having ftudiously inferted it, either with a view of producing an apparant agreement between them, or for any other purpose whatever.

The context, by which the circumstance before us is introduced, is in the two places totally different, and without any mark of imitation; yet in both places does the circumstance rise aptly and naturally out of the context, and that context from the train of thought carried on in the epistle.

The Epistle to the Galatians, from the beginning to the end, runs in a strain of angry complaint of their defection from the apostle, and from the principles which he had taught them. It was very natural to contraft, with this conduct, the zeal with which they had once received him; and it was not lefs fo to mention, as a proof of their former difpofition towards him, the indulgence which, whilst he was amongst them, they had fhewn to his infirmity: "My "temptation which was in the flesh ye de"fpifed not, nor rejected, but received me "as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. "Where is then the bleffedness you spake

" of,

" of, i. e. the benedictions which you be" ftowed upon me? for I bear you record, " that if it had been poffible, ye would " have plucked out your own eyes, and " have given them to me."

In the two epistles to the Corinthians, especially in the fecond, we have the apostle contending with certain teachers in Corinth, who had formed a party in that church against him. To vindicate his personal authority, as well as the dignity and credit of his miniftry amongst them, hetakes occasion (but not without apologizing repeatedly for the folly, that is, for the indecorum of pronouncing his own panegyric*) to meet his adversaries in their boastings: " Wherein" foever any is bold (I speak foolishly) I " am bold also. Are they Hebrews? so am "I. Are they Ifraelites? so am I. Are they

* " Would to God you would bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me." Chap. xi. ver. I.

"That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, " but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boaft"ing." Chap. xi. ver. 17.

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" I am become a fool in glorying, ye have compelled " me." Chap. xii. ver. 11.

"the feed of Abraham? fo am I. Are "they the minifters of Chrift? (I speak 66 as a fool) I am more; in labours more

"abundant, in ftripes above measure, in

prifons more frequent, in deaths oft." Being led to the fubject, he goes on, as was natural, to recount his trials and dangers, his inceffant cares and labours in the Chriftian miffion. From the proofs which he had given of his zeal and activity in the service of Chrift, he paffes (and that with the fame view of establishing his claim to be confidered as "not a whit behind the very chiefeft of the apostels") to the visions and revelations which from time to time had been vouchfafed to him. And then, by a close and easy connection, comes in the mention of his infirmity: "Left I should be exalted, says he, “above measure, through the "abundance of revelations, there was given "to me a thorn in the flesh, the meffenger "of Satan to buffet me."

Thus then, in both epistles, the notice of his infirmity is fuited to the place in which iis found. In the Epistle to the Corinthians, the train of thought draws up to the circum

circumstance by a regular approximation. In the epistle, it is fuggested by the subject and occasion of the epistle itself. Which obfervation we offer as an argument to prove that it is not, in either epistle, a circumstance industriously brought forward for the fake of procuring credit to an imposture.

A reader will be taught to perceive the force of this argument, who shall attempt to introduce a given circumstance into the body of a writing. To do this without abruptnefs, or without betraying marks of

defign in the tranfition, requires, he will

find, more art than he expected to be neceffary, certainly more than any one can believe to have been exercised in the compofition of these epiftles,

No. V.

Chap. iv. ver. 29.

"But as then he that

was born after the flesh perfecuted him "that was born after the fpirit, even fo is " it now."

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Chap. v. ver. 11. "And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcifion, why do I yet suffer

" perfecution? Then is the offence of the "crofs ceafed."

Chap. vi. ver. 17. "From henceforth, " let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jefus."

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From these several texts, it is apparent that the perfecutions which our apoftle had undergone, were from the hands or by the instigation of the Jews; that it was not for preaching Christianity in opposition to heathenism, but it was for preaching it as diftinct from Judaism, that he had brought upon himself the sufferings which had attended his ministry. And this representation perfectly coincides with that which refults from the detail of St. Paul's history, as delivered in the Acts. At Antioch, in Pifidia, the "word of the Lord was published through

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out all the region; but the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women and "the chief men of the city, and raised per"secution against Paul and Barnabas, and

expelled them out of their coafts."(Acts, chap. xiii. ver. 50). Not long after, at Iconium, " a great multitude of the Jews " and alfo of the Greeks believed; but the " unbe