on that occasion. But the benefit was held on condition of the strict observance in future of "all things written in the book of the law to do them." This was the character of the national covenant of God with the Jews, by which, in rejecting the Gospel, they chose to abide; and under the curse of which, as a people, they fell. This legal covenant was never intended by God to be the way of salvation to the believing children of Abraham, but was to lead them, " shut up under it till the promised seed should come," to a more practical knowledge of sin, and more ardent faith and expectation of the Saviour, shadowed forth as the Surety of a better covenant. The application of this covenant, as a "law," or directory for the attainment" of righteousness," personally to the children of Abraham, was a perversion of the carnal Jews, and overturned, in fact, their faith in the promised Saviour. It was a fatal error under the Old Testament, as well as under the New; and the pharisaical Christians, or anti-Christians of Galatia, seem to have allowed so much, and no more, to the work of a Saviour who had come, as an ancient Pharisee would, to the hope of Israel, whom he expected. I have been the more particular in dwelling upon the nature of this heresy, because of its subtle nature and wide-spreading influence in subsequent ages. We have some grounds also to infer, that, in these Christian Pharisees, we have the first instance of there being persecutors of their brethren among the professed followers of Christ'. I would further remark, that it is very important, in order to understand the history of these times, to distinguish between this heresy in the churches of Galatia, and that zeal for the law, which animated the church at Jerusalem, and generally them of the circumcision throughout the world. What the latter contended for, was, that, as belonging to the nation of the Jews, they were bound to observe all the laws and ceremonies of the Mosaic institution, as David and the prophets had done; and for this they would plead the example of our Lord himself, in the days of his flesh, and the present practice of all the apostles. But still, as Paul observes to Peter, it was their unanimous persuasion, that "we who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Gal. iv. 29; vi. 12. Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law': for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." The Galatian heretics, indeed, adopted the very same ceremonies and customs as the Hebrew Christians, but on a very different principle. To judge of the fundamental difference, we have only to compare the different conduct of the apostle on the two occasions. To conciliate the latter, as being in a harmless error, at the most, he complies with the same customs and ceremonies, and causes Timothy, though a Gentile, to be circumcised. But respecting the former, he protests, “I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." The narrative of the Acts concludes with the account of St. Paul's first journey to Rome3, and of his abode there, as a prisoner at large, for two whole years. During this period, he wrote several of his later epistles; that to the Ephesians, probably, during the first year. He calls himself the "prisoner of the Lord, an ambassador in bonds." The epistle to the Colossians, which bears a great resemblance to the former", was written at the same time, and sent by the same messenger. It appears by this epistle, that both Mark and Luke were with him at this time in Rome. He cautions the Colossians against being "spoiled by philosophy and vain deceit, against voluntary humility, and the worshipping of angels;" which are marks of the early existence of those errors, and a reference to which will more fully occupy our attention hereafter. The epistle to Philemon is referred to the same period: in this he expresses a confidence of being soon restored to his liberty. Near the termination of his confinement, he wrote to the Philippians: he " hopes to come to them himself shortly," and "will send Timothy immediately, as soon as he shall see how it will go with him." He could tell them, that what had happened to him-his being taken a prisoner to Rome, and his confinement there for two years, had been overruled for the advancement of the Gospel. The providential design of his imprisonment had been manifested in the conversion of some persons in the emperor's palace, as well as in 2 Gal. v. 2, 3, 4. 1 Gal. i. 6 Chap. ii. all other parts of the great city: he had salutations for them from "saints of Cesar's household!" In another respect, also, the spreading of the glad tidings of Christ had been advanced by the apostle's retention in bonds; it had stirred up the zeal of others, to speak the word with greater boldness. But how strange is the disclosure! "Some preached Christ of envy and strife"-" of contention, not sincerely," thinking" to add affliction to his bonds!" But still he could rejoice in it, for by this means the knowledge of Christ was further extended in the midst of the heathen world; and he seems to see, in this circumstance, a promise of his own release, that he might check the mischief of the disorder to the church itself1. He bids them beware of false teachers. Some he designates as " dogs," meaning perhaps such as he had just alluded to," who preached Christ of envy and strife," who, if they did indeed achieve a collection of the flock of Christ, were, in disposition, not like its true pastors and overseers, but like snarling and quarrelsome dogs. Some he calls " evil workers," or "bad workmen," marking their unfitness for the office they had undertaken: some," the concision," or spurious circumcision; denoting evidently the Judaizing teachers who would fain subject the Christian believer to the yoke of Jewish ceremonies, contrary to the decrees of the apostles at Jerusalem - perhaps with a view of introducing the Galatian heresy. The apostle mentions, in this epistle, his hope to be able to send Timothy to them almost immediately; and the notice in the Epistle to the Hebrews-" Our brother Timothy is set at liberty," or, rather, is sent forth," with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you," very strongly marks the author of that nameless epistle, and connects its date with that to the Philippians, about the latter end of the year sixty-three, or beginning of sixty-four. The great and leading design of this epistle, is, to lead the members of the Hebrew churches, who were all at this time zealous for the law, to a proper understanding of its true nature, as intended for a time only, to shadow forth the mysteries of the Gospel. He also prepares their minds for the issue of those national calamities, which were now so fast thickening around them, when they must behold" Zion reduced to a wilderness, Jerusalem a heap of stones; their holy and their beautiful house, where their fathers had praised God, burnt up with fire, and all their pleasant things laid waste." 1 Philip. i. 20. 2 See Dr. Hales, Lardner, and Macknight. C This naturally leads us back, to consider the state of affairs in this country, since the time that Paul was carried thence to stand at Cesar's judgment-seat. Soon after Paul was sent to Rome, Festus died in his province, and was succeeded by Albinus'. Ananus was about the same time appointed to the high priesthood by Agrippa. When Paul had escaped from their hands, the malice of the Jews was particularly directed against James, whom we find, in several places of the Acts, to have held the chief government of that church. Eusebius, indeed, in the language of a subsequent age, calls him" the bishop of the church;" and if the name, in its restricted sense, be not so ancient as the period of which we are now treating, the outlines of episcopal government in individual churches are certainly distinguishable in "James and the presbytery." James, who took the government of the church after the apostles," as Eusebius repeats after an ancient writer who immediately succeeded the apostles3, appears to have been a person most unexceptionable in the eyes of the Jews, on account of his very great strictness and zeal in the observance of some particular ceremonies of their religion: the language of this author concerning him conveys the notion that he had taken the vows of the ancient Nazarites upon him. We read of Anna, in the early part of our Lord's history, "that she departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers, night and day*;" so it is said of James, that he "frequented the temple alone, where he might be found prostrate on his knees, praying for the sins of the people." A person of this cast of character was very likely to command the respect of a superstitious people, and to divert their malignant attention, for a time, from those doctrines that he had embraced, and which taught him true holiness in the sight of God. Accordingly, he was held in great reverence with all the people, and had acquired among them the title of "the Just." The rulers of the Jews seem to have thought they could prevail with him by flattery, to stay the people in their error concerning the crucified; but he publicly, before all the multitude, confessed him to be "the Son of God, our Saviour and Lord." -"Why ask. ye me of Jesus the Son of Man, since he sitteth at the right hand of the great power in heaven, and shall come 2 Lib. ii. cap. 23. 3 1 Pearson, A.D. 63.-Hales, 63. Hegesippus. He also repeats the same story from Clement, chap. i. and it is supported by the concurrent testimony of Josephus. Luke, ii. 37. in the clouds of the air." He is answered by many among the multitude, "Hosanna in the highest to the Son of David." This leads to his immediate death: they thrust him from the elevated station in which they had placed him, and stoned him. Having recovered himself a little, he prayed on his knees: "I beseech thee, Lord God and Father, forgive them; they know not what they do." On this, one with a fuller's club beat out his brains. The account of Josephus, the contemporary historian of the Jews, agrees well with this given by Christian writers. He men tions him by the name of " James the Just, the brother of Jesus, whom they call Christ." He says, that he was "brought forth, with certain others, and delivered to be stoned;" and he ascribes this violence to the Sadducees, to which party Ananus the highpriest belonged: adding, that he seized the opportunity of the interregnum of the Roman government, between the death of Festus and the arrival of Albanus. He relates, moreover, that the more strict observers of the law, by whom he doubtless means the Pharisees, were much offended at this act of the high-priest, and complained against it; and that the people saw, in the calamities which soon befell them, the Divine vengeance for the blood of this just person. Ananus was soon after displaced for Jesus, the son of Damneus. About the time of the death of James, Jerusalem began to be a prey to those factions which never ceased but with the final destruction of the city and country. Albanus, the governor who succeeded Festus, was an abettor rather than a corrector of these disorders. "In fine," says Josephus, "there was not faith left upon earth; and the multiplicity of tyrants was evidently the foundation of a slavery to come1." Such was the situation in which Paul found his unhappy' nation, if he did reach it, as he intended, after his release from his first imprisonment at Rome. According to Dr. Hales, he left Rome about the spring of the year sixty-four, and returned thither in the end of the year, or in the beginning of sixty-five. We know it had been his intention to proceed into Spain; and an ancient author asserts the fact, that he preached in the West, and that to its utmost extent; and another, that he went to the islands of the sea, and numbers Britons and Gauls among his disciples. But the small space of time between his release and his death, and the mention of an eastern journey only, in his last ¿ Theodoret. 1 Lib. xi. 13. $2 Clemens Romanus. |