Jefus Chrift, whom he fent, will need no further proof of his being constituted an apostle by God the Father, than that he was fo by Jefus Chrift. But we are further affured, that all power in heaven and earth is committed into the hand of Christ, and he is given in a special manner to be the head over all things to his church. So that whatever the Father does there, is done by this his beloved Son, to whom it is given to have life in himself, even as himself has it.

We do not find our Apostle any where in this epiftle directly telling the Galatians how or when he was conftituted an apostle by Jefus Chrift. This, we have reason to think, they had been informed of while he was among them, and that he refers to it in what he here fays of God raising him from the dead. And if he faw Jefus after his refurrection and ascenfion, when he was fet down on the right hand of the majefty on high, glorified with that glory which he had with the Father before the foundation of the world, he was every way as well qualified to be an apostle and a witness for him as any of them, and had good reason to say, "he

was

66 was not a whit behind the very chiefeft "of them;" nay, and that he had a very peculiar pre-eminence, as he had seen him in his glory. And thus he did fee him on his way to Damafcus, and thereafter when he was fent away from Jerufalem, and exprefsly commiffioned by him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, as we find him declaring, Acts xxii. 17. et. feqq. To which ministry Barnabas and he were afterward folemnly separated by order of the Holy Spirit.

That the Galatians might have no room to imagine, as their new teachers were ready to fuggest to them, that Paul was fingular in what he wrote to them, he very judiciously joins with himself, verf. 2. the brethren who were with him as of the fame fentiments. Did we know, as no doubt they did, where he was, and who were with him there when he wrote this epistle, we might be better able to judge of the weight their concurrence was likely to have with them. The word brethren is very comprehenfive. It is a title which belongs to all who believe in Jefus Chrift; and may well be constructed to intimate

to

to them, that the whole church where he then was, were of one mind in these things.

The epiftle is directed, not to the church, but the churches of Galatia. The country which went under that name was of no great extent; by which it would feem, either that the Apostle had no notion of national churches, or that they were not then united in that manner. But what is of more moment to be observed is, that though they were corrupted to a great degree, not only in circumftantial points, but even in those which were most fundamental; even fuch as he calls another Spel, and which could not be admitted without falling from grace, and making Christ useless; he still addreffes them as churches, calls them brethren, a term yet more tender and affectionate; when thoughtless zealots would have lifted up a standard of divifion, and raised the cry, "Come out from among them."

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Hence we may obferve, that it is not falling into error by mistake or feduction, but incorrigible obftinacy therein, in oppofition to divine evidence laid before them, that extinguishes the Christian character.

VOL. III.

C

So

So far from this fpirit was our holy Apostle, that we find him expreffing his falutation in the very fame terms he uses to the pureft churches, and those where he had nothing to blame; but, on the contrary, whom he gives the highest commendations to: Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and Jefus Christ our Lord. Whether we confider this as a folemn prayer for them, or rather as an apoftolical benediction, it carries in it the highest good that can enter into the heart of man to defire. Grace, in the first and most natural meaning of the word, denotes free unmerited favour, entertained and manifested by a fuperior to one greatly below him, who could have no fort of pretenfions to it and the higher and more exalted station the superior stands in, and the lower and viler the party is to whom the favour is fhown, the greater the grace. In this view, the divine grace muft, like its author, be abfolutely infinite. The Apostle has given us the nearest prospect we can take of it: "Where fin abounds,

grace fuperabounds;" and goes greatly beyond it. But the favour or grace of God is not like that of man, which often

1

proves barren and fruitless. It carries in it all the good the creature is capable of receiving; and every gift bears the name of the great original, and is called a favour, or grace; and when peace is joined with grace, they carry in their import every thing that can make the creature happy, and give the highest fatisfaction, pleasure, and joy; as we find the oracle given by the Lord to this fame Apostle on a very preffing occafion, ftates it, 2 Cor. xii. 9. "My grace is fufficient for thee; "for my strength is perfected in weak"nefs."

Such is the grace and peace the Apostle here fets before the Galatians; for it is that which comes from God the Father, and Fefus Christ our Lord. He traces it to its original: For "all things are of God," 2 Cor. v. 18. In him who is love, all grace takes its rise; but it cannot reach finners, fuch as all Adam's children are, but through Jefus Christ. Where-ever he is overlooked, the view must be incomplete, and the medium of conveying it loft; for the great foundation on which only it stands, and by which we can have any assurance of it, or benefit by it, will