own children. If any should ask, What is that to us now, when there are no fuch parties, nor any tenets favouring circumcifion, or the obfervation of any Jewish rites or customs? it needs only to be confidered, what it was that made them of fuch a dangerous tendency, viz. that the laying fuch weight on thefe obfervances mifrepresented Christ and his falvation, as at best but imperfect, until it was eked out by other things; and thus, by building their faith and hope in God on these fupplements to the gospel, drew off their dependence on Chrift, the only foundation which God has laid. He must therefore be a very fuperficial obferver, who does not find the Apoftle's reafoning every way as ftrong, against every attempt to found our acceptance with God on our own obedience to any law whatsoever, except the obedience of faith to that great fundamental law, the commandment which God has given to believe in his bleffed Son, and to love one another: for fo the Apostle exprefsly tells us, That “in "Christ Jefus, neither circumcifion avail"eth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but faith, which worketh by love." What foever is not of faith, which stands not on that foundation which faith builds on, is fin: for it is a tranfgreffion of the great fundamental commandment, the law of faith, and what our Lord himself has declared, John vi. 29. to be "the "work of God." CHAPTER i. I. -5. 1. Paul an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jefus Chrift, and God the Father, who raifed him from the dead), 2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jefus Chrift, 4. Who gave himself for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God, and our Father: 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. A men. TH Here is a remarkable peculiarity in Paul's manner of addreffing his epiftles, which is not to be found in those of the other apoftles. James affumes no title but that of a fervant of God, and " of the Lord Jefus Chrift." Which word, in the original language, does not denote a hired, but a bond fervant, one who was abfolutely B 2 absolutely his master's property, and had no right to dispose of himself. John, in his first epistle, mentions neither his name nor title, but enters, as it were, abruptly on his fubject; and, in the other two, defigns himself only, The elder, or aged; the title, it would feem, by which he was distinguished among thofe to whom he wrote. Jude affumes the defignation of a fervant of the Lord, only to distinguish himself from another of the fame name, he styles himself likewife, The brother of James. Peter only joins the title of Apoftle fingly with that of a fervant of God. And they needed no more, as their apoftolic authority was beyond difpute. But Paul was none of those who received their commiffion before their Lord left this lower world; neither was he chosen by lot, as Matthias was; which made it in fome measure needful to vouch his authority as an apoftle, That he was fo by the will of God. I need not observe the peculiar fignificancy of that word, as it imports fomething, not only greatly more than a divine permiffion, or even what is brought about in the courfe of ordinary providence; it is the fame thing as the exprefs appointment and authoritative or der der of that God whofe apostle he was: and that office could not be undertaken without a commiffion from him who fent him. But in the address of this epistle, there is fomething peculiarly fingular, and wifely fuited to the cafe of thofe to whom he wrote; and particularly to obviate the malicious fuggeftions of their new teachers, by which they attempted to destroy, or at least to weaken, his apoftolical authority. Chrift had left the world several years before Paul had ceased to perfecute those who acknowledged him; and from this they might very plausibly infer, that whatever ministerial powers he was invested with, must have been, as we fay, at fecond hand, and conveyed to him by those whom the Lord himself had appointed his apostles, and witnesses of his refurrection. Two things appear neceffary by Peter's fpeech, Acts i. 15. &c. to qualify any one for that office: 1, That he had attended Jefus from the beginning; and, 2dly, That he had feen him afcend up into heaven after his refurrection: and as Paul had neither of these advantages, it might have been objected, that he could not be an a postle poftle commiffioned by Christ personally ; but at most was only a fort of minister or deputy of the true apoftles. In the addrefs of his epiitle, he directly obviates these exceptions in their fullest ftrength. He afferts his apostleship by affuming the title; and, at the fame time, refufes any dependence whatever upon any of mankind, apoftles, or others. He had not, he fays, his commiflion from men, as one fent by them to preach the gofpel; nay, nor fo much as by their interpofition or miniftry, even fuppofing they had acted by divine order, as when he and Barnabas were directed to be feparated unto the work to which Chrift had called them. And this he instructs with great evidence, by the account he gives of himself in this and the following chap ters. But that he was really an apostle, and had as good a title to that character as any of the rest, he proves, by this fure evidence, That he had his commiffion and powers directly and immediately from Jefus Chrift, and from God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Thofe who know and confider the union and effential con- nection between the only true God and Jefus |