330 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD he wrote his fecond Epiftle to the Theffa- Ionians, to fupply his abfence. In this Epiffle he again endeavours to confirm their minds in the truth of the gofpel, and prevent their being.rhaken with thofe troubles which the wicked and unbelieving Jews would be continually railing againft them. And becaufe fome paffages in his former Epiflle relating to thedeftruaion of the Jews had been mifunderftood, as if the day of the Lord was near at hand, he reflifies thefe millakes, and thews the fign that mutt precede our Lord's coming to judgment in the latter days. Leaving the church at Corinth, St. Paul took fhip at Cenchrea, the port of Corinth, for Syria, taking with him Aquila and Prifcilla ; and on his arrival at Ephefus, he preached a while in the fynagogue of the Jews, promifing to return to them, after keeping the pafiover at Jerufalem. Ac- cordingly, he again took fhip, and landed at Cfaria, and from thence travelled to Jerufalem, where he kept the feaft, vifited the church, and then repaired toAntioch : here he flayed fome time, and then tra- verfed the countriesof Galatiaand Phrygia, till he came to Ephefus, confirming the new-converted Chriftians. While the apoftle was taking this large circuit, Providence took care of the churches of Ephefus and Corinth, by means of one Apollos, an eloquent Jew of Alexandria, and well acquainted with the law and writings of the prophets. This man coming to Ephefus, though he was only inftruEted in the rudiments of Chrifti- unity, and John's baptifm ; yet he taught with great courage, and a moft powerful zeal. After being fully infiruEded in the faith by Aquila and Prifcilla, he paffed over into Achaia, being furnifhed with re- commendatory letters by the churches of Ephefus and Corinth. He was of the greateft fervice in Achaia, in watering what Paul had planted, confirming the difciples, and powerfully convincing the Jews, that Jefus was the true Meffiah promifed in the Scriptures of the Old Teflament, 3 LeavingApollos thus ufefully employed, St. Paul returned to Ephefus, where he fixed his abode for three years, bringing with him Gaius of Derbe, Ariflarchus a native of Theffalonica, Timotheus and Eraftus of Corinth, and Titus. The firít thing he did after his arrival was to examine certain difciples, whether they had received the Holy Ghoft fince they believed ? To which they anfwered, " That the dotrine they had received, promifed' nothing of that nature ; nor had they ever heard that fuch an extraordinary Spirit had of late been bellowed upon the church." This anfwer furprifed the apoftle, who afked them in what naine they had been bap- tized ; fince, in the Chriftian form, the name of the Holy Ghoft was always ex- preffed ? They replied, that they had only received John's baptifm ; which, though it obliged men to repent, yet mentioned no- thing exprefsly concerning the Holy Ghoft, or his gifts or powers. Upon which the apoffle informed them, that though John's baptifm commanded nothing but repent- ance, yet it tacitly implied the whole doc- trine of CHRIST and the Holy Ghoft.' When they heard this, they were baptized according to the formprefcribedby CHRIST himfelf, that is, in the name of the bleffed Trinity ; and after the apoftle had prayed and laid his hands upon them, they re- ceived the gifts of tongues and other mira, culous powers. St. Paul, after this, entered into the Jewifh fynagogues, where for the firft three months, he contended and difputed with the Jews, endeavouring with great ear- neftnefs and refolution to convince them of the truth of the Chriftian religion. But when infdeadof fuccefs he met with nothing but obftinacy and infidelity, he left the fynagogue, and taking thofe with him whom he had converted, inftruaed them and others who reforted to him, in the fchool of one Tyrannus, a place where fcholars ufed to be inftruted. In this manner he continued to preach the gofpel two whole years ; by which means the Jews
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=