God was in them of a truth*. And, if where the gofpel was fa little honoured by the lives of its profeffors as at Corinth, fuch power attended the difpenfation of it, how much more of the fame kind may we fuppofe happened at Philippi and at Theffalonica? For we have not yet mentioned all the evils of this outwardly flourishing, but inwardly distempered church. There were fome who even denied the refurrection of the body, which gives occafion to the Apostle to illuftrate that important article+. Though he had promised to re-visit them foon, yet in the next epiftle he affigns a reason why he delayed longer than he had intended Their christian state was very imperfect; he wished to be enabled by their reformation to come among them with more pleasure. In truth, he wrote the first epistle in much anguish and affliction. His foul was deeply affected for this people, and while their great progrefs in profeffion feemed fo inconfiftent with their experience and their practice, he felt the fincereft grief. He was relieved at length by the coming of Titus §. From his account it appeared, that the admonitions were by no means fruitless. The cafe of the incestuous perfon at length was attended to by them as it ought; they proceeded even with more severity than the Apoftle defired, and though the man gave the ftrongeft proof of repentance, they refufed to re-admit him into their church, till he fignified his express defire that they would. This is a proof of the Divine Influence attendant on chriftianity. General proofs of its authenticity may be drawn alfo from the fubject of miraculous gifts. His manner of defcribing thefe things proves their reality and their frequency. For no man could have convinced these Corinthians, that they were in poffeflion of thofe gifts, if they themselves had not been confcious of them. + Chap. xv. I a Cor. ii. 4. § 2 Cor. vii. It appears, that many at leaft of this church were recovered to a state of affection and practice worthy of chriftianity. He commends alfo their liberality toward the diftreffed chriftians. But there was an obftinate party ftill attached to the falfe apostles, whofe conduct extorted from him a commendation of himself, his endowments, and his office, which yet he manages with great delicacy, while he mourns the fcandalous evils ftill exifting among them. On his arrival at Corinth after thefe epiftles, he doubtless executed what he threatened, fome wholesome severities on offenders, unless their fpeedy and fincere repentance prevented. He fpent three months in his fecond vifit. But we have no more particular account in fcripture of this church. SECTION XII. ROME. T may feem to have been purposely appointed by infinite wisdom, that our first accounts of the Roman church fhould be very imperfect, in order to confute the proud pretenfions to univerfal dominion, which its bishops have with unblushing arrogance fupported for fo many ages. If a line or two in the gospels concerning the keys of St. Peter has been made the foundation of fuch lofty pretenfions in his fuppofed fucceffors to the primacy, how would they have gloried, if 2 Cor. ix. + Chap. xi. xii. ‡ Acts xx. his labours at Rome had been fo diftinctly celebrated, as thofe of St. Paul in feveral churches? What bounds would have been fet to the pride of ecclefiaftical Rome, could he have boafted of herself as the mother-church, like Jerufalem, or even exhibited fuch trophies of fcriptural fame, as Philippi, Theffalonica, Corinth, or Ephefus? The filence of fcripture is the more remarkable, because the church itself was in an early period by no means infignificant, either for the number or the piety of its converts. Their faith was fpoken of through the whole world. The Apostle thus commends them, nor does he in his epiftle intimate any thing peculiarly faulty in their principles or conduct. The epiftle itself, while the world endures, will be the food of chriftian minds, and the richest fyftem of doctrine to fcriptural theologians. By the diftinct directions which he gives for the maintenance of charity between Jews and Gentiles, it appears that there must have been a confiderable number of the former among them. If one might indulge a conjecture, I fhould fuppofe that Aquila and Prifcilla, who had laboured with St. Paul at Corinth, both in a fpiritual and temporal fenfe, and had been expelled from Italy by the emperor Claudius, and whom he here falutes as at Rome, were first concerned in the plantation of this church, which was numerous, before any Apoftle had been there. Andronicus and Junia are faluted alfo in the epiftle, men of character among the Apostles, whofe converfion were of an earlier date than St. Paul's, who were alfo his kinfinen, and had fuffered in conjunction with him for the faith. He falutes alfo a number of others, though they might not all be refidents of Rome. The work * Rom. i. work of Divine Grace in diftinguishing perfons of various families and connections is ever obfervable. There were faints at Rome of the two families of Ariftobulus and Narciffus. The former was of the royal blood of the Maccabees, - and had been carried prisoner to Rome by Pompey. He himself had fuffered a variety of hardfhips incident to a life of turbulent ambition like his; yet fome of his family, of no note in civil hiftory, are marked as the difciples of Chrift, and heirs of the true riches. Narciffus is diftinguifhed in Roman history as the ambitious prime minifter of Claudius; yet fome of his houfhold were in the Lord. Paul had long wished and even projected a vifit to this church. He did not expect that his journey thither at lalt was to be at Cæfar's expence. Confident however he was, that when he did come to them, it fhould be in the fulness of "the bleffing of the gospel of Chrift." And he intreats the prayers of the Romans, that he may be delivered from the infidel Jews, be acceptable in his miniftry to his believing countrymen at Jerufalem, whither he was then haftening, that he might come to them with joy by the will "of God," and be with them refreshed. Thus did chriftians in thofe days intreat the prayers of their brethren through the world, and fympathize with one another.. And the prayers were answered; Paul was faved from Jewish malice, was acceptable to the Jewish converts," who had com"paffion on him in his bonds," and was conducted fafe to Rome. At Appii Forum and the three taverns he was met by the Roman chriftians, and thanked God and took courage, refreshed, as he was confident he fhould be, when * Acts xxviii. 15. he he arrived among them. None but thofe who know what is meant by the communion of faints, can conceive the pleasure which he felt on the occafion. After a charitable but fruitless attempt to do good to the principal Jews at Rome, he employed the two years of his imprisonment in receiving all who came to him, preaching with all confidence, and without moleftation. Ön account of his imprisonment and examination at Rome, the nature of the gofpel began to be enquired into in Nero's court, and the conclufion of the epistle to the Philippians makes it evident, that fome of his family became chriftians indeed. And as the court was by no means difpofed to treat him with rigour, but favoured him with fome indulgences as a Roman citizen, hence many preachers in Rome and the neighbourhood exerted themselves with more courage than formerly they dared to do. Yet fome even then could preach Christ with malevolent views of depretiating the Apoftle, others did it with fincere charity. But as fome real benefit accrued to the fouls of men from the labours of the former as well as of the latter, the heart of Paul (wonderful heaventaught charity) could rejoice in both. Some writers feem to have gone too far, in deBut the nying that Peter ever was at Rome. caufe of proteftantifm needs not the fupport of an unreasonable scepticism. Undoubtedly the account of Peter's martyrdom there, with that of Paul, refts on a foundation fufficiently ftrong, the concurrent voice of antiquity. His first epiftle, by the close of it, feems to have been dated thence; for the church at Babylon, acording to the ftyle of chriftians at that time, could be no other *Philippians i. |