Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Corinthians 7:8

8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I .

By the unmarried and widows, it is apparent that Paul means Virgins that were never married, and such as having been once married, had lost their husbands, though the first word in the Greek had been significa[illegible: 1 letter]ive enough of persons in both these states; yet the Apostle[illegible: 1 letter], [illegible: 1 letter]sing of two words, makes it past dispute, when he saith, It is good for such to be as he was; his meaning is, that it was better with respect to the present circumstances of Christians, or it was convenient, in which notion good is often taken, not for what is absolutely good, and indeed the nature of all good lyeth in the conveniency or suitableness of the thing so called to us; and though in the Divine precepts there is always such a suitableness, so as they must be always good, yet in other things, which God hath le[illegible: 1 letter]t to our liberty (such as is this of marriage) a thing may be good or evil, as the circumstances of several persons, yea, of the same person, may vary. S. Paul considereth only the circumstances of the World common to all Christians, and upon them determines this goodness, supposing the circumstances of the particular person not to rule otherwise. His not saying, It is good for them not to marry, but to be as he was, hath bred a question of no great import to be determined, whether Paul was ever married or no, in the determination of which the Ancients cou[illegible: 1 letter]d not agree: but it is not worth spending our time about, considering that all agree, he was at this time unmarried, which is all he doth here mean: if S. Paul was never married, we are sure Peter was; for we read of his wifes mother sick of a feav[illegible: 1 letter]r, Mark 1.30.