wisely determined their dependence on him, that they might be obliged to seek after him and serve him. Ă truth perceivable in the darkest state of ignorance, and acknowledged by one of your poets. If this be the nature of God, it is surely the highest absurdity to represent him by any image or similitude. The divine patience hath been too much exercised already with such gross abuses in religion; but now expects a thorough reformation, having sent his son JESUS CHRIST to make him known to the world, and at the same time to inform them that he hath appointed a day of general judg ment, when the religion of mankind shall be tried by the test of the gospel, before his only begotten Son, who is appointed sole Judge of quick and dead, and whose commission to that high office hath been ratified by the Almighty, in raising him from the dead by his almighty power."

He no sooner mentioned the resurrection, than some of the philosophers mocked and derided him; others, more modest, but not satisfied with the proofs he had given, gravely answered, We would hear thee again of this matter. After which Paul departed from the court; but not without some success: for a few auditors believed and attended his instructions; amongst whom were Dionysius one of the judges, and Damaris, thought by some to have been his wife. And it is generally believed that Dionysius was afterwards constituted the first bishop of Athens by this apostle.

While St. Paul remained at Athens, Timothy, ac cording to the order he had received, came to him out of Macedonia, and brought an account that the Christians at Thessalonica were under persecution from their fellow citizens, ever since his departure, at which St. Paul was greatly concerned, and at first inclined to visit them in person, to confirm them in the faith they had embraced; but being hindered by the enemies to the gospel, he sent Timothy to comfort them, and put them in mind of what they had at first heard, namely, that,

persecution would be the constant attendant on their profession.

St. Paul left Athens on Timothy's departure, and travelled to Corinth, a very populous place, and famous for its trade. Here he found Aquila, and Priscilla his wife, lately come from Italy, after having been banished from Rome by a decree of Claudius; and they being of the same trade he himself had learned in his youth, he wrought with them, that he might not be burdensome to the new converts in that city.

The apostle after some stay in Corinth, was joined by Silas and Timothy, and disputed frequently in the synagogue, reasoning and proving that JESUS was the true Messiah. This exasperated the Jews, to the greatest degree, and what they could not conquer by argument and force of reason, they endeavoured to carry by noise and clamour, blended with blasphemies and revilings; the last refuge of an impotent and baffled cause. But St. Paul, to testify his resentment, shook his garment, and told them, that since they were determined to pull down the vengeance of heaven upon their own heads, he (was absolutely guiltless and innocent, and would henceforth address himself to the Gentiles; accordingly he left them, and repaired to the house of Justus, a religious proselyte, where by his preaching and miracles, he converted great numbers to the faith; amongst which were Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue, Gaius, and Stephanus, who with their families were baptised, and admitted members of the Church of CHRIST.

Inasmuch as the constant returns of malice and ingratitude are sufficient to tire the largest charity, and cool the most generous resolution; our dear Redeemer therefore, that the apostle might not be, discouraged by the restless attempts and machinations of his enemies, appeared to him in a vision, and told him, that notwithstanding the bad success he had hitherto met with, there was a large harvest to be gathered in that VOL. il.

place, that he should not be afraid of his enemies, but preach the gospel boldly and faithfully, for that he himself would protect and preserve him from every danger.

St. Paul seems about this time to have written his first Epistle to the Thessalonians, Silas and Timothy being lately returned from thence, and delivered the message for which he had sent them hither. The principal design of this epistle is, to confirm them in the belief of the Christian religion, and excite them to persevere in it, notwithstanding all the malice of their enemies, and the persecutions they must expect to suffer; and to instruct them in the duties of their high vocation.

During these transactions, the malicious Jews were plotting his destruction: but being for some time disappointed, their malice changed into fury, and they hurried the apostle before the tribunal of Gallio, elder brother to the famous Seneca, and proconsul of the province, accusing him of being an innovator in religion, and of endeavouring to introduce a method of worshipping God contrary to the law. Paul was ready to have made his defence; but Gallio prevented him by telling his accusers, that if he had been guilty of any injustice he would have heard their complaint and redressed their grievance; but as it was nothing but a controversy about words and names, he would have nothing to do with it. But the Jews continuing their clamour, he commanded his officers to drive them from the tribunal; which was accordingly done, and some of the townsmen seized upon Sosthenes one of the rulers of the synagogue, and beat him before the judg ment-seat, the proconsul giving himself no concern about it. Thus were the designs of the apostle's enemies rendered abortive; and Paul continued, without any further opposition, to preach the doctrine of the gospel during a year and an half, when he left the church at Corinth, to visit others he had planted in different parts of the east.

While the apostle continued at Corinth he wrote his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, to supply his absence. In this Epistle he again endeavours to confirm their minds in the truth of the gospel, and prevent their being shaken with those troubles which the wicked and unbelieving Jews would be continually raising against them. And because some passages in his former Epistle relating to the destruction of the Jews had been misunderstood, as if the day of the Lord was near at hand, he rectifies these mistakes, and shews the sign that must precede our Lord's coming to judgment in the latter days.

Leaving the church at Corinth, St. Paul took ship at Cenchrea, the port of Corinth, for Syria, taking with him Aquila and Priscilla; and on his arrival at Ephesus, he preached a while in the synagogue of the Jews, promising to return to them, after keeping the passover at Jerusalem. Accordingly, he again took ship, and landed at Cæsarca, and from thence travelled to Jerusalem, where he kept the feast, visited the church, and then repaired to Antioch; here he stayed some time, and then traversed the countrics of Gallatia and Phrygia, till he came to Ephesus, confirming the new-converted Christians.

While the apostle was taking this large circuit, Providence took care of the churches of Ephesus and Corinth, by means of one Apollos, an eloquent Jew of Alexandria, and well acquainted with the law and wri. tings of the prophets. This man coming to Ephesus, though he was only instructed in the rudiments of Christianity, and John's baptism; yet he taught with great courage, and a most powerful zcal. After being fully instructed in the faith by Aquila and Priscilla, he passed over into Achaia, being furnished with recommendatory letters, by the churches of Ephesus and Corinth. He was of the greatest service in Achaia, in watering what Paul had planted, confirming the disciples, and powerfully convincing the Jews, that Jesus

was the true Messiah promised in the scriptures of the Old Testament.

Leaving Apollos thus usefully employed, St. Paul returned to Ephesus, where he fixed his abode for three years, bringing with him Gaius of Derbe, Aristarchus a native of Thessalonica, Timotheus and Erastus of Corinth, and Titus. The first thing he did after his arrival was to examine certain disciples, whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed? To which they answered, "That the doctrine they had received, promised nothing of that nature; nor had they ever heard that such an extraordinary spirit had of late been bestowed upon the church.' This answer surprised the apostle, who asked them in what name they had been baptised; since, in the christian form, the name of the Holy Ghost was always expressed? They replied, that they had only received John's baptism; which though it enjoined men to repent, yet mentioned nothing expressly concerning the Holy Ghost, or its gifts or powers. Upon which the apostle informed them, that though John's baptism commanded nothing but repentance, yet it tacitly implied the whole doctrine of CHRIST and the Holy Ghost. When they heard this, they were baptised according to the form prescribed by CHRIST himself, that is, in the name of the blessed Trinity; and after the apostle had prayed and laid his hands upon them, they received the gifts of tongues and other miraculous powers.

St. Paul, after this, entered into the Jewish synagogues, where for the first three months, he contended and disputed with the Jews, endeavouring with great carnestness and resolution to convince them of the truth of the Christian religion. But when instead of success he met with nothing but obstinacy and infidelity, he left the synagogue, and taking those with him whom he had converted, instructed them and others who resorted to him, in the school of one Tyrannus, a place where scholars used to be instructed. In this manner he con