in connection and conjunction with the ori ginal apostles; for, after the completion of their journey, being fent upon a particular commiffion to Jerufalem, they there related to the apoftles and elders the events and fuccefs of their miniftry, and were, in return, recommended by them to the churches," as men who had hazarded their lives in the cause." The treatment which they had experienced in the first progrefs, did not deter them from preparing for a fecond. Upon a difpute, however, arifing between them, but not connected with the common fubject of their labours, they acted as wife and fincere men would a&; they did not retire in difguft from the fervice in which they were engaged, but, each devoting his endeavours to the advancement of the religion, they parted from one another, and fet forwards upon feparate routes. The history goes along with one of them; and the fecond enterprise to him was attended with the *Acts xv. 12-26. fame fame dangers and perfecutions as both had met with in the first. The apostle's travels hitherto had been confined to Afia. He now croffes, for the first time, the Ægean Sea, and carries with him, amongst others, the person whose accounts fupply the information we are ftating*. The first place in Greece at which he appears to have stopped was Philippi in Macedonia. Here himself and one of his companions were cruelly whipped, caft into prison, and kept there under the most rigorous cuftody, being thrust, whilst yet smarting with their wounds, into the inner dungeon, and their feet made faft in the stocks. Notwithstanding this unequivocal specimen of the usage which they had to look for in that country, they went forward in the execution of their errand. After paffing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Theffalonica; in which city the house in which they lodged was affailed by a party of their enemies, in order to bring them out to the *Acts xvi. II. VOL. I. + V. 23, 24.33. G populace. populace. And when, fortunately for their prefervation, they were not found at home, the master of the houfe was dragged before the magiftrate for admitting them within his doors*. Their reception at the next city was fomething better: but neither here had they continued long before their turbulent adversaries, the Jews, excited against them fuch commotions amongst the inhabitants, as obliged the apoftle to make his escape by a private journey to Athens. The extremity of the progress was Corinth. His abode in this city, for fome time, feems to have been without moleftation. At length, however, the Jews found means to ftir up an infurrection against him, and to bring him before the tribunal of the Roman prefident. It was to the contempt which that magistrate entertained for the Jews and their controverfies, of which he accounted Christianity to be one, that our apostle owed his deliverance §. This indefatigable teacher, after leaving Corinth, returned by Ephefus into Syria; and again vifited Jerufalem, and the fociety of Chriftians in that city, which, as hath been repeatedly obferved, ftill continued the center of the miffion*. It fuited not, however, with the activity of his zeal to remain long at Jerufalem. We find him going from thence to Antioch, and, after fome stay there, traversing once more the northern provinces of Afia Minort. This progress ended at Ephesus; in which city the apostle continued in the daily exercife of his ministry two years, and until his fuccefs, at length, excited the apprehenfions of those who were interefted in the support of the national worship. Their clamour produced a tumult, in which he had nearly lost his life. Undifmayed, however, by the dangers to which he faw himself expofed, he was driven from Ephefus only to renew his labours in Greece §. After paffing over Macedonia, he thence + V. 23. *Acts xviii. 22. § V. 29. 31. G 2 proceeded proceeded to his former ftation at Corinth When he had formed his defign of returning by a direct courfe from Corinth into Syria, he was compelled by a conspiracy of the Jews, who were prepared to intercept him on his way, to trace back his fteps through Macedonia to Philippi, and from thence to take fhipping into Afia. Along the coast of Afia he pursued his voyage with all the expedition he could command, in order to reach Jerufalem against the feast of Pentecoft. His reception at Jerufalem was of a piece with the ufage he had experienced from the Jews in other places. He had been only a few days in that city when the populace, inftigated by fome of his old opponents in Asia, who attended this feast, feized him in the temple, forced him out of it, and were ready immediately to have deftroyed him, had not the fudden presence of the Roman guard rescued him out of their hands. The officer, however, who had thus feasonably interpofed, acted from his *Acts xix. I. + V. 16. Acts xxi. 27--33. care |