LOCKE having, in his controversy with Mr. Edwards, had his attention frequently and forcibly directed to the Epistles of St. Paul, which, in his work on Christianity, he was accused of keeping purposely out of sight, betook himself, with renewed diligence, to the study of those parts of Scripture. The result of these studies, undertaken in a mature age, and furthered by every help that learning or philosophy could furnish, was "A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Galatians, Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians.” To this work, not published until after the philosopher's death, was prefixed, “An Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles, by consulting St. Paul himself," written in the best manner of its distinguished author. But, notwithstanding its singular excellences, it appears to have hitherto attracted comparatively little notice. No collection of religious works, so far as I know, contains it; nor has it ever, I believe, been detached from the Paraphrase and Notes, and published in a separate I trust, however, the reader will quickly perceive its great value, not merely as a literary composition, though in that respect also it be a remarkable work; but as showing how earnestly and incessantly the noblest minds have laboured to master the sense of the Apostle to the Gentiles; thus, by their example, encouraging others to the undertaking, which he who properly enters on will consider no task.-ED.

form.

AN ESSAY, &c.

Το go about to explain any of St. Paul's Epistles, after so great a train of expositors and commentators, might seem an attempt of vanity, censurable for its needlessness, did not the daily and approved examples of pious and learned men justify it. This may be some excuse for me to the public, if ever these following papers should chance to come abroad but to myself, for whose use this work was undertaken, I need make no apology. Though I had been conversant in these epistles, as well as in other parts of sacred Scripture, yet I found that I understood them not-I mean the doctrinal and discursive parts of them: though the practical directions, which are usually dropped in the latter part of each epistle, appeared to me very plain, intelligible, and instructive.

I did not, when I reflected on it, very much wonder that this part of sacred Scripture had difficulties in it many causes of obscurity did readily The nature of epistolary writings in general, disposes the writer to pass by the men

occur to me.

tioning of many things, as well known to him to whom his letter is addressed, which are necessary to be laid open to a stranger, to make him comprehend what is said: and it not seldom falls out, that a well-penned letter, which is very easy and intelligible to the receiver, is very obscure to a stranger, who hardly knows what to make of it. The matters that St. Paul wrote about, were certainly things well known to those he wrote to, and which they had some peculiar concern in, which made them easily apprehend his meaning, and see the tendency and force of his discourse. But we having now, at this distance, no information of the occasion of his writing, little or no knowledge of the temper and circumstances those he wrote to were in, but what is to be gathered out of the epistles themselves, it is not strange that many things in them lie concealed to us, which no doubt they who were concerned in the letter understood at first sight. Add to this, that in many places it is manifest he answers letters sent, and questions proposed to him, which if we had, would much better clear those passages that relate to them, than all the learned notes of critics and commentators, who in aftertimes fill us with their conjectures; for very often, as to the matter in hand, they are nothing else.

The language wherein these epistles are written are another, and that no small occasion of their obscurity to us now: the words are Greek, a language dead many ages since: a language of a very witty volatile people, seekers after novelty, and abounding with a variety of notions and sects, to which they applied the terms of their common tongue with great liberty and variety and yet this makes but one small part of the difficulty in the