2dly, That the first Christians were subject to their bishops, and guided by them in matters of religious behaviour; otherwise St. Paul had in vain given Timothy and Titus those directions for go

vernment.

3dly, That to pray to saints and angels to procure their intercession for us, is against the Apostle's doctrine, who has declared, that as there is but one God, so there is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. The Papists pretend, that they make the saints only mediators of intercession, as if they desired the saints only to pray to God for them: but their authorized catechism teaches, that the saints are to be prayed to, because "God bestows blessings on us for their merits and favour2; and their practice is accordingly, which makes the saints sharers in the mediation of redemption, and is the greatest affront and dishonour to Christ, by whose merits alone our prayers are heard.

4thly, That the doctrines of purgatory, (by which the Papists understand a purgation by torments, of such as indeed depart in the faith of Christ, but yet must suffer a temporal punishment,) and of praying for deliverance of the deceased from the torments of it, or for ease under them, are not countenanced by St. Paul's charitable prayer for Onesiphorus, whom they suppose to have been then dead; The Lord grunt unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. For, first, it does not appear certainly that Onesiphorus was then dead, from St. Paul's mentioning his house, or household only, himself possibly being then absent, and not returned from Rome to Ephesus. But, secondly, supposing him

y 1 Tim. ii. 5. Catechismus ad Parochos, pars 3. ad primum præceptum, de Invocatione Sanctorum, §. 24. multaque eorum merito et gratia in nos Deus confert beneficia, 2 Tim. i. 18. Verse 16. and chap, iv. 19.

to be then dead, St. Paul's prayer was not for deliverance from torment in the state between death and the resurrection, (which is the supposed torment of the popish purgatory,) but for mercy in that day, the same day he had before mentioned, viz. the great day of judgment. But But mercy in purgatory, if it do them any good, must be (according to their own doctrine) before that day.

5thly, That a wilful sinner vainly encourages himself from St. Paul's acknowledging that he was the chief of sinners; that being spoken not in relation to what he was then, but what he had been before his conversion to Christianity, when he was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, in opposition to the holy religion of Jesus. That was his chief sin, not an habitual practice of any vice. As to such he declared on the contrary, Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.

6thly, That blessing the table, or saying grace, that is, the craving a blessing from God on our food, and thanksgiving afterwards, is a necessary and Christian practice, encouraged by St. Paul; who hath taught us, that every creature of God is good, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God, (which hath allowed it for food",) and prayer. From the command, When thou hast eaten, and art full, thou shalt bless the Lord thy God, the Jews always say grace; as our Saviour did', he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, &c. So did also the ancient Christians";

© Verse 12.

1 Acts xxiv. 16.

d Chap. i. 15. e As verse 13. going before. 81 Tim. iv. 4, 5. h Gen. ix. 3. i Deut. viii. 10. k P. Fagius in loc. Buxtorf. Synagog. Judæorum, c. 12. Leo Modena, pars ii. c. 10. Matt. xiv. 9. m Non

prius discumbitur quam oratio ad deum prægustetur. Tertul. Apolog. c. 39.

nay, even the very Heathens had such a custom ; and the contrary practice of too many, of devouring the creatures which the good God hath made and preserved for our use, and by whose blessing it is that we are nourished and refreshed by them, without either looking up to heaven for a blessing, or returning thanks for them, is most indecent, unchristian, and atheistical.

Design of the Epistle to Philemon.

THIS Philemon is said to be a considerable person" at Coloss: he had been converted by St. Paul, as is probable from ver. 19. The occasion of this Epistle was thus; Philemon had a servant named Onesimus, who ran away from him, and in his ramble was got as far as to Rome; there St. Paul, being a prisoner, met with him, and converted him to the faith; which is the meaning of that in ver. 10. whom I have begotten in my bonds. St. Paul writes this Epistle, and sends Onesimus with it to his master Philemon : in it he rejoiceth in Philemon's persisting in the faith of Christ, and shewing so good an effect of it, by his charitable refreshing the poor Christians; but the chief design was to request Philemon to entertain once more his old servant Onesimus, and to forgive him the former injury, as one that now, being a Christian, would be the more faithful and diligent.

Observations on the Epistle to Philemon.

1st, THAT the embracing an opportunity of doing a good turn to another, (how mean soever he may be,)

n Hammond on the title.

as to soul or body, is a most Christian apostolical practice. How careful was St. Paul, first to convert this vagabond servant, and then to restore him to his master's favour.

2dly, That it is the duty of a master to forgive and be reconciled to an injurious and negligent servant, on his repentance, submission, and reformation.

Design of the Epistle to the Hebrews. THE author of this Epistle was St. Paul, as the most ancient fathers declare. He doth not indeed begin with his name, as in other Epistles, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, (as it is supposed,) for this reason, because he was made an apostle not so much of the circumcision, that is, of the Jews, (to whom this Epistle was sent,) as of the Gentiles, who were most properly his charge'. Again, we read that the author had Timothy for his companion, and wrote from Italy, and entreated the Hebrews to pray for him, that he might be restored to them the sooner; all which most agrees with St. Paul's circumstances, and manner of writing.

Lastly, In the forementioned chap. xiii. of this Epistle, he calls Timothy our brother Timothy, as it was customary with St. Paul to call him, when he wrote to others ".

By the Hebrews, are probably meant in this place those of the Jewish people who had received the faith, and lived in or near their own country Judea. Many of these were in danger of falling away upon a two

9 Du Pin of the Canon on this Epistle. Dr. Mill's Prolegom. p. 10, &c. and p. 26. r Acts xxii. 21. Rom. xi. 13.

t For

In chap. xiii. of this Epistle, verse 18. to the end. which see Philemon, verse 1. Rom. xv. 30, 31. 2 Thess. iii. 1. "2 Cor. i. 4. Col. i. 1.

fold account; either, first, being staggered by the arguments of the unbelieving Jews, who were zealous for the law of Moses, and maintained the excellency and necessity of the old legal institutions and sacrifices, which were at first appointed by God, who had wrought so many miracles among them, and sent so many prophets to direct and encourage the observation of those very ordinances, and that for so many ages past: or, secondly, because, whatever Jews were converted to Christianity, they were most bitterly persecuted, through the assistance or connivance of the Roman power, by their unbelieving brethren and countrymen; insomuch, that some had already forsaken the Christian public assemblies". Now this being the case, the Apostle labours to keep them steady in their Christian profession; to which purpose", he sets forth the excellency of Christ, as to his nature, he being the Son of God, and far above angels, according to the prophecy in the book of Psalms concerning him: that the account which hist apostles gave of him was sufficiently confirmed by signs and wonders, and divers miracles wrought by them in confirmation of their doctrine: that he took on him the nature of man in the seed of Abraham, that so by suffering death himself, he might (through the value of his precious blood) both make void the design of the devil, (to keep men under the power of eternal death,) and also by sufferings be made like unto us, and be thereby the more inclined, and the better qualified to compassionate and succour us: that he was more excellent than Moses, who indeed was faithful, yet was but like a servant in another house and though Joshua gave the Israelites rest in Canaan, yet the rest which Christ gives in heaven

y 1 Thess. ii. 14, 15. ii. iii. and iv. to verse 14. VOL. II.

z Heb. x. 25.

• In chapter i.