rule which our tranflators have often tranfgreffed, to the darkening of the meaning of many paffages.-11. In altering the pointing of fome fentences, for the purpose of rendering their meaning more confonant to the context.-12. In translating the Greek particles properly, according to that variety of meaning, in which they are used by the facred writers.

The corrections comprehended under this laft class, are so numerous, and, though minute, make fuch a change in the fenfe of the apoftolical writings, that any verfion, in which the Greek particles are properly tranflated, may well be accounted new, For it is certain, as was obferved before, (p. 96, 97.) from B. Lowth, that upon the right rendering of the connective parts of fentences, depends the relation which the different members of the discourse have to each other and that by the mutual relation of these members, the train of thought, the course of reafoning, and the whole progrefs of the mind in continued difcourfe, are laid open. Accordingly it will be found, that, in the following tranflation, the fcheme of the apostle's reasoning is oftentimes entirely changed, from what it appears to be in the

OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. I. 1. Paul a feryant of Jefus Chrift, called to be an apoftie, feparated unto the gofpel of God.

2 (Which he had promifed afore by his prophets in the holy fcriptures.)

3 Concerning his fon Jefus Christ our Lord, which

GREEK TEXT.

common

• Παύλος δελος Ιησε Χρικλητος αποςολος, αφωρισ 5,λros aπTOS chos, αQwgio¬ μενος εις ευαγγελιον Θε8,

2 Ο προεπηΓγειλαία δια των προβήλων αυτε εν γραφαις άγιαις,

3 Περί τε υιε αυτε, τα

Ver. 1.1. Paul, a fervant. The original word, properly fignifies a flave. Here it is a name of honour. For in the Eaft, the chief minifters of kings were called do, flaves. In this fenfe, Moses is called dan Sts, the flave, or fervant of God, Josh i. 1. This honourable name, therefore, denotes the high authority which Paul poffeffed in the kingdom of Chrift, as one of his chief ministers.

2. A called apofle. The name apostle was given to different orders of men, Rom. xvi. 7. note 4. But in its higheft fenfe, it was appro priated to the twelve, whom Chrit appointed to be with him, Mark ii 14 and whom, after his refurrection, he fent forth to preach the gofpel. See Prel. Eff. p. 44

3. Separated the gofpel of God. We are told, Acts xiii. 2. That the Holy Ghoft faid, feparate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. But this being nothing but a feparation of

Paul

common verfion, merely by giving the particles their proper fignification. But if the alterations comprehended under one class only, make fuch a change in the train of the apostle's reafonings, as to entitle this to the appellation of a new tranflation, the numerous corrections comprehended under the other claffes, muft fet it at a ftill greater diftance from the common verfion, and fully justify the author in calling it A new tranflation from the original, of all the apoftolical epiftles.

It only remains to request the learned reader, to examine the translation of the epiftles, the commentary, and the notes, all now fubmitted to the public, by the principles laid down in the General Preface, and to judge of the whole with that candour, which is due to an attempt fincerely meant to exhibit the divinely infpired writings, in the genuine fimplicity of their meaning, that, being rightly understood, they may not be applied, as they fometimes have been, for fupporting opinions deftructive of piety and morality.

N. B. The NUMBERS in the new tranflation, following the Greek words, mark the paragraphs of Essay IV. where the tranf lation of the word is fupported by proper proofs.

Paul, from the teachers at Antioch, to go and preach to the Gentiles, the higher feparation, mentioned Gal. i. 15. is here meant.

4. Gofpel of God. See ver. 15. note. The gofpel is said to be God's, because it is good news from God; than which a greater commendation of the gofpel cannot be conceived.

Ver. 2. Which he promised before by his prophets, &c. The promise in the fcriptures, that the gospel fhould be preached to the Gentiles, is taken notice of by the apoftle, to convince the unbelieving Jews, that in preaching to the Gentiles, Paul did not contradict, but fulfil the ancient revelations.

Ver. 3.-1. Concerning his Son. The gofpel is good news from God, concerning the coming of his Son to fave the world Wherefore the Son of God is the subject of the gofpel, as well as its author.

2. Who was born of the feed of David, with refpect to the flesh. Last, fefb, fometimes, denotes the human body, 1 Cor. vii. 28. fometimes the human mind, Rom. vii. 19. 2 Cor. vii. 7. and fometimes the whole man, John iii. 6.-Here being oppofed to the spirit of holiness, it fignifies our Lord's body. For, it cannot be thought, that he derived his human foul from his mother, because that would imply the divifibility of the foul of the parent. Beza, in his note on this verse, fuppofing that the word yoμsos denotes the formation of our Lord's body, fays, the Holy Ghoft took of the fubftance of Mary's body, and formed it into a body for our Lord. He adds, that the ancients urged this text against Valentinus, Marcion, and the reft: fome of whom affirmed, that our Lord's body was only imaginary; others, that it was formed of celestial matter, and fent into the body of his mother from heaven. But although the apoftle, in this place, speaks only of our Lord's body, it does not follow, that he had nothing of the human nature but a body. The paffages in which he is called a man, and the man Jefus Chrift, and our brother, and in which his fufferings are described, imply that he had a real human foul also.

Ver. 41. Declared, gode. The original word fignifies to fix the boundaries of a thing, confequently to make it appear what it

is.

power.

2. With Locke understands this of the miraculous power, defcribed Eph. i. 19, 20. whereby Jefus was raised from the dead. I rather think power denotes the ftrength of the evidence by which he was demonftrated to be the Son of God.

3. By his refurrection from the dead. Here I have fupplied the pronoun his, becaufe the fcope of the reafoning requires it to be fupplied. -Jefus being put to death as a blafphemer, for calling himself Chrift the Son of the blessed, God would not have raised him from the dead, if

he

of David, with respect to foretold, was born of a voman dethe flesh,'

fcended from David, the king of Ifrael, with refpect to his flesh,

4 But was declared the Son of God, with great power of evidence, with respect to his holy Spiritual nature, by his refurrection from the dead, after he had been crucified by the Jewish rulers for calling himself the Son of God, even Jefus Christ our Lord.

5 From whom, fince his refurrection, I have received miraculous powers and apoftleship, in order that through my preaching him as the Son of God, the obedience of faith may be given to him, among all the Gentiles, on account of his being the Son of God.

6 Among the number of which Gentils are alfo ye the called difciples of Jefus Chrift.

7 Being thus commiffioned, I write this letter to all who are in

he had been an impoftor,; efpecially as he had often foretold his own refurrection, and appealed to it as a proof of his being the Son of Go11, John 9. His refurrection therefore was a public teltunony, borné by God himself, to the truth of our Lord's pretentions, which put the matter beyond all doubt See Heb. i. 5 note 1.

Ver. 5.

1. From whom we have received grace and apostleship. That is, the grace or favour of apofleflip. See Gal. ii 9. Eph. 2. where the apoftolic office is styled grace. Or, if grace and apofilebip are taken feparately, apoftleship may fignify the office, and race the fupernatural endowments bestowed on Paul, to fit him for that office.

2. In order to the obedience of fai.h. Either obe ience from a principle of faith, or faith itself, called obedience fimply, chap. xvi. 19.

3. On account of his name. Name here fignifies the character of Chrift, as the Son of God and Saviour of the world. This name Paul was appointed to bear, or publish before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Ifrael. Acts ix. 15. And it is on account of this name or character, that all men are bound to obey him.

Ver. 7.-1. Unto all who are in Remes This epiftle being written to perfuade the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles to embrace the gospel, as exhibiting the only effectual method of falvation, it was fitly addreffed to the whole inhabitants of Rome, to the heathens as well as to the Jews and Chriftians. See ver. 13, 14, 15.

2. To the beloved of God, to the called, (fee Rom. ix. 7. note,) to the faints. See Eff. iv. 48. These are the honourable appellations which God anciently gave to the Jewish nation, as his people and church. But they now belonged to the difciples of Chrift, as the vifible church of God, fubftituted in place of the jews. By thefe honourable appeldations, therefore, the Chriftians at Rome were diftinguished from the idolatrous inhabitants of the city, and from the unbelieving Jews; the whole being comprehended in the general defeription, All whe are in Rome.

3. Grace to you. In the apoftolic benedi&ions, grace fignifies the influences and fruits of the Spirit, the favour and protection of God, the pardon of fin, the enjoyment of eternal life; all which are called grace, because they are gratuitoufly beftowed by God.

4. And peace. The ufual falutation among the easterns was, Peace be to you, by which they meant every kind of worldly felicity. But in Paul's writings, peace fignifies that fatisfaction which refults from being in friendship with God. Thus Rom. v. 1. Being juflified by faith, we have peace with God. It also fignifies the happiness of hea ven, called, Philip, iv. 7. The peace of God, which passeth all comprebenfion. In this fenfe, I think, it is ufed in the apoftolic benedictions, and Rom. ii. 9.-Because most of the Roman brethren were unacquainted with Paul, he judged it neceffary, in the infcription of his letter, to affure them that he was an apoftle called by Jefus Christ himself, and that he was feparated to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, in fulfilment of the promises which God had made by the prophets in the feriptures, that the gofpel fhould be preached to them. Thefe circumftances le mentioned, to remove the prejudices of the believing, as well as of the unbelieving Jews, who he knew were difpleafed with him for preaching the gofpel to the Gentiles. Withal, becaufe the church of Rome had not been planted by any apoftle, he inftructed them in fonie particulars concerning the nature

and