[PART II. state of the Church at Corinth. He now thought it prudent to go from Ephesus (2)

immediately; and having taken an affectionate 56. leave of the disciples, he set out for Troas (a), 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 there (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 57. 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.

- St. Paul's intention was to have sailed from Corinth into Syria; but being informed, that

(z) Acts, c. 20.

(a) 2 Cor. c. 2. v. 12 & 13.

(b) 2 Cor. c. 7. v. 6.

some

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

(d) 2 Cor. c. 8.

(e) Just before

V. I.

Paul left Corinth, he wrote his

Epistle to the Romans, probably in the beginning of the

year 58.

some unbelieving Jews, who had discovered his intention, lay in wait for him, he changed his plan, passed through Macedonia, and sailed from 58. Philippi to Troas in five days. He staid at Troas seven days, and preached to the Christians. on the first (f) day of the week, the day ou which

(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, & 19. The strict observance of the seventh day, or sabbath, was enforced upon the Jewish nation by peculiar commands adapted to the 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

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 would 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

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 crea- . tion, 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 calcu❤ lated to prove the universal and perpetual obligation of devoting "the seventh day," or one day in seven, aṣ

66

holy to the Lord," and the abolition of the Jewish ritual by the establishment of Christianity.

(g) Miletus was about fifty miles to the south of Ephesus.

which impressed them with the deepest sorrow (h). From Miletus he sailed by Coos, Rhodes, 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 naine 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,

(h) It is however highly probable that St. Paul was at Ephesus after his first imprisoninent at Rome, as will appear when we consider the date of the first Epistle to Timothy.

(i) Acts, c. 21.

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). This representation did not fail to enrage the multitude against Paul; they seized him, dragged him out of the temple, beat him, and were upon the point of putting him to death, when he was rescued out of their hands by Lysias, a Roman tribune, and the principal military officer then at Jerusalem. Lysias instantly bound Paul with two chains, concluding that he had been guilty of some heinous crime; but the uproar was so great, that he could not learn who he was, or what he had done, and therefore he committed

him

(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.