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fore doing this, we shall yet propound a question or two on the office or offices sustained by the author of this letter.

What, James, is intimated by the title a called Appstle?

James. An Apostle means one sent out by one or more persons, on some mission; and to be a called Apostle, I presume, indicates that he was specially sent, and did not of his own will or purpose assume the office.

Olympas. Very good. What offices were implied in this term as expounded by Paul himself?

James. He says that he was "a preacher and a teacher of the Gentiles" in the truth or gospel of God, and set apart to this work.

Olympas. Are there not, Henry, different orders of Apostles mentioned in the New Testament?

Henry. You told us there were three orders. Jesus Christ was the one only Apostle of God, sent out by him, and from his own presence; the Twelve called and appointed and sent forth by Jesus Christ himself during his lifetime to the Jews; and Paul, sent out by him to the whole world, but especially to the Nations, or Gentiles.

Olympas. Was it not necessary that an Apostle of God, or of Christ, should have seen and heard, and been commissioned in person by him that sent him?

Henry. It was so in all these cases: for Jesus came out from God, and was sent by him to be the Saviour of the world. John xvii. The twelve Apostles were instructed by Christ in person, and sent out by him and from his presence. Paul also saw and heard the Lord Jesus Christ in person on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, and was then called and sent to the Gentiles as a chosen vessel freighted with the gospel, to be carried and delivered to all the nations of the earth by him.

Olympas. Can you, Susan, tell us who was constituted the third class of Apostles?

Susan. They were missionaries, sent out by the churches on any special errand.

I think you quoted a passage from the Greek Testament, in which certain persons-Titus and Luke, for example-were called the Apostles or Missionaries of the churches, because chosen and sent by them to carry the bounty of certain churches to Jerusalem.

Olympas. It may have been Luke, or Apollos, or Mark, or all of them; but of this there is no certainty. We may, however, certainly conclude that whoever they were they were called by Paul Apostles or Missionaries "of the churches." 2 Cor. viii. 23. And equally

certain it is that Paul called Epaphroditus the Apostle, or Missionary, or Messenger of the Philippians, ch. ii. 25. Paul, however, stands conspicuous as the called Apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles; and, as such, enjoyed and displayed all the extraordinary signs or proofs of an Apostle. By whom, James was the church in Rome, not of Rome, gathered or planted?

James. Not by Paul; for when he wrote this letter he had never been there. He said he had often purposed to visit them because of the great fame of the church; but had not when he wrote this letter yet seen them. Some say it was planted by Peter. What do you say, Father?

Olympas. Of this there is no evidence in the inspired and authoritative writings of either Apostles or Evangelists of Christ. And certain it is that Peter was not in Rome when Paul addressed this letter to them; for in naming twenty-seven persons known to himself in Rome at this time, he could not have forgotten Peter. See ch. xvi. This is a fable long since exploded by the most learned and most reputable Christian authorities in the world.

I would have you all to notice that Paul calls the gospel of Christ the gospel of God—not because Christ is divine, but because the gospel was conceived and originated in the grace and philanthropy of God.

Again, I would have you note emphatically the clear and explicit testimony of Paul, given spontaneously, to the divine nature of Jesus Christ, in the 3d verse. According to the flesh he was born of the race of David. But if he was not more than born of the flesh, as all other men are, why say according to the flesh? This would be senseless unless he had been partaker of a divine nature or proved to be the Son of God according to a spiritual nature. “According to the flesh" evidently indicates humanity; and as certainly in this antithesis, "according to the Spirit" unequivocally indicates divinity. Twonatures, then, meet in the person of Jesus the Christ.

Clement. What a sublime conception does Paul here express of the mysterious and sublime person called Jesus Christ! His glorious peculiarity, rather his peculiar personality, is, that he is a Divine Man, uniting in himself every attribute of humanity and divinity. What, may I ask, Susan, is the most indisputable evidence of this glorious truth?

Susan. His resurrection from the dead. Being divine, it was imssible that he could have been involuntarily held under the power of the grave.

Ephraim. What think you, Father Clement, are the precise ideas attached to "grace" and "apostleship," verse 5?

Clement. I presume that their own conversion to God through him was of grace, and so understood by Paul. But he and some others had received more than grace-they had received apostleship for the purpose of bringing many out of all nations to the obedience of faith. In proof of which he says, "Amongst whom, or those who have become obedient to the faith, are you of Rome."

Olympas. Then comes his usual salutation: "To all in Rome, beloved of God"-to the called-those who had obeyed-those only who had obeyed. Those only who obey are called. God may be calling others, but they are not the called until they obey the gospel. Can any of you furnish from these seven verses, with which we must close our present reading, having spent so much time on the introduction of this epistle; I say, can any of you furnish a second proof of the divinity of Christ?

[After a long pause,] Susan. I am not sure that I am right, but it would appear that God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ are equally invoked when grace and reace are equally supplicated from both. Does not Paul pray that grace and peace from God our Father, and from Jesus Christ the Lord, may be dispensed to them? Could he have thus associated a man or an angel or a mere creature with God in supplicating grace and peace from both?!

Ephraim. Before we close our books I would remind brother Olympas that the origin or beginning of the church in Rome has not been developed this evening. I would request from sister Susan her exposition of this matter.

Susan. I can remember no notice of the commencement of this church in the New Testament, unless it can be traced to those Roman Jews and proselytes that are named in Jerusalem as having been present on the great day of Pentecost, and represented as participants of the blessings of that day.

Clement. I presume we can find no better origin for the church at Rome whom Paul addressed. They doubtless carried the gospel home to their own city.

Olympas. You will, my children, be prepared on the whole first chaper for to-morrow evening.

A. C.

the ungrateful truth of the Jews' rejection of the Messiah and their dereliction of God for their insuperable obstinacy. How studious he is to provoke them to jealousy and emulation by the example of the Gentiles, and how many persuasive and cogent arts and arguments doth he employ to win them over to the religion of Jesus! In these delicate touches, in these fine arts of moral suasion, St. Paul greatly excells. Upon occasion, also, we find him employing the most keen and cutting raillery in satyrizing the faults and foibles of those to whom he wrote. With what sarcastic pleasantry doth he animadvert upon the Corinthians for their injudicious folly in suffering themselves to be duped by a false judaizing teacher. I do not remember that I have ever met with an instance of irony more delicate and piquant than the following passage--'In what respect, says he to the Corinthians, 'have you been inferior to the other churches, except that I never extorted a maintenance from you? Do forgive me this injury."

Olympas. I presume that in these views we all concur with you. And now after all this protracted introduction and preparation, let us implore the divine blessing upon our labors, and enter upon the study of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Shall we, brother Clement, unite with you in supplicating the divine blessing upon our efforts, the guidance and direction of our minds by the Spirit of revelation, while, as a family, we religiously peruse for our edification and sanctification the Epistle of Paul to the Romans?

[Brother Clement prays. Olympas reads the first section of the Epistle.]

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called Apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, (which he formerly announced by his Prophets in the sacred writings,) concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; descended from David, as to his flesh, but proved to be the Son of God, with power, as to his holy spiritual nature; after his resurrec tion from the dead: by whom we have received favor, even the apostolic office, for the obedience of faith among all nations, for his name's sake: among whom are you also, called of Jesus Christ: To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; favor be to you, and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Olympas. In taking up any ancient document addressed to an ancient people, with a desire to understand it, it is all-important that we not only make ourselves acquainted with the author or authors of it, but that we also acquire as much information as possible concerning the people to whom it was addressed, or concerning whom it was written. Having then acquired some know-ledge of the author of this epistle, we shall next institute an inquiry into the character and condition of the persons addressed; but be

fore doing this, we shall yet propound a question or two on the office or offices sustained by the author of this letter.

What, James, is intimated by the title a called Apostle?

James. An Apostle means one sent out by one or more persons, on some mission; and to be a called Apostle, I presume, indicates that 1 he was specially sent, and did not of his own will or purpose assume the office.

Olympas. Very good. What offices were implied in this term as expounded by Paul himself!

James. He says that he was "a preacher and a teacher of the Gentiles" in the truth or gospel of God, and set apart to this work.

Olympas. Are there not, Henry, different orders of Apostles mentioned in the New Testament?

Henry. You told us there were three orders. Jesus Christ was the one only Apostle of God, sent out by him, and from his own presence; the Twelve called and appointed and sent forth by Jesus Christ himself during his lifetime to the Jews; and Paul, sent out by him to the whole world, but especially to the Nations, or Gentiles.

Olympas. Was it not necessary that an Apostle of God, or of Christ, should have seen and heard, and been commissioned in person by him that sent him?

Henry. It was so in all these cases: for Jesus came out from God, and was sent by him to be the Saviour of the world. John xvii. The twelve Apostles were instructed by Christ in person, and sent out by him and from his presence. Paul also saw and heard the Lord Jesus Christ in person on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, and was then called and sent to the Gentiles as a chosen vessel freighted with the gospel, to be carried and delivered to all the nations of the earth by him.

Olympas. Can you, Susan, tell us who was constituted the third class of Apostles?

Susan. They were missionaries, sent out by the churches on any special errand.

I think you quoted a passage from the Greek Testament, in which certain persons-Titus and Luke, for example-were called the Apostles or Missionaries of the churches, because chosen and sent by them to carry the bounty of certain churches to Jerusalem.

Olympas. It may have been Luke, or Apollos, or Mark, or all of them; but of this there is no certainty. We may, however, certainly conclude that whoever they were they were called by Paul Apostles or Missionaries "of the churches." 2 Cor. viii. 23. And equally

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