general terms, the honours of Diana, and knowing the weakness of the heart, the subpleaded, in behalf of the men, that they had tlety of Satan, and the obvious temptations not spoken against Diana in particular, or arising from the fear of man, the love of the intermeddled with her temple,* Acts xix. 37. world, and the arts of false teachers, he was This was probably true in fact: St. Paul de- jealous over those from whom he was absent clared the folly of idolatry in general, but did with a godly jealousy, 2 Cor. xi. 2. At Troas not enter into direct confutation of any de- he expected to have met with Titus, on his tached part of the Heathen mythology: he return from Macedonia; but missing him, proposed the plain truth of the gospel; and though he had favourable opportunities of when this was received, the whole system of preaching the gospel at Troas (2 Cor. ii. 12, idol-worship fell to the ground of itself. He 13,) his mind was not at liberty to improve farther reminded them, that if they had any them; but he hasted to be in Macedonia, that just cause of complaint, they ought to seek he might the sooner be satisfied. There, he redress in a course of law; and then hinting tells us himself, he had no rest, but was at the consequences they were liable to, if troubled on every side; without were fightcalled to a strict account for their riot, he ings, within were fears; but he speaks of it prevailed on them to separate and depart as a seasonable and gracious interposition of quietly. Thus the apostle, though threatened that God, whose character and prerogative it with a most imminent and formidable danger, is to be a comforter of those that are cast was preserved unhurt, and suffered neither down (2 Cor. vii. 6,) that, in these circumin his person nor character. An encouraging stances, he was comforted by the coming of proof that those who act in the path of duty, Titus, who relieved his fears by the favourand depend on the power of God, are equally able account he brought him from Corinth. safe in all times and circumstances; no less safe when surrounded by enraged enemies, than when encircled by kind and assiduous friends.

He did not continue long at Ephesus after this tumult; but taking leave of the disciples, went to Troas, and from thence (as he had purposed) to Macedonia, Acts xx. We have but little account of this progress in the history of the Acts; but from some passages of his epistles (2 Cor. ii. 12, 13, and vii. 5,) written about that time, we are informed, that his exercises and trials, both inward and outward, were very great. His solicitous affection for the churches was far from being the smallest source of his troubles, and cost him many a pang. He loved them in the bowels of Jesus Christ; he could willingly have devoted his labours and life to each of them, but he could not be with them all; and

*The words robbers of churches, should rather be ren. dered robbers of temples; for though the word church is now expressive of some particular places of worship, it is never in the New Testament applied to buildings, but to persons only.

†The servants of Christ will seldom be compelled to those places where sanguinary laws are contrived purposely against them. In default of these, their adversaries will often stoop to appeal from the magistrate to the mob.

answer for themselves in a course of law, except in

It seems, however, there was no more said of it. It had been a notorious breach of the peace, but then it had been against St. Paul and his companions, who had sufficient favour shown them if they came off with their lives. In any other case, such a tumult would

have been deemed a high offence.

2 Cor. xi. 28. "That which cometh on me daily." The word is -and gives the idea of a camp or castle hard beset with continual onsets and assaults; or of a man who has his way to force through a great crowd that are coming to meet him; so that he must not only be much encumbered and hindered, but unless trampled under their feet. By this lively figure, the apostle describes the part he took in the welfare of all the churches. His cares on their behalf were so numer pus, urgent, and continual, that they found full employment for his prayers, his thoughts, and his time. VOL. II.

he exerts himself to the utmost, is in danger of being

I

A. D. 58.] How long he staid in these parts we are not told; but, in general, that he spent some time, and visited many places; and it seems to have been in this circuit that he preached in Illyricum, a part of which country borders upon Macedonia. He afterwards proceeded to Greece, where he staid three months; he intended to have embarked from thence at some port, and to have proceeded immediately to Syria by sea; but, upon information that his restless enemies, the Jews, were plotting to intercept and kill him, he determined to return through Macedonia. Several of his friends offered to accompany him through Asia, who, embarking before him, waited for him at Troas, where he, at a convenient time, joined them from Philippi, and remained there seven days.

On the first day of the week, they had a solemn assembly; and St. Paul, who was to take a long and last farewell of the disciples there the next morning, indulged his own and their affections, by protracting his discourses and advices beyond the usual bounds; he spent the whole day, even till midnight, in expatiating upon the pleasing topics of redeeming love. This does not, indeed, appear to have been his usual practice; but should a of believers now spend a night tocompany gether in the exercises they best love, though it were but once, and when they had no expectation of meeting again till they should meet in glory, it would be sufficient to open the mouths of prejudice and slander amongst them, as regardless of the order of families, and the duties of common life. Particular notice is taken, that they had many lights in the upper chamber, where they were met, perhaps to remind us, that the first christians were careful to conduct their assemblies with order and propriety, so as to give no just cause of offence; yet their enemies quickly

and celebrated by critics; but there are strokes in it, the force and beauty of which no critic can truly relish, except he has tasted of the same spirit which filled and animated the apostle's heart when he spoke it.

He began with an appeal to themselves concerning his conduct while resident among them, and reminded them of the diligence, fidelity, and tenderness which he had manifested in the course of his ministry, how he had seconded his public instructions with private and repeated exhortations, watering them both with many prayers and tears; he informed them of the object and service of his present

began to charge them with meeting in the dark, and invented many false and wicked slanders upon that supposition. The like falsehoods have been often repeated. A young man of the company, either less attentive, or less warmly engaged than the rest, dropped asleep, and not only lost much of an invaluable opportunity, but fell out of a window, in which he was seated, from the third story, and was taken up to appearance dead; an incident which might have given those who hated the apostle a farther occasion to clamour, and to revile his unseasonable zeal; but he went down in the spirit of faith and prayer, and embracing the young man, re-journey, and how uncertain he was what the stored him to his friends alive. After they were recovered from the hurry of this event, and had taken some refreshment, he resumed his discourse, and continued in conference with them till the break of day,* when he Dade them farewell.

His companions went along the coast by snipping at Assos, a place not very distant, and to which the apostle chose to go by land, and on foot. Some think he did this by way of self-denial; but it is not likely that he, who was the great asserter of evangelical and filial liberty, would lay any stress upon such singularities. Self may readily submit to many things of this sort, and derive food, complacence, and strength from them. It is more probable he chose to walk, either that he might embrace occasions of service by the way, or for the advantage of leisure and retirement; for christians engaged in a very public sphere of life (as he was) are glad to redeem opportunities of being alone, at the price of some inconveniences. But this circumstance is mentioned as characterising the simplicity of his spirit; though greatly honoured, and greatly beloved, he thought it not beneath him to walk from place to place, like an obscure person.

Embarking at Assos, and having touched at Mitylene and Samos, intermediate places, they arrived in a few days at Miletus. St. Paul purposely passed Ephesus, that he might not be detained or grieved by the many dear friends he had in that city; for he was resolved, if possible, to be at Jerusalem on the approaching day of Pentecost; but from Miletus he sent for the elders or bishops of the church of Ephesus, to receive his final charge and benediction. When they came, he addressed them in a solemn and affectionate discourse. The substance of it, which is recorded for our instruction, if considered only as a piece of oratory, has been often admired

*This, as we have observed, was upon a particular occasion; they expected to see each other no more, and hardly knew how to part. The like circumstances might justify such protracted meetings of christian friends still; but, in general, they are to be avoided. If fre quently indulged, they would break in upon other things, indispose those who attend for the ordinary duties of their stations, be prejudicial to health, and, for these and other reasons, prove a cause of offence.

issue might prove to himself. But though he had general intimations from the Spirit of God, to expect afflictions and bonds in every place, his determination was fixed; he had counted the cost, and saw that nothing he could meet with was worth his serious thought, so that he might be able to fulfil his ministry with honour, and to finish his course with joy ; but this he said, he was assured of, that the pleasing opportunities he had enjoy ed with the believers at Ephesus, and in that neighbourhood, were ended; and that they now saw and heard him for the last time. Only those who know the endeared affection that subsists between a minister of Christ and those to whom God has made him the instrument of saving their souls, can judge of the emotion with which he spoke, and his friends heard, this part of his discourse. When he had thus touched and engaged their tenderest passions, and prepared them to receive his parting solemn charge with a due attention, he exhorted them, in the most animated terms, to follow his example, in performing the part of faithful overseers, or bishops, in the church which he now committed to their care; suggesting two most powerful motives, the consideration that they were appointed to this office by the Holy Ghost, and that the souls entrusted to them were the church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood. He likewise warned them, that the utmost circumspection would be needful; for that he foresaw, that, after his departure, grievous wolves would enter amongst them, not sparing the flock; and also, that out of their own number of professed disciples, men should arise, speaking perverse things. This double danger of false teachers from without, and a restless curious spirit within the fold,

The state of obedience and service which we owe to

him who died for us, and rose again, is often compared

to a race or course; by which is intimated, the assiduity with which we ought to pursue our calling, the brevity of our labours and sufferings, the little attention we should pay to objects around us, and that our eye and aim should be constantly directed to the prize set before us. Every step in this race is attended with trouble; but the end will be unspeakable joy. Those to whom the King shall say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," will not then complain of the difficulties they met by the way.

powered by what he felt for others. But to inquire, whether, upon this occasion, the when they saw that he was not to be dis- tenderness of his spirit towards weak besuaded, they desisted from their suit, and acquiesced in the will of the Lord.

lievers, and his desire of becoming all things to all men, when the foundation-truths of the A. D. 60.] Having staid some time at Ca- gospel were not affected, might not carry sarea, he proceeded to Jerusalem, his friends, him too far: for though a reserve was made who had crossed the sea with him, resolving by James, in favour of the Gentile converts, to expose themselves to a share of the dan- that they should not be burdened with the gers from which they could not divert him. observance of Jewish rites; yet the express They were accompanied likewise by an old end and design for which this step was prodisciple, named Mnason, of Cyprus, who re- posed to him, and for which he seems to have sided at Jerusalem, and had offered his house undertaken it, was that all might know or for their accommodation. Their arrival was believe, not only that he was not against welcome to the brethren; and the next day others adhering to the Jewish ceremonies, St. Paul introduced his friends to St. James but that he likewise orderly and statedly pracand the elders, who seem to have met to- tised them himself. A circumstance which gether on purpose to receive him. To them is far from being clear, or indeed probable, he gave a succinct account of the success if we consider the strain of his epistle to the with which God had honoured his ministry | Galatians: which, though the addition at the among the Gentiles; which, when they had close of our copies, mentions as sent from heard, they unanimously glorified God on his Rome, is generally allowed to have been behalf, and rejoiced to hear of the accession written during his stay at Ephesus at the of such numbers to the christian faith, Acts latest, if not sooner; and further, that, for xxi. But at the same time they gave him to some time past, his converse had been almost understand that the bulk of the Jewish con- wholly confined to the Gentile believers, or verts had received no small prejudice against to those churches of which they formed the him; that there were even many thousands largest part. If he became as a Jew amongst who had heard and believed hard things of the Jews, it was, as he says himself (1 Cor. him, as one who taught the Jews to apostatize ix. 20,) only with the hope of gaining the from the law of Moses, and forbade them to Jews: which motive could no longer take practise circumcision, and the other rites and place when he had finally withdrawn from customs of their forefathers. In order to show their synagogues. Those, therefore, who them that this charge was groundless, they suppose that, in this instance, he was overadvised him to join himself publicly with four persuaded to deviate from that openness of men who were under a vow, and to attend conduct which he generally maintained, with them the prescribed course of purifica- seem to have some ground for their suspicion. tion in the temple. This, however, is certain, his temporising did not answer the proposed end; but, instead of rendering him more acceptable, involved him in the greatest danger: for when the seven days were almost fulfilled, some Jews of Asia, seeing him in the temple, pointed him out to the multitude as the dangerous man who had apostatized from his religion, and was using his endeavours, wherever he went, to draw people from the worship of God according to the law of Moses. To this they added, that he had profaned the holy place, by bringing Gentiles with him into the temple. This they conjectured from having seen Trophymus, an Ephesian, with him in the city. This part of the charge was wholly false: he had not brought his Gentile friends into the temple; but he appeared so publicly with them upon other occasions, as to give some room for a surmise of this sort. If he submitted to the proposal of the elders, and attended in the temple himself, for the satisfaction of the Jewish converts, he would not go so far as to be ashamed of his friends, to make himself more acceptable to his enemies. It is our duty to avoid giving just offence; but if we boldly and honestly avow the Lord's people upon all proper occasions, without regard to

From this passage we are led to remark, that, through the weakness of human nature, the prejudices of education, and the arts of Satan, many thousands of professed christians, in the first and purest period of the primitive church, while under the care of the apostles, had imbibed from hear-say, a degree of coldness and dislike towards one of the Lord's most faithful and most favoured servants. How far the methods St. Paul was advised to pursue, for the removal of this misapprehension, was suited to his character and known integrity, is a question not easily determined. The apostles, considered in one light, as the penmen of a large part of the sacred canon of faith and practice, which the Lord was pleased by them to communicate to his church, were, doubtless, so far under the full direction and inspiration of his Holy Spirit; but we have no reason to believe, that in every part of their own personal conduct they were strictly infallible; nay, we have good warrant to conclude the contrary, as St. Paul himself assures us, that, upon a certain occasion, already mentioned, he withstood Peter to his face, because he was to be blamed. It is therefore no way derogatory from the character and authority of St. Paul,

names and parties, we must expect to suffer | violence, but commanded him to be examined from the zealots of all sides.

Those who first laid hands on him were soon assisted by great numbers; for the whole city was moved, and the people ran together from all quarters. They dragged him out of the temple, and were upon the point of killing him, without giving him time or leave to speak a word for himself: they thought him absolutely in their power; but they were prevented by the appearance of Lysias, a Roman officer, who had a post near the temple to prevent or suppress insurrections. Upon the first notice he received of this disturbance, he came down with a party of soldiers. The evangelist observes, that when the Jews ran to kill Paul, the Romans ran to save him. Thus the succour the Lord provides for his people is always proportioned to the case, and effectual to the end. When danger is pressing, relief is speedy. Lysias, though ignorant of the cause of this tumult, judging, by its violence, that the apostle must have been some great malefactor, commanded him to be bound with two chains; and when he could obtain no satisfactory information from the people, had him removed to the castle, or Roman station. But such was the violence of the incensed unmeaning multitude, that the soldiers were constrained to carry him in their arms up the steps, or stairs, which led thither from the temple. Here Paul obtained leave to speak for himself, the tribune inclining rather to a more favourable opinion of him, when he found he could speak Greek; and the people attended with some composure, when they heard him address them in the Hebrew, or Syriac language.

by scourging, that he might know his crime from his own mouth, according to a barbarous custom of putting those to torture against whom there was no sufficient evidence, that their own extorted confession might furnish some grounds of proceeding against them: a custom still prevalent in most countries called christian, though contrary to religion, to reason, and to the common sentiments of humanity. Our Lord Jesus was examined in this manner before Pilate; and though the apostle was ready to follow the steps of his master in suffering, yet, upon this occasion, he pleaded his right of exemption from such treatment, as being a native of Tarsus, a city honoured with the freedom of Rome. A Roman citizen was not legally liable either to be bound or scourged: therefore, when the tribune understood his privilege, he stopped farther proceedings, and was something apprehensive for himself, that he had in part violated them already, by ordering him to be bound;* but, being still desirous to know what was laid to his charge, he convened the chief priests, and the members of the Sanhedrim on the next day; and brought him again before them.

The apostle, fixing his eyes upon the highpriest and council, as one who was neither ashamed or afraid to appear at their tribunal, began (Acts xxiii) with a declaration, that he had lived to that day in the exercise of a good conscience; but Ananias, the highpriest, forgetting his character as a judge, commanded those who stood near to strike him on the face. The apostle severely rebuked his partiality, in perverting the cause of justice, and warned him of the righteous judgment of God, the supreme Judge, who would surely punish his hypocrisy. His reply to those who reproved him for speaking in such terms to the high-priest, seems to intimate, that the injurious treatment he had received had raised an undue warmth in his spirit, though it may be supposed that he denounced his future doom under a superior and prophetic impulse; but knowing that the council was composed of Pharisees and Sadducees, who were at variance amongst themselves about several weighty points, particularly the doctrine of a resurrection, he declared himself a Pharisee, and that the opposition he met with from the Sadducees, was owing to his belief and hope in that doctrine. The Pharisees immediately suspended their present resentment, to embrace the occasion offered of opposing their old antago

In his discourse (Acts xxii) he told them, that he had been brought up amongst themselves, and appealing to the high-priest and elders concerning the zeal and earnestness with which he had formerly served their party, he related the extraordinary dispensation by which the Lord Jesus had conquered his heart. This was St. Paul's usual method of defence, and though no means are sufficient to reach the heart without a divine influence, yet humanly speaking, a simple and faithful declaration of what God has done for our souls, seems most likely to convince, or at least to soften and silence, those who oppose. Enraged as the Jews had been, they listened with patience to his relation, till he proceeded to intimate the Lord's designs in favour of the Gentiles, and that he was appointed an apostle to them. Accustomed to despise the rest of mankind, and to deem themselves the only people of God, they could not bear this; they interrupted him instantly, and, with one voice, declared it was not fit such a fellow should live upon the earth: they cast off their clothes, threw dust in the air, and their fury seemed to deprive them of their reason. Lysias, the tribune, secured him from their condition of such.

A Roman citizen might be bound with a chain, but

not tied with thongs, or beaten with rods: "Facinus est vincere civem Romanum, scelus verberari "-Cicero white, is an apt emblem of a man who carries on a inalicious design under the pretence and forms of justice. Hateful is the character and dreadfully dangerous the

Thou whited wall!-A clay wall, glossed over with