Aquila and Priscilla are no less commendable. They did not acquiesce in all he said because he was eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures; neither did they reject and disdain him because they knew more than he, much less expose and revile him as a low, ignorant preacher; but they spoke to him in private; they approved what was right, and showed him mildly and faithfully wherein he was defective; they commended his zeal, and improved his knowledge. With these advantages, and letters of recommendation to the brethren, he went from thence to Corinth, where he was highly serviceable to the church, publicly maintaining and proving, against the Jews, with great earnestness of spirit and strength of argument, that Jesus was the Messiah.

Not long after his departure, Paul, having completed his progress through the upper or interior parts of Asia Minor, returned, according to his promise, to Ephesus. Here he found some more disciples, who, like Apollos, though acquainted with the doctrine and baptism of John, were hitherto strangers to those peculiar gifts, graces, and comforts, which, as the fruits of the Holy Spirit, were bestowed on the believers in Jesus; but, by the imposition of the apostle's hands, they were immediately made partakers of the same benefits.

A. D. 55.] The apostle, unwilling to give up his own people, the Jews, continued his labours of love among them for three months, if, by any means, he might bring them to the acknowledgment of the truth; but at length perceiving that, instead of yielding, they hardened themselves still more, and obstinately la

* Acts xix..

boured to traduce and defame the Author and way of salvation before the people, he finally desisted; and, selecting those who had received the Gospel from the many who might hinder and confuse them, he formed them into a society among themselves. He continued daily to preach and defend the Gospel for two years afterwards, in a public school, with indefatigable zeal and diligence, seconding his more stated services with occasional and pressing exhortations from house to house, and watering the seed with many prayers and tears. His labours were not in vain; he had great success, not only in the city of Ephesus, but amongst many, who, resorting thither from other parts, and with different views, were providentially led to hear him, and being divinely convinced themselves, carried home the joyful tidings with them; so that the knowledge of the Gospel was generally spread throughout the province. The attention of the people was still further exited, and their prejudices softened, by the numerous displays and visible tendency of that divine power, by which the Lord confirmed the words of his servant. Many striking miracles, emblematical of the healing efficacy of Gospel grace, were wrought by the most inconsiderable means; so that persons afflicted with various maladies, or possessed by evil spirits, were perfectly restored to health, by the application of handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body.

Among the various methods by which the Gospel has been opposed, one is, by a feeble imitation, and a pretended acknowledgment, of some of its principles, while the heart is unacquainted or unaffected with the design and scope of the whole doctrine. Enmity, or at best, interest, is often the spring of many attempts that are veiled under a fair profession of good words; but

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such attempts will always issue in the disappointment or confusion of those who venture on them. stance of this kind happened at Ephesus. Some vagrant Jews, who made claim to a power of exorcising or dispossessing evil spirits, struck with the miracles wrought in the name of Jesus, presumed to adopt this sacred name into the number of their professed mysteries; and, meeting with a subject for the exercise of their art, they undertook to adjure the evil spirit to depart from a man by the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached. But the man, under the influence of the evil spirit, insulted and exposed them: he acknowledged the authority of Jesus and the fidelity of Paul; but, demanding further who they were that durst make free with these names, far from obeying their summons, he fiercely assaulted them, and forced them, though seven in number, to flee for their lives, naked, wounded, and terrified. Great indeed is the power of the name of Jesus; but when not pronounced by faith, it is spoken in vain: Satan laughs at such vain pretenders, and prevails against them. So, when those who are destitute of faith undertake to write or preach concerning Jesus, it will seldom prove to more purpose than if they attempted to exorcise the people. Instead of delivering others from the power of Satan, they are more and more subjected to him themselves; and, unless the grace of God interposes to teach them better, their latter end is usually worse than their beginning.

This public defeat of the enemy added to the triumph of the Gospel and the honour of the apostle, and produced a reverence and awe in the hearts of many, convincing them of the power of evil spirits when not restrained, and the danger of trifling with the name or ministry of Christ; and many who had been addicted

to the magic arts, (for which Ephesus was peculiarly infamous,) renounced their delusions, confessed their folly and wickedness to the apostle, made public profession of the Gospel, and, in proof that their faith and repentance were sincere, brought the books containing the secrets and principles of their pretended skill, and publicly committed them to the flames. These were either so numerous, or so dear, that the value was computed at fifty thousand pieces of silver. What this sum might be in our money the learned are not agreed; the lowest calculations fix it at about fifteen hundred pounds, while some compute it at more than seven thousand. We are not, however, sure they were all on the subject of magic; a variety of other disquisitions might possibly contribute to enlarge the pile. Curious books and curious arts had been multiplied; but the one book of truth now made the rest useless and tasteless. They had now found the pearl of great price, and willingly parted with their once-admired pebbles; and we may believe, that if the worth and power of the holy Scriptures were once generally known, many curious libraries in our days, if they escaped unburnt, would, at least, remain unread and unnoticed. When the wise thus renounced their wisdom, and the artful their gain,. burnt their books with their own hands, and devoted themselves to the study of the Scriptures alone, it is once more observed, "So mightily grew the word of "God, and prevailed!"

A. D. 57. The apostle, of whom it may be said, with more propriety than of Caesar, that he accounted nothing done while any thing remained to do, in the midst of his important engagements at Ephesus was still meditating new services. He retained a warm affection and care for his friends in different, distant, and

opposite quarters. He had thoughts of revisiting Macedonia and Greece, and, from thence, once more to go to Jerusalem; and, not content with reviewing his past labours, he longed to preach in places he had not yet seen-saying, " After I have been there, I must also "see Rome:" nor was Rome the boundary of his views, for from thence he proposed to proceed to Spain*. We are taught from our infancy to admire those who, in the language of the world, are styled great captains and conquerors, because they burned with a desire to carry slaughter and terror into every part of the globe, and to aggrandize their names, by the depopulation of countries, and the destruction of their species, while this generous spirit of St. Paul is almost totally overlooked. Unwearied by difficulties, undismayed by dangers, unsatisfied with the greatest success, unaffected with the justest applause, he seemed to lay his benevolent schemes wide as the human race. He reaped no profit, he sought no praise, he rejected the allurements of pleasure, (to which the greatest conquerors have often been irresolute slaves,) he endured the reproach and contempt of the people, which no hero but the true Christian was ever strong enough to bear with patience, and all this only to make others partakers of the happiness which he enjoyed himself. However, finding it necessary to continue some time longer where he was, he dispatched his beloved Timothy to Macedonia, to apprise his friends of his intention, and to prepare them for his visit, when a proper opportunity should permit.

In the mean time, an incident fell out which well illustrates the causes and genius of that opposition and

* Rom. xv. 24.