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from Colossé. This city, therefore, being so far East of Laodicea, must have been at the Phrygian side of the Asiatic boundary; and as St. Paul had gone "throughout Phrygia," he surely at this time. preached at so large and principal a city of that province.

Not permitted to enter Asia, they proceeded northward, and assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit did not suffer them so passing through Mysia, they come to Troas. Now an express intimation is afforded them, where they should go and next preach the Gospel, a vision appearing to Paul at night, and a Macedonian standing by him, and praying him, saying, "come over into Macedonia and help us;" from whence, says the author of the Acts, "we gathered assuredly that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel there." From the expressions "we gathered," and "the Lord had called us," it is concluded that Luke had now joined Paul, and for some time accompanied him. He might have been a Colossian, being well known there, under the denomination of "the beloved Physician," -Coloss. iv. 14.

Sailing from Troas, they came over to that part of Macedonia which lay between the rivers Nessus and Strymon,* and go up to its chief city Philippi, in which a Roman colony had been placed by Julius Cæsar. Here there was no Jewish Synagogue, but a place for prayer at the river side, where devout persons resorted each Sabbath day. These places are called proseucha, and differed altogether from Synagogues, as not having any roofs, but walls only; and were built at the side of rivers, or on mountain tops. The interesting narrative of the establishment of a Christian Church at Philippi, is contained in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts, from the sixteenth verse: first, the commencement of it, when it pleased the Lord to open the heart of Lydia, to attend to the things spoken of Paul; then, the deliverance of Paul and Silas from prison, by a miraculous earthquake: the consequent conversion of the jailor, and of others, produced an infantine Church, which was formed at the house of Lydia. This Church afterwards grew up and prospered: they were especially beloved by the Apostle, and often sent contributions to him.

Having passed through two intermediate cities, Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica.† Th's city was situated at the head of the Thermoan Bay, possessed extensive commerce, and was the residence of the Roman Governor of the province of Macedonia. Here was a large settlement of Jews, and a Synagogue. Paul, according to his custom, first preached in the Synagogue, and that for three Sabbath days, using that course of argument which a Christian Missionary has ever to apply to the Jewish mind. First, proving that the promised Messiah should suffer: Secondly, should rise from the dead: and Thirdly, that Jesus of Nazareth was the

⚫ This country was a part of Thrace, but was added to Macedonia by Philip, father of Alexander, who having enlarged its chief city, called it by his own name.

† According to Strabo, and others, this city was built or increased by Cassan ler, the third King of Macedonia, after Alexander the Great, and who named it after his wife Thessalonica, who was daaghter of Philip.

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Messiah who should come. Of the Jews who heard him, some believed; but of the Greeks, a great multitude. These Greeks had been attendants at the Synagogue, being admitted there according to the custom which prevailed among the Jews, of allowing the well-disposed Gentiles to worship with them. They might have been admitted, even though they had not formally renounced idolatry altogether. Here they heard the law and the prophets read, became acquainted with the sublime and true account of the creation of the world, learned the fallen nature of man, and the promises of redemption through the Messiah-redemption to come to Jew and Gentile, and thus were gradually weaned from idol temples; but when they believed in the Lord Jesus as their Redeemer, they were fully converted, so that the Apostle could afterwards thus describe the effect of his preaching: "For they themselves shew of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you: how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."-1 Thes. i. 9, 10.

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Though he preached ouly three Sabbath days in the Synagogue, we are not to conclude that he remained at Thessalonica only for this short space of time; for while he was at this city, he received pecuniary relief twice from the Philippian Church, as he said, even in Thessalonica, ye sent once and again unto my necessity." -Phil. iv. 16. The converts, after they had left the Synagogue, appear to have assembled at the house of Jason, and to have been here instructed for some time by the Apostle. While the Jews, who dwelt at Thessalonica, were particularly vehement against the preaching of the Gospel, the Macedonian natives, on the contrary, were remarkable, both for the manner in which they at first received it, and for the patience with which they afterwards endured afflictions on account of it. The Gospel came not to them in word only; but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance: they received it, not as the word of men, but as the word of God, which worketh mightily in them that believe; and after receiving it they manifested the work of faith, the labour of love, and the patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.* The Apostle faithfully warned them that they must expect tribulation, and at the same time, earnestly exhorted them to avoid all those vices which their Gentile education might have once seduced them to; and as idleness seemed to prevail in this city, he shewed them an example of quietness and industry, himself labouring night and day among them. Whilst the Greeks, in general, were much given to enquiry and discussion, it might naturally be expected, that these people living near to the city of Pella, the birth-place of Alexander the Great, had been accustomed to examine the prophecies of Daniel, in which that Prince is so fully described; first, emblematically, as the "He Goat," and afterwards more expressly, as the "mighty King," (xi. 3.) They might be led now to expect some remarka

*First Ep. to the Thessalonians.

ble fulfilment of these prophecies, in regard to their final accomplishment. St. Paul did not, therefore, omit to afford them the necessary instruction concerning this point, as he afterwards mentions, (2 Thess. ii. 5.)

An uproar being at length excited at Thessalonica by the unbelieving Jews, Paul is obliged to depart from the city, as also from Beroa, where the same Jews pursued him, because they heard that their nation here, being of a better mind, searched the Scriptures daily, concerning the things spoken by Paul. He then, having left Silas and Timothy behind, that they might strengthen the Macedonian Church, was brought to Athens.

To understand clearly the present circumstances of Athens, it will be necessary to go back to its early history. The nearness of southern Greece to Egypt, caused it to receive the various systems of Egyptian worship as they arose. In the infancy of Greece, while Egypt yet worshipped one God, the Creator, this pure knowledge was conveyed to Greece, as afterwards the various names of Deities, when subsequently invented, were propagated. One vestige of the ancient pure belief remained at Athens, in the worship of "the unknown God." This expression had been first used to deuote the Supreme, but not revealed Being. It is best explained by an inscription found on a temple at the Egyptian city, Sais. This temple was dedicated to Minerva, and from it the first settlers at Athens, a Saite colony, are supposed to have brought this primitive worship. The inscription at Sais was, "I am all that hath been, is, and shall be, and my veil no mortal hath ever yet uncovered.' These remains of the ancient pure religion, had also corresponding sentiments, in some of the Greek Poets, descriptive of the Supreme, all-comprehending God. Thus, a degree of light was preserved in the midst of the heathen darkness which had so much overspread the earth.

Whilst Paul was at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw such a city wholly given to idolatry; so in every place where opportunity was afforded him, he argued with all. He reasoned in the Synagogue with the Jews, and the devout persons; and in the market-place, with them that met with him; and with the philosophers of the Epicureans and Stoics, who encountered him.

Finally, the advocates of the national religion accused him of bringing in strange gods, and brought him before the Areopagus, a Senate, whose office it was to superintend and take care of the religion of the country. This venerable Senate had been first established in very early times, by Cecrops, the founder of Athens, at a period before the Greek mythology and polytheism had been introduced. When the Apostle addresses this Council, he first draws their minds to the obscure traces of primitive religion, still acknow

* Vid. Plutarch de Isid, et Osyr apud init. and see Cudworth's Intell. Syst. b. 1. ch. iv. sec. 18. where much information will be found, both respecting the Saitic Temple, and also on she subject of the ancient religion of the Egyptians.

*

ledged among them; thus, at once, defending himself from the accusation of setting forth strange gods; and in a manner the most conciliatory, engaging their minds towards the contemplation of the true God, and of Him whom he hath sent into the world. As the original word, which our translation renders too superstitious, may be taken in a good sense; and St. Paul on other occasions, follows the practice of the Greek orators, in using a conciliatory exordium, we may suppose he applied it in such sense on this occasion. So his address proceeded in this manner: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are zealously religious; for when I passed by and beheld your devotions, I saw an altar with this inscription, to the unkown God:' whom therefore ye worship, not knowing him +-him declare I unto you, God that made the world and all things therein, &c."- -verse 24-34.

The Council willingly listened to the Apostle, till he began to speak of the resurrection of the dead, then some mocked at the doctrine which the Greeks strongly rejected; others, however, wished to hear him again, and it pleased God to give him at Athens some fruit of his labours. Certain persons cleaved to him and believed, and among them Dionysius, the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris.

Leaving Athens, Paul came to Corinth, being still alone; but was here cheered by finding two valuable disciples lately come from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla, persons who were of eminent service to him, for some future years of his ministry. Claudius Cæsar had banished all Jews, and Christians included under that denomination, from Rome. The particular canses that led to this act of the Emperor, we do not know; but we may conclude that it was occasioned by tumults and disturbances excited by the Jews. But he who causes the outward acts of kings and of nations to work together for promoting the kingdom of his dear Son, we may be assured, made this dispersion of the primitive Roman Church to subserve their own spiritual good, and that of the other Churches through which they were scattered.

Corinth, where the Apostle was now settled, was the metropolis of the Roman province of Achaia, where the Roman magistrate resided. All Greece appears at this time to have been divided into two Roman provinces: the upper part called Macedonia, and

the lower Achaia.

St. Paul commenced his labours here by preaching in the Synagogue every Sabbath, reasoning with the Jews and Greeks there assembled; but when Silas and Timotheus came from Macedonia, and brought the happy account of the prospering state of the Church there, with more enlarged mind, and pressed in spirit, he testified to the Jews, Jesus the Messiah.

The state of the Macedonian Church being represented to the Apostle, for their encouragement and instruction he writes now the

* Asioi daiμoveσTεpol.-See Hammond's Commentary.
+ αγνούντες.

FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS,* an Epistle, which, if opened by the young student and read throughout, will surely be found to receive some illustration from the preceding facts, when compared with it.

The Jews of the Corinthian Synagogue beginning to oppose and blaspheme, St. Paul is obliged to leave them. He and the converts resorted to the house of a devout Gentile, whose name was Justus, and such success followed his preaching, that the chief ruler of the Synagogue believed on the Lord, with all his house; and many Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized. Was the Apostle to have depended only on human reasoning, when preaching in this city, weak indeed would have been his hopes of success: various were the apparent obstacles-philosophy, which viewed the doctrine of the Cross as foolishness, and the resurrection of the dead as impossible-idolatry, established with numerous temples, and accompanied by heathen licentiousness to an excessive degree; and commerce and wealth affording the means of increasing every evil. The feelings of St. Paul, when surrounded by these difficulties, were such, that he afterwards observed to the Corinthians, "I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." 1 Cor. ii. 3. But the Lord who promised to be his strength in every difficult season, then spake to him in the night by a vision, saying, "be not afraid; but speak, and hold not thy peace, for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." So he continued here a year and half preaching the word of God among them.

Before St. Paul left Corinth, he understood that the Macedonian Church had suffered some disquiet from certain of its members who sought to persuade them that the day of Christ was at hand. He therefore writes the SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. First, he expresses his thanksgiving to God that their faith groweth so exceedingly, their charity abounding, and their patience, in all the persecutions and tribulations that they endure, so manifest. Then he beseeches them concerning (UTEP) the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they be not troubled in mind, as if it was at hand. They may observe in the prophecies of Daniel, that a falling away will first take place, and an impious king be revealed, who shall 'exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God,” (Daniel xi. 36.) an event which would not come to pass in that age. He finally directs them to exercise suitable discipline towards any person who will not obey this Epistle; yet, to count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

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Gallio arriving at Corinth in the capacity of deputy of Achaia, the Jews made a last effort against the Apostle; but that mild and equitable magistrate, repelled them from the judgment seat.

After St. Paul had remained a good while still at Corinth, he took his leave of the brethren, and sailed to Ephesus, with Priscilla and Aquila, and now he begins that ministry in the province of

* Θεσσαλονικεις.

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