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REFLECTIONS.

1. In the conduct of Paul at Athens, and in the account which the historian has given of his reception, we see fresh proofs of the truth of our religion. In this seat of learning and of the arts, where the human mind was improved to the highest degree, where lived the first masters of philosophy and eloquence, to which foreigners resorted from all countries for instruction, and which had conquered the world, if not by arms yet by the more powerful influence of manners and science in this enlightened and illustrious city the apostle is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: he ventures to preach it in the places of public resort, and wherever he can find an audience; he has the resolution to defend it against the attacks of the ablest reasoners and the acutest philosophers; and this when alone and a stranger, unprotected, unaccompanied by a single individual. What confidence in the truth of the gospel! What zeal for communicating its discoveries to the world! Surely such confidence and such zeal must have some solid foundation, something better than the fictions of his own mind or the unauthenticated reports of other persons.

The historian who mentions his preaching at Athens does not scruple, we see, to record his reception there, although by no means the most favourable. He informs us that this distinguished advocate of Christianity was denominated by the most contemptuous appellations; that the principal doctrine which he professed to teach could not be heard without laughter, and that he made but few proselytes in this renowned city. How confidently then may we rely upon his Vol. 3.]

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narrative, when he relates the success of the gospel in other places and the respect paid to its teachers!

2. We learn from this story what is the substance of the gospel: not such doctrines as many Christians would now expect to find: not such as are to be found in modern creeds, the atonement of Christ or the deity of his person, but Jesus and the resurrection; a restoration to life of the individval who has died, never to die any more. This is the interesting truth which, next to the divine mission of our master, holds the most conspicuous place in the Christian revelation. This is the doctrine to communicate which he was sent into the world, and to establish which he died and was raised again. Let this doctrine, Christians, hold the first place in your regards, notwithstanding the ridicule which it once received from the philosophers of Athens, and the opposition which it still experiences from modern unbelievers.

3. Let us often read and carefully fix in our memories the sublime description here given of the Supreme Being. It is replete with interesting truth and divine consolation. He is the great Creator of the universe, the impartial Father of all mankind, their present governor and sovereign, their final judge, the all-sufficient and omnipresent Deity, infinitely superior to every thing which we behold or can conceive. To him we are indebted for all that we possess; to him we are accountable for all that we have received, for all that we do: him, therefore, let us serve with thankfulness and joy.

Acts xviii. 1—17.

Paul, meeting with no encouragement to continue at Athens, proceeds thence to Corinth, where he is induced to stay a long time by a divine vision with which he is favoured, and by the success of his preaching to the Gentiles. The Jews, being, as usual, en

raged at his success, excite an insurrection and carry him before the tribunal of the governor of the province, who refuses to take cognizance of their com plaint.

1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth:

This was a large and opulent city of Greece, which, being situated on a narrow neck of land between two seas, was resorted to for the purposes of commerce from both the western and eastern parts of the globe. The natural consequences of extensive trade and manufactures were luxury and dissipation of manners *, which soon sunk it into one of the weakest and most effeminate of the states of Greece. It was not much less celebrated for philosophers and orators than Athens itself.

2. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome;) and came unto them.

3. And because he was of the same craft," of the same trade," he abode with them and wrought: (for by their occupation they were tent-makers.)

This is the first time that Paul was introduced to these persons, whose names are mentioned more than once in this history, and still more frequently in the epistles. They were on several occasions his companions, and he received from them very essential services. As nothing is said about their conversion, it is probable that they became Christians by their

* Travels of Anacharsis, Vol. iii. article Corinth.

intercourse with him, and that it was for this reason, as well as because they pursued the same occupation, that he immediately joined himself to them. Though Jews and natives of Asia, their names are of Latin origin.

In assigning the reason of their departure from Rome, an event is referred to in the Roman history, by means of which we may in some degree ascertain the truth and accuracy of that which we are reading: for we are told that Claudius, the Roman emperor, had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. The same thing is asserted by Suetonius, a Roman historian, who lived near that time; for he tells us that the emperor Claudius, "expelled the Jews from Rome, who were continually raising disturbances, Chrestus being their leader." The fact probably was, as we have seen to be the case in other instances, that the Jews, alarmed at the progress of the Christians, endeavoured to excite tumults and insurrections at Rome, and that the emperor, considering Christians as only a sect of the Jews, commanded one as well as the other to depart from the city.. Here then we see the testimony of a heathen writer coinciding with and confirming that of the sacred historian.

Hence

It has often been observed that it was an almost invariable custom with Jewish parents, however affluent their circumstances, to teach their children some handicraft business, as a useful resource for maintainance in case of unavoidable misfortunes in life. it is that we find Paul, although a person who had had a liberal education, (for he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel,) able to employ himself in the ordinary occupation of a tent-maker. The tents which he and his companions were employed in making were composed of linen or skins, and used as a summer residence in hot climates, by travellers upon their journies, where no other lodging was to be found, and by soldiers in their camps. Paul has often asserted his right to maintenance from those who enjoyed the benefit of his labours in preaching the gospel; but for prudential reasons he declined enforcing this claim at Corinth and Ephesus..

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And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

5. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in spirit, rather, "was closely employed in the word," i. e. in preaching the gospel, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

This alteration in the translation is authorized by several circumstances, and seems consonant to the design of the writer, who intended to mention something which was the consequence of Silas and Timothy coming to Paul; this was more likely to be that he was encouraged to labour more abundantly in the work of preaching, together with them, than that he was pressed in spirit or discouraged. But the more the zeal and earnestness of the apostle increased, the more violent was the opposition made to him, and the more evident did the temper of the unbelieving Jews appear.

6. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, i. e. reviled Jesus and his religion, he shook his raiment, i. e. his loose upper garment,

He thus expressed his entire renunciation of all further intercourse with them; as if he had said, I will not keep any thing that belongs to you, not so much as the dust which adheres to my clothes. Take what is yours, as I will keep what is mine. Christ had directed his disciples to shake off the dust from their feet in like circumstances, which meant the same thing.

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