cerning which he possessed a clear, intimate, and circumstantial knowledge.

1. The history, in giving an account of St. Paul after his conversion, relates "that, after many days," effecting, by the assistance of the disciples, his escape from Damascus," he proceeded to Jerusalem." (Acts, ix. 25.) The epistle, speaking of the same period, makes St. Paul say that he went into Arabia," that he returned again to Damascus, that after three years he went up to Jerusalem. i. 17, 18.

2. The history relates that, when Saul was come from Damascus," he was with the disciples coming in and going out." (Acts, ix. 28.) The epistle, describing the same journey, tells us "that he went up to Jerusalem to "see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days." i. 18.

3. The history relates that, when Paul was come to Jerusalem," Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles." (Acts, ix. 27.) The epistle, that he saw

Peter; but other of the apostles saw he none, save "James, the Lord's brother.” i. 19.

Now this is as it should be. The historian delivers his account in general terms, as of facts to which he was not present. The person who is the subject of that account, when he comes to speak of these facts himself, particularizes time, names, and circumstances.

4. The like notation of places, persons, and dates, is met with in the account of St. Paul's journey to Jerusalem, given in the second chapter of the epistle. It was fourteen years after his conversion; it was in company with Barnabas and Titus; it was then that he met with James, Cephas, and John; it was then also that it was agreed amongst them, that they should go to the circumcision, and he unto the Gentiles.

5. The dispute with Peter, which occupies the sequel of the second chapter, is marked with the same particularity. It was at Antioch; it was after certain came from James; it was whilst Barnabas was there, who was carried away by their dissimulation. These examples negative the insinuation, that the epistle presents nothing but indefinite allusions to public facts.

Chap. iv. 11-16. "bestowed upon you be as I am, "injured me at all.

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you,

No. IV.

"I am afraid of you, lest I have labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech for I am as ye are. Ye have not Ye know how, through infirmity of "the flesh, I preached the gospel unto you at the first; "and my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised "not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, " even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been "possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, "and have given them to me. Am I therefore become "your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

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With this passage compare 2 Cor. xii. 1—9: “It is "not expedient for me, doubtless, to glory. I will come "to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man "in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, "I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; "God knoweth); such an one caught up to the third "heaven and I knew such a man (whether in the body "or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth), how "that he was caught up into paradise, and heard un"speakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to Of such an one will I glory, yet of myself I "will not glory, but in mine infirmities: for, though I "would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will

"utter.

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say the truth. But now I forbear, lest any man should "think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or "that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted "above measure, through the abundance of the revela"tions, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the "messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be ex"alted above measure. For this thing I besought the "Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he "said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my "strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly "therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

There can be no doubt but that "the temptation which "was in the flesh," mentioned in the Epistle to the Galatians, and “the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of "Satan to buffet him," mentioned in the Epistle to the Corinthians, were intended to denote the same thing. Either therefore it was, what we pretend it to have been, the same person in both, alluding, as the occasion led him, to some bodily infirmity under which he laboured; that is, we are reading the real letters of a real apostle ; or, it was that a sophist, who had seen this circumstance in one epistle, contrived, for the sake of correspondency, to bring it into another; or, lastly, it was a circumstance in St. Paul's personal condition, supposed to be well known to those into whose hands the epistle was likely to fall; and, for that reason, introduced into a writing designed to bear his name. I have extracted the quotations at length, in order to enable the reader to judge accurately of the manner in which the mention of this particular comes in, in each; because that judgment, I think, will acquit the author of the epistle of the charge of having studiously inserted it, either with a view of producing an apparent agreement between them, or for any other purpose whatever.

The context, by which the circumstance before us is introduced, is in the two places totally different, and without any mark of imitation; yet in both places does the circumstance rise aptly and naturally out of the context, and that context from the train of thought carried on in the epistle.

The Epistle to the Galatians, from the beginning to the end, runs in a strain of angry complaint of their defection from the apostle, and from the principles which he had taught them. It was very natural to contrast, with this conduct, the zeal with which they had once received him; and it was not less so to mention, as a proof of their former disposition towards him, the indulgence which, whilst he was amongst them, they had shown to his infirmity : My temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then

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"the blessedness ye spake of," i. e. the benedictions which you bestowed upon me?" for I bear you record, that if "it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your "own eyes, and have given them to me."

In the two Epistles to the Corinthians, especially in the Second, we have the apostle contending with certain teachers in Corinth, who had formed a party in that church against him. To vindicate his personal authority, as well as the dignity and credit of his ministry amongst them, he takes occasion (but not without apologizing repeatedly for the folly, that is, for the indecorum of pronouncing his own panegyric*) to meet his adversaries in their boastings: [xi. 21..23.] "Whereinsoever any is "bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also. Are they He"brews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they the "ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; "in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in "prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." Being thus led to the subject, he goes on, as was natural, to recount his trials and dangers, his incessant cares and labours in the Christian mission. From the proofs which he had given of his zeal and activity in the service of Christ, he passes (and that with the same view of establishing his claim to be considered as [xi. 5.] "not a whit behind the very "chiefest of the apostles") to the visions and revelations which from time to time had been vouchsafed to him. And then, by a close and easy connection, comes in the mention of his infirmity: "Lest I should be exalted," says he, "above measure, through the abundance of the "revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, "the messenger of Satan to buffet me."

Thus then, in both epistles, the notice of his infirmity is suited to the place in which it is found. In the Epistle to the Corinthians, the train of thought draws up to the "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly, " and indeed bear with me." xi. 1.

*

"That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it "were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting." xi. 17.

11.

"I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me.” xii.

circumstance by a regular approximation. In this epistle, it is suggested by the subject and occasion of the epistle itself. Which observation we offer as an argument to prove that it is not, in either epistle, a circumstance industriously brought forward for the sake of procuring credit to an imposture.

A reader will be taught to perceive the force of this argument, who shall attempt to introduce a given circumstance into the body of a writing. To do this without abruptness, or without betraying marks of design in the transition, requires, he will find, more art than he expected to be necessary, certainly more than any one can believe to have been exercised in the composition of these epistles.

Chap. iv. 29.

No. V.

"But as then he that was born after "the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, 66 even so is it now."

v. 11. "And I, brethren, if I yet preach circum"cision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the "offence of the cross ceased."

vi. 17. From henceforth, let no man trouble me, for "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."

From these several texts, it is apparent that the persecutions which our apostle had undergone, were from the hands or by the instigation of the Jews; that it was not for preaching Christianity in opposition to heathenism, but it was for preaching it as distinct from Judaism, that he had brought upon himself the sufferings which had attended his ministry. And this representation perfectly coincides with that which results from the detail of St. Paul's history, as delivered in the Acts. At Antioch in Pisidia, the word of the Lord was published throughout all the "region; but the Jews stirred up the devout and honour"able women and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled "them out of their coasts." (Acts, xiii. 50.) Not long

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