as branches of an human establishment; fince the death of Chrift had annulled their divine authority. The establishment itself he knew was foon to cease by the deftruction of Jerufalem. To him and to the rest of the Apostles it appeared more charitable, to fubmit to the inconveniences of conformity, than to irritate the whole body of the Jews on account of circumftantials. On this ground pious men in all ages have acted, and thofe who have moft excelled in chriftian fruitfulnefs, have been moit remarkable for their candour. At the fame time the inflexible firmness of Paul in vindicating the doctrine of juftification, by allowing on no account the circumcifion of Gentiles, informs us, where he laid the ftress for falvation. This union of candour and firmness in the fame perfon, acting variously in oppofite circumstances, has led fome writers to accufe him of inconfiftency, who feem not to have underftood the principles of the controversy. This was the cafe of Jerom of old. His controverfy with Auguftin on the fubject is yet extant in the epiitles of the latter, whofe ftatement of the affair I think perfectly juft, and it is agreeable to the views in which the conduct of the Apostle has now been exhibited. 3. We fee here how infinitely important the doctrine of juftification is: What excellent fruits it had brought forth in the Jewish church, now confifting of many thoufands, has been fhewn. It appears how naturally the human heart departs from the faith of Chrift, before it is aware. The penetrating and zealous fpirit of Paul was employed by the divine goodness, to uphold still the ftandard of truth. Many, no doubt, received benefit from his example; but the glory of this church was now rather finking. C 2 * A&ts xxi. 20. 4. The 4. The evil of bigotry is no lefs evident, and how naturally it connects itself with felt-righteoufnefs is apparent. An eager ftrefs laid on any rite, or form, or external work whatever, easily thus degenerates. Stedfafi nefs in the faith, and candour, and charity, are, under God, our prefervatives against it. There, was little opportunity of trying the effect of the charitable fcheme concerted between the two Apoftles on the minds of chriftians, becaufe before the feven days were expired, the malice of the infidel Jews broke out against him. St. Luke's narrative from the twenty-first chapter to the end of his history, is fpent on the confequences of this. With what cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and piety the Apostle behaved, what power of conviction the Lord gave to his word in throwing a Roman governor into a fit of trembling, and in inducing a king to confefs his almoit conviction of chriftianity, with what providential care his perfon was guarded from Jewish malice by his privilege of Roman citizenship, and what perils he underwent by fea and land, till he arrived a prifoner at Rome, and there for two years laboured in the miniftry among them who vifited him in his imprisonment; thele thinge are fo circumftantially, and, I may juftly add, fo beautifully related by the facred writer, that I fhail refer my reader to him altogether, especially as neither the hiftory of the mother-church, nor of any other particular churches, is connected with the account. The malice of the Jews having failed of its object in Paul by his appeal to Cæfar, would gladly have gratified itself on James. But he, though no Roman citizen, was fhielded by the lenity of the Roman Roman government a little longer. His long refidence at Jerufalem, where he was stationary at leaft for the most part, had given him an opportunity, by a blameless life, to abate the prejudice of his unbelieving countrymen, and to extort the tribute of praife from the populace in general. About the year of our Lord 60, he wrote his catholic epiftle. It is addreffed to Jews in general; fometimes he fpeaks to chriftians, fometimes to infidels, like a perfon well known, and of confiderable influence among both. The covetoufnefs, inhumanity, and perfecuting fpirit of the nation are defcribed in ftrong colours, and he writes like one who forefees the speedy defolation which was to overtake them. By the practical turn of his doctrine, by his defcanting on the vices of the tongue, their partiality to the rich, and contemptuous treatment of the poor in chriftian affembliest, and his direction against vain fwearing, it is but too evident, that the church had confiderably declined from its original purity and fimplicity; and that the crafts of Satan, aided ever by natural depravity, were wearing out apace the precious fruits of that "out-pouring" of the Spirit, which has been defcribed. Such is the common course of things in all fimilar cafes, within the like period of about thirty years. The Lord had not however forfaken his church; and the members of it were in a perfecuted state, and were brought before Jewish magistrates §, and vexed, fo far as the rage of this infatuated nation had power to exert itself. He particularly exhorts them to patience under their trials, and a refignation to the Divine Will. About the fame time, or ittle after, this church was favoured with the epiftle to the Hebrews, C 3 Chap. iii. † Chap. ii. Chap. v. Chap, ii, 6. brews, which feems to have been written by St. Paul*. He As apoftacy, partly through the fashionable. and natural evil of felf-righteoufnefs, and partly through the cruelty of perfecution, was the great evil to be feared among them, he directs them particularly to maintain the chriftian faith. largely and diftinctly fhews the accomplishment of all Mofaic types in Jefus. His priesthood, facrifice, and interceffion are amply defcribed. The privi leges and benefits of his falvation are distinctly ftated. He exhorts them to conftancy in the fimple faith of Chrift. He recommends them to perfevere in fupporting their chriftian affemblies, from which fome + had declined, probably through fear of perfecution. He reminds them of the feverities they had patiently undergone after their first illumination, of the compaffion which his fufferings had excited among them, and how cheerfully they had endured the fpoiling of their goods, from the confidence they "had of a better "and enduring fubftance." The whole turn of his exhortation fhews, that they were in a ftate of grievous moleftation at the time of writing this epiftle. And yet from their dulnefs in divine things, very strongly reprehended, it is certain their spiritual tafte was declined. The perfecution of St. Paul at Jerufalem probably excited a general hoftility against the church. That it did not proceed to blood §, feems owing to no other caufe than the protection of the Roman government. He is particularly earnest in exhorting them to remember and hold faft the grace of the gofpel, which their first minifters had taught them, to confider that Jefus *St. Peter, in his fecond epistle to the Jews, reminds them of St. Paul's letter to them, which could have been no other than this epiftle. + Heb. x. 25. 1 C. v. ver. 12. § xii. 4. Jefus Chrift was their great object, and that a return to Jewish dependencies would ruin their fouls. On the whole, we have here the most glorious views of the gofpel, and the most diftinct information of the nature of a true adherence to it; though I fee no evidence on the face of the epiftle for concluding, that he forbad them that fame occafional and prudential compliance with Judaism in external obfervances, which all the Apostles practifed. It was the departure of the heart from the Lord Jefus, against which he warned them. He dwells not largely on particular duties. He had not lived much among them, and fpecial details of practical matters came better from the paftoral pen of James. Thus earnestly did thefe two Apostles inftruct and warn a declining church. But grace has its feafons! God will not always ftrive with man; yet the use of the epiftles will remain, till time fhall be no more. T SECTION II. JUDEA AND GALILEE. HE Holy Land was divided into three provinces, JUDEA, GALILEE, and SAMARIA. This last was in a fituation fo peculiar, as to deserve to be confidered diftinctly. And of the churches of the two former I have not much more to fay, than that their state, by fair analogy, may be estimated from that of the mother church. Indeed a ftrong foundation had been laid for their converfion by the ministry of John the Baptift, and by that |