jection to the Gospel of Christ which you profess; and subjoins the following Note: « Επι τη ὑποταγή της ομολογίας ύμων εις το έναγο giov, expresses not merely a professed subjection to the Gospe!, but a real subjection to the Gospel which was professed; which sense I thought it necessary to preserve by a change in the version." The subjection of your confession, or profession, is the literal rendering of the original phrase. But, as Beza remarks, this is a Hebraism for that subjection which you profess. The Apostle stimulates the Corinthians to the work of beneficence by the consideration that their necessitous fellow-Christians, whose wants they supplied, would glorify God on their behalf, when they saw this satisfactory proof of their undissembled faith and obedience of the Gospel. NOTE LXX. Page 370. line 26. It is of importance to consider, that true Christians, notwithstanding that external obscurity and deformity which often conceals the excellence of their character from the carnal eye, are spiritually beautiful; and beyond question, their spiritual beauty consists chiefly in "the hidden man of the heart." Yet the holy principles and dispositions within never fail to produce corresponding effects on the external behaviour; and when the Church represents herself as resembling" the curtains of Solomon," she probably refers to those beauties of holiness which adorned both her heart and her conduct. —“ I am black,” says she, "but comely; as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." According to Harmer, "curtains" are to be understood here as synonymous with "tents;" for in the East curtains were not commonly used in beds, and eastern princes often caused elegant tents to be prepared for their residence during the heats of summer. In this verse, then, the Bride acknowledges, that, owing to her swarthy complexion occasioned by the burning rays of the sun, she was black like the tents of Kedar, or of the wild Arabs, whose tents were made of black goat's hair. She asserts, nevertheless, that she is comely as the curtains of Solomon's tents, which were no doubt singularly magnificent.+ The Church of Christ is comely through his comeliness put upon her: for she is not only invested with that robe of righteousness which he wrought out for her justification; but also sanctified in heart and life, and beautified with a rich variety of graces, by the power of his Holy Spirit. Fam. Expos. in loc. + Harmer's Outlines of a Commentary on Solomon's Song, Part iii. p. 186. et seq. NOTE LXXI. Page 337. line 1. The LUCIFERIANS were the followers of Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia, a man of prudence, austerity, and courage, who was banished by the Emperor Constantius for having defended the Nicene doctrine concerning the three Persons in the godhead. They scrupulously avoided all fellowship with those Bishops that had declared themselves in favour of the Arians, and even with those who consented to the absolution of such as repented of their error. Their firmness in maintaining the true Divinity of Christ against the oppugners of that essential doctrine was highly laudable; but Jerome deemed it requisite to chastise the overflowings of their zeal.* NOTE LXXII. Page 377. line 12. The Author's observations relative to the coincidence of the article of the COMMUNION OF SAINTS with the one immediately preceding, appear to be just. It is also an undoubted fact, that several centuries had elapsed before this article was inserted in the Creed. A more particular account of its not appearing in ancient Creeds than that given by Witsius, may be found in Pearson. It was introduced, as ecclesiastical historians suppose, about the end of the fourth Century; and it is a probable conjecture, that its introduction was occasioned by the deplorable schism of the Donatists, of whom some short notices were given above. ‡ This conjecture is expressed in Lord King's History of the Creed.-The same author mentions the following, as some of the methods anciently employed for maintaining mutual fellowship and intercourse between the several churches and congregations of the faithful. § 1st, Communicatory letters-including the letters which Bishops mutually exchanged, recognising each other in their official capacity; and letters of recommendation given to travelling Christians, which proeured their admission to communion with all the churches through which they passed. These last are called by Tertullian, the communication of peace, the title of brotherhood, and the common mark of hospitality. 2dly, Several practices relating to discipline. Notwithstanding differences in minor points among the churches, a regard to harmony and good order, in general, so far prevailed, that whoever was baptized or ordained in one church, was not required *See Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. Cent. iv. Part 2. chap. 3. Art. ix. p. 351. NOTE LXVI. VOL. II. 4 D 41. to be re-baptized or re-ordained, when, in providence, he was obliged to become a member of another. Besides, whoever was legally and justly censured by any one church, was not schismatically countenanced and supported by others. Our Author's illustration of the Communion of Saints, though concise, is pleasant and instructive. Pearson, too, has good remarks on this subject. He adverts to the communion which the saints have with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with holy angels, with saints on earth, and saints in heaven. The communion which saints have with each other in this world, is no doubt the topic principally intended; and it were much to be wished that the faith of Christians respecting this point increasingly appeared in their brotherly love to one another, and in their readiness to discharge the important duties arising from the intimate and endearing bonds by which they are united. A number of plain, but very judicious and useful hints on this subject are contained in Boston's Discourses on "The Unity of the Body of Christ, and the Duties the Members owe to one another." It was not intended to introduce here any discussion of the keenly agitated questions relative to the extent to which Christians ought to hold church-fellowship with each other, in the various institutions of religion. NOTE LXXIII. Page 392. Our Author, referring to a remarkable passage in the book of JOB, observes, that CHRIST is introduced making intercession in these words, "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." This too is the interpretation which Scultet and Cocceius adopt; nor is it utterly improbable. The expression carries some appearance of the language of earnest intercession; and Christ might be said to have found a ransom, as he has expiated sin and effected redemption by his own blood. It seems better, however, with Cartwright and Pool,† to consider these words as spoken by God the Father. "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness; Then He is gracious unto him," i. e. GOD, whose agency in his dispensations towards man is strikingly described in the whole context, discovers the riches of his grace, "and saith, Deliver-." With peculiar propriety may the Father be represented as saying, "I have found a ransom;" for the propitiation by which we are redeemed is not the Pool's Synopsis, in loc. + Annotations, in loc. invention of men or angels, but the contrivance of God only.* When the Father says, "Deliver," the expression might be understood as intended merely to intimate in general, that he commands deliverance for the perishing sinner. On the supposition that this is an order directed particularly to the "messenger," and that by the messenger we are to understand a human prophet or teacher, the phrase is nei ther incongruous in itself, nor foreign to scriptural modes of expression; for, in reference to the part which they act as the heralds and instruments of salvation, the ministers of God are often spoken of as saving, or delivering, the souls of men. But if it be admitted, as assuredly it ought, that the Messiah himself is chiefly and ultimately intended by the Messenger, the Interpreter, one among a thousand; it is with the most evident propriety that the Father is introduced as authorizing Him to dispense the blessings of this great deliverance to the guilty. See our Author's illustration of Job xxxiii. 23, 24. in his Treatise on the Covenants, where he explains the words, "Deliver him from going down to the pit,"-first, as the words of Christ interceding with the Father; and then, as the words of the Father to Christ; and concludes with remarking, that each of these interpretations supplies an excellent sense. NOTE LXXIV. Page 393. The verse, of which a part is here quoted by the Author, is strikingly expressed-" Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." XugoygaQov, the handwriting, literally signifies a schedule, or note under a man's hand, by which he acknowledges a debt. When the Apostle speaks of Christ's blotting out the handwriting, taking it out of the way, and nailing it to his cross, he alludes, by a beautiful gradation, to the various ways of cancelling a debt-bond; one of which was striking a nail through it on a post in a public place. "The handwriting in ordinances" refers particularly to the ceremonial law. According to some interpreters, this handwriting is spoken of as having been "against us, and contrary to us," merely as it excluded the Gentiles from the privileges of the Jews, "being a middle-wall of partition, hindering from coming to God, and putting an enmity between them od's people, which Christ hath taken away by abolishing and 1 Cor. ii. 7. + Dan. xii. 3. Ephes. iii. 10. John xx. 23. 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. 1 Tim. iv. 16. ployed, as Schleusner remarks, to signify any kind of assembly, confused or regular, political or sacred. The observation of Witsius, that it is used in the Septuagint to denote an assembly of Israelites, which was called together to one place from all parts of Judea to celebrate the solemn festivals, might easily be confirmed by producing instances of this application, as in Deut. iv. 10. xviii. 16. Neh. xiii. 1. In this sense, too, it is used by Stephen, Acts vii. 38.† But in the New Testament, it is generally applied to the Christian church, and her assemblies. That it sometimes designates particular communities of Christians, as when we read of the church at Jerusalem, Acts viii. 1. and the church at Corinth, 1 Cor. i. 2. is commonly admitted. But whether it is ever employed in holy writ to signify a meeting of the rulers or directors of a religious society, has been the subject of keen dispute. Schleusner mentions collegium presbyterorum, a college of presbyters, as one of its senses, and refers to Walaus. In his note on Mat. xviii. 17. Dr Campbell affirms, that it would be contrary to all the rules of criticism to suppose that our Lord used this term to denote only a few heads or directors. This opinion, however, has been ably, if not successfully, combated in some learned and ingenious papers, subscribed T. T. which appeared in the Christian Repository. ‡ NOTE LXIV. Page 350. line 14. The word Пaryvęs, Panegyris, occurs nowhere in the New Tes tament except in Heb. xii. 23, where it is employed with beautiful propriety." This word," says Macknight, " signifies a great concourse of people drawn together from all quarters on some public and joyful occasion, such as a religious festival; annual games; a great market or fair."§." Both the words here used," says Dr Owen, πανήγυρις and ἐκκλησια, are borrowed from the customs of those ci ties whose government was democratical, especially that of Athens, whose speech was the rule of the Greek language. Ilavnyveis was the solemn assembly of all persons of all sorts belonging unto the city, where they were entertained with spectacles, sacred festivals, solemnities, and laudatory orations. Aoyos mamyugixos (a panegyrical speech) is a commendatory oration. Hence is the word used for any great general assembly, as we here translate it, with respect to praise and joy. In these assemblies no business of state was transacted."|| * Greek Lexicon, on the word. + See Doddridge's Note on that verse, Vol. iii. sect. 15. Vol. ii. pp. 461-465, 542-545, 724-731. § Commentary, in loc. Exposition of the Hebrews, in loc. |