when it makes Paul fend Timothy back from Athens to Theffalonica. The fending back of Timothy into Macedonia accounts alfo for his not coming to Corinth till after Paul had been fixed in that city for fome confiderable time. Paul had found out Aquila and Prifcilla, abode with them and wrought, being of the fame craft; and reafoned in the fynagogue every fabbath-day, and perfuaded the Jews and the Greeks, Acts, ch. xviii. ver. 1-5. All this paffed at Corinth before Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Acts, ch. xviii. ver. 5. If this was the first time of their coming up with him after their feparation at Berea, there is nothing to account for a delay fo contrary to what appears from the history itself to have been St. Paul's plan and expectation. This is a conformity of a peculiar fpecies. The epistle discloses a fact which is not preferved in the history; but which makes what is faid in the history more fignificant, probable, and confiftent. The history bears marks of an omiffion ; the epistle by reference furnishes a circumftance which supplies that omiffion. No No. V. Chap. ii. ver. 14. "For ye, brethren, be66 came followers of the churches of God "which in Judea are in Chrift Jefus; for ye "alfo have fuffered like things of your own 66 countrymen, even as they have of the Jews." To a reader of the Acts of the Apostles, it might feem, at firft fight, that the perfecutions which the preachers and converts of Christianity underwent, were fuffered at the hands of their old adverfaries the Jews. But, if we attend carefully to the accounts. there delivered, we fhall obferve, that, though the oppofition made to the gospel ufually originated from the enmity of the Jews, yet in almost all places the Jews went about to accomplish their purpose, by ftirring up the Gentile inhabitants against their converted countrymen. Out of Judea they had not power to do much mifchief in any other way. This was the cafe at Theffalonica in particular: "The Jews "which believed not, moved with envy, fet "all the city in an uproar." Acts, ch. xvii. It was the fame a short time after ver. 5. "When the Jews of "Theffalonica had knowledge that the "word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither alfo, and stirred 66 66 up 66 the people." Acts, ch. xvii. ver. 13. And before this our apoftle had met with a like fpecies of persecution, in his progress through the leffer Afia: "In every city the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, "and made their minds evil affected against "the brethren." Acts, ch. xiv. ver. 2. The epiftle therefore represents the cafe accurately as the history states it. It was the Jews always who fet on foot the perfecutions against the apostles and their followers. He fpeaks truly therefore of them, when he fays in this epiftle," they both "killed the Lord Jefus and their own prophets, and have perfecuted us-forbidding 66 us to speak unto the Gentiles," (ii. 15, 16.) But out of Judea it was at the hands of the Gentiles, it was "of their own countrymen," that the injuries they underwent were immediately fuftained: "Ye have X " fuf "fuffered like things of your own country 66 men, even as they have of the Jews." No. VI. The apparent difcrepancies between our epistle and the history, though of magnitude fufficient to repel the imputation of confederacy or tranfcription (in which view they form a part of our argument), are neither numerous, nor very difficult to reconcile. 6.6 One of these may be observed in the ninth and tenth verfes of the fecond chapter: "For ye remember, brethren, our labour "and travel; for labouring night and day, "because we would not be chargeable unto 66 any of you, we preached unto you the gofpel of God. Ye are witneffes, and "God alfo, how holily and juftly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among 66 you that believe." A person who reads this paffage is naturally led by it to fuppofe, that the writer had dwelt at Theffalonica for fome confiderable time; yet of St. Paul's miniftry in that city, the history 66 gives no other account than the following: "that he came to Theffalonica, where was 66 a fynagogue of the Jews; that, as his "manner was, he went in unto them, and "three fabbath days reasoned with them out "of the fcriptures; that some of them be"lieved and conforted with Paul and Silas." The history then proceeds to tell us, that the Jews which believed not fet the city in an uproar, and affaulted the house of Jafon, where Paul and his companions lodged; that the confequence of this outrage was, that “the brethren immediately fent away "Paul and Silas by night unto Berea." Acts, ch. xvii. ver. 1-10. From the mention of his preaching three fabbath days in the Jewish fynagogue, and from the want farther specification of his ministry, it has usually been taken for granted that Paul did not continue at Theffalonica more than three weeks. This, however, is inferred without neceffity. It appears to have been St. Paul's practice, in almost every place that he came to, upon his first arrival to repair to the fynagogue. He thought him of any X 2 |