ting in at Ephesus, because he was resolved, if possible, to be at Jerusalem at the feast From Acts i. of Pentecost. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus to assemble the bishops and pastors of 10 to the end. the neighbouring churches, and, at their arrival, put them in mind, "With what uprightness and integrity, with what affection and humility, and with how great danger and trouble he had been conversant among them, and preached the Gospel to them, ever since his coming into those parts: That he had not failed to acquaint them, both publicly and privately, with whatsoever might be profitable to their souls, urging both Jews and Gentiles to repentance and reformation, and an hearty entertainment of the faith of Christ That now he was determined to go to Jerusalem, where he did not know what particular sufferings would befal him, only that he had been foretold by those who were endued with the prophetic gifts of the Holy Ghost, that in every place afflictions and imprisonment would attend him; but that he was not concerned at this, no, nor unwilling to lay down his life, if so be he might but successfully propagate the Gospel, and triumphantly finish his course: That he knew that from henceforth they should see his face no more; but that this was his particular comfort and satisfaction, that they themselves could bear him witness, that he had not, by concealing any part of the Christian doctrine, betrayed their souls: That, since therefore he was finally to bid them adieu, and the whole care of the church was to devolve upon them, he conjured them to be infinitely careful both of themselves, and of that flock over which the Holy Ghost himself had made them overseers, and for which Christ had paid no less a purchase than his own blood: That all their care in this respect would be no more than necessary, because it was certain, that, after his departure, not only heretical teachers * would break in upon them, and endanger the ruin of mens souls, but that, even among themselves, there would arise some who, by their crafty methods, and unsound doctrines, would make rents and schisms in the church, even as he with much grief and sorrow of heart, for these three years past, had forwarned them: That to this purpose he now recommended them to God's special care and protection, wishing them all the benefits of the Gospel, perfection of knowledge, and an heavenly inheritance hereafter; cautioning them against avarice, and making a prey of their flocks; and referring them to his own example, what pains they ought to take to support the weak, and relieve the poor, in remembrance of that excellent saying || of our Saviour, It is

with such a current, as stirs up the earth and gravel from the bottom, which make its water not so clear and crystalline as might be expected. Whitby's Alphabetical Table, and Wells's Geography of the New Testament.

That in those early times of Christianity, the Divine Spirit did enable the apostles to discern who were fit to be governors of the church, and that, by its movement or inspiration, they were accordingly chosen into that office, seems to be evident from several passages in Scripture. Thus the Spirit, in the prophets at Antioch, said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work, whereunto I have called them," Acts xiii. 2. and thus the Holy Ghost is said to have "constituted the bishops and presbyters in Asia," Acts xx. 28. because (as Clemens Romanus says), "they made trial of them by the Holy Ghost," or (as Clemens Alexandrinus has it), "they were signified to them by the Spirit" and therefore Ignatius testifies of the bishops of his time, that they were not appointed by men, but by the counsel of Christ Jesus," even as St Cyprian says of those in his, that they were constituted, "not only by the consent of the people, and the suffrages of their fellow-bishops,

but by the judgment and testimony of God:" And
therefore we need not doubt, but that to this kind of
election it is that the words of the apostle refer.
Whitby's Annotations.

The pro

*What we have termed heretical teachers, St Paul
describes by the metaphor of "grievous wolves, not
sparing the flock," Acts xx. 29. and well may they
be compared to wolves for their craft and cruelty,
their mortal hatred to all good Christians, and lying
in wait to circumvent and destroy them.
phet likens them to evening wolves, Zeph. iii. 3. which
come secretly in the dark, and are very hungry, zea-
lous, and passionately desirous to pervert harmless
and unwary souls; and, lest their malice should be
perceived, these ravenous wolves disguise themselves
in sheep's clothing, i. e. they pretend to great inno-
cence and simplicity, they seem to pity the mistakes,
and desire the salvation of such as they would insi
nuate into, and, under this vail, they are taken for
friends, though still they remain the worst of ene
mies. Comber on Ordination.

It is certain that this saying does not occur in
any of the four evangelists; nor does the apostle men-
tion it as an inference from our Lord's several dis-

Ann. Dom. 58, &c.

A. M. 4062, more blessed to give than to receive' t." After this farewel-sermon, the apostle kneel&c. or 5169. led down, and concluded all with a solemn prayer: whereupon they all melted into tears, and, with the greatest expressions of sorrow, attended him to the ship; though that which made the deepest impression upon them, was his having told them that they should see his face no more."

From Miletus, Paul and his companions came in a straight course to Coos *, the next day to Rhodes |, and thence to Patara §, where, finding a ship that was bound for Phoenicia, they went on board, and arrived safe at Tyre. Here they made a stop for seven days; and St Paul being advised by some Christians of the place (who had the gift of prophecy) not to go up to Jerusalem, would by no means listen to their proposal; but as they, together with their wives and children, accompanied him to the

ship before he went on board, he embraced them all, and prayed with them on the From Acts i. shore, as he had done before at Miletus. From Tyre they sailed to Ptolemais †, and 10. to the end. there having but just saluted the brethren, they came by land the next day to Cæsarea of Palestine, and lodged at the house of Philip, the deacon and evangelist +2, who had four daughters, all endued with the gift of prophecy. During their stay in this place, the prophet Agabus came from Jerusalem, and taking St Paul's girdle *, bound his own hands and feet with it, thereby intimating, that the owner of it should be served in the same manner by the Jews at Jerusalem, and by them be delived over into the hands of the Gentiles; but St Paul's constancy was not in the least shaken by all these predictions, being ready, as he told those who were dissuading him from going, not only to suffer bonds, but even death itself, for the sake of Christ and his religion; so that, finding his resolution immoveable, they importuned him no more, but left the event to the will of God: Whereupon he and his companions set forwards on their journey, and having arrived at Jerusalem before the feast of Pentecost, were received by the Christians there with the utmost demonstrations of joy.

The next day Paul and his company went to the house of St James, the apostle and bishop of Jerusalem, where the rest of the elders and governors of the church were met together. After mutual salutations, he gave them an account of the success he had met with in the propagation of Christianity among the Gentiles, for which they all glorified God; but withal told him, "That since he was now come to a place where there were many thousands of Jewish converts, who all retained a mighty zeal

this we may be sure was not to prevail with him to abandon the work of the Gospel, but rather to arm him with strength and resolution to accomplish it, without giving himself any pain about the perils that would ensue. Whitby's and Beausobre's Annotations, and Calmet's Commentary.

This city was anciently called Accho; but when Ptolemy I. had enlarged it, it took its name from him; though, since its subjection to the Turks, it has recovered some resemblance of its former name, in being now called Acca or Acra. As to its situation, it enjoys all possible advantages both by sea and land; for on its north and east sides, it is compassed with a spacious fertile plain; on the west, it is washed by the Mediterranean Sea; and on the south, by a large bay, which extends itself from the city as far as Mount Carmel. This made it one of the fairest and most commodious cities in Galilee, and for a long time it was the theatre of contention between the Christians and infidels, till, having divers times changed its mas ters, it was at last, after a long siege, finally taken by the Turks, A. D. 1291, and by them destroyed in such a manner, that, besides a large kane, wherein the French factors have taken up their quarters, one mosque, and a few poor cottages, there is nothing to be seen but a vast spacious ruin; though even here there are some remains, (such as those of the church of St Andrews and St John, the convent of the knights hospitallers, and the palace of the grand master of that order) which distinguished themselves from the general heap, by certain marks of superior strength and magnificence. Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem.

+ An evangelist is a preacher of the Gospel, who, being settled in no particular place, was by the apo. stles sent into different parts of the world, either to

confirm the churches which they had founded, or, by
his own labour and application, to found new ones
himself. St Paul makes mention of this order of men,
and ranks them next to the apostles and prophets,
Eph. iv. 2. And to let us know that marriage is not
inconsistent with any sacred function, St Luke ac-
quaints us that this deacon and evangelist had four
daughters. And indeed the rules which St Paul
gives Timothy, are a sufficient demonstration that he
allowed bishops, as well as deacons, to be married
men; nor is there any thing, either in Scripture or
antiquity, that denies them that liberty. For it is
evident that St Peter had a wife, Matth. viii. 14.
and that St Paul asserts his right to marry if he
pleased, 1 Cor. ix. 5. Ignatius affirms that he had a
wife as well as St Peter and others of the apostles;
and St Ambrose testifies, that all the apostles were
married men, except St John and St Paul. Beauso-
bre's Annotations, Calmet's Commentary, and Com-
ber on Ordination.

* It was a common practice among the ancient
prophets (to give their predictions a stronger impres-
sion) to foretel future events by figurative or symbo-
lical actions. Thus Isaiah went naked and barefoot,
to shew what the people of Israel should meet with
under the kings of Assyria, Isai. xx. 2. and Ezekiel
was to pack up his household goods and remove, to
signify their being carried away into captivity, Ezek.
xii. 3. and in like manner here Agabus uses a sign.
He takes St Paul's girdle, and binds his own hands
and feet with it, thereby denoting, that the Jews
at Jerusalem would so bind the apostie, and deliver
him to the Gentiles, first to the Roman governor of
Judea, and afterwards to Nero the Roman emperor.
Calmet's Commentary, and Burkitt's Annotations.

&c. or 5469. Ann. Dom. 58, &c.

A. M. 4062, and veneration for the law of Moses, and who had been informed of him, that in every place he taught the Jews, whom he had converted, to renounce circumcision and other ritual observances, the best expedient to obviate their clamours, would be for him to join himself to four men, who were just then going to accomplish a vow of Nazaritism; to perform the usual rites and ceremonies with them; to be at the charge of having their heads shaved; and to provide such sacrifices as the law directed; whereby it would appear that the reports spread of him were groundless, and that himself was an observer of the Mosaic institutions." To this advice Paul consented, and taking the four Nazarites with him to the temple, told the priests, that as the time of their vow was now expired, and their purification regularly performed, they were come to make their oblations according to law.

These oblations were to be continued for seven days, which were now almost ended, when certain Jews from Asia, who had there been opposers of St Paul, finding him in the temple, began to raise an uproar, and laying hold on him, called out to the rest for help, because "this is the fellow (said they) who, in all places, vents doctrines injurious to the prerogative of the Jewish nation, destructive to the institutions of the law, and abhorrent to the sacredness of this place, which, by his bringing uncircumcised Greeks into it, he has grossly profaned." (This they affirmed, because they had seen Trophimus in the city with him); and hereupon they seized him, dragged him out of the temple, shut the gates upon him, and would certainly have killed him, had not Claudius Lysias, commander of the Roman garrison in the castle of Antonia †, come with a considerable force to his rescue and deliverance. As he was going into the castle, Paul, addressing himself to the governor in Greek, desired the liberty to speak to him; but the governor, supposing him to be the Egyptian §, who, not many years

The better to understand this we must observe, that among the Jews it was accounted a kind of meritorious action to contribute to the expence of the sacrifices and offerings which those, who had taken upon them a vow of Nazaritism, were to make, when the time of their vow came to be accomplished. Thus Josephus, to magnify the zeal and devotion of Herod Agrippa, king of the Jews, tells us, "that he caused several Nazarites to be shaved," whereby he means, that he bore the expence of the whole ceremony; and Maimonides informs us, that he who would partake of the merits of another's Nazaritism, went to the temple, and said to the priest," such an one will finish his vow, and I intend to defray the charge of his tonsure, either in part or in the whole;" and whoever did so, was reputed to partake in the merits of him who had fulfilled his vow. Calmet's Commentary and Dictionary.

This Trophimus was a disciple of St Paul, a Gentile by religion, and an Ephesian by birth. Af. ter his conversion he accompanied our apostle whereever he went, and very probably followed him to Rome, and forsook him not in his bonds. After that St Paul obtained his liberty, some pretend that he went into Spain, and passing through the country of the Gauls, left Trophimus there in the capacity of their bishop. But it is not a little difficult to reconcile this with what the apostle writes to Timothy, viz. "that he had left Trophimus sick at Miletus," 2 Tim. iv. 20. unless we can suppose that he returned into Asia again, about a year after that St Paul had left him at Arles, and (as the Greeks will have it) accompanying him to Rome again, at the same time that

the apostle suffered, had his head likewise struck off by Nero's command. Calmet's Commentary and Dictionary.

This was a tower or fortress, where the Romans kept a constant garrison at Jerusalem. It was originally built by the Asmonæan princes, who called it Baris; but Herod the Great, having repaired it, chan ged its name in honour of his friend M. Anthony. It was situated towards the west angle of the temple, upon an eminence cut steep on all sides, and enclosed with a wall three hundred cubits high. It was built in the form of a large square, having within the magnificence of a palace, and the conveniences of a city; and without several fortifications, and a tower at each corner to strengthen and defend it. So that, considering its form and situation, we may be allowed to say, that it was a citadel to the temple, even as the temple was, in some sort, a citadel to the town. Calmet's Dictionary, and Fleury's Ecclesiastical History.

That Lysias was no Roman is plain from his telling St Paul, that "with a great sum he had purcha sed his freedom," Acts xxii. 28. but that he was a Greek we may, in some measure, learn from the common analogy of his name; and therefore it was no bad policy in our apostle to address the governor in his own language; and the governor might be the rather pleased with it, because that, by this means, he might have an opportunity of knowing from St Paul himself the cause of the present tumult. Cal met's Commentary.

"While Felix was procurator of Judea, there came a certain person (says Josephus) out of Egypt

before, had raised a sedition in Judea, and headed a party of four thousand profligate From Acts i. wretches, seemed to refuse him that favour, until the Apostle informing him that he 10. to the end. was a Jew of Tarsus, a freeman of a rich and honourable city, and therefore humbly hoped, that he would not deny him the privilege of vindicating himself, the governor consented; and the apostle, standing upon the stairs, and making signs for silence, began his speech in the Hebrew language; which, when the people heard, they were a little pacified, and stood attentive to him, while he gave them a particular account of his birth and education; of his extraordinary zeal for the rites and customs of their religion; of his violent persecution of the Christians in all parts, whereof the Sanhedrim could bear him witness; of the miraculous manner of his conversion; and of the commission which he immediately received from God to preach salvation to the Gentiles. Thus far the people heard him with patience; but when he proceeded to defend his practice in preaching to the Gentiles, they could contain themselves no longer, but unanimously cried out to have the villain put to death; and the more to express their indignation, threw off their clothes, and cast dust into the air, as if they intended that moment to stone him. But Lysias, to avoid farther tumult, ordered him to be carried into the castle, and to be examined by scourging †, until he confessed what it was he had done, that so much exasperated the Jews against him.

to Jerusalem, setting up for a prophet, and persuading the people to follow him to the top of Mount Olivet, some five furlongs from the city; for when he came thither (he told them), he would but speak the word, and immediately they should see the walls of Jerusa. lem fall flat to the ground, and make way for them to enter the city. But when Felix came to hear of this adventure, he fell upon them with his horse and foot, killed four hundred upon the spot, took two hundred, and put the Egyptian to flight." It is to this story, no doubt, that Lysius alludes; and therefore it seems to be a mistake in Grotius, and others, to say, that the Egyptian mentioned by Josephus was later than these times; for it is apparent from Josephus himself, both in his Antiquities, lib. xx. and his History of the Jew ish Wars, lib. ii. that this Egyptian marched his rab. ble up to Jerusalem, in the first or second year of Nero: whereas it was not till the fourth year of Nero that St Paul made this his last journey to Jerusalem. Hammond's and Whitby's Annotations.

* To give some account of the apostle's conduct in this particular, we must observe, that there were two sorts of Jews at this time, some who used no other language in their common discourse, nor allowed of any Bible in their religious assemblies, but the Hebrew, and these St Chrysostom calis, oi Battis "Ebgaio, profound Hebrews; others that spake Greek, and used the Greek translation of the Bible in their places of worship, and these were styled Hellenists. Of this latter sort was St Paul, because, as we may observe in his writings, he always makes use of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, so that, in this respect, he might not be so acceptable to the other sort. Those of them who were converted to Christianity had great prejudices against him, Acts xxi. 21. which is said to be the reason why he concealed his name in the epistle written to the Hebrews: And as for those who were not converted, they could not so much as endure him; and this is the reason which St Chrysostom gives, why he preached to the

Hellenists only, Acts ix. 28. That therefore he might
avert the great displeasure which the Jews had con-
ceived against him, he here speaks to them in the lan-
guage which they best knew, and most esteemed, and
they, by his compliance in this respect, were so far
pacified as to give him audience. For they were well
enough pleased to hear him discourse of matters re-
lating to religion, and especially of the vocation of
the Gentiles, in a language which the Romans did not
understand; whereas had he, in the course of his a-
pology, exposed the contempt and hatred which the
Jews entertained of all heathens, in a language which
the chief captain and his men were acquainted with,
and in such a light as his known eloquence would
have enabled him to do; it is not to be imagined
what terror, or confusion at least, he would have
brought upon his enemies. So that it was a point of
charity, as well as prudence in him, to speak to them
in Hebrew, that thereby he might both screen them
from the resentment of the soldiery, and cure them,
if possible, of their false prejudices against them.
Hammond's Annotations, and Calmet's Commentary.

As Lysias did not understand Hebrew, he could
not tell what the purport of St Paul's speech to the
people was; but, by their mad and outrageous beha-
viour, he guessed, that he must have said something
very provoking, either against the authority of their
law, or the dignity of their nation, and therefore he
was willing to know the truth of it from himself.
Scourging was a method of examination used by the
Romans, and other nations, to force such as were
supposed guilty to confess what they had done, what
were their motives, and who were accessary to the
fact. Thus Tacitus tells us of Herrenius Gallus, that
he received several stripes, that it might be known
for what price, and with what confederates, he had
betrayed the Roman army. It is to be observed,
however, that the Romans were punished in this wise,
not by whips and scourges, but by rods only; and
therefore it is that Cicero (in his oration pro Rabirio)