and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. agi Jews and profelytes of the whole procon- fular Afia had an opportunity of hearing the glad-tidings of falvation. And becaufe miracles are the cleareft evidence of a divine commiffion, the Almighty was pleafed to reaify the doarine which St. Paul delivered by amazing and miraculous operations, many of which were of a peculiar and extraordinary nature; for he did not only heal thofe that came to him, but if napkins or handkerchiefs were only touched by him, and applied to the fick, their difeafes immediately vanifhed, and the evil fpirits departed out of thofe whom they had poffeffed. The apofle about this time wrote his Epifle to the Galatians ; for he had heard that fince his departure, corrupt opinions had crept in amongf them, with regard to the neceffityofobferving the legal rites; and that feveral impofors had found ad- mittance into that church, who knew no better method of undermining the doarine he had planted there, than by villifying his perfon, fighting him only as an apofle at fecund hand, not to be compared with Peter, James, and John, who had famili- arly converfed with CtsRIST in the days ofhis fefh, and been immediately deputed by him. In this Epifle he reproves them with fome neceffary feverity, for their being fo foon led out of the right way, wherein he had placed them, and fo eafily fuffered themfelves to be impofed upon by the crafty artifices of feducers. He vindicates the honour of his apoflefhip, and the im- mediate receiving his commiffion from CHRIST, wherein he fhews; that he was not inferior to the very heft of the apofiles. He largely refutes thofe Judaical opinions that had tainted and infeaed them ; and, in the "conclufion, infru&s them in the rules and duties of a holy life. While St. Paul 'elided at Ephefus, an accident happened which was attended with great trouble and danger. In this city was the celebrated temple of Diana, a fruéture fo magnificent for beauty, riches, and magnitude, that it was reckoned one of the fever wonders of the world : but what increafed its fame and reputationwas an image of Diana kept there, which the idolatrous priefs perfuaded the people was made by Jupiter himfelf, and dropt down fromheaven; for which reafon it was held in great veneration, not only at Ephefus, but throughout all Afia: fo that people procured filver íhrines, or figures of this temple, of fuch a fize as to carry in their pockets, either for curiofity, or to fir up their devotion. This proved the fourre of a great deal of bufinefs to the filverfmiths ofEphefus, of whom one Demetrius was the chief: this man plainly perceiving, that Chrifianity tended to the fubverfion ofidolatry, and, confequently, to the ruin of their gainful employment, called all the artifts together, and pathetically reprefented to them, " How inevitably they muff be reduced to a fate of poverty, if they fuf- fered Paul to bring their temple and god- defs into contempt, by perfuading people, as he did, that they were no gods which were made by the hands of men." On hearing this fpeech of Demetrius, the people were fired with a zeal which they could no longer contain ; fo that they cried out with one voice, Great is Dianaof the E liefians. They fhould, indeed, have confidered, that if their goddefs was able to defend herfelf againft the doctrines preached by Paul, neither fhe nor the temple were in any danger ; whereas, if Paul was able to defroy -their gods, it was in vain for them to refift him : but intereft and fuperfition meeting in the . minds of a bigotted multitude, admitted of no reafon ; they were all fired with a zeal for their goddefs, and determined, if they could find Paul, to expofe him to the beafs in the theatre. The whole city was filled with the tumult, and the crowd, miffing Paul, laid hold on Gaius and Arifarchus, two Macedonians of Paul's company, and hurried them into the theatre, with a de- fign to through them to the wild beafs Paul, who was at prefent in a place of fecurity,
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