might think had no harm in them); but if they were the Jewish ones, as is most likely, for thefe were what the Apostle was most apprehenfive about, they had certainly more to fay for them than could ever be faid for any other obfervances which have been fince brought into the Chriftian church. They were once expressly appointed by God himself, the rightful proprietor of us, and of all our time and effects. And yet when the time was come which he had fet for them to expire, and when the purposes he had appointed them for, were anfwered; instead of being acceptable fervices, they became a very hurtful nuifance; which the Apostle was apprehenfive would undo all he had done, and make his labour in vain. When therefore the bleffed Son of God condefcended to be made a curfe to redeem men from that, bondage, it muft, one would think, be a very criminal prefumption in any man, or fociety of men, to bring those whom he has fet free, into another bondage of their own contriving. Indeed, could they blefs and fanctify their own inventions, as the Creator did the Sabbath at its first inftitution, fomething might be faid for them; but as that is not in man's power, they must be at at least as weak and beggarly as the Apoftle fays the other were; nor can they anfwer any purpose at all, but that very bad one, to divert men from the fpirit and power of religion, and their dependence on the grace' which is in Chrift Jefus, to external and carnal ordinances and inftitutions; which never did nor ever can profit thofe who exercife themselves in them; at best, they are unprofitable and dangerous. It ought however to be adverted to, that it may not only be allowable, but extremely proper, to keep up the memory of remarkable providences, even by anniversary days of fafting or thanksgiving, provided these be not made parts of religion, or fet on the fame footing with divine ordinances. But that the Galatians might not be indu→ ced by the great freedoms he had ufed with them, and particularly what he had faid last, to imagine, that his paternal tenderness for them was either gone, or much abated, by the unworthy treatment they had given him in his abfence, through the malicious infinuations of his enemies, he addreffes them in a very affecting manner, verf. 12. &feqq.; and by putting them in mind of the great love they had formerly fhown fhown him, takes the fureft way of res gaining their affection, if there was any abatement of it; as it feems certain there was, at least among numbers of them, who had fuffered themselves to be feduced by the affiduity, and cunning of their new teachers. He expreffes much affection in his application to them. He addreffes them with the endearing title of brethren; and that was the fame as if he had told them, that whatever fears and jealoufies his love to them fuggefted, he ftill regarded them as brethren, and thereby acknowledged them as real members of Christ's body, and children and heirs of God through him. He likewife applies to them with great earneftnefs, befeeching them to be as he was. One who confiders only the fubject of the epiftle, might be naturally enough led to think, he was befeeching them to be of the fame mind with him in thefe points of faith, from which they were in danger of being drawn off. And this might have been acquiefced in as the true meaning of the terms he uses, were it not for what he adds to induce them to it, viz. that that he was as they were. Surely the Apostle was not of the fame mind with them: it must therefore mean a conformity in brotherly love and affection. And these feem to have been the ufual terms for ex¬ preffing it: For thus we find Jehofaphat affuring Ahab of his cordial agreement with him, 1 Kings xxii. 4. " I am as thou "I art," &c.; and in this fenfe Paul could fincerely fay, he was as they were. What he adds, that they had not injur red him at all, contributes further to confirm this meaning; as it appears defigned to remove a jealoufy they had too much ground for. They knew they had not treated him with that refpect, which either his character as an apoftle, or the kindness he had shown to them, deserved. To remove fuch apprehenfions, he fays, they had not injured him at all, and of courfe had no reafon to dread his refentment. But then another difficulty arifes, How Paul could fay fo? when they were, upon the very point of concluding him, not only no true apoftle, but moreover a teacher of erroneous and even damnable doctrine; as he must have been, had what the zealots for Mofes's law alledged been been true, viz. that without thefe obfervances no man could be faved. We need not have recourfe to any unknown circumftances to account for this, nor even to the measures of Chriftian forgiveness, in which there never was a greater proficient. Himself gives us what may be abundantly fufficient for that purpose, 1 Cor. iv. 3. "He reckoned it a fmall thing to be judged of man's judgement;" fo fmall that he never thought it worth bringing into an account of any kind. And he had reafon; for befides the common privilege of every Christian, "that all things fhall work to gether for good to them," he carried his commiffion from one who could well, and he was fure would, fupport him so effectually, that it should never be in the power of man to do him any real injury, nor mar the defigned fuccefs of the gospel in his hand. He might with great truth fay of the oppofition made to him in these churches, what he elsewhere fays of his bonds and fufferings for Chrift," that it tr contributed to the furtherance of the gofpel:" for unto this we are indebted for this excellent epiftle, which has been of fo great ufe to Christians, and will con |