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Of mairryin. 20. Ilk ane, in the mainner 0' life in whilk he was ca'd, sae abide.

21. A thirlman war ye whan ca'd? Lat it no fash ye! but gin ye hae choice to be free, tak it.

22. For he that in the Lord was ca'd, whan a thirlman, is emancipate i' the Lord; in siclike, he wha was ca'd as a free man, is a bondman in the Lord.

23. Ye war coft wi' a price: he-come-na servants 0' men.

24. Lat ilk ane, in that state in whilk he was oa'd, abide wi' God.

25. But, anent thae that are maidens, I has nae commauns o' the Lord; but I gie ye my mind, as ane that has had mercie frae the Lord to be true and leal.

26. This than, I wad say is seemlie i' the case, by stress of existin things, that it is weel for a man sae to be.

27. Has ye become bund to a wife? Seek-na to be lowsed. Are ye lowsed free a wife? Seek-na a wife.

28. But gin ye e'en mairry, ye hae-na sinned: and gin a maiden mairry, she hasna sinned. Nane-the-less, sic wull has tossins-aboot i' the ﬂesh. But I spare ye.

29. But e'en this say I, brethren; the time is wearin dune; lat them wi' wives be as gin they had nane;

30. And them greetin, as gin they grat-na; and them rejoicin, as gin they rejoiced-na; and them buyin, as gin they obteen'd-na;

31. And them usin the warld, as no bund-up in't; for the form 0' this warld is passin awa.

32. Moreover, I wad ye war free frae carkin care. The man no mairry't is tentie aboot the Lord's things, hoo he may pleasur the Lord;

33. Whauras, the man mairry't, is tentie aboot his wife's maitters, hoo he may pleasur his wife, and sae is dividit.

34. And thar is a differ atween a wife and a maiden: she that is no mairry't. is tentie aboot the Lord's things, see as she may be holie in body and spirit; whaur-as she that is mairry't is tentie anent the warld's things, hoo she may pleasur her husband.

35. This speak I, wi' an ee to yere ain gude; no that I wad cast a snare ower ye; but wi' an ee to what is seemly, and that ye may wait on the Lord untramml't.

36. But gin ony man thinks he disna weel by his maiden, gin she pass the ﬂooer 0' her age, and need be, lat him do as he wad; he isna committin sin; lat them wed.

37. Nana-the-less, he that stauns siccar in his heart, no bein under necessit, but has pooer as anent his ain wul; and has made it up in his ain heart to keep his maiden, dis weel.

38. Sae, baith he wha ies in mairria e his ain maiden ochter dis wee; and he wha disna gie in mairriage dis e'en better.

39. A wife is bund as lan as her husband leeves; but gin aib ins her husband is faun asleep, she is free to mairry wham she wull: only in the Lord.

40. But happier, gin she thus abide, in my judgment; and mair, I think I has the Spirit 0' God.

CHAPTIR AUCHT. Christian liberty anent meats and drinks: its wideness and its straitness.

00, anent eidol-sacrifeeces: "We ken that we a' has knowledge." Knowledge swalls up, but love up-biggs.

2. Gif ony man thinks he ken: a thing, he hasna yet gotten to ken onything as he soud ken.

3. But, gif ony man loe's God, the same man is ap ruv't 0' God.

4. Anent ei ol-sacrifeeces:—we ken weel that an eidol is naething i' the warld, and that thar is nae God but ans.

5. For e'en gin thar be sae-ca'd gods, gin they be in heeven or yirth 215