1818 Feb 3

Not Paul

III. Doctrine

Ch. Motives to Conversion

Asceticism II. Bed

I. Ordinary

3. Conduct of a widow in respect of remarriage.

On the occasion of the recommendation v. 6. to abstain from marriage, as applied to

the situation of those /persons/ in a state of celibacy, he had already included widows. In v. 39. 40. he returns to the subject /his widows/,

and if notwithstanding the above good advice nothing will serve them but they must

remarry puts in a little proviso: a proviso for the benefit of ‘the Lord’: i.e. for

the interest in respect of influence and dominion, of the Lord’s self-constituted

Apostle. ‘The wife is bound’ (says he) ‘by the law so long as her husband liveth: but

if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; onely in the Lord.’ i.e. only to a disciple of this giver of

good advice.

40. ‘But she is happier (concludes he) if she so abide, after my judgment: and I

think also that I have the spirit of God.’