CHAP.
I.

a duplicity of conduct with respect to the Mosaic rites,
-in Paul a steady uniformity. He lived as a Jew him-
self: vows, synagogue-worship, and the various rites
of the law he observed, not even sacrifices excepted,
on occasion. He could not indeed look on them now
in
any other light than as branches of a human esta-
blishment; since the death of Christ had annulled their
divine authority. The establishment itself he knew
was soon to cease by the destruction of Jerusalem.
To him and to the rest of the Apostles it appeared
more charitable, to submit to the inconveniencies of
conformity, than to irritate the whole body of the Jews
on account of circumstantials. On this ground pious
men in all ages have acted, and those, who have most
excelled in Christian fruitfulness, have been most re-
markable for their candour. At the same time the in-
flexible firmness of Paul in vindicating the doctrine of
justification, by allowing on no account the circum-
cision of Gentiles, informs us, where he laid the stress
for salvation. This union of candour and firmness
in the same person, acting variously in opposite cir-
cumstances, has led some writers to accuse him of
inconsistency, who seem not to have understood the
principles of the controversy. This was the case of
Jerom of old. His controversy with Augustine on the
subject is yet extant in the epistles of the latter, whose
statement of the affair I think perfectly just; and it is
agreeable to the views in which the conduct of the
Apostle has now been exhibited.

3. We see here how infinitely important the doctrine of justification is! What excellent fruits it had brought forth in the Jewish Church, now consisting of many thousands, has been shown. It appears how naturally the human heart departs from the faith of Christ, before it is aware. The penetrating and zealous spirit of Paul was employed by the divine goodness to uphold still the standard of truth. Many, no *Acts, xxi. 20.

doubt, received benefit from his example; but the glory of this Church was now on the decline.

4. The evil of bigotry is no less evident, and how naturally it connects itself with self-righteousness is apparent. An eager stress laid on any rite, or form, or external work whatever, easily thus degenerates. Stedfastness in the faith, and candour, and charity, are, under God, our preservatives against it.

There was little opportunity of trying the effect of the charitable scheme, concerted between the two Apostles, on the minds of Christians, because before the seven days were expired, the malice of the infidel Jews broke out against Paul. St. Luke's narrative, from the twenty-first chapter to the end of his history, is spent on the consequences of this. The cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and piety of the Apostle Paul: the convincing force of his reasoning, which caused Felix to tremble, and Agrippa to confess himself almost a Christian: his preservation from Jewish malice by the privilege of Roman citizenship: the perils he underwent by sea and land, till he arrived a prisoner at Rome, and his labours for two years in the ministry among them who visited him in his imprisonment: these things are so circumstantially, and, I may justly add, so beautifully related by the sacred writer, that I shall refer my reader to him altogether, especially as neither the history 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 Cæsar, would gladly have gratified itself on James. But he, though no Roman citizen, was shielded a little longer by the lenity of the Roman government*. His long residence at Jerusalem, where he was stationary for the most part,

The first persecution of the Christians began about A. D. 64, the eleventh year of the reign of the Emperor Nero. See page 98.

CHAP.

I.

A. D.

60.

had given him an opportunity, by a blameless life, to abate the prejudice of his unbelieving countrymen, and to extort the tribute of praise from the populace in general. About the year of our Lord sixty, he wrote his Catholic epistle. It is addressed to Jews in general; sometimes he speaks to Christians, sometime to infidels, like a person well known, and of considerable influence among both. The covetousness, inhumanity, and persecuting spirit of the nation are described in strong colours; and he writes like one who foresees the speedy desolation which was to overtake them. By the practical turn of his doctrine, by his descanting on the vices of the tongue*, of partiality to the rich, and of contemptuous treatment of the poor in Christian assemblies †, and by his direction against vain swearing, it is but too evident, that the Church had considerably declined from its original purity and simplicity; and that the crafts of Satan, aided ever by natural depravity, were wearing out apace the precious fruits of that effusion of the Spirit, which has been described. Such is the common course of things in all similar cases, within the like period of about thirty years. The Lord had not however forsaken his Church; though its members were in a persecuted state, and were brought before Jewish magistrates §, and vexed, so far as the rage of this infatuated nation had power to exert itself. He particularly exhorts them to patience under their trials, and a resignation to the Divine Will.

About the same time, or a little after, this Church was favoured with the Epistle to the Hebrews, which seems to have been written by St. Paul ||.

As apostasy, partly through the fashionable and natural evil of self-righteousness, and partly through

• Chap. iii. + Chap, ii. Chap. v. § Chap. ii. 6.

St. Peter, in his second epistle to the Jews, reminds them of St. Paul's letter to them, which probably, could have been no other than this epistle.

the cruelty of persecution, was the great evil to be
feared among them, he directs them particulary to
maintain the Christian faith. He largely and dis-
tinctly shows the accomplishment of all the Mosaic
types in Jesus. His priesthood, sacrifice, and in-
tercession are amply described. The privileges and
benefits of his salvation are distinctly stated. He
exhorts them to constancy in the simple faith of
Christ. He urges them to persevere in supporting
their Christian assemblies, from which some * had
declined, probably through fear of persecution. He
reminds them of the severities they had patiently
undergone after their first illumination, of the com-
passion which his sufferings had excited among them,
and of the cheerfulness with which they had sus-
tained the spoiling of their goods, from the con-
fidence they "had of having in heaven a better
and enduring substance." The whole turn of his ex-
hortation shows, that they were in a state of grievous
molestation at the time of writing this epistle. And
yet from their dulness in divine things, which he so
warmly censures †, it is certain their spiritual taste
had declined. The persecution of St. Paul at Jeru-
salem probably excited a general hostility against
the Church. That it did not proceed to blood ‡,
seems owing to no other cause than the protection
of the Roman government The Apostle is particu-
larly earnest in exhorting them to remember and
hold fast the grace of the Gospel, which their first
ministers had taught them, and to consider that
Jesus Christ was their great object, and that a re-
turn to Jewish dependencies would ruin their souls.
On the whole, we have here the most glorious views
of the Gospel, and the most distinct information of
the nature of a true adherence to it; though I see no
evidence on the face of the epistle for concluding,
that he forbad them that same occasional and pru-
dential compliance with Judaism in external obser-
+ Ib. v. 12. ↑ Ib. xii. 4.

Hleb. x. 25.

CENT.

I.

vances, which all the Apostles practised. It was the departure of the HEART from the Lord Jesus, against which he warned them. He dwells not largely on particular duties. He had not lived

much among them; and special details of practical matters came better from the pastoral pen of James.

Thus earnestly did these two Apostles instruct and warn a declining Church. But grace has its seasons! God will not always strive with man; yet the use of the epistles will remain, till time shall be

no more.

СНАР.

II.

CHAP. II.

JUDEA AND GALILEE.

THE Holy Land was divided into three provinces, JUDEA, GALILEE, and SAMARIA. This last was in a situation so peculiar, as to deserve to be considered distinctly. And of the Churches of the two former I have not much more to say, than that their state, by fair analogy, may be estimated from that of the mother-church. Indeed a strong foundation had been laid for their conversion by the ministry of John the Baptist, and by that of our Lord in the days of his flesh. The angel Gabriel had foretold of the son of Zacharias, "that many of the children of Israel he should turn to the Lord their God *." Repentance was HIS theme, and by this he prepared the way of the Lord. Jesus himself condescended in his subordinate capacity of prophet and teacher to pursue the same method, though no regular Churches were yet formed. He promised that the gift of the Holy Ghost should be vouchsafed to his disciples, and we have several intimations †, that a greater degree of success, of purity, of knowledge, and of glory, should attend his religion after he John, xiv. and xvi.

* Luke, i. 2.