verf. 22. that he was not perfonally known to the churches of Judea which were in Chrift. They could have no acquaintance with him while he was perfecuting them; their business then was, to keep as much as poffible out of his way; and after his converfion, he was never among any of them, but at Jerufalem. They knew him only by report and hearfay; that he who formerly was the perfecutor, was now a very zealous preacher of Chrift. And the effect of it deferves our regard: They glorified God in him. Such was then the warmth of the Christians love to Chrift, that nothing which concerned him was indifferent to them. And fo strongly were they perfuaded, that all things were of God, that they looked beyond the instruments, however eminent their gifts and fuccefs were; and to God they gave the glory of all: and very justly; for "all things are of "God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jefus Chrift, and committed to this "Apostle, and his affociates, the mini"ftry of reconciliation," to pray and befeech a thoughtlefs world to be reconciled to God; which is the fame thing as if God God was doing it himself by his bleffed The term by which the Apostle expreffes the fubject of his preaching, in the clofe of verf. 23. has occafioned no fmall contention among the learned part of the Christian world. He calls it the faith; and it seems that was the term then commonly used. As it is allowed by all, that it is the fame with belief, the meanest day-labourer knows, as well as the most learned divine, that it is commonly used to express what they believe, and the actual believing of it; or, as the schools fpeak, the act of believing, and its object; and can easily distinguish when the one or the other is to be understood by that word. And one cannot help faying, that the learned labours of thofe who have made it their business to explain it, have contributed more to darken a plain subject, and perplex common understandings, than to clear the important fubject, which every man knows better than the most learned can define it. No man can believe or not believe what and when he pleases. the thing to be true, He must perceive either by his own obfervation, obfervation, or the teftimony of others. Never was there any teftimony which deferved half fo much regard as that does which God has given us in the record we have in our hands. The facts recorded there are of two kinds; what God has done, and what he has promised to do. By the firft, his eternal power and godhead are set before us in the only way we can come to the knowledge of him; that is, by fuch works and ways with his creatures as we can form fome notion of. By the fecond, we learn what we have to expect from him. And from both taken together, we may be enabled to form fuch apprehenfions of the divine character, as may fhew us what measures of regard and duty we owe him. This is the Christian faith; and the belief of thefe facts is what makes a Christian. And believed they cannot be, without producing fuch meafures of love to him, and confidence in him, as answer to the measures of our faith: and love is the fulfilling of the whole law; the whole of our obedience to his law being only the native effect and actings of love, CHAP. ii. i. Then, fourteen years after, I went up again to Ferufalem, with Barnabas, and took Titus with me alfo. 2. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, left by any means I fhould run, or had run in vain. 3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcifed: 46. And that because of falfe brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to fpy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jefus, that they might bring us into bondage. 5. To whom we gave place by Subjection, no not for an hour; that the truth of the gofpel might continue with you. 6. But of thefe, who feemed to be fomewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's perJon) for they who seemed to be fomewhat, in confer ence added nothing to me: 7. But contrariwife, when they faw that the gospel of the uncircumcifion was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcifion was unto Peter; 8. (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcifion, the fame was mighty in me towards the Gentiles). 9. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the Heathen, and they unto the circumcifion. 10. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the fame which I also was forward to do.. TH HE Apostle here continues the account he had begun to give of himfelf in the foregoing chapter; and with VOL. III. K the the fame views too, viz. to fatisfy the Galatians, that he had not the gospel he. preached from men, but by direct revelation; that he had been fteady and uniform in the profeffion of every point of it; and particularly in that which the new teachers had brought into difpute; and was fupported in it by Peter himself, whofe authority they pretended, and all the reft of the apoftles and elders of the church of Jerufalem, folemnly convened on this very question. I faid, folemnly convened, because fo they were, by the account the Apostle gives of them. But especially that it feems to be the very fame journey which Barnabas and he took to Jerufalem, together with other brethren fent from the church of Antioch; as we had occafion to obferve in the entry on this epiftle. It is true, there was no mention of Titus by name; but neither have we the names of any other brethren who went along with them. He might well enough have been fuppofed to have been one of them, had not he told us here, that he took Titus with him; which feems to fay, was by his choice that he went. that it And it would |