friends' safety, and confiding in the goodness of his cause, and the providence of his God, was not intimidated by this violent uproar, but purposed to face the enraged mob; but the earnest solicitations of the disciples, who could not but be anxious for the event, restrained him ; and even some who had not received his doctrine, from a regard to what they knew of his character and conduct, employed their endeavours to preserve him. These, in the text, are styled Asiarchs, persons of note who presided in the regulation of the games. Some of them sent to inform him, that in the present confusion it was not in their power to protect him from violence, and therefore desired he would keep in safety. Though his resolution was not shaken, yet, judging this might be a providential intimation, that it was not his duty at that time to expose himself, he desisted. The mob, thus disappointed with respect to him, and secretly restrained from hurting the others, continued in the utmost confusion, though few knew why they were assembled, unless it was to join in the cry, "Great is Diana of the

Ephesians," which they repeated, without intermission, for two hours. When they had thus exhausted themselves, and their passions, through weariness, began to subside, a public officer of the city seized the favourable moment to expostulate with them concerning their behaviour. He spoke with freedom and address, but with that indifference which the wise men of the world so frequently discover in religious concerns. Many deserve commendation for their readiness to allow others the peaceable possession of their own sentiments, who, at the same time, call for our pity, that they have no inclination or leisure to inquire for themselves. He allowed, in general terms, the honours of Diana, and pleaded in behalf of the men, that they had

not spoke against Diana in particular, or intermeddled with her temple. This was probably true in fact. St. Paul declared the folly of idolatry in general; but did not enter into direct confutation of any detached part of the Heathen mythology: he proposed the plain truth of the Gospel, and when this was received, the whole system of idol worship fell to the ground of itself. He farther reminded them, that if they had any just cause of complaint, they ought to seek redress in a course of law; and then hinting at the consequences they were liable to, if called to a strict account for their riot, he prevailed on them to separate and depart quietly. Thus the apostle, though threatened with a most imminent and formidable danger, was preserved unhurt, and suffered neither in his person nor character. An encouraging proof, that those who act in the path of duty, and depend on the power of God, are equally safe in all times and circumstances; no less safe, when surrounded by enraged enemies, than when encircled by kind and assiduous friends.

d

He did not continue long at Ephesus after this tumult;

"Are neither robbers of churches," ver. 37. should rather be rendered robbers of temples; for though the word church is now expressive of some particular places of worship, it is never in the New Testament, applied to buildings, but to persons only.

The servants of Christ will seldom be compelled to answer for themselves in a course of law, except in those places where sanguinary laws are contrived purposely against them. In default of these, their adversaries will often stoop to appeal from the magistrate to the mob.

It seems, however, there was no more said of it. It had been a notorious breach of the peace; but then it had been against St. Paul and his companions, who had sufficient favour shown them if they came off with their lives. In any other case, such a tumult would have been deemed a high offence.

but, taking leave of the disciples, he went to Troas, and from thence (as he had purposed) to Macedonia. We have but little account of this progress in the history of the Acts; but from some passages of his epistles', written about that time, we are informed that his exercises and trials, both inward and outward, were very great. His solicitous affection for the churches was far from being the smallest source of his troubles, and cost him many a pang: he loved them in the bowels of Jesus Christ; he could willingly have devoted his labours and life to each of them, but he could not be with them all; and knowing the weakness of the heart, the subtilty of Satan, and the obvious temptations arising from the fear of man, the love of the world, and the arts of false teachers, he was jealous over those from whom he was absent with a godly jealousy". At Troas, he expected to have met with Titus, on his return from Macedonia; but missing him, though he had favourable opportunities of preaching the Gospel at1 Troas, his mind was not at liberty to improve them, but he hasted to be in Macedonia, that he might the sooner be satisfied. There he tells us himself, he had no rest, but was troubled on every side; without were

= Acts, xx.

f 2 Cor. ii. 12, 13, and vii. 5.

* See 2 Cor. xi. 28. "That which cometh on me daily." The word is wiσusaris; and gives the idea of a camp or castle hard beset with continual onsets and assaults; or of a man who has his way to force through a great crowd that are coming to meet him; so that he must not only be much encumbered and hindered, but, unless he exerts himself to the utmost, is in danger of being trampled under their feet. By this lively figure the apostle describes the part he took in the welfare of all the churches. His cares on their behalf were so numerous, urgent, and continual, that they found full employment for his prayers, his thoughts, and his time.

* 2 Cor. xi..2.

2 Cor. ii. 12, 13.

fightings, within were fears; but he speaks of it as a seasonable and gracious interposition of that God, whose character and prerogative it is to be a comforter of those that are cast down; that in these circumstances he was comforted by the coming of Titus, who relieved his fears by the favourable account he brought him from Corinth.

A. D. 58.] How long he staid in these parts we are not told, but, in general, that he spent some time and visited many places; and it seems to have been in this circuit that he preached at Illyricum, a part of which country borders upon Macedonia. He afterwards proceeded to Greece, where he staid three months. He intended to

have embarked from thence at some port, and to have proceeded immediately to Syria by sea; but upon information that his restless enemics, the Jews, were plotting to intercept and kill him, he determined to return through Macedonia. Several of his friends offered to accompany him through Asia, who, embarking before him, waited for him at Troas, where he, at a convenient time, joined them from Philippi, and remained there seven days.

On the first day of the week they had a solemn assembly; and St. Paul, who was to take a long and last farewel of the disciples there the next morning, indulged his own and their affections, by protracting his discourses and advices beyond the usual bounds: he spent the whole day, even till midnight, in expatiating upon the pleasing topics of redeeming love. This does not, indeed, appear to have been his usual practice; but should a company of believers now spend a night together in the exercise they best love, though it were but once, and when they had no expectation of meeting

2 Cor. vii. 6.

again till they should meet in glory, it would be sufficient to open the mouths of prejudice and slander against them, as regardless of the order of families, and the duties of common life. Particular notice is taken, that they had many lights in the upper chamber where they were met, perhaps to remind us that the first Christians were careful to conduct their assemblies with order and propriety, so as to give no just cause of offence; yet their enemies quickly began to charge them with meeting in the dark, and invented many false and wicked slanders upon that supposition. The like falsehoods have been often repeated. A young man of the company, either less attentive or less warmly engaged than the rest, dropped asleep, and not only lost much of an invaluable opportunity, but fell out of a window in which he was seated, from the third story, and was taken up, to appearance, dead: an incident which might have given those who hated the apostle a farther occasion to clamour, and to revile his unseasonable zeal; but he went down, in the spirit of faith and prayer, and, embracing the young man, restored him to his friends alive. After they were recovered from the hurry of this event, and had taken some refreshment, he resumed his discourse, and continued in conference' with them till the break of day, when he bid them farewel.

1 This, as we have observed, was upon a particular occasion; they expected to see each other no more, and hardly knew how to part. The like circumstances might justify such protracted meetings of Christian friends still; but, in general, they are to be avoided. If frequently indulged, they would break in upon other things, indispose those who attend for the ordinary duties of their stations, be prejudicial to health, and, for these and other reasons, prove a cause of offence,