Jews to maintain unity and peace, and to cultivate that purity which comports with the character of the adopted sons of God. He sums up the reasons which should constrain the disciples in Ephesus to maintain unity and peace: for whether Jews or Gentiles, Barbarians, Scythians, bondmen or freemen, they were but one body under Christ the head; there was one spirit which animated this one body, one hope presented in the calling of both people, one Lord of both people, one faith which they mutually entertained and confessed, one immersion in which they mutually put on Christ, and renounced every other leader or chief, and one God and Father of all-Jews and Gentiles. Thus the main design of this letter is very apparent, and it all admirably comports with it, and can be easily understood when viewed in this light; but on any other hypothesis, it is dark and unintelligible.

COLOSSIANS.

THIS letter being written during the same imprisonment, for the same cause, and shortly after the preceding, is much in the same spirit, style, and design. Acts xix. 10. shows how the gospel spread through Asia. Some of the Jews of Phrygia, in which the city of Colosse was, were present in Jerusalem on Pentecost. It is devoted to the development of the same secret, and designed to illustrate the purpose declared in the preceding epistle. It puts the Colossians, whether Jews or Greeks, on their guard against the attempts of the Judaizers, whether attacking them through the law, or through that philosophy by which both Jews and Greeks were so easily captivated: and which were altogether repugnant to the spirit and design of the christian institution, and incompatible with the fulness of Christ, and their completeness in him.

PHILIPPIANS.

ACTS xvi. affords us some account of the introduction of the gospel into Philippi. Paul visited this place in his tour through Macedonia, Acts xx, After subtracting what was peculiar in the circumstances of the disciples at Philippi, the scope and design of this epistle are easily seen from a perusal of it, and already hinted in the foregoing observations on the two preceding epistles.

THESSALONIANS.

LUKE informs us in the Acts of Apostles, chapter xvii, of the introduction of the good news of the Messiah into Thessalonica. The chief topics introduced in this letter, show that its design was to animate the Thessalonians with such considerations, as might induce them boldly and constantly to persevere in the faith, which they had received and confessed amidst much persecution.— Nothing could be better calculated to produce such an effect, than the method pursued by the Apostle. His exhortations naturally proceed from what he advances on the divine original of the christian religion, which he demonstrates: 1. From the many and great miracles by which it was confirmed, chapter 1. verse 6.

2. From the character, behaviour, and views of the first promulgers of the christian faith.

3. From the purity of the doctrine and morality of the christian religion. 4. From the resurrection of Jesus.

From these topics, and from the assurance he gives of the resurrection and glorification of the saints, and the rewards to be bestowed by the author of the the christian faith, and Judge of the world, on the faithful, at his coming, he comforts the minds of the Thessalonians, and exhorts them to perseverance. Either from the person, who carried the first epistle, or from some other source, the Apostle had heard (2 Ep. iii. 11.) of the state of affairs in this con

gregation, and writes to them a second letter, predicated upon the information he had received. This letter is evidently designed to correct a mistake, which had been propagated by some false teachers, and under pretence of a letter from the Apostle Paul, purporting that the Apostle expected the end of the world, or the day of judgment, soon to arrive before that generation passed away. In correcting this mistake, the Apostle delivered some prophecies to the Thessalonians, respecting events which must transpire before the termination of this world; particularly, he predicts the grand apostacy and defection from the christian faith, which was to be of long continuance. He also heard of some disorders in this congregation. Some had given up their calling or employment, and neglected to labor for their own maintenance. These he sharply reproves, and exhorts to industry in their business. With these designs this letter appears to have been written.

TIMOTHY.

TIMOTHY was left in Ephesus by the Apostle Paul, for certain purposes, which Paul declares in the commencement of his first letter to him; and now he writes to him for the purpose of instructing him how he should proceed in Ephesus, to answer the design he had in leaving him there. In what character Timothy was left in Ephesus, and Titus in Crete, may be easily learned from the letters inscribed to them. That they were to act as agents for the Apostle is very apparent; and, that they were not ordained, as elders or bishops were usually ordained in other congregations, requires no other evidence than a superficial perusal of these letters. Timothy and Titus were to perform all those duties, which the Apostle Paul would have performed, or was commissioned to perform in his own person. The directions to Timothy in the first epistle are of a peculiar character, and suggest much useful information to christians of every age:

1. Timothy was to teach those, who were already teachers in Ephesus, not to teach differently from the Apostles. He was to charge them to desist from teaching some things, which they were teaching and countenancing in this congregation, and particularly those who were desiring to be teachers of the law.

2. Timothy was to carry on a good warfare against all, who taught differently from the Apostles.

3. He gives directions concerning the manner, in which Timothy was to have some part of the worship and edification of the congregation conducted. 4. He instructs him in the qualifications which bishops and deacons should possess.

6. He forewarns him of a great apostacy from the truth, and characterizes those who should take the lead in it.

6. He gives directions how old and young men, old and young females, widows and elders, should be treated in the congregation, and by him; how servants and masters should act towards each other; and concludes with the most solemn injunctions on Timothy, to keep that which was entrusted to him. In his second and last letter to Timothy, he touches almost all the same topics; on some of which he enlarges, and particularizes some things to which Timothy was to attend; but the leading design of both letters is the same.

TITUS.

TITUS being left by Paul in Crete, for the same purpose that Timothy was left in Ephesus, we might naturally expect, that the design of this epistle is similar to that of those to Timothy; and that the contents of this letter would much resemble those of the former two. The character of Titus and that of the Cretans, with the circumstances of both, would, on this principle, constitute the whole or chief difference between them; and such, in fact, is the letter

to Titus. When we take into view the distinguishing features of the character of Timothy and Titus, the Ephesians and Cretans, we have in one view the whole difference between the letters. It is remarkable from all these epistles, how busy the Judaizers were in preaching up the law of Moses, and how similar their course of procedure; and how constant this Apostle was in opposing them, and giving directions to others, in what manner to oppose them most successfully.

PHILEMON.

THE letter to Philemon was evidently designed as a letter of introduction for Onesimus to his master, and as a means of reconciliation between them. It is a beautiful specimen of the familiarity, which exists among christians, without in the least impairing the relations which exist in civil society.

HEBREWS.

THIS epistle, next to that to the Romans, has been considered difficult and abstruse. It is one unbroken chain of reasoning, from the first sentence to the close of the eleventh chapter.

To find out the special design of this invaluable letter, it is necessary to note down a few facts gathered from itself.

1. It was addressed to believing Jews or Hebrews, irrespective of any particular place.

2. At the time it was written, these Jews were the objects of persecution from the infidel or unbelieving Jews. This is evident from several hints in the letter, particularly chapter xii. 4. where the Apostle, after having, in a previous part of this epistle, reminded them of their former persecutions, tells them, they had not yet resisted unto blood, striving against the sin which easily beset them. In the same chapter he exhorts them to patience under chastisements, and to follow Christ with cheerfulness and resignation.

3. The intention of these persecutions, on the part of those who inflicted them, was to cause the believing Jews to renounce the christian profession, and return to Judaism. The Jews themselves being the persecutors, they could have no other object in view.

From these facts, the design of this letter is apparent. It was designed to prevent that apostacy from the christian faith, which those persecutors had in view. The infidel Jews designed by their persecutions to cause their brethren, who believed in Jesus, to renounce their profession, or confession of him as the Christ; and Paul designed by this letter to disappoint them. To understand this letter, it is necessary, that this be always kept in mind. No person can be said fully to understand what is written in it, unless he know why it is written. To be more particular in illustrating this point, it must be noticed, that the infidel Jews attacked their brethren, who confessed Jesus, in two ways-first by argument, and then by force. If they failed to convince them, that Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor, or that the Jews' religion was to be of perpetual standing, their next effort was to inflict upon them corporal sufferings, for what was called obstinacy. To understand every branch of the argument of this. epistle, it is therefore necessary, that we should know what the infidel Jews had to say, by way of argument, in support of their views of the excellency and perpetuity of the Jews' religion; for Paul meets their objections or arguments in this letter.

His method was first to demonstrate, that their arguments were inconclusive and false: and, having done this, to show that the terrors with which they clothed themselves, to induce to apostacy, were not worthy to be compared to the terrors of falling into the hands of the living God, should any be induced, through fear, to renounce the christian profession.

He thus opposes argument to argument, and terror to terror; and his arguments were just as far superior to theirs in weight and importance, as the terrors of the living God are to the terrors of men.

This is the grand key to the whole epistle. When, then, we know what arguments the Jews had to offer, in support of their darling hypothesis, we understand why the Apostle says what he says, and we understand the true import, of what he advances.

We shall, therefore, in the first place, glance at the topics from which the infidel Jews argued :—

1. That their constitution and laws were superior to the christian, was argued from the fact, that both were introduced by the ministry of heavenly messengers.

2. That their laws were faithfully represented by the writings of Moses, was argued from the fact, that Moses was a lawgiver of the utmost dignity and fidelity.

3. That their religious rites and instituted worship were most sacred, sublime, and unalterable, was argued from the divine call and consecration of Aaron to be high Priest.

4. That the covenant at Sinai embraced the Jews only as God's people; that it was established on the most excellent promises, and was to be everlasting. 5. That their temple and sacrifices were of divine appointment, and superior to any thing of the kind ever exhibited upon earth.

These items embrace all the capital points, which were advanced in the controversy, between the believing and unbelieving Jews. Now the Apostle Paul, well versed in all these questions, fully meets them, one by one, and carries his cause triumphantly in every instance. Let us now, for example, take the first and observe how he manages it.

He admits the fact, that the constitution and laws of Israel were introduced by heavenly messengers; but at the same time declares, that the God who, in times past, spoke to the fathers of the nation, had in these last days spoken by a Son, of incomparable dignity-as far superior to the heavenly messengers, as his name was superior to theirs. He, then, from their own Prophets, shows that this name son had never been conferred on any creature, however exalted; but that the name MESSENGER had been bestowed on the winds and lightnings, David being witness. They were stranded here. They could give no instance of such an humble appropriation of the term son, as he had given of the word angel or messenger. Again, he argues from the dignity of place bestowed on the Son, his incomparable superiority: "To which of the heavenly messengers did he say, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool?" They were silenced again. Nay, with all their dignity of name and office, they were the ministers or servants of this very Jesus, sent by him on errands to the humblest of his followers. Thus he carries the first point. After having shown the superior dignity of the christian institution, from the very fact on which the Jews gloried so much; (and especially from this consideration, that, dignified as the heavenly messengers were, God had not employed or entrusted them in introducing the christian institution, but had shown in the contrast, that the christian institution was just as far superior to the Jewish, as the dignity of God's own Son was to the dignity of God's merc servants, though of heavenly origin and standing)—the Apostle next delivers to the Hebrews, that believed him, certain exhortations, arising from his own conclusions in the first branch of the argument. Thus we see why the Apostle introduced these topics, and we understand what he said upon them.

In the same masterly manner he takes up Moses, Aaron, the tabernacle, covenant, sacrifices, and even their altars; and not only rebuts all conclusions, but gains many proofs of the superior and incomparable lustre and dignity of the christian system.

Moses, as a servant in another's house; Christ, as a son over his own house; Aaron, a high priest, made without an oath, by a law which expressed weaknesses and defects, and limited the times of service; Jesus, of the order of Melchisedec, made by an oath, since the Levitical order was introduced, and consecrated a priest forever, by virtue of the power of an endless life; the tabernacle but a shadow, and the sacrifices but a type of one real sacrifice, which puts an end to all sin offerings; a covenant established on better promises, and of unalterable provisions, and an altar, to which those who officiated according to the law, had not access; and a rest in heaven superior to that in Canaan, &c. &c. These are the points on which the Apostle argues, and by which he silences the infidel Jews, and from which he encourages, cheers, and enlivens the persecuted christians.

On the terrors of apostacy he is equally triumphant. Confiscation, or loss of goods, imprisonment, bodily tortures, and a cruel death, were the strong arguments of the infidel Jews, when their sophistry failed. But Paul is before them here, as much as he is in argument. He lays before the Jews the most tremendous instance of apostacy, which their history afforded; the people who fell in the wilderness, to whom God swore that they should not enter in, because of unbelief. God had caused glad tidings of a rest in Canaan to be proclaimed to this people. They commenced their pilgrimage thitherward. They were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; they eat the manna, and drank the water which prefigured Christ, and yet cast away their confidence in God's promise; and, although he had done so much for them, in his wrath he swore, that into Canaan they should not go.

Again he shows, that it is impossible to renew again by a reformation, those who apostatized from the christian profession, by any arguments which the religion had to offer: for if, after having heard them all, and partaken of them, they should, from cowardice, deny and renounce their confidence in the promises of God, when thus fallen away, there was no new topic, which could be presented to take hold of their minds;-that, if they wilfully apostatized, after they had received the knowledge of the Christian faith, there was no sacrifice by which to expiate their guilt. In vain the Jewish sin offerings, in vain all oblations, if the sacrifice of Christ were renounced. The sin of apostacy was a sin, inducements to which were presented both to the hopes and fears of Christians. The virtue of constancy in the christian profession, of holding fast the begun confidence, unshaken to the end of life, was presented to the Hebrews with stronger, inexpressibly stronger appeals, than the Judaizers had to offer. That God had no pleasure in them at apostatized; that it was a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; that the God of Christians was a consuming fire; that vengeance belong to him--were the awful terrors by which the Apostle guarded these Christians against sin.

He very pertinently concludes his argument, by laying before them a cloud of witnesses to the virtue of perseverance. He shows the reputation, which the ancient worthies obtained, by holding fast their persuasion and confidence in the promises of God; and reminds the Hebrews of their sorrows and sufferings, of their conflicts and triumphs in the cause; and concludes the whole argument with an appeal to the author and perfecter of the Christian faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and who thus ascended to a throne. Lest they should faint in their minds amidst persecutions, he reminds them of him, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself; and tells them, that although they had suffered much, they had not suffered so much as others, who had resisted to blood rather than cast away their confideuce, which had great recompense of reward. Such is the design and scope of the letter to the Ilebrews. Neither it, nor the letter to the Romans, was written as a treatise of divinity, or as an abstract of the Christian system. They are both practical letters of instruction, and contain