390 difpenfations and revelations to man kind XXIII. Except ye be born of water and the Spirit, &c. Analysis of St. Paul's Epifle to the Romans 393 Illuftrations fed by St. Paul in his writings - 405 SER SERMON I. On comparing fpiritual things with spiritual. [Preached at the Primary Vifitation of the Bishop of Winchester, held at Southampton, July 15, 1788.].. I COR ii. 13. WHICH THINGS WE SPEAK, NOT IN THE WORDS, WHICH MAN'S WISDOM TEACHETH; BUT WHICH THE HOLY GHOST TEACHETH, COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPI RITUAL. WH HEN St. Paul planted the gospel at Corinth, he found his defigns chiefly opposed by two kinds of people. The first were men of pleasure. Corinth lay commodiously for trade; and trade produces VOL. IV. B riches; riches; and it had been early observed, that it was difficult for rich men to enter into the kingdom of heaven. They were more difpofed to the pleafures, which riches furnish; than to the comforts, which religion administers: and even they, who had embraced christianity, found much work for the apostle in keeping them pure from the contagion, that was fpread around them. Befides the gay, and thoughtless, the apoftle had another kind of people to contend with. Thefe were philofophers: and tho' they were a more refpectable set of men than the other, they were, at the fame time, perhaps more intractable. A ftate of learning is in itself, no doubt, favourable to religion, at least in a certain degree; and has ever been found fo: but the philofopher himself has fometimes too much wifdom to be taught. The Corinthian philofophers certainly had; and were in general rather inclined to add fomething of their own to amend the gofpel; than to accept it in that fimplicity, in which Paul preached it. To the latter the text alludes. Thefe philofophizing christians (many of whom were probably teachers alfo) the apoftle recalls to the fimplicity of the gospel. He fets before them his own example. 5 ample. He came not, he tells them, with the excellency of speech, or the enticing words of man's wisdom. He knew nothing among them, but Jefus Chrift, and him crucified: adding, that he had never preached the words, which man's wifdom teacheth; but which the Holy Ghoft teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. In this paffage the apoftle gives us the only true rule of interpreting fcripture, which I fhall endeavour to explain, by fhewing-first, How the apostles were directed by it-And, fecondly, How far it seems applicable to us. I. In the first place, the apoftle tells us, he avoided the words, which man's wisdom teacheth. In the apoftle's days, indeed, man's wifdom had made but little progress in matters of religion. We read of Hymeneus, Philetus, and a few others, who feemed defirous of being teachers, before they underflood what they affirmed. But their number was fmall, Man's wisdom, however, was a kind of leaven, which made a rapid progrefs. We need only curforily examine ecclefiaftical hiftory to fee it's mifchievous effects. There we find men running fuch lengths of folly, extravagance, wild |