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THE KING’S BUSINESS
natural and proper desire to please her hus band. Paul’s object in all this that he has said upon the subject of marriage was not to throw a snare over them by awaken ing a fear that by marrying they were com mitting a sin' (which was not the case) or by getting them to lead an unmarried life when they were not fitted by grace for an unmarried life, and would only get into sin by attempting to lead a life for which they had not the gift. His whole purpose was to encourage them to a life where they could assiduously wait upon the Lord “without distraction” by other things, such as doing this or that to please the husband (cf. Luke 10:39, 40 ; 2:37; 1 Tim. 5:5). Many, however, in their spiritual pride, striving to enter upon plans for which they have not the gift, fall into condemnation and the snare of the devil., Friday, October 26 . 1 Corinthians 7 : 36 - 40 . Each man must decide for himself what to do with his unmarried daughter. If he decide to give her in marriage he shall do well; but, “in the present distress” at least, if he decide not to give her in mar riage, she would do better, provided there was no necessity because of her inclination or other reasons. When the woman .is mar ried she is bound for so long a time as her husband liveth, but when he is dead she is free to marry whomsoever she will, only that she must “marry in the Lord.” The marriage of a regenerate person to an unregenerate person, of a converted) per son to an unconverted person, of a believer to an unbeliever, is positively forbidden in the Word of God (2 Cor. 6:14). While a woman whose husband had died was at liberty to marry again, it was Paul’s opinion that she would be happier if she did not do it. In this judgment he thought that he had the “Spirit of God.” By saying “I think that I also have the Spirit of God” Paul did not for one moment intend to express any doubt about his having the Spirit of God, as we do in our modern use of the word “think” as distinguished from the word “know.” Paul’s thought would be
worldly goods, are we as though we did not possess them? While in the world, we must “use the world” but we must not “abuse” it (or, rather, we should not over use it, use it to the full) by taking our full of these pursuits and ambitions and joys as our chief aim in life (cf. Luke 10:40-42). We should use the world as a means to an end, namely, glorifying Christ. The fashion of this world—all its outward form and pomp and glory—passeth away (cf. John 2:17; 2 Peter 10:11; Ps. 39:6; John 4:14). How foolish then to find one’s fulness in it, to over use it, or to use it to the full. Thursday, October 25 . 1 Corinthians 7 : 32 - 35 . Paul desired that the saints in Corinth might be free from cares. This was largely what led to his advice concerning the disadvantages of marriage in "the present distress.” The married man is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. How true it is of many a man who would lead a life of simplicity and be wholly devoted to God, that he finds himself driven to maintain a more costly manner of life than he him self would choose, in order to please his wife, whose feelings and tastes he cannot ignore. But, “he that is unmarried” if he so choose (which alas is not true of most unmarried men, even unmarried Christian men) can occupy himself wholly with the things of the Lord and be careful only to please Him. It is the same way with mar ried and unmarried women. The unmarried woman has an opportunity to concern her self wholly with the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in her body, and holy in her spirit. Unfortunately this is not the case with most unmarried women, even with those who profess faith in Christ; but even if this is not the case with most unmarried women, nevertheless, they have an unusual opportunity in this direction, if they will only use it. But the married woman is under a constraint that hinders her from being all that she desires to be in holiness to the Lord, because of her very
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