concerning any other meffenger whom St. Paul fent; and, in the different epistles, many fuch meffengers are mentioned. Turn to 1 Timothy, chap. iv. ver. 12, and you will find that Timothy was a young man, younger probably than those who were usually employed in the Chriftian miffion; and that St. Paul, apprehending left he should, on that account, be expofed to contempt, urges upon him the caution which is there inferted, "Let no man despise the youth."

No. X.

Chap. xvi. ver. 1. "Now, concerning "the collection for the faints, as I have "given order to the churches of Galatia,

The churches of Galatia and Phrygia were the last churches which St. Paul had visited before the writing of this epistle. He was now at Ephefus, and he came thither immediately from vifiting these churches: "He went over all the country of Ga"latia and Phrygia, in order, ftrength"ening all the difciples. And it came to "pafs that Paul having paffed through the

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upper coafts" (viz. the above-named countries, called the upper coafts, as being the northern part of Afia Minor), "came to "Ephefus." Acts xviii. ver. 23; xix. 1. These therefore, probably, were the last churches at which he had left directions for their public conduct during his absence. Although two years intervened between his journey to Ephefus, and his writing this epistle, yet it does not appear that during that time he visited any other church. That he had not been filent when he was in Galatia,. upon this fubject of contribution for the poor, is farther made out from a hint which he lets fall in his epiftle to that church : Only they (viz. the other apoftles) would "that we should remember the poor, the "fame alfo which I was forward to do."

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Why should they fuppofe that he would not come? Turn to the firft chapter of the fecond Epistle to the Corinthians, and you

will find that he had already disappointed them: "I was minded to come unto you "before, that you might have a second "benefit; and to pass by you into Mace"donia, and to come again out of Mace"donia unto you, and of you to be brought "on my way toward Judea. When I, "therefore, was thus minded, did I use

แ

lightness? Or the things that I purpose, "do I purpose according to the flesh, that "with me there fhould be yea, yea, and

nay, nay? But, as God is true, our word "toward you was not yea and nay.' It appears from this quotation, that he had not only intended, but that he had promised them a vifit before; for, otherwise, why should he apologize for the change of his purpose, or express so much anxiety, left this change fhould be imputed to any culpable fickleness in his temper; and left he should thereby feem to them, as one whose word was not, in any fort, to be depended upon? Besides which, the terms made use of plainly refer to a promise, "Our word toward you "was not yea and nay." St. Paul therefore had signified an intention which he had not

been

been able to execute; and this feeming breach of his word, and the delay of his visit, had, with fome who were evil affected towards him, given birth to a fuggeftion that he would come no more to Corinth.

No. XII.

Chap. v. ver. 7, 8. "For even Chrift, "our paffover, is facrificed for us; therefore "let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, "neither with the leaven of malice and "wickedness, but with the unleavened "bread of fincerity and truth."

Dr. Benfon tells us, that from this paffage, compared with chapter xvi. ver. 8, it has been conjectured that this epiftle was written about the time of the Jewish paffover; and to me the conjecture appears to be very well founded. The paffage to which Dr. Benfon refers us is this: "I will tarry at Ephefus until Pentecoft." With this paffage he ought to have joined another in the fame context: "And it may be that I "will abide, yea and winter with you:" for, from the two paffages laid together, it follows that the epiftle was written before Pentecoft,

Pentecoft, yet after winter; which neceffarily determines the date to the part of the year, within which the paffover falls. It was written before Pentecoft, because he fays, "I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecoft." It was written after winter, because he tells them, " It may be that I may abide, yea, and winter with you." The winter which the apostle purpofed to pafs at Corinth, was undoubtedly the winter next enfuing to the date of the epiftle; yet it was a winter fubfequent to the enfuing Pentecoft, because he did not intend to fet forwards upon his journey till after that feast. The words, "let us keep the feaft, not with old leaven, neither with the lea

ven of malice and wickedness, but with "the unleavened bread of fincerity and

truth," look very like words fuggested by the feafon; at least they have, upon that fuppofition, a force and fignificancy which do not belong to them upon any other; and it is not a little remarkable, that the hints cafually dropped in the epiftle, concerning particular parts of the year, fhould coincide with this fuppofition.