I find then a settled custom, that evil is objected in my way whenever I have a mind to act well:

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; although we now suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

What shall we conclude then from this? if God be for us, who can be against us?

yet after all we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.

What do we say then? is there injustice in God?

But you will object, why does he then find fault? for "who can resist his will?"

but the justification which is by faith, speaks in this manner; "say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, in order to bring Christ down from above?

You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means. for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

in these words, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I alone am left, and they seek my life also."

and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit. for then mercy would not be mercy.

"What then, hath not Israel obtained what he sought for?" no, but the chosen remnant have obtained it, and the rest are obdurate to this day,

You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation.

if then, some of the branches are broken off, and thou like a wild olive, were grafted in their place to partake of the root and sap of the olivestock;

you will say then, "the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear,

consider then the divine benignity, and his severity: his severity to those who fell, and his benignity to you, provided you adhere thereto; otherwise you likewise will be lopt off.

and then all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, "there shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away Jacob from his impiety.

having then different gifts, according to the respective favour bestowed upon us; if it be prophecy, let him prophesy according to the proportion of his gift.

therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head .

rulers are not a terror to virtue, but to vice. would you then live without any dread of the civil power? do what is right, and you shall have his commendation.

Consider likewise the present season, that now it is high time to rouse out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

one man thinks one day fitter for religious worship than another: another thinks every day alike. let every man follow the persuasion of his own mind.

why then dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou think contemptibly of thy brother? since we shall all of us be brought before the judgment-seat of Christ.

Since then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God;

Don't let our religion then be expos'd to reproach.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye have received faith according to the divine gifts imparted to each of them?

so then, neither is he that planted any thing, nor he that watered: it is God only that gives the increase.

for no one can lay any other foundation, than what is laid, which is, that Jesus is the Messias.

therefore suspend your judgment till the Lord comes, who will bring to light the secrets of darkness, and expose the counsels of mens hearts: and then shall every man have his due reward from God.

These things, my brethren, I have represented to you in my own person, and that of Apollos, out of respect to you: to show you how to moderate your esteem by the rule prescrib'd, that you may not be transported in favour of one rather than another.

but if the Lord pleases, I will visit you very soon; and then I shall try, not what these boasters can say, but what they can do:

I did not mean the vicious Gentiles, the misers, the raparees, or with idolaters; for then you must have gone out of the world.

don't you know that we shall be judges of angels? much more then of the affairs of life?

if then you have the cognizance of such matters, why do ye set those to judge who are despised by the church? I speak it to your shame.

don't desert one another, unless you mutually consent to retire for a time, to the solemnity of prayer; and then come together again, lest satan make an attempt upon your continency.

but if they have not the gift, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to be in pain.

have you been redeemed from slavery? then, don't turn slaves.

wherefore if my eating makes my brother offend, I will never eat flesh rather than make my brother offend.

if others partake of your substance, have not I a better title? nevertheless, I have not made use of this privilege; but bear with any thing rather than obstruct the gospel of Christ.

but I have not made use of these advantages. neither have I writ this to obtain such maintenance: for I had rather die for want, than be deprived of such matter of glorying.

whence then is my reward? why, from my preaching the gospel of Christ gratis, without making use of the privilege which the gospel gives me.

consider the custom of the Jews by descent, are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? what say I then?

Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

As often then as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye make a declaration of the Lord's death till he come.

Let a man then sift and approve himself, and accordingly let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

which God has placed in the church, first apostles, next prophets, then teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, assistants, governours, interpreters of languages.

but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is defective shall be laid aside.

now we do but indirectly see the faint images of things; but then the objects themselves will be before our eyes; now I have a partial knowledge, but then shall I know, even as I myself am known.

Cultivate social virtue; then desire spiritual gifts, but chiefly that of explaining the prophetical writings.

I wish you all had the gift of languages, but rather that you expounded: for greater is he that expounds, than he that speaks unknown languages, except he interpret what he says, that the church may be edified by it.

what then is to be done? why, I will pray by the spirit, but my prayer shall be intelligible: I will sing by the spirit, but my hymn shall be intelligible.

otherwise if you should give thanks by the spirit in an unknown tongue, the hearer cannot but appear unlearned upon this occasion; how then can he say Amen to thy thanksgiving? since he does not conceive what you say.

I thank God, I speak more languages than you all:

yet in the church I had rather speak five words that convey my meaning to the instruction of others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

what is then to be done, my brethren? when you come together, one of you with a psalm, another with a doctrine, another with a strange tongue, another with a revelation, another with an interpretation: let the whole be done to edification.

that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve:

after that he was seen by James; then by all the apostles.

it is by the divine favour that I am what I am: and his favour to me was not in vain; no, I laboured more than they all: yet it was not I, it was the divine favour which assisted me.

for if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is empty talk, and your faith even meer amusement.

yea, and we are no better than enthusiastic impostors by affirming that God raised up Christ, when he never did raise him up.

for if the dead are not raised, then was not Christ raised:

then they too who died christians, are entirely lost.

and then will be the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God even the father; after having abolished all rule, and all authority, and power.

and when all things shall be reduced under subjection to him, then shall the son also himself be subject to him that put all things under his subjection, that God may be all in all.

If it be not so, what can they effect who are baptized for the dead? if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?

but when this corruptible shall be invested with incorruptibility, and this mortal with immortality, then shall be fulfilled that passage of scripture, " death is swallowed up for ever."

was this design therefore the effect of levity? or do I design first one thing, and then another, as it best suits my worldly interest?

why should I make you uneasy, for who then could give me comfort, but those to whom I give uneasiness?

Having then such an opinion of my ministry, I use great plainness of speech.

tho' should I be divested of this body, I shall not even then be destitute of one.

Shall I then, who know this terrible judgment of the Lord, endeavour to appease men? as for God, I am approved by him, and I trust also you are convinced of my being so approved.

to this I am urg'd by the love I bear to Christ, persuaded as I am, that if one died for all, then were all in a dying state: and that he died for all,

we then are ambassadors for Christ, and 'tis God who makes you the offers by us: we pray you in the name of Christ, to make your peace with God.

Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

since then, we have these promises, my dear brethren, let us cleanse our selves from all impurity, whether of body or mind, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

and in this they out-did my expectation; such was the divine pleasure, they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then made me an offer to go themselves to Corinth.

Pray then, dispatch this affair; as you readily undertook it, as readily perform it, to the best of your abilities.

for he not only complyed with my exhortation, but being more than ordinarily concern'd, he voluntarily went to you;

for though I should more than ever magnify my authority, which the Lord hath given us for your improvement, and not for your ruin, I should have no reason to be ashamed;

if he that is come to you, preaches another Jesus whom I have not preached, or if ye receive other gifts of the spirit, than what ye have received from me, or another gospel, than what you have accepted, you might well bear with his pretensions:

but this I do, and shall do, to make them drop their hire, who are so bent upon hire: and then indeed they will be as they pretend to be, like me.

tho' if I had a mind to glory, I might do it without vanity, for I should say nothing but what is true: but now I forbear, lest any man should ascribe more to me than my actions, or my preaching can justify.

I take pleasure then in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am afflicted, then it is I have fortitude.

as I said before, so say I now again, if any one preach any other thing to you for gospel, than what you have received, let him be accursed.

and that I made a greater proficiency in Judaism than many my contemporaries of my own nation, being an extraordinary zealot for the traditions of my forefathers.

however, Titus who was then with me, being a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised:

Now if it be a sin to seek for justification by Christ, then is Christ the minister of sin, which cannot be.

"To what purpose then was the law?" it was added as a check to transgressors, till the offspring should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels with the intervention of a mediator.

Is the law then opposite to the promises? by no means. for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, certainly justification should have been by the law.

so that thou art no longer a bond servant, but a son: and if a son, then an heir of God thro' Christ.

what benedictions did you then pour out upon me! for I bear you witness, that, had it been practicable, you would have pulled out your very eyes, and given them to me.

for it is written, "rejoice thou barren, that bearest not; break out into loud acclamations, thou that hast not the travels of childbirth, for more are the children of the desolate, than of her that hath an husband."

but as then, he that was born in the ordinary course of nature, persecuted him, who was born by an extraordinary power; even so it is now.

so then, my brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free-woman, by virtue of that freedom which Christ has procur'd for us.

as for me, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why am I yet persecuted? for then there would not be so much objection to the doctrine of the cross.

I say then, conduct yourselves by the spirit, and you will not then gratify the animal passions.

but let every one bring his own work to the test, and then he will have matter of glorying in himself alone, and not in another.