more than his crime, his flight, or the place or time of his converfion. The story therefore of the epistle, if it be a fiction, is a fiction to which the author could not have been guided, by any thing he had read in St. Paul's genuine writings.

Ver. 4, 5.

'No. III.

"I thank my God, making "mention of thee always in my prayers;

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hearing of thy love and faith, which thou "haft toward the Lord Jefus, and toward "all faints."

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Hearing of thy love and faith." This is the form of speech which St. Paul was wont to use towards those churches which he had not feen, or then visited; see Rom. chap. i. ver. 8; Ephef. chap. i. ver. 15; Col. chap. i. ver. 3, 4. Toward thofe churches and persons, with whom he was previously acquainted, he employed a different phrase; as, "I thank my God always on your behalf,” 1 Cor. chap. i. ver. 4; 2 Theff. chap. i. ver. 3; or, upon every remembrance of you," Phil. chap. i. ver. 3; 1 Theff. chap. i. ver. 2, 3; 2 Tim.

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Bb 3

3; 2 Tim. chap.i. ver. 3; and never speaks of hearing of them. Yet, I think, it must be concluded, from the nineteenth verse of this epistle, that Philemon had been converted by St. Paul himself; "Albeit, I do not fay to "thee, how thou oweft unto me even thine "ownfelf befides." Here then is a peculiarity. Let us enquire whether the epiftle supplies any circumstance which will account for it. We have feen that it may be made out, not from the epiftle itfelf, but from a comparison of the epiftle with that to the Coloffians, that Philemon was an inhabitant of Coloffe; and it farther appears, from the epiftle to the Coloffians, that St. Paul had never been in that city; "I would that ye knew what great con"flict I have for you and for them at Laodi

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cea, and for as many as have not feen my "face in the flesh." Col. ch. ii. ver. 1. Although, therefore, St. Paul had formerly met with Philemon at fome other place, and had been the immediate inftrument of his converfion, yet Philemon's faith and conduct afterwards, inafmuch as he lived in a city which St. Paul had never vifited, could only be known to him by fame and reputation.

No.

No. IV.

The tenderness and delicacy of this epiftle have been long admired: "Though I might "be much bold in Chrift to enjoin thee that "which is convenient, yet for love's fake "I rather befeech thee, being fuch a one as "Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of

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Jefus Chrift. I beseech thee for my fon "Onefimus, whom I have begotten in my “bonds.” There is fomething certainly very melting and persuasive in this, and every part of the epistle. Yet, in my opinion, the character of St. Paul prevails in it throughout. The warm, affectionate, authoritative teacher is interceding with an abfent friend for a beloved convert. He urges his fuit with an earneftnefs, befitting perhaps not fo much the occafion, as the ardour and fenfibility of his own mind. Here also, as every where, he shows himself conscious of the weight and dignity of his misfion; nor does he fuffer Philemon for a moment to forget it; "I might be much bold "in Chrift to enjoin thee that which is Bb 4

“ con

"convenient." He is careful alfo to recal, though obliquely, to Philemon's memory, the facred obligation under which he had laid him, by bringing to him the knowledge of Jefus Chrift; "I do not say to thee, how "thou oweft to me even thine own felf "befides." Without laying afide, therefore, the apoftolic character, our author foftens the imperative style of his addrefs, by mixing with it every fentiment and confideration that could move the heart of his correfpondent. Aged and in prifon, he is content to fupplicate and entreat. Onefi→ mus was rendered dear to him by his converfion and his fervices; the child of his affliction, and “miniftering unto him in the "bond sof the gospel." This ought to recommend him, whatever had been his fault, to Philemon's forgiveness: "Receive him as "myself, as my own bowels." Every thing, however, fhould be voluntary. St. Paul was determined that Philemon's compliance fhould flow from his own bounty: "With"out thy mind would I do nothing, that "thy benefit should not be as it were of "neceffity, but willingly; trusting never

theless

theless to his gratitude and attachment for the performance of all that he requested, and for more: "Having confidence in thy "obedience, I wrote unto thee, knowing "that thou wilt alfo do more than I say.”

St. Paul's difcourfe at Miletus; his speech before Agrippa; his epiftle to the Romans, as hath been remarked (No. VIII.); that to the Galatians, chap.iv. ver. 11-20; to the Philippians, chap. i. ver. 29-ch. ii ver. 2 ; the fecond to the Corinthians, chap. vi. ver. 113; and indeed fome part or other of almost every epistle exhibits examples of a similar application to the feelings and affections of the perfons whom he addreffes. And it is obfervable, that these pathetic effufions, drawn for the most part from his own fufferings and fituation, ufually precede a command, foften a rebuke, or mitigate the harshness of fome difagreeable truth.

CHAP.