lar powers, finding that he was difpoffeffed of the dæmon, wreaked their vengeance on Paul and Silas, and by flanderous accufations induced the magiftrates to fcourge them feverely, and to commit them to prifon. The jailer thrust them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.

In this fituation, diftreffing indeed, and in the eyes of many ridiculous, thefe two fervants of God at midnight, though oppreffed with pain and hunger and every difagreeable circumftance, were yet enabled to pray and fing praises to God. So powerful are the confolations of the Holy Ghost, and so much did the Love of Chrift constrain them! And now the Lord caused a great earthquake, which opened all the doors of the prison, and loofed every one's bonds. The jailer awakening, in his first trepidation, by a practice which I wish had been creditable among pagans only, was going to rush into eternity. Paul kindly affured him, that none of the prifoners had efcaped. And now being ftruck with horror at the thought of the world to come, to which he had been haftening in alļ his guilt, and being divinely convinced of his danger, he came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and asked what he must do to be faved. The answer was plain and direct. Why do any who call themfelves chriftian minifters ever give any other? "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt "be faved and thy houfe." They then inftructed him and his houfhold in the nature of the gospel, and opened to him the doctrine of forgiveness by the blood of Chrift. His converfion appears evidently of the fame kind, as that of the three thoufand at Jerufalem. He was humbled for his fins, and he received pardon by

by faith in Jefus. His ready fubmiffion to baptifm, his affectionate treatment of those who had juft before been the objects of his severity, and his joy in the Lord, demonftrated, that he was turned from Satan to God. His whole family shared with him in the fame bleflings.

In the morning the magiftrates fent an order for the difmiffion of the prifoners. But Paul thought it not inconfiftent with chriftian meekness, to demand from them an apology for their illegal behaviour to Roman citizens; for fuch it seems Silas was, as well as Paul. The magiftrates, alarmed, came perfonally to make conceffions, which were eafily accepted. Being difmiffed from prison, they entered into Lydia's houfe, comforted the difciples, and left Philippi for the present.

Some years after, the Apoftle again vifited this people, and found them ftill in a flourishing ftate. He always took a peculiar pleasure in this church; and in his epittle written from Rome, he thanks God for their fincere fellowship in the gospel from the beginning. He expreffes his expectation of liberty, and of being enabled to fee them again, and exhorts them to bear patiently the perfecutions to which they were expofed, as an evidence of the Divine Favour*.

Liberality was a fhining virtue of this church. They had fent once and again to his relief at Theffalonicat. And now they had fent Epaphroditus to Rome, to minifter to his wants. A dangerous illness had brought this difciple to the borders of the grave. Upon his recovery he was afflicted to think of the diftrefs, which the news of his fickness must have brought on the minds of the Philippians. Paul was therefore the more anxious

* Philip. i. 28, 29. † iv. 16.

to

to fend him back. The fenfibility of that love with which the Holy Ghost had influenced all concerned in this affair, is finely defcribed in this part of the epiftle*. The Apostle toward the clofe of it even exults in the pieasure which the charity of these difciples gave him, and affures them, that his God would "fupply all their need ac"cording to his riches in glory by Chrift Jefus." He warns them however against the dangers of feduction. Judaifing teachers defired to pervert them. He reminds them therefore of his own fimple dependance on the Lord Jefus, though he had fairer pretenfions than moft men to feif-righteoufnefs, and with tears in his eyes declares, that even then many pretended chriftians walked like enemies of the Crofs of Chrift.

Such was the work of God at Philippi. A confiderable number of perfons, once worshippers of idols, devoted to the bafeft lufts, and funk in the groffeft ignorance, were brought to the knowledge and love of the true God, and the hope of falvation by his Son Jefus. In this faith and hope they perfevered amidst a world of perfecutions, fteadily brought forth the fruits of charity, and lived in the joyful expectation of a bleffed refurrection,

SECTION IX.

THESSALONICA.

F Amphipolis and Apollonia, the next cities of Macedonia through which St. Paul paffed, nothing particular is recorded. But at Theffalonica another European church was formed inferior

* Chap. ii. toward the end. † Chap. ii.

in folid piety to none in the primitive times. It had been rebuilt by Philip of Macedon, and had its name from his conqueft of Theffaly. Here Paul followed his ufual cuftom of preaching first to the Jews in their fynagogue, and spent the first three Sabbaths in pointing out the evidences of christianity. The cuftom of the Jews, in allowing any of their countrymen to exhort in their fynagogues, gave the Apoftle an eafy opportunity of preaching to this people, till their ufual enmity and obftinacy began to exert itself. Some of the Jews were however converted*, and a great multitude of religious Gentiles, who used to attend the fynagogue, and not a few females of quality. So difficult is it for even Satan himfelf, to erase all perception of the one true God from the minds of men, fo powerful is the voice of natural confcience, and fo totally unreasonable is the polytheism of the pagans, that notwithstanding the extreme depravity of human nature, we find, wherever the Jews carried on the publick worship of the God of Ifrael, it was common for fome Gentiles to join in their worship. Within the bounds of the Holy Land there were a number of this fort. And I obferve through the whole tenour of Jofephus's hiftory, that the Romans. treated what they held facred with respect; and whoever was diftinguished by any religious thoughtfulness from others, found nothing to fuit him in Gentile rites, but preferred the worfhip of the Jews. The devout Greeks converted at Theffalonica were of this class, and this is not the first inftance we have feen of the Lord's preparing perfons, by an attention to a more imperfect light, for the Sun of Righteousness. But he is not confined to one method. The major

Acts xvii.

part

part of the Theffalonian converts were idolaters who now turned to the living and true God, in the faith and hope of Jefus, who "delivered "them from the wrath to come." Faith, hope, and charity evidenced this people to be God's elect; the word came to their hearts in much in power and affurance; and though it exposed them to much affliction, this did not prevent their joy of the Holy Ghost.

The reftlefs Jews were not afhamed to join with the most profligate pagans in perfecuting the new converts, and decent hypocrites and open finners were once more feen united in oppofing the church of God. They affaulted the house of Jafon, at whofe house Paul and his companions were entertained. Precautions having been used to fecrete them, Jason and fome other christians were brought before the magiftrates, and calumniated with the usual charge of fedition. The Roman governors however were content with exacting a fecurity from Jafon and his friends for the peace of the state. But the Apostle knew too well the malice of the Jews to truft to their moderation for the prefent, and therefore was obliged abruptly to leave the infant church, which appears however, from the first epistle, which not long after he sent to them, not to have been without paftors, whom he charges them to honour and obey +.

The growth of this people in godliness was foon renowned through the chriftian world. Their perfecution appears to have been grievous, and hence the comfort of God their Saviour, and the prospect of the invifible world, became more precious to them. The Apostle made two attempts to return to them, but was as oft difappointed by the malice of Satant. Fearing, left the

Theff. i. 9. t Theff. v. 1 Theff. ii. 18.