary to salvation; it is more probable that S. Paul here taketh faith in the largest notion, as it compriseth, not onely the faith of miracles, and that which is called Historicall, but even justifying faith: and howsoever faith in that notion. in the matter of Justification, hath the preheminence above all other graces: yet inmany other respects, charitie exceedeth faith: as first in regard of the object, for the object of faith is God onely, in vvhom alone we are to belecve; but the object of Charity is of a larger extent, for it respecteth not God onely, but our neighbour also. Secondly, in regard of the manner of vvorking. For faith worketh by receiving Christ, and all his benefits; but charity, by giving and bestowing both our affections and gods; now our Saviour saith, It is a more blessed thing to give then to receive. Thirdly, in respect of duration or continuance.

For faith and hope shall cease in the life to come, we being then actually to enjoy and possesse those good things vvhich we now beleeve and hope for; but charity shall not onely remain, but have its full perfection in the life to come. Lastly, in respect of the end, because love is the end and scope of the two other graces; for we apprehend by faith & expect by hope that we may enjoy by perfect love, vvhereby also we render unto God the same we have received of him, and in this correspondence lyeth and consisteth the accomplishment of our conjunction with God, and of mans eternall happinesse.