"which are Jefus Chrift's; but ye know the

proof of him, that as a fon with the father, "he hath ferved with me in the gospel." Had Timothy's prefence with St. Paul at Philippi, when he preached the gospel there, been exprefsly remarked in the Acts of the Apoftles, this quotation might be thought to contain a contrived adaptation to the hiftory; although, even in that case, the averment, or rather the allufion in the epistle, is too oblique to afford much room for fuch fufpicion. But the truth is, that in the history of St. Paul's tranfactions at Philippi, which occupies the greatest part of the fixteenth chapter of the Acts, no mention is made of Timothy at all. What appears concerning Timothy in the hiftory, fo far as relates to the prefent fubject, is this: "When Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, "behold a certain difciple was there named "Timotheus, whom Paul would have to go "forth with him." The narrative then proceeds with the account of St. Paul's progrefs through various provinces of the Leffer Afia, till it brings him down to Troas. At Troas he was warned in a vision to pafs over into Ma

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Macedonia.

In obedience to which he

croffed the Ægean fea to Samothracia, the next day to Neapolis, and from thence to Philippi. His preaching, miracles, and perfecutions at Philippi follow next; after which Paul and his company, when they had paffed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, came to Theffalonica, and from Theffalonica to Berea. From Berea the brethren fent away Paul; "but Silas and "Timotheus abode there ftill." The itinerary, of which the above is an abstract, is undoubtedly fufficient to support an inference that Timothy was along with St. Paul at Philippi. We find them fetting out together upon this progrefs from Derbe, in Lycaonia; we find them together near the conclufion of it, at Berea, in Macedonia. It is highly probable, therefore, that they came together to Philippi, through which their route between these two places lay. If this be thought probable, it is fufficient. For what I wish to be observed is, that in comparing, upon this fubject, the epiftle with the hiftory, we do not find a recital in one place of what is related in another;

but

but that we find, what is much more to be relied upon, an oblique allufion to an implied fact.

No. V.

Our epiftle purports to have been written near the conclufion of St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome, and after a refidence in that city of confiderable duration. These circumstances are made out by different intimations, and the intimations upon the fubject preferve among themselves a just confiftency, and a confiftency certainly unmeditated. First, the apoftle had already been a prifoner at Rome fo long, as that the reputation of his bonds, and of his conftancy under them, had contributed to advance the success of the gospel : "But I would ye "should understand,brethren, that the things "which happened unto me have fallen out "rather unto the furtherance of the gofpel; "fo that my bonds in Chrift are manifest in "all the palace, and in all other places; and

many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds, are much more

"bold to speak the word without fear.” Secondly, the account given of Epaphroditus imports, that St Paul, when he wrote the epistle, had been in Rome a confiderable time; "He longed after you all, and was "full of heavinefs, because that ye had "heard that he had been fick." Epaphroditus was with St. Paul at Rome. He had been fick. The Philippians had heard of his fickness, and he again had received an account how much they had been affected by the intelligence. The paffing and repaffing of thefe advices muft neceffarily have occupied a large portion of time, and must have all taken place during St. Paul's refidence at Rome. Thirdly, after a refidence at Rome thus proved to have been of confiderable duration, he now regards the decifion of his fate as nigh at hand. He contemplates either alternative, that of his deliverance, ch. ii. ver. 23, “Him therefore (Timothy) I hope to fend presently, so foon as I fhall fee "how it will go with me; but I trust in the Lord that I alfo myself fhall come fhortly:" that of his condemnation, ver. 17, "Yea, and

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"if I be offered* upon the facrifice and fer"vice of your faith, I joy and rejoice with

you all." This confiftency is material, if the confideration of it be confined to the epifle. It is farther material, as it agrees, with refpect to the duration of St. Paul's firft imprifonment at Rome, with the account delivered in the Acts, which, having brought the apostle to Rome, closes the history by telling us," that he dwelt there two whole years in his own hired houfe.'

No. VI,

Chap. 1. ver. 23. "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and "to be with Chrift; which is far better."

With this compare 2 Cor, chap. v. ver. 8, "We are confident and willing rather to "be abfent from the body, and to be prefent "with the Lord."

The famenefs of fentiment in these two quotations is obvious. I rely however not fo much upon that, as upon the fimilitude

* Αλλ' ει και σπενδομαι επι τη θυσία της πιςίως υμων, if my blood be poured out as a libation upon the facrifice of your faith.