hand of fellowship, this Gospel of his could not have been listened to-this preaching of his would have been in vain.

Already, however-for in this he may be believedalready, throughout this first intercourse (though the expression is not used till he came to speak of the third)-already must the right and of fellowship have been held out, and on both sides: and (what followed of course, and was not only affirmed by his statement, but demonstrated by the result,)—on this last occasion was the treaty again brought upon the carpet and confirmed, after such modifications as it may naturally have received, from the consideration of intervening incidents.

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CHAPTER IX.

Paul disbelieved continued-The Fourth and Last Jerusalem Visit. The Purpose concealed: Opposition universal; among his own Disciples, and among those of the Apostles.

SECTION 1.

MOTIVES TO THIS VISIT.

Of this momentous visit to say what were the real objects, must in a great part be left to conjecture:-to inferences drawn from the known circumstances of the case. By himself, as will be seen, they were con cealed with the most persevering anxiety.

But, in default of direct evidence, the point may without much danger of error be settled by circumstantial evidence. The common objects of political concupiscence-money, power and vengeance-were all before his eyes: money-in no less a quantity than that of the aggregate mass of the property of the whole church-that fund, for the management of which, the Apostles' seven trustees, under the name of Deacons*, were not more than sufficient:-that fund, by which the repulsed concupiscence of the sorcerer of Samaria had so lately been excited :-power, that which was exercised by the direction of the consciences of the whole number of the faithful, some time before this, not less in number than three thousand: vengeance, for the repeated rebuffs, by which,

See above, Chapter ii. §. 1.

at the interval of so many years from each other, his endeavours to supplant the Apostles had been repelled.

In a general point of view, ambition,-rival ambition, the same motive which sent Cæsar to Rome, may be stated as having sent Paul, at this time, to Jerusalem: to Jerusalem-the metropolis of the Christian world, by design; and thence, eventually and undesignedly, to the metropolis of the whole civilised world.

By two opposite desires-two antagonizing but cor respondent and mutually explanatory desires-desires, in both parts intense and active, the external marks of which are sufficiently visible in two different quarters, the nature as well as prevalence of this motive, will, it is believed, be found sufficiently proved: -a desire, in the breast of the self-constituted Apostle, to establish himself in the original metropolis of the Christian world :-a desire on the part of the Apostles of the Apostles constituted by Jesus-to keep him out of it.

SECTION 2.

THE VISIT ANNOUNCED BY PAUL AND DEFERRED.

EPHESUS, at which place he had arrived, not long after his departure from Corinth, where he had made a stay, as it should seem, of more years than one*, touching in the way at Cenchrea, where he shaved his head for the performance of a vow-Ephesus is the place, at which, by the author of the Acts, Paul is for

* Acts xviii. 11. "He continued there (at Corinth) a year and "six months.—18. And Paul tarried [there] yet a good while, "and then took his leave." P 2

the first time made to speak of himself, as harbouring, having in mind the making of this visit: and on that occasion, the visit is spoken of, as being the subject of a settled determination, and in particular as being the time fixed upon by him for the execution of this design. "When they (the Jews at Ephesus) "desired (him) to tarry longer with them, he con"sented not; but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jeru"salem: but I will return again to you if God will."

As to keeping of this or any other feast, at Jerusalem or any other place,-if it was under any such notion, as that of contributing to his own personal salvation by any such Mosaic work, it was an object inconsistent with his own principles-with his own so repeatedly and strenuously advocated principles :-and the like may be said of the head-shaving and the vow, performed by him, at Cenchrea, in his way to Ephesus from Corinth and moreover, in this last-mentioned instance, more particularly in contradiction with a precept so positively delivered by Jesus, namely, Swear not at all,-if, under swearing, the making of vows is to be understood to be included.

Of this design, the next intimation which occurs in the Acts, is in the next chapter. "When these things were ended," namely, the discomfiture of the exorcists, and the burning of the books of curious arts at Ephesus)," Paul (it is said) purposes in the spi"rit, when he had passed through Macedonia and "Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have "been there, I must also see Rome."

Fortunate it is for the credit-either of the spirit, or of Paul, or of the author of the Acts, that it was on this second occasion only, and not on the first, that

* Acts xviii. 20, 21.

† Acts xix. 21.

it was in the spirit that he proposed to go to Jerusalem by the then next feast: for, notwithstanding the "must" and the " by all means,"-so it is, that between those his two determinations as above, no less a space of time than two years is stated as elapsing, on one occasion, at one and the same place*. And this place what was it? it was Ephesus: the same place, at which, on his departure from it, the first determination was declared: after which, and before this his second visit to Ephesus, he is represented as having visited Cæsarea and Antioch.

The next mention, is that which occurs in the next chapter, chapter xx. 16. "Paul" (we are there told) (being then at Miletus) "had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in "Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to "be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost."

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At Miletus it is, that he sends for, and receives, from Ephesus, a number of his adherents in that place. Upon their arrival, he is represented as making a formal speech to them and now, he not merely proposes in the spirit, as before, but is "bound in the spirit," to go thither. Vain would be the attempt to ascertain, with any approach to exactness, the interval of time, during which the operation of the spirit remained in a sort of suspense between purpose and obligation: it may have been months, only: it may have been years.

While, by one spirit, Paul was thus urged on, every now and then, towards Jerusalem ;-by the same spirit, or by another spirit, he was pulled back.

* Acts xix. 10. "And this continued by the space of two years;

so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."

† Acts xx. 22. "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit un"to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there." Acts xx. 23. "Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me."