wealth of its temple of Venus, which had a lucrative traffic of a disgraceful kind with the numerous merchants resident there, furnishing them with harlots, under the forms of religion. Above a thousand such priestesses conducted the obscene worship of this temple. There was the re-appearance in New Corinth of the same class of sins. The New Testament describes the inhabitants as a luxurious community, prone to impurity. It is named Acts xviii. 1. CORINTHIANS, EPISTLE I. From the preceding article it appears that Corinth was a place of great luxury and sensuality. As it had become a place of great commerce, many Jews had settled there; consequently there was a mixture of Jewish superstition with Gentile scepticism and licentiousness. St. Paul visited this place about A.D. 54, and, remaining there a year and a half, planted a church, consisting of converted Jews and Gentiles. On his departure he was succeeded by Apollos, who preached with great success. The peace of the church was soon disturbed by the intrusion of false teachers. It was divided into adverse parties. The precise character of these factions is not clearly understood. The most natural construction of the statements made in chap. iii. is, that these schisms arose from quarrels among the church-members as to the comparative merits and talents of the respective teachers; those who had learned of Paul affirming that he excelled all others; and the converts of Peter and Apollos advancing a similar claim for them; while a fourth party repudiated all subordinate teaching, and pretended they had derived their religious knowledge direct from Christ. Besides these factious proceedings, disputes arose between the Jewish and Gentile converts, as to the extent of Christian liberty in the use of meats unlawful, or which had been offered up to idols. The corrupt state of society had exerted a most prejudicial influence on the Christian church, and some of the converts had relapsed into those sins of licentiousness to which they had been addicted before their conversion. Philosophical scepticism had become prevalent, and a kind of philosophised Christianity, which denied the resurrection of the dead, was embraced by many professors. Wealth, among some, had produced its usual pernicious effects. Hence arose insolence to the | unsuited to his personal appearance. poorer brethren, who were dragged The scope of the Epistle is to repel before the heathen tribunals concern- these charges. 1. He satisfactorily ing matters of pecuniary claim, which accounts for his not having come ought to have been settled among amongst them as he had proposed. themselves. Nay, they showed their 2. He shows that his sentence against contempt of them by contumelious the incestuous person was not harsh, treatment of them at the Lord's table. but, as it appeared from the effects, Even those who professed the highest salutary. 3. He adverts to his great spiritual gifts had abused them by success in preaching the Gospel, and pride and insubordination. St. Paul, shows why he gloried in this. 4. He being informed of this state of exhorts to holiness of life, and warns things, towards the close of his second against keeping company with idolavisit to Ephesus, by some members ters. 5. He desires them to complete of the family of Chloe, and by letters the collection for the poor saints from the Corinthian brethren, wrote in Judæa. 6. He defends himself this Epistle, partly to vindicate him- against the charge of timidity, and self from the calumnies of his ene-personal insignificance. The whole mies, but principally to correct the furnishes a remarkable proof of the abuses and sins of the church, and to confidence of the apostle in the goodapply suitable remedies. An acquaint-ness of his cause; and shows that, ance with the state of the church is under difficulties of the most formidable kind, he was wonderfully supported by the Holy Spirit. absolutely necessary to a correct understanding of this beautiful Epistle. CORMORANT. Lev. xi. 17. It CORINTHIANS, EPISTLE II. This appears to have been of the pelican second Epistle was written about a tribe, was an unclean bird, and is year after the former one, when St. used in the prophetic writings as an Paul was at Philippi. See the sub-emblem of ruin and desolation. Isai. scription, and 1 Cor. xvi. 5. It was xxxiv. 11. The original word here sent by Titus and his colleagues, who is translated pelican. Burckhardt were on their way from Macedonia to describes the pelicans as abounding in Corinth, to finish the collection for such numbers in Shera, that the Arab the relief of the poor Christians in boys kill two or three of them at a Judæa. The apostle had heard that time, merely by throwing a stick his former Epistle had been produc- among them. The name is derived tive of good: he writes this to confirm from a word which signifies to vomit; them in the doctrine he had preached, the bird being remarkable for vomitto vindicate himself against the ing back the shells which it has calumnies of his enemies, and thus swallowed. The Hebrew word rento prepare the way for another visit dered cormorant, Lev. xi. 17, is exto them. The Epistle cannot, how-pressive of impetuosity; and the ever, be well understood without ad- bird is known to dart down rapidly verting to the partial failure of the on its prey. former Epistle. Some still adhered to the false teachers, and virtually denied the apostleship of St. Paul, founding their rejection of his authority on his manner of address in his former Epistle. And because he had changed his intention of visiting them on his way from Ephesus to Macedonia, they charged him with fickleness and irresolution; and also with tyrannical conduct towards the incestuous person, as well as with arrogance in his ministry, and a haughtiness of demeanour, quite CORNELIUS. Acts x. A Roman centurion, resident at Cæsarea, and presumed to have been a man of distinguished family. His conversion to Christianity, with his reception of the Holy Ghost, is one of the most remarkable incidents in the early records of the Christian church. Peter was prepared by a vision to go to Cæsarea to discharge his important duty. See verses 11-16. Messengers reached Peter, and he immediately understood the character of the vision. He proceeded at once with the mes sengers, and having entered the | house of Cornelius, proceeded to address him and his assembled friends. He stated the leading truths of Christ's religion, and made known the way of salvation through a crucified and risen Redeemer, "words whereby both he and his house might be saved." As he discoursed, the Holy Ghost descended, and Cornelius and his family became real converts to the faith of Christ, and were immediately baptized. CORNER-STONE. bring their victims as far as the inner part of the court; but they could not pass a certain line of separation, which divided it into two parts; and they withdrew as soon as they had delivered their sacrifices and offerings to the priests, or had made their confession, by laying their hands on the head of the victim, if it were a sinoffering. COVENANT. A covenant is a mutual contract or agreement between two parties, each of which is One of the bound to fulfil certain engagements to words by which Christ is represented. the other. In Scripture, it is used in In order to understand it, we must a modified sense. Theologians speak remember that the strength of build- of two covenants, essentially different ings lies in their angles; that the and opposite to each other: the covecorner-stone is that which unites and nant of works, and the covenant of compacts the different sides; and grace. The covenant of works was that the chief corner-stone is that the federal arrangement made with which is laid at the foundation, on Adam, in virtue of which, life was which the whole angle of the build- to be the reward of obedience. "Do ing rests, and which, therefore, is this, and live." The covenant of the principal support and tie of the grace is God's method of dealing with whole edifice. For the sake of greater sinners, under every dispensation. It strength and solidity, stones of an is called by Jehovah, "My covenant." immense size were anciently employed It is God's gracious engagement to as the foundations of temples. Par-confer eternal life on all who come to sons, describing the ruins of one which he saw at Baalbec, mentions a corner-stone that he found, on measuring, to be twenty-eight feet long, six and a half feet wide, and four and a half feet thick. Christ, as he is the foundation of the Christian faith, in reference to the conspicuous place which he fills, occupying the corner, and thus uniting into one compact regular building, Jews and Gentiles, is the CHIEF CORNER-STONE, "in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." Eph. ii. 21. COURT. The entrance into a house or palace. It is used chiefly of the temple. In this there were three courts: the court of the Gentiles, because the Gentiles might go no further; the court of Israel, because all the Israelites, provided they were purified, had the right of admission into it; the third was that of the priests, where the altar of burntofferings stood, and where the priests and Levites exercised their ministry. Common Israelites, desirous of offering their sacrifices, were at liberty to him through Jesus Christ. It is sometimes called the "everlasting covenant," Isai. lv. 3; Heb. xiii. 20; to distinguish it from those merely temporary engagements which were confined to individuals and classes; and because it will not be succeeded by any other; it can never lose its force; it stands as the unchangeable source of comfort to man. In all ages men have trusted in it, and have not been confounded. It is sometimes called the "second," the "new," or "better," covenant, to distinguish it from the Levitical covenant, which was first in order of time, and was ratified by sacrifice, and became old, and was shown to be inferior, because it was superseded by the Christian dispensation. Jer. xxxi. 31; Gal. iv. 24; Heb. vii. 22; viii. 6—13. This covenant contains in it the substance of all preceding ones since God dealt with man as a sinner. The covenant with Abraham was not essentially different from the covenant of grace. It was based upon the first promise of a final deliverance from the evils incurred by the breach of the covenant of works. God, speaking to Abraham, | representation of those great blessings calls it, "My covenant with thee;" and truths unfolded in the Christian and though it promised peculiar dispensation. The tenor of the new blessings to Abraham, yet it cannot covenant, founded on the promise be viewed separately from the general originally made to Abraham, is explan of redeeming love and mercy, pressed by Jeremiah in words which according to which, Christ is the St. Paul has quoted as a description Lamb slain from the foundation of of it: "I will be to them a God, and the world. In this covenant, some- they shall be to me a people," Heb. times designated "the Abrahamic viii. 10;-words which intimate, on covenant, Abraham's faith was the one side, not only entire reconcounted to him for righteousness, ciliation with God, but the continued when he received the charge, "Walk exercise of all the perfections of the before me, and be thou perfect." On Godhead in promoting the happiness the other part, the God whom he of his people, and the full communibelieved, and whose voice he obeyed, cation of the blessings which flow besides promising to him other bless- from his unchangeable love; on the ings, uttered these significant words: other part, the surrender of the "In thy seed shall all the families of heart and affections of his people, the the earth be blessed." In this trans- consecration of all their powers to his action there was the essence of a service, and the willing and uniform covenant, mutual stipulations; and obedience of their lives. Many object then was superadded, as a seal of the to any such definition of this covecovenant, the rite of circumcision, nant as implies mutual stipulations. which was a confirmation of God's It is not intended to signify that the promise to all who complied with it, exercise of God's grace and mercy is and being submitted to by Abraham, dependent upon man. The circumwas, on his part, the acceptance of stances which rendered the new the covenant. Different publications covenant necessary, take away the of the same covenant may be con- possibility of there being anything nected with different circumstances; meritorious on the part of man. but these are always subordinate, very faith by which a sinner enters and are to be referred to him who is into the covenant is the gift of God; always the great object of it. "Abra- and the good works by which Chrisham rejoiced to see my day; and he tians continue to keep the covenant, saw it, and was glad." This covenant originate in that change of nature was repeated to Moses, with additional and character which is a fruit of the light cast upon it. The prophetic Spirit. character of the Messiah was made The It is important to remember that the "new" covenant, under whatever modifications it may have been published to man, has always been ratified by sacrifice; to show that God can only deal with man through the atonement. In the case of Abraham, victims were slain and divided into halves, between which a smoking furnace and a burning lamp, the symbols of the divine presence, passed, to indicate the ratification of the promises. The Levitical covenant was also ratified by sacrifice. Exod. xxiv. 6-8. The apostle Paul, on this ground, expressly affirms the necessity of the death of Christ as the mediator of the new covenant. Heb. ix. 16. It would have been better to render the word, dialnкη, covenant, not testament. The deriva- | island: Salmone is on the eastern tion of the Hebrew word, BERITH, is extremity, Acts xxvii. 7: the Fair from a root signifying to slay, to cut. Havens was a harbour, near Lasea, The Greek and Latin phrases are in on the southern shore. Sailing from singular conformity with this mean- the last place to Phoenice, on the ing (öokia TEuvεiv: fœdus icere). western shore, they were driven out See Livy, i., 24. of their course under an island called Clauda, Acts xxvii. 16, and at length wrecked on the island called Melita. St. Paul probably visited Crete after his first imprisonment at Rome, and established a church, which he placed under the pastoral care of Titus. Chap. i. 5. CRANE. In Isai. xxxviii. 14, and Jer. viii. 7, two birds are mentioned, the sus and the AGUR. The first rendered in our version crane, the second, swallow. Bochart says, the Sus, or SIS, is the swallow; the AGUR, the crane. The Numidian crane, supposed to be referred to, is about three feet in length, is bluish-grey, with the cheeks, throat, breast, and tips of the long hinder feathers black, with a tuft of white feathers behind each eye. "Like as a crane, or a swallow, I twitter." There is peculiar force and beauty in the comparison here made between the dying believer and the migratory birds about to take their departure to a distant but more genial clime. They linger in the scenes which they have frequented, but instinct compels them to remove. CRETE. An island in the Mediterranean sea, now called CANDIA, and by the Turks, Kriti, or Kirid. It is about one hundred and sixty miles long, and thirty in average breadth. It was in ancient times well peopled, and greatly celebrated. Homer sang of its hundred cities. Its chief honour is in having given birth to the legislator Minos, whose laws exerted the most powerful influence, not only over the inhabitants of his own island, but also in Greece generally. The description of the character of the inhabitants given by St. Paul, is: "The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies." Titus i. 12. St. Paul is supposed to have quoted the words from Callimachus, but Jerome says, from Epimenides. "This witness is true," and is amply confirmed by profane history. There is a Greek proverb, which cautions against the unfaithfulness of three K's: Kappadokia, Krete, Kilikia (τρία κάππα κάκιονα, Καππαδοκία, και Κρήτη, και Κιλικία). Crete is adverted to in St. Paul's voyage to Rome. The vessel was driven out of her course, and sailed round the CRIMSON. A variety of red colour. Scarlet and crimson are used in Isai. i. 18, not so much to indicate any distinction in colour, as for variety of expression. The scarlet was derived from the coccus ilicis of Linnæus, an insect which deposits its eggs in the leaves of the quercus cocciferus, found in Spain, and other countries bordering on the Mediterranean. It was greatly in request by the ancients, who prepared from it a deep scarlet, or beautiful crimson dye, somewhat resembling that which is now obtained from the coccus cacti, or the cochineal insect. It is called by the Arabs, kermes: hence our crimson. The Hebrew word SHANE, scarlet, seems to be cognate with SHANAH, to repeat, or do a thing a second time: hence some suppose an allusion to the double dyed crimsons; a supposition which is countenanced by the bis tincta and dibapha of the Roman writers, and the dinλõvv of the LXX. As a CROSS. An instrument of punishment. The cross was the punishment inflicted by the Romans on slaves who had perpetrated crimes, on robbers, assassins, and rebels. rebel or traitor, Christ was executed. Luke xxiii. 2. It was an accursed death. Deut. xxi. 23; Gal. iii. 13. As soon as the words, "Thou shalt go to the cross," were uttered, the person subjected to this punishment was stripped of his clothing, with the exception of a narrow piece round the loins. He was then fastened to a post, and beaten with rods or whips. The severity of the whipping was such, that several have been known to die under it; for in some cases the |