comply with their request; however he promised that, with the permission of God, he would return to them. He sailed from Ephesus to Cæsarea, and is supposed to have arrived at Jerusalem just before the feast of Pentecost. After the feast he went to Antioch: and this was the conclusion of his second apostolical journey, in which he was accompanied by Silas ; and in part of it Luke and Timothy were also with him.

53.

54.

V. HAVING made a short stay at Antioch, Paul set out upon his third apostolical journey. He passed through Galatia (t) and Phrygia, confirming the Christians of those countries; and thence, according to his promise, he went to Ephesus (u). He found there some disciples who had only been baptized with John's baptism: he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus, and then he communicated to them the Holy Ghost. He preached for the space of three months in the synagogue; but the Jews being hardened beyond conviction, and speaking reproachfully of the Christian religion before the multitude, he left them; and from that time he delivered his instructions in the school of a person called Tyrannus, who was probably a Gentile. Paul continued to preach in this place about two years (x), so that all the inhabitants of that part of Asia Minor

(t) It is probable that St. Paul went into Galatia before he went to Ephesus, to learn what effect his Epistle to the Galatians had produced, and to correct any errors which might still remain. Vide Gal. c. 4. v. 19 and 20.

(u) Acts, c. 19.

(*) During this stay of St. Paul at Ephesus, he wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians, probably in the beginning of the year 56; and from this Epistle we learn that he supported himself by his own labour at Ephesus, as he had before done at Corinth. 1 Cor. c. 4. v. 11 and 12. He alludes to the same thing in his speech to the Ephesian elders at Miletus. Acts, c. 20. v. 34.

"heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." He also performed many miracles at Ephesus; and not only great numbers of people were converted to Christianity, but many also of those who in this superstitious city used incantations and magical arts, professed their belief in the Gospel, and renounced their former practices by publicly burning their books.

Such was the general success of Paul's preaching at Ephesus. But Demetrius, a silversmith, who sold models of the temple and image of Diana, observing the tendency of the Gospel to put an end to every thing connected with idolatry, represented to the workmen employed by him, and to others of the same occupation; that not only their trade would be ruined, which they knew by experience to be very lucrative, but also that the temple of their "great goddess Diana," the pride and glory of their city, would be brought into discredit and contempt, if Paul were permitted to propagate his doctrines, and to persuade the people “that they be no gods which are made with hands;" these men, thus instigated both by interest and by superstition, raised a great tumult in the city, and probably would have proceeded to extremities against Paul and his companions, if the chief magistrate had not interposed, and by his authority dispersed the multitude.

Previous to this disturbance Paul had intended to continue at Ephesus till Titus should return, whom he had sent (y) to enquire into the state of the church at Corinth. He now thought it prudent to go from Ephesus (2) immediately; and having taken an affectionate leave of the disciples, he set out for Troas (a), (y) 2 Cor. c. 12. v. 18. (*) Acts, c. 20. (a) 2 Cor. c. 2. v. 12 and 13.

56.

where he expected to meet Titus. Titus, however, from some, cause which is not known, did not come to Troas, and Paul was encouraged to pass over into Macedonia, with the hope of making converts. He met Titus thére (b), and sent him back (c), with several other persons, to apprize the Corinthians of his intention to visit them shortly. St. Paul, after preaching in Macedonia, and receiving from the Christians of that country liberal contributions for their poor brethren in Judæa (d), went to Corinth, and remained there about three months (e). The Christians also of Corinth, and of the rest of Achaia, contributed to the relief of their brethren in Judæa.

57.

58.

St. Paul's intention was to have sailed from Corinth into Syria; but being informed that some unbelieving Jews, who had discovered his intention, lay in wait for him, he changed his plan, passed through Macedonia, and sailed from Philippi to Troas in five days. He staid at Troas seven days, and preached to the Christians on the first (ƒ) day of the (b) 2 Cor. c. 7. v. 6.

c) St. Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians was written at this time, and sent by Titus.

(d) 2 Cor. c. 8. v. 1.

(e) Just before Paul left Corinth, he wrote his Epistle to the Romans, probably in the beginning of the year 58.

(f) It has been observed in a former part of this work, that immediately after the creation, "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it," and thus ordained that every seventh day, or one day in seven, should be exempted from the ordinary cares and business of the world, and more immediately dedicated to religious uses and the service of God. This ordinance, which, from the nature of its origin, must necessarily be binding upon all mankind, was repeated as one of the ten commandments given from Mount Sinai, which our Lord expressly declared to be of perpetual obligation. Matthew, c. 5. v. 17, 18 and 19. The strict observance of the seventh day, or sabbath, was enforced upon the Jewish nation by peculiar commands, adapted to the

week, the day on which they were accustomed to meet for the purpose of religious worship. From Troas he went by land to Assos, and thence he sailed to Mitylene, and from Mitylene to Miletus. Being desirous of reaching Jerusalem before the feast of Pentecost, he could not allow time to go to Ephesus, and therefore he sent for the elders of the Ephesian church to Miletus (g), and gave them instructions, and prayed with them. He told them that he should see them no more, which impressed them with the deepest sorrow (h). From Miletus he sailed by Coos, Rhodes, general tenor of institutions designed to separate them from the rest of the world, and declared to be founded in circumstances peculiar to that people: "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand, and by a stretched-out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Deut. c. 5. v. 15. These positive injunctions, designed to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, which was a shadow of things to come," Col. c. 2. v. 17. were of a temporary nature, and ceased to be binding upon them when the Jewish law was abrogated by the coming of the Messiah; and the Saviour of the world having risen from the dead on the first day of the week, that day was then appointed to be set apart for the purpose of religious worship, according to the original institution at the creation, to commemorate the emancipation of all mankind from the power of sin and death. The sacred writers do not mention that the Apostles received any express direction to make this change in the day which had been so long appropriated to the service of God; but as we know that they acted by Inspiration on all occasions where religious doctrines or duties were concerned, it is impossible to doubt their authority upon this point; and indeed this change seems clearly to have been sanctioned by the appearance of Christ in the midst of them, when they were assembled together, John, c. 20. v. 19. and by the descent of the Holy Ghost, both on the first day of the week. It is difficult to imagine circumstances more strikingly calculated to prove the universal and perpetual obligation of devoting "the seventh day," or one day in seven, as "holy to the Lord," and the abolition of the Jewish ritual by the establishment of Christianity. Miletus was about fifty miles to the south of Ephesus. h) It is, however, highly probable that St. Paul was at Ephesus after his first imprisonment at Rome, as will appear when we consider the date of the first Epistle to Timothy.

"

and Patara in Lycia, to Tyre (i). Finding some disciples at Tyre, he staid with them several days, and then went to Ptolemais, and thence to Cæsarea. While Paul was at Cæsarea, the prophet Agabus foretold by. the Holy Ghost, that Paul, if he went to Jerusalem, would suffer much from the Jews. This prediction caused great uneasiness to Paul's friends, and they endeavoured to dissuade him from his intention of going thither. Paul, however, would not listen to their entreaties, but declared that he was ready to die at Jerusalem, if it were necessary, for the name of the Lord Jesus. Seeing him thus resolute, they desisted from their importunities, and accompanied him to Jerusalem, where he is supposed to have arrived just before the feast of Pentecost, A. D. 58. This may be considered as the end of St. Paul's third apostolical journey.

VI. PAUL was received by the Apostles and other Christians at Jerusalem with great joy and affection; and his account of the success of his ministry, and of the collections which he had made among the Christians of Macedonia and Achaia, for the relief of their brethren in Judæa, afforded them much satisfaction; but not long after his arrival at Jerusalem, some Jews of Asia, who had probably in their own country witnessed Paul's zeal in spreading Christianity among the Gentiles, seeing him one day in the temple, endeavoured to excite a tumult, by crying out that he was the man who was aiming to destroy all distinction between Jew and Gentile; who taught things contrary to the Law of Moses; and who had polluted the holy temple, by bringing into it uncircumcised heathens (k). (i) Acts, c. 21.

(k) It was death for any Gentile to enter into that part of the temple which was called the second court, or court of the Israelites.