First, The subject-matter of his Doctrine, to wit Jesus Christ. I determined to know nothing ▪ (i. e.) to study nothing my self, to teach nothing to you; but Jesus Christ. Christ shall be the Centre, to which all the lines of my Ministry shall be drawn. I have spoken and written of many other subjects in my Sermons and Epistles, but it is all reductively the Preaching and discovery of Jesus Christ: of all Subjects in the world, this is the sweetest: if there be any thing on this side Heaven worthy our time and studies, this is it. Thus he magnifies his Doctrine, from the excellency of its subject-matter, accounting all other Doctrines, but arid things, compared with this.
§2Secondly, We have here that special respect or consideration of Christ, which he singled out from all the rest, as the excellent Truths of Christ, to spend the main strength of his ministry upon: And that is Christ as Crucified: and the rather, because hereby he would obviate the vulgar prejudice,1 raised against him upon the account of his cross: for Christ Crucified was to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, chap. 1.23. this also best suited his end, to draw them on to Christ: as Christ above all other subjects, so Christ Crucified above all things in Christ: there is therefore a great Emphasis in this word, And him Crucified.
⟨p. 3⟩Thirdly, The manner in which he discoursed this transcendent §3Subject to them is also remarkable: he not only Preached Christ Crucified, but he Preached him assiduously, and plainly: he Preached Christ frequently, and when ever he Preached of Christ Crucified,2 he Preached him in a Crucified stile. This is the sum of the words, to let them know that his spirit was so intent upon this subject, as if he neither knew, or cared to speak of any other: all his Sermons were so full of Christ, that his hearers might have thought he was acquainted with no other Doctrine. Hence observe,
First, The subject-matter of his Doctrine, to wit Iesus Christ. I determined to know nothing ▪ (i. e.) to study nothing my self, to teach nothing to you; but Iesus Christ. Christ shall be the Center, to which all the lines of my Ministry shall be drawn. I have spoken and written of many other subjects in my Sermons and Epistles, but it is all reductively the Preaching and discovery of Jesus Christ: of all Subjects in the world, this is the sweetest: if there be any thing on this side Heaven worthy our time and studies, this is it. Thus he magnifies his Doctrine, from the excellency of its subject-matter, accounting all other Doctrines, but arrid things, compared with this.
§2Secondly, We have here that special respect or consideration of Christ, which he singled out from all the rest, as the excellent Truths of Christ, to spend the main strength of his ministry upon: And that is Christ as Crucified: and the rather, because hereby he would obviate the vulgar prejudice,1 raised against him upon the account of his cross: for Christ Crucified was to the Iews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, chap. 1.23. this also best suited his end, to draw them on to Christ: as Christ above all other subjects, so Christ Crucified above all things in Christ: there is therefore a great Emphasis in this word, And him Crucified.
⟨p. 3⟩Thirdly, The manner in which he discoursed this transcendent §3Subject to them is also remarkable: he not only Preached Christ Crucified, but he Preached him assiduously, and plainly: he Preacht Christ frequently, and when ever he Preacht of Christ Crucified,2 he Preached him in a Crucified stile. This is the sum of the words, to let them know that his spirit was so intent upon this subject, as if he neither knew, or cared to speak of any other: all his Sermons were so full of Christ, that his hearers might have thought he was acquainted with no other Doctrine. Hence observe,
- 1Vehementem habet [Greek or Hebrew] quod adjecit, & hunc crucifixum. Pet. Martyr in loc.Vehementem habet 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 quod adjecit, & hunc crucifixum. Pet. Martyr in loc.
- 2Christum crucifixum stylo crucifixo predicabat.
