sudden emergency: but to his own labours in maintaining himself and others with him at Ephesus, Paul distinctly appeals when afterwards at Miletus addressing the elders from that city, A. xx. 34.

From what follows, it might appear, that during the interval betwixt Paul's first and second visit to Ephesus, whatever Aquila and Priscilla had taught to Apollos privately, they had not taken upon them publickly to declare the whole truths of the gospel.

ACTS xix. 1. And Paul finding certain disciples on his arrival in that city, in the same situation apparently that Apollos had been,

2. He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard, whether any gifts of the Holy Ghost be imparted to believers.

3. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Jesus as the Messiah.

5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

7. And all the men, miraculously so gifted, were about twelve.

ACTS xix. 8. And after this Paul went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

9. But when divers of the Jews were hardened and believed not, but spake evil of that way (the doctrine of Jesus as the Messiah) in the synagogue before the multitude there, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

10. And this practice of daily teaching continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia (Ephesus and the region round it) heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks, that is, Jewish and Gentile converts.

Vide the NOTE on A. xi. 20.

11. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul :

12. So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,

--for an efficacy which they could not else commandsaying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

14. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

15. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

16. And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

ACTS xix. 17. And when this became known to all the Jews and Greeks also (as in v. 10.) dwelling in Ephesus; an awful fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

19. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

A much fuller statement of the labours of Paul in this city from his own mouth is recorded by the historian, in that affecting speech (A. xx. 18...35.) delivered at Miletus to the elders of Ephesus.

It was during this residence at Ephesus that the apostle wrote

the First EPISTLE to the CORINTHIANS,

in answer to a public letter sent from the church at Corinth by the hands of certain brethren, Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and others, 1 COR. xvi. 17. Of the peculiar subjects on which Paul was now consulted, the reader may be referred to a brief but very clear account, in H. P. 33...36.

This Epistle, it is important to remark, was certainly written, before the great riot happened, inasmuch as the apostle intimates (1 Cor. xvi. 8.) his design to tarry at Ephesus some time longer, so that his " fighting with beasts," (xv. 32.) whatever else it means, can have no reference to that scene of danger.

And without letting the Corinthians know his intention, it was written, after he had determined to postpone his visit to Corinth for the present, H. P. 62, 3., and when he had concerted other measures in accordance with that design. Apparently indeed (vide H. P. 40.) he had even sent off Timothy and Erastus (A. xix. 22.) into Macedonia before the Epistle was written, 1 Cor. iv. 17. xvi. 10.; as in all probability soon after it was despatched, he sent off Titus (with "the brother") on his first mission to Corinth, 2 COR. xii. 17, 18.

On the occasion of his writing the Second Epistle, a full developement of these interesting facts, entirely omitted by Luke, in A. xx. 1, 2., but supplied from the Epistles themselves, it shall be my endeavour to give; to illustrate the personal history of Paul, in these his various concerns of correspondence with the church of Corinth by his ministers Titus and Timothy.

ACTS xix. 21. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, first to pass through Macedonia (Philippi, &c.) and Achaia (Corinth and Cenchrea) again, and then to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

22. So he sent into Macedonia, to forward his purposes there, two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus (who had been with him during this whole progress) and Erastus who might have come to Ephesus along with the deputation from Corinth, if he had not more probably joined him at an earlier period. For somewhat more of ERASTUS, vide the Index under that

name.

Timothy and Erastus then, after that service in the Macedonian churches was performed, were, if nothing intervened to hinder, to have gone down to Corinth. As regards Timothy, vide 1 Cor. iv. 17., xvi. 10., and Erastus was a Corinthian.

But Paul himself stayed in Asia (i. e. Ephesus) for a season. He had meant to tarry in that city until Pentecost, 1 COR. xvi. 8. The ensuing history will show how his intention was frustrated.

For the fuller information promised at H. P. 40, 1. to be given here of this journey of Timothy thoroughly investigated, vide Appendix D. s. 2.

ACTS xix. 23. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way, i. e. the profession of the Christian faith.

24. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen ;

25. Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

26. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

27. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

28. And when the workmen heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.