ERRATA.

Pag. 261. lin. 5. from the foot, for which read whereby Pag. 336. lin. 6. from the top, for early read earthly Pag. 362. lin. 8. from the top, for purified read juftified

NOTES and OBSERVATIONS

Ο Ν

The Epistle to the GALATIANS.

T

HE writing before us is an epiftle directed by the Apoftle Paul to the churches of Galatia. Those who know any thing of that kind of writing, will not expect the methodical exactnefs of an accurate treatife, much less the formality of a fcholaftic difputant. The writer who underftands his bufinefs, will never indeed lofe fight of the point he has in view, nor omit any thing that is neceffary or proper for attaining his purpofe: but, at the fame time, he will lay the materials together in fuch an eafy natural way, that every new thought fhall appear to be fuggefted by what went before, until the whole plan be finished; each part throwing light upon another, and all of them making one confiftent piece. A

VOL. III.

The

.

The epiftle we are now entering upon will be found an abfolute masterpiece in this way of writing, by all who underftand it, and can enter into the writer's views. But to do this to purpose, one must be well acquainted, both with the character of the writer, and of thofe to whom he wrote, their mutual connections and relations, and what had formerly paffed between them in their intercourse one with another.

The author is fo well known, that it will be needless to spend words on his character; especially when the epistle itfelf presents us with as much as we have any occafion for. Befides his natural genius, which appears to have been one of the greatest, and the best education the world then afforded, he was peculiarly honoured by the fupernatural instruction of him who is perfect in understanding, and by the perfonal appearance of the glorious Son of God, often repeated in the most friendly and familiar manner: he was endued with the most extraordinary meafures of that divine Spirit, which leads into all truth; and received from Christ a fpecial commiffion to carry the know

ledge

ledge of his name to the Heathen nations, who had been for many ages without God and without hope in the world: in confequence whereof, he had brought the Galatians, to whom this epiftle is addreffed, to the knowledge of God, and of eternal life in his fon Jefus Chrift,

It will be of little moment to our prefent purpose, to know, that these Galatians were originally of the ancient Gauls, or to inquire how they came to settle in the Leffer Afia. It is fufficient to know, that they were Heathens, and involved in the groffeft ignorance and idolatry, like their neighbouring nations, until the Apostle came among them, and taught them. His instructions, we find by what himself fays, they received with great readiness and pleasure, and under his direction were formed into focieties for worship; which, by a word long appropriated to these religious focieties, are called churches; and churches of Chrift, because of their fpecial relation to him, on whom all their knowledge, and hopes of eternal life, are founded. This, it is eafy to fee, must have given him a peculiar interest in them as his fpiritual children, and something

even

1

more than a paternal tenderness for them, and authority over them, as one commiffioned by God himself, and his bleffed Son Jefus Chrift, to whom they owed all they were, or pofsessed in a prefent world, and all they had to hope for in the world to come. And hence arifes the very different manner of this epiftle from that to the Romans; though, in both, the fubjects are very nearly the fame. He writes to the Romans more at large, and opens more diftinctly the particular heads of that gofpel he was intrufted with, as they were ftrangers to him, and he a ftranger to them, and treats them with great foftnefs and regard. But to the Galatians, he contents himself with fhort hints and allufions to what himself had taught them; and treats them with another fort of freedom, even the authority of a master, or rather of a careful father, anxious about his beloved children,

And there was great reafon, as appears by the immediate occafion of his writing. The Jewish nation had been, from the days of their father Abraham, separated by God as his peculiar people, and witneffes for him to the reft of the world, Abraham