"thefe conciliating expreffions: " brethren, my "heart's defire and prayer to God for Ifrael is, that "they might be faved; for I bear them record, that "they have a zeal of God, but not according to know

ledge." Laftly, having, ch. x. ver. 20, 21. by "the application of a paffage in Isaiah, infinuated “the most ungrateful of all propofitions to a Jewish ear, the rejection of the Jewish nation as God's. “peculiar people, he haftens, as it were, to qualify "the intelligence of their fall by this interefting ex

66

e

poftulation, "Ifay then, hath God caft away bis people (i. e. wholly and entirely)? God forbid; for "I also am an Ifraelite, of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his.

cr

people which he foreknew," and follows this thought. "throughout the whole of the eleventh chapter, in " a series of reflections, calculated to footh the Jew"ish converts, as well as to procure from their Gen"tile brethren refpect to the Jewish inftitution. Now "all this is perfectly natural. In a real St. Paul,

writing to real converts, it is what anxiety to bring "them over to his perfuafion would naturally pro"duce; but there is an earneftnefs and a perfonal

e

ity, if I may fo call it, in the manner, which a "cold forgery, I apprehend, would neither have "conceived nor fupported."

Thus far this excellent writer; and undoubtedly these instances strongly confirm his conclufion; but I may add, they more ftrongly confirm the conclu

fion I am labouring to fupport; for fuch inftances of heartfelt affection, for those whofe opinions he most ftrongly oppofes-and anxious care to foften and guard every thought, and every expreffion, fo as, if poffible, not to offend, is unexampled in the writings of any man infected with the weakness, the violence, and the pride, so constantly attendant on fanaticism.

Another, not less striking inftance of St. Paul's mildness and tenderness, prefents itself in the apoftle's language to the Corinthians, amongst whom he had discovered the most atrocious inceft had been committed, and allowed to continue with impunity. On fuch an occafion a violent enthufiaft would have instantly thundered forth a ban of eternal condemnation, certainly against the individual offender, probably against the whole fociety; no expreffions would have feemed too bitter, no violence too great. Not fo the apostle; he expofes in ftrong, but calm and dignified language, the enormity of the crime, the contagion of the example, and the danger of impunity. He commands them " to put away from 65 among themselves that wicked perfon-to deliver "him over to Satan for the deftruction of the

q

I Cor. v. I.

P I Cor. v. 5.

Vid. Benfon's hiftory of the first planting of Chriflianity, vol. i. p. 53. and the notes in Dodd and Macknight. Probably, this means, deliver him over by a sentence of excommunication, to the punishment which shall be in confequence miraculously inflicted on him, by a bodily disease.

"flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of "the Lord Jefus."-But when his exhortation had produced the defired effect, when the finner had been punished, and reduced to a due fenfe of fhame and forrow for his enormous crime, and when the authority of virtue, and the facredness of religion had been thus restored, with what inimitable tenderness does the apostle speak pardon and peace to the penitent offender, and confolation to the humbled church? Out of much affliction and anguish of

ઃઃ

heart I wrote unto you, with many tears, not that (c you fhould be grieved, but that you might know "the love which I have more abundantly unto you. "If any have caufed grief, he hath not grieved me "but in part (that I may not overcharge you all); "fufficient to fuch a man is this punishment, which "was inflicted of many; fo that, contrarywife, ye "ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, "leaft, perhaps, fuch a one should be swallowed up "with overmuch forrow: wherefore, I beseech you, "that you would confirm your love towards him."

The fame epiftle to the Corinthians exhibits St. Paul, treating another fubject of the moft trying and delicate nature, with the most confummate judgment and addrefs, as well as the most perfect compofure, and the most unfeigned humility.

One or more teachers had, in the absence of the

r 2 Cor. ii.

apostle,

apostle, intruded into the Corinthian church, who laboured to undermine his character, to fubvert his authority, and establish their own influence on the ruins of both with fuch opponents, how would a wild enthusiast have combated? doubtlefs with virulent, undisguised, and unbounded condemnation, unqualified felf-applause; and above all, by denouncing against them, the immediate and irreconcileable vengeance of an offended God. Or, if we fuppofe him to have united with the heat of enthusiasm, any thing of the artifice and the fraud of impofture, this would betray itself in cunning attempts to reconcile his adverfaries, by compromife and conceffion, or to oppose calumny by calumny, and falfhood by falfhood; while attention to order and piety would be affected, merely to mask pride and avarice, contending for authority united with emolument. tally different from either of these is the spirit which pervades the writings of the apoftle. He mentions his rivals and opponents only in general terms, not naming them individually, left he fhould feem to be actuated by personal enmity, or to wish to excite against them perfonal oppofition. He reprehends the fpirit of contention and party amongst the Corinthians, not because it led them to revere an authothority different from his own, but because it led them to follow any human authority, to a degree inconfiftent with the reverence due to their common Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; and he exemplifies the unreasonableness and impiety of fuch mifplaced re

To

verence,

ce

verence, on the fuppofition of its being paid, not to another, but to himself, and fuch of his brother apostles, as he most esteemed; " for, (fays he) "while one faith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not all carnal? Who then is Paul, " and who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I "have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the "increase; fo then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God, who "giveth the increase."

In the very fame fpirit of heartfelt piety, and unfeigned humility, does he teach the Corinthians the juft degree of estimation, in which they fhould hold him, and every other minister of the gofpel; and the principle which bound them to suspend all rash judgment on their character and views, and all contention about their pretenfions and authority. Let a "man fo account of us as of the ministers of Christ, "and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, "it is required in ftewards, that a man be found

faithful; but with me it is a very small thing, that "I fhould be judged of you, or of man's judgment; yea, I judge not mine own felf, for I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; "but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord

t

SI Cor. iii. 4 to 7.

1 Cor. iv. chap. 7 first verses.

cc come,