churches, unless it be that I myself was not burthensome 14 to you? forgive me this wrong. Behold, this third time1 I am ready to come unto you; and I will not be burthensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for 15 the children. And I will very gladly spend, and be altogether spent, for you?: though loving you most abundantly, I am less loved by you.

16

But be it so: "I did not burthen you; nevertheless be17 ing crafty, I caught you by guile *." Did I overreach you 18 by any of those whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus to

go, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus any way overreach you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked 19 we not in the same steps? Think ye that we again defend ourselves to you? before God in Christ: we speak all these3 20 things, beloved, for your edification. For I fear lest, when I come, I may not find you such as I would, and lest I may be found by you such as ye would not: lest there be contentions, envyings, wrath, strife, evil-speakings, whisperings, 21 swellings, disturbances and lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you, and I may bewail many that have heretofore sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed.

4

CH. XIII. This third time, I say, I am ready to come unto you,

By the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shall 2 be established. I have told beforehand, and I again tell beforehand (as present the second time though now ab sent) those who have heretofore sinned, and all others, 3 that, if I come again, I will not spare them: since ye seek a proof that Christ speaketh by me, who with respect to you 4 is not weak, but is powerful among you; (for though he

1 a third time, R. T. and N. 2 Gr. for your souls. God in Christ: and we do all things, &c. R. T. and N. in R. T. 5 though now absent, I write, R. T.

3 we speak before 4 "me" is wanting

* "He suggests the objection of some opponent," Newcome.

was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God; for we also are weak in him', yet we shall live with him through the power of God shown toward you ;) 5 try yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your

2

selves. Know ye not concerning yourselves, that Jesus 6 Christ is in you, unless ye be any way reprobates? But I 7 hope that ye will know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; 1 pray not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is good, and 8 that we may be as reprobates. For we cannot do any thing 9 against the truth, but we can for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak, and ye are strong; and for this we 10 pray also, even your perfection. Wherefore I write these things, being absent; lest, being present, I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me, but to edification, and not to destruction.

11

Finally, brethren, farewel. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of the same mind, live in peace and the God of 12 love and peace will be with you. Salute one another with 13 an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The favour of the 14 Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the partaking 4 of the holy spirit, be with you all. *

4 Or,

'The Alexandrian and some other copies read avv, “we are weak with him." 2 We pray, Mss. 3 Or, "Be united; comfort one another." Sn, fellowship.

* Amen. R. T. Q. d. May the true gospel of Christ (compare ch, iv. 15; vi. 1.), as distinguished from that corrupt doctrine which my opponents would introduce: and, may the love of God, which is exercised freely to all who believe and obey the gospel: and may a participation of spiritual gifts, which are the fruits of his paternal love, and the proper evidences of our adoption into his family (Rom. viii. 15, 16.), be with you all. Hence it appears, 1st, that this text does not authorise prayers to Christ; and 2dly, that it does not prove what is called the personality of the holy spirit, but the contrary.—To pray for the participation of gifts and powers is intelligible, but to pray for the participation of a person is absurd. 3dly, It is improper to use this text as a form of benediction in public assemblies, because it is improper to express a wish for a participation of those spiritual gifts which were peculiar to the apostolic age, and which have long since been withdrawn. The received text adds, The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi in Macedonia hy Titus and Luke,

THE EPISTLE

OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS.

1 PAUL,

CHAPTER I.

an apostle, (not from men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the

2 dead*,) and all the brethren that are with me, to the churches 3 of Galatia; favour be to you, and peace, from God the Fa4 ther, and from our Lord Jesus Christ; who

gave himself for our sins +, that he might deliver us from this present 5 evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6

I wonder that ye are so soon removed from him who called you into the favour [of Christ §,] to a different gospel: 7 which indeed is not another'; but there are some who trou8 ble you, and desire to alter

1 is not one and another; N.

the gospel of Christ. But

9 I pervert, N. See Wakefield.

"Not deriving my mission from other apostles, nor even from God by their appointment, but from Jesus Christ himself; and, consequently, from God his Father. Here, observe, Jesus Christ is distinguished from God, to whom he was subordinate, and by whose power, and not his own, he was raised from the dead." Dr. Priestley. It may also be observed, that the apostle's distinction is not between a man and a being of a superior order, but between men now living in the world, and who were themselves servants and messengers of Christ, and Jesus Christ himself, who had been raised from the dead, and exalted to be the head and governor of the church.

+ for our sins; igi, not dig, is the true reading. The expression is very ge neral, q. d. in relation to our sins. This is explained by the next clause.

To deliver us from this present evil age, is to deliver us from the bondage of heathen idolatry, the Mosaic ritual, and Pharisaic superstition. The apostle's expression is general, and will include all, though the latter sense is chiefly intended. See Locke.

66

§ Into the gracious covenant of the gospel," Newcome. Q. d. from the gospel of Christ to another gospel.

though we, or an angel' from heaven, preach any gospel unto you, besides that which we have preached unto you, 9 let him be accursed. As we have said already, so I now say

again; If any one preach any gospel unto you, besides that 10 which ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I

11

now approve myself to men, or to God? or do I seek to please men? [for] if I still pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

But I declare to you, brethren, that the gospel preached 12 by me is not according to man. For I neither received it. from man, nor was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus 13 Christ *. For ye have heard of my former behaviour in the

Jewish religion, that I exceedingly persecuted the church 14 of God, and laid it waste; and made a proficiency in the Jewish religion above many of the same age in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of 15 my fathers but when it pleased [God,] who separated me to the gospel from my mother's womb, and called me by his 16 favour, to reveal his son by me, that I might preach the glad

:

tidings of him among the gentiles; I did not confer immedi17 ately with flesh and blood +; nor did I go up to Jerusalem

to those that were apostles before me; but I went into Ara18 bia, and returned to Damascus. Then, after three years, I

went up to Jerusalem, that I might see Peter; and abode 19 with him fifteen days. But I saw none other of the apo20 stles, except James, the Lord's brother. (Now concerning

the things which I write unto you, behold, as in the presence 21 of God, I speak not falsely.) Afterward I went into the re22 gions of Syria and Cilicia; and I was unknown by face to 23 the churches of Judea, which were in Christ: but they had

'Or, a messenger from heaven. 2 Cephas, Mss.

q. d. from no man living upon earth, but from Christ in his exalted state. See note on ver. 1.

+ i. e. I did not consult with any man, nor derive instruction from any. See Locke.

only heard, that he, who formerly persecuted us, now 24 preached the faith which formerly he laid waste. And they glorified God because of me.

CH. II. THEN, fourteen years after', I went up again to Jeru2 salem with Barnabas, and took with me Titus also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the gentiles; but privately to those that were of reputation, lest I might run, or might 3 have run, in vain. But not even Titus, that was with me, 4 being a gentile, was compelled to be circumcised: and that because of false brethren brought in privily, who came in privily to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Je5 sus, that they might bring us into slavery: to whom we yielded by subjection, no not for an hour; that the truth of 6 the gospel might continue with you. But concerning those who appeared to be considerable, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no difference to me: God accepteth no man's person for) those I say, that appeared to be considerable *, in 7 conference added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter: 8 (for he who wrought powerfully in Peter to the apostleship

of the circumcision, wrought powerfully in me also toward 9 the gentiles ;) and when James, and Cephas, and John, that appeared to be pillars, perceived the favour which was bestowed on me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go to the gentiles, and 10 they to the circumcision: only desiring that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was earnest also to do. 11 But when Peter5 came to Antioch, I withstood him to his 12 face, because he was to be blamed ". For before some came

1 After fourteen years, N. 2 Gr. Greek. 3 Gr. from. 4 Peter and James, 5 Cephas, Mss. 6 Or, condemned, Chandler.

Mss.

"Who were really men of eminence; the Greek being equivalent to ra OVTOV TI." Newcome,