the end of the year 57, in November, or December, he came into Achaia, and particularly to Corinth, where he stayed three months. Hence Paul intended to have failed to Syria. But understanding that the Jews laid wait for him, he returned again to Macedonia. And failed away from Philippi, after the days of unleavened bread, and came to his friends at Troas in five days, Acts xx. 3-6. That paffover, which Paul kept at Philippi, we fuppofe to have been in the year 58. At Troas Paul stayed feven days. It is not needful for us to purfue diftinctly Paul's Journey thence to Jerufalem, it being very clearly laid down by St. Luke, in the remaining part of ch. xx. and the beginning of xxi. I observe a few things only, ch. xx. 13. And we went before by ship to Affos [from Troas] there intending to take in Paul. For fo be had appointed, minding himself to go afoot. By which, I apprehend, we need not fuppofe that Paul walked all that way the original word, as feems to me, importing no more than that Paul chofe to go fo far by land; whilft the reft of the company went by water.tt Ch. xx. 16. For Paul had determined to fail by Ephefus, becaufe be would not spend the time in Afia. For be hafted, if it were poffible for him, to be at Jerufalem the day of pentecoft. As I fuppofe he was, though it is not particularly mentioned by St. Luke. So fays Lightfoot: St. Paul cometh to Jeru'falem at the feaft of pentecoft, when the city was now full ' of a confluence to that feftival.' Whereby we may be able to apprehend the greatnefs of the multitude of the people, as intimated by St. Luke xxi, 27-36. and the extremity of the apoftle's danger, and the terrifying circumftances of it. We have now gone through a period of about eight years, from Paul's leaving Antioch, not far from the beginning of the year 50, to his coming to Jerufalem at the pentecoft in 58. XI. I fhall next obferve the apostle's history from this time to his deliverance from his imprisonment at Rome. Paul was about two years in Judea. He came to Jerufalem, as juft faid, at the feast of pentecoft in the year 58. And he was fent away to Rome near the end of the year 60. St. Luke's account of what happened to Paul in that space of time is in ++ Μεταμεληθηναι δ' αυτος εν παντι τῷ βίῳ τρεις μεταμελείας· μιαν μεν επι τῷ γυναικι πισεύσαι λόγον απορρητον" στέραν δε πλευσας, όπε δυνατον ην πεζευσαι την δε τρίτην, οτι μιαν ημέραν αδιαθετος εμεινεν. Plutarch. Vit. M. Caton. Maj. a As before, vol. I. p. 319. U 2 ch. xxi. ch. xxi. 17. ch. xxvi. 1-32. For when he had been a few days at Jerufalem, he was feized by a rude and enraged multitude, who would have killed him, if he had not been refcued out of their hands by Lyfias, a tribune, and the chief officer at Jerufalem, under the Roman governor; who fecured him in the caftle of Antonia, binding him with two chains to two foldiers. But before Paul was carried into the caftle, he made a speech to the people, as he flood upon the ftairs going up into it. But the people not being at all mollified, and ftill fhowing great rage, the chief captain ordered that Paul fhould be brought into the caftle. The next day he loofed Paul from his bonds, and brought him before the Jewish council. But a great diffenfion arifing in the council between the members of it, the captain was obliged to take him by force from them, and bring him into the castle. The day after the captain being informed of a confpiracy to affaffinate Paul, he prudently fent him from Jerufalem, under a ftrong guard, to Cæfarea by the fea fide, where the governor Felix refided. After two years imprifonment Porcius Feftus came in the room of Felix, who, to gratify the Jews, left Paul bound. In a fhort time Feftus brought his prifoner's cause to a hearing at Cæfarea. And the Jews ftill profecuting him with great earnestnefs, Paul appealed to Cæfar. Then Feftus, when he had conferred with his council, anfwered, haft thou appealed to Cafar? Unto Cæfar thou shalt go. A while after which Paul, and other prifoners in that country, were delivered to Julius, a centurion, to be conducted by fea to Italy. Whilft Paul was in Judea, he made a fpeech to the people at Jerufalem, already taken notice of, when he freely declared his principles and conduct. He was alfo brought by Lyfias before the whole Sanhedrim, or Jewish council. He pleaded before Felix in anfwer to the accufations of Tertullus, and the Jews who employed him. He preached before Felix and his wife Drufilla, and was feveral times in the prefence of Felix. And before he was fent away to Rome, Feftus gave him an opportunity to appear, and plead before himself, and king Agrippa, and Bernice, and the tribunes, and principal men of Cæfarea: when Paul gave that auguft affembly an account of his doctrine, and - of himself from his converfion to that time. And it is manifeft, that Paul's difcourfe was well received. And both he and his doctrine were acquitted from all the charges and accufations of the Jews. For when the company had withdrawn, p. 125. withdrawn, they faid among themselves, where certainly they could fpeak with freedom: This man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds. Indeed, it must be owned, that Paul was civilly treated by all the Roman officers in Judea, Lyfias, Felix, Feltus, Julius. They all behaved as magiftrates ought to do. They gave their prifoner and his accufers a fair hearing, that they might know the truth of the cafe. Felix was a bad man. Nevertheless, be commanded a Centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his And acquaintance to minifter, or to come to him, ch. xxiv. 23. he left Paul bound, when he fhould have releafed him. But it was only out of compliance to the Jews, of whom ne was afraid. And if there was any other defect of justice toward Paul, in the behaviour of the Roman officers; it may be fitly imputed to the powerful influence of the Jews, the people of the country: to whom governors, fent in from abroad, would be obliged to fhow a great regard from political confiderations. In ch. xxvii. and xxviii. 1-16. is an account of Paul's voyage to Rome, which St. Luke has related very diftinally. As it was near winter, when they fet out; they met with bidd weather, and were wrecked on the island Melita, now called Malta, lying fouth of Sicily. There they flayed three months. xxxviii. II. and then failed for Italy in a fhip of Alexandria. They landed at Puteoli, and fo went for Rome. Paul and the other prifoners were delivered by the centurion to the captain of the guard. How the other prifoners were dif pofed of, is not particularly related. But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a foldier that kept him, ver. 16. "And as Paul had appealed to the emperor, I fuppofe, that he was foon brought before him, and that the method of his confinement was ordered by the emperor himfelf. Of which I may fay more hereafter, when we come to the fecond epiftle to Timothy. Says Lightfoot: His accufers, that were come from 'Judea to lay in their charge against him (for we can hardly fuppofe otherwife, but that fome fuch were come) would 'be urgent to get their business difpatched, that they might 'be returning to their own home again. And fo would bring him to trial as foon as they could.As he ap 'pealed to Nero himself, fo Nero himself heard his caufe. Philip. i. 13. 2 Tim. iv. 16.' So Lightfoot. And it appears to me very strange, that any fhould think, Paul's caufe was not heard at all at Rome, during his two years ftay there. And yet it has been the opinion of several learned men, particularly of James Capellus, and Dr. Doddridge, whofe words I have placed below. And Fr. Spanheim fpeaks to the like purpofe. But his fentiments are rejected by his friend Witfius, as no better than trifling. J Paul came to Rome in the fpring of the year, as all will readily think. Some learned men place his arrival there in February, others in April. Here Paul dwelled two whole years in his own hired house. Therefore he was releafed from his confinement in the fpring, two years after. I fuppofe, Paul to have come to Jerufalem at the pentecoft of the year 58, to Rome in the fpring of the year 61, and to have been releafed in the former part of the year 63. This period therefore is about the space of five years. XII. We are now to write the hiftory of our apostle from this time to his death. But in this period we have no affiftance from St. Luke, very little from the other books of the New Teftament, nor very much from ancient authors, which can be depended upon as certain. Whither Paul went, after he had obtained his liberty, has been debated. Some think, that he went from Rome Redit Romam caufam acturus, quod in prima Romæ manfione non comparuiffent accufatores. Jac. Cap. Compendiof. in Apoftol. Hiitor. Chronolog. Tab. After this Paul continued two whole years at Rome in his own hired houfe, before he was heard by Cæfar, or his deputy, upon his appeal.' Upon Acts xxviii. 30. Family Expofitor, vol. III. p. 434. e Celeberrimus Spanhemius nofter ad Hiftoriæ Chriftianæ feculum i.- hæc habet: Dimiffus nempe fuerat Paulus, ea lege, ut in Afia coram accufatoribus fuis fifteretur, aut Romæ rurfus fe fifteret, quum ante nulli in ipfum Romam miffi a Judæis effent. Ea occafione adiit Corinthum. Sed apparen h to tibus Hierofolyma Judæis, Romam rtdire coactus eft, anno, ut videtur, fequente: ubi conjectus in vincula, ibidemque ultima Pauli certamina, E. &c. Quæ quam debili nitantur fundamento, non puto mihi effe oftendendum. Witf. de Vit. Pauli. fect. xii. num. xl. f Ita Paolus, poftquam per tres menfes Melite hiemaffet, per Syracufas, Rhegium, et Puteolos, Romam venit menfe Febr. Neron. vii. Pearfon. Ann. Paul. p. 18. A. D. lxi. Ita tandem Paulus, poft tot cafus, poft tot rerum difcrimina, Romam venit, anno vii. Neronis, menfe Februario. Witf. ib. fect. xii. n. i. See likewife Tillemont. S. Paul. art. 42. num. x. 8 Bainag. ann. 60. Adveniente Timo theo, to Spain. Others fee not fufficient reafon for that fuppofition. Among thefe are Lenfant and Beaufobre, Bafnage, and Cellarius, and † Du Pin. That Paul went into Spain, has been argued from an expreffion of Clement in his epiftle to the Corinthians, who there says of Paul, that " having taught the whole world righte'oufnefs, and having come to the borders of the weft, and having fuffered martyrdom, he went to the holy place.' Which fome have rendered the utmost bounds of the west, and argue, that hereby is meant Spain. I rather think, that Clement only meant Italy, or Rome, where Clement was, and where Paul fuffered. From note of Le Clerc upon the place we learn, that Bp. Fell fo understood Clement. The word coming alfo leads to this fenfe. If Clement had thought of Spain, or Britain, or any other places beyond that, in which himfeif was, he would not have faid na Exov, and having come, but opeυsamsvos, or fome other equivalent word, and having gone to the bounds of the west. Lenfant and Beaufobre in their general preface to St. Paul's epifties fay, theo, ex Italia profectus eft in, Auffi les epitres, que S. Paul και 1 Eruditis placet, et admodum eft probabile, Paulum prima captivitate, quam Lucas fcripfit, liberatum in Græciam et Afiam revertisse, adeoque bis Romæ fuiffe: in Hifpaniam autem penetraffe, credibile non eft. Chr. Cellar. de Itineribus S. Pauli Apoftoli. § xxviii. † Il arriva à Rome au commencement de l'an 61. Il en fortit au bout de deux ans. Plufieurs ont crû, qu'il avoit alors fait le voïage d'Efpagne. Mais nous avons fait voir ailleurs, que cela eft fort incertain. Il eft plus vraisemblable, qu'il revint dans l'Afie, et dans la Gréce. Du Pin. Diff. Prel. 1. 2. ch. 2. § viii. m δικαιοσυνην διδαξας όλον τον κοσμον, και επι το τέρμα της δύσεως ελθων, και μαρτύρησας επι των ηγεμόνων. --H. 2. n Et certe eam Clem. cap. v. regionem vidit, quam Clemens Ro- U 4 the |