also go away?" to which doubtless our Lord neither expected to receive an answer in the affirmative, nor did he receive such. I have used the word fable in allusion to 2 Pet. ch. 1. 16.; but the literal rendering would be " in it”.

V. 3. "Christ died for our sins". -This may be inferred as implied in the subjoined expressions "according to the Scriptures"; see Isaiah, ch. LIII. The references in the New Testament to the prophecies of the Old, seemed to be designed to suggest them to us as the proper sources to go to for such explanations. (See ch. XIII. 12. n. 11.) By making this the fundamental point of the scheme of redemption, St. Paul clearly taught that all men are sinners, and that they must cease from sin; that is, he preached both faith and works, conformably to what he says in his Epistle to Titus, ch. III. 8. And I think that it is to this circumstance in his preaching that he alludes, in the former verse, in the phrase Tv λoyw in what terms.

V. 4. " According to the prophetic declaration of the Mosaic scriptures"; See Jonah, ch. 1. 17. and compare Matt. ch. XII.

39, 40.

V. 5. "To him and the other apostles jointly"; rois dudenaThis phrase seems to have been used to denote, not the exact number, but the collective body of the apostles, who were still so styled though reduced to eleven after Judas' death, and though all might not be present; as I think was the case here, since an appearance to all the apostles is more particularly mentioned in v. 7. Probably it was the appearance on the evening of the day when our Lord arose; at which time Thomas was absent. (See John, ch. xx. 19—24.) It seems to be contrasted with the separate appearance to Peter, as that in v. 7. is to the separate one to James.

This

V. 7. "To the whole assembly of the apostles"would seem to be the last appearance before the ascension. See Luke, ch. xxiv. 50, 51.

V. 8. In comparison with the other apostles,"I have in"In serted these words, because I agree with those who think that this is the proper import here of the article rw. It is in this sense that St. Paul peculiarly designates himself as "the immature birth.”

V. 9. I. "How long I had resisted the evidence of its truth", -Paul was probably between thirty and forty years old at the time of his conversion.

II. "I am the least of the apostles","

What St. Paul says

in reproach of himself in this and the next clause, I apprehend is not done vaguely, but with due consideration, and a precise meaning. And I thus explain it. As according to my view of the subject of faith in the gospel, it is the necessary result of correct moral feelings (See Discourses on the Apostolical Commission, Disc. 4.), I think that St. Paul might consider his not having readily perceived the intrinsic excellence of our Lord's character and doctrine, and so been at once inclined to assent to the truth of his mission, as no small imputation on the disposition of his own mind. But then, a distinction is to be made between his rejection of Christianity as a Jew, and the rejection of it by any other infidel who had not already a divine revelation which he might suppose incompatible with it, and to which he adhered as of superior authority. In a comparison with such a one, he would not have been justified in thus abasing himself. But in a comparison with other Jews who, though in the same circumstances as himself, had promptly embraced the faith, he might properly regard himself as inferior in moral feeling, candour, and judgment. And as this, it would seem, had been done by the other apostles (see Matt. ch. 1x. 9. Luke, ch. v. 1-28.), he considered himself in these respects, strictly speaking, as the least of them all. See the next note.

III. "One who is unworthy of the name of an apostle, since formerly, through a blind zeal for Judaism, I even persecuted," &c.

-If the rejection of Christianity made Paul regard himself as

inferior to the other apostles, he would naturally consider the persecution of the professors of a pure and inoffensive religion as a much greater fault; and the phrase here might be used, in a general way, to signify a still greater expression of inferiority. But as in the case of the former one, I think a more particular sense is to be given to it, and that it was intended to intimate that he was by the intemperance of character which he had previously exhibited, disqualified for the office of an apostle, and was rendered capable of sustaining it only by a most powerful miraculous counteraction of that disposition in him. And certainly a furiousness of zeal, however well meant, is quite inconsistent with the proper character of a Christian minister, entrusted as he is with the delivery of a most mild and merciful message of reconciliation from God to man. For as St. James observes, "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." ch. 1. 20. But it may be said that a change had taken place in Paul's character, and that his feelings were now entirely under the control of his judgment. That this was the case will be admitted, since it is evident from the history of his ministry, and even from the conciliatory language throughout this Epistle. But yet as he had formerly so greatly erred, he did not think it right to assume any thing on that ground; and therefore he only modestly observes, "but by the grace of God I am what I am". Let me however remark that if we find ourselves called upon to acquiesce in the justness of St. Paul's statement, in derogation of himself; let us, at the same time admire his candour and humility in making the declaration. And, moreover, let us do him the justice to recollect that, in other respects, he was eminently qualified for the apostolical office-most especially so, by an undeviating rectitude of mind: that though once a persecutor of Christians, he was not so from an unworthy, but a conscientious motive, "having at all times exercised himself to have a conscience void of offence, toward God and toward men." Acts, ch. xxiv. 16. But also, let his error be a warning to us. If a person of Paul's judgment and integrity was misled by passion, others may well fear to be so, and ought to be rendered cautious by it. But they need not be made lukewarm ;

for St. Paul's own history subsequently to his conversion, will supply them with an example of well-directed, fervent, constant, and unabating Christian zeal, which they may most beneficially take as a subject for imitation in their own conduct.

V. 10. 1. "The mercy and spiritual power of God,".

I.

These two circumstances seem to be included in the original term Xagis, which signifies generally the favour of God towards him. By the first he was arrested in his career of infidelity, and by the second qualified for the apostleship.

II. "Laboured in promoting the gospel abundantly more than all the other apostles;". This I think alludes to St. Paul's peculiar commission.

V. 11. "We all preach the above great truths of Christ's death for our sins, and his resurrection ;"This must have been so, with whatever degree of clearness and accuracy the nature and effects of the crucifixion might be understood by the other apostles or by the disciples, before St. Paul's preaching; since the doctrine itself is founded on the antient scriptures. See v. 3. But if, as I believe to have been the case, the other apostles received the full knowledge of it through St. Paul, there is much to admire in the modest manner in which he expresses the uniformity of their preaching.

-This

V. 12. "Some who live among you" TIVES EV IV. phrase I apprehend signifies not Christians, but the philosophers of Corinth, whose opinions, we may presume, were reported in the Corinthian letter.

V. 14. "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is without an object," &c.Christ, it will be remembered, is, personally, the essence of his religion. See ch. 1. 13., and the note.

V. 17. I. "A Redeemer from the power of sin and death"

-See 1 John, ch. 111. 5-8. 2 Tim. ch. 1. 10. See also Gen. ch. 111. 15., where the Messiah is predicted as the seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head.

II. "You are, as you will admit, still under the power of sin" -See 1 John, ch. 1. 8.

V. 20. I. "Christ has been raised.".

This account of the

resurrection from this verse to the twenty-eighth inclusively, is judiciously introduced to obviate any apparent admission even momentary of the truth of the preceding observation.

66

II." According to the type of him in the wave-offering," &c. -See Lev. ch. xxIII. 9-14. It is generally supposed that the Apostle by the use of the word anag in this verse, alludes to the offering to God of the first fruits in the Jewish harvest, which, it appears, was not to be eaten until that offering had been made. Without it, therefore, there would be no harvest. And this corresponds to the case of Christ, according to St. Paul's argument concerning the resurrection, which is evidently grounded on the resurrection of Christ as the foundation of all reasoning on the subject. And as the Mosaic dispensation was throughout typical of the Christian, it seems highly probable that such was the allusion.

V. 21. I. "And this," &c.- -This previous remark is implied by the use of the conjunction yag in this verse. And it is ́so left as it may be easily deduced, if we consider, from the previous verse, that as "the first fruits" are the head and source of the harvest, so, Christ is of the future resurrection (which would be the more evident if we suppose an allusion to the Jewish harvest, as mentioned in the last note), and apply this reflection to what follows in this verse. See the next note.

II. "By the act of man death has been produced,".

that is,