from the Divine Spirit, which caused him to abandon both these plans. Having formed an intention of passing over to Europe, but waiting to see whether he should be withheld or encouraged by a higher guidance, he betook himself to Troas and a nocturnal vision, in which a Macedonian appeared calling in behalf of his nation for his aid, confirmed his resolution to visit Macedonia. At Troas, he met with Luke the physician, perhaps one of the Proselytes, who had been converted by him at Antioch, and who joined his band of companions in missionary labour. His medical skill would be

serviceable on many occasions for promoting the publication of the gospel among the heathen.' The first Macedonian city

in which they stayed was Philippi, a place of some importance. The number of Jews here was not sufficient to enable them to establish a synagogue. Probably there were only Proselytes, who had a place for assembling surrounded with trees, on the outside of the city, near the banks of the Strymon, where they performed their devotions and the necessary lustrations, a so-called πρoσενxí.2 If addresses founded on passages in the Old Testament were not delivered here as in the Jewish synagogue, and if Paul could not avail himself of such a custom for publishing the gospel; still the Proselytes (especially females) assembled here on the Sabbath for prayer, and he would here meet those persons who were in a state of the greatest preparation and susceptibility for what he wished to communicate. Accordingly, early in the morning on the Sabbath, he resorted thither with his companions, in order to hold a conversation on religious topics with the women of the city who were here assembled for prayer. His words made an impression on the heart of Lydia, a dealer in purple from the town of Thyatira in Lydia. At the conclusion of the service, she and her whole family

1 We infer that Luke joined Paul at Troas, from his beginning, in Acts xvi. 10, to write his narrative in the first person-" We endeavoured to go." &c

2 The expression in Acts xvi. 13, ou évoμíšero, makes it probable that this goreux was not a building, but only an enclosed place in the open air, which was usually applied to this purpose: compare Tertullian, ad Nationes, i. 13, "The Orationes Literales of the Jews," and De Jejuniis, c 16, where he speaks of the widely-spread interest taken by the heathen in the Jewish feasts; "Judaicum certe jejunium ubique celebratur; quum omissis templis per omnes libros quocunque in aperto aliquando jam preces ad cœlum mittunt."

were baptized by him, and compelled him by her importunity to take up his abode with his companions in her house.' As in this town there were few or no Jews, the adherents of Judaism consisted only of proselytes; thus Christianity met in this quarter with no obstinate resistance, and it would have probably gained a still greater number of adherents, without incurring the risk of persecution, if opposition had not been excited, owing to the injury done to the pecuniary interests of certain individuals among the Gentiles, by the operation of the divine doctrine.

There was a female slave who, in a state resembling the phenomena of somnambulism, was accustomed to answer unconsciously questions proposed to her, and was esteemed to be a prophetess inspired by Apollo ; as in all the forms of heathenish idolatry, the hidden powers of nature were taken into the service of religion. This slave had probably frequent opportunities of hearing Paul, and his words had left an impression on her heart. In her convulsive fits, these impressions were revived, and mingling what she had heard from Paul with her own heathenish notions, she frequently followed the preachers when on their way to the Proseuche, exclaiming, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show unto us the way of salvation." This testimony of a prophetess so admired by the people might have availed much to draw their attention to the new doctrine; but it

1 I can by no means admit, with some expositors of the Acts, that all this took place before the beginning of the public exercises of devotion, and that on the same day, as they were returning from the place where Paul baptized Lydia, the meeting with this prophetess occurred on their way to the Proseuche. Luke's narrative in Acts xvi. 16, does not indicate that all these events took place on one day. The assertions of the prophetess make it probable that she had often heard Paul speak.

2 On the common notion of the people, that the Pythian Apollo took possession of such ἐγγαστριμύθους or πυθῶνας, and spoke through their mouth, see Plutarch, De Def. Oraculor. c. 9. Tertullian describes such persons, Apologet. c 23, "qui de Deo pati existimantur, qui anhelando" (in a state of convulsive agony, in which the person felt himself power fully impelled as by a strange spirit with a hollow voice) "præfantur." 3 Thus the oracles of the ancients, the incubations, and similar phenomena in the heathenism of the Society Isles in the South Sea. The Priest of Oro, the God of War, uttered oracles in an ecstatic state of violent convulsions, and, after his conversion to Christianity, could not again put himself in such a state. See, on this subject, the late interesting accounts of this mission by Ellis, Bennet, &c.

was very foreign from Paul's disposition to employ or endure such a mixture of truth and falsehood. At first, he did not concern himself about the exclamations of the slave. But as she persisted, he at last turned to her, and commanded the spirit which held her rational and moral powers in bondage, to come out of her. If this was not a personal evil spirit, still it was the predominance of an ungodlike spirit. That which constitutes man a free agent, and which ought to rule over the tendencies and powers of his nature, was here held in subjection to them.' And by the divine power of that Saviour who had restored peace and harmony to the distracted souls of demoniacs, this woman was also rescued from the power of such an ungodlike spirit, and could never again be brought into that state. When, therefore, the slave could no longer practise her arts of soothsaying, her masters saw themselves deprived of

1 We have no certain marks which will enable us to determine in what light Paul viewed the phenomenon It might be (though we cannot decide with certainty) that he gave to the heathen notion, that the spirit of Apollo animated this person, a Jewish form, that an evil spirit or demon possessed her. In this case, he followed the universally received notion, without reflecting at the moment any further upon it, for this subject belonging to the higher philosophy of nature, was far from his thoughts. He directed his attention only to the moral grounds of the phenomenon. I am convinced, that the Spirit of truth who was promised to him as an apostle, guided him in this instance to the knowledge of all the truth which Christ appeared on earth to announce, to a knowledge of every thing essential to the doctrine of salvation. By this Spirit he discerned the predominance of the reign of evil in this phenomenon; and if an invisible power is here thought to be operating, yet what is natural in the causes and symptoms is not thereby excluded, even as the natural does not exclude the supernatural. Compare the admirable remarks of my friend Twesten in the second volume of his Dogmatik, p. 355, and what is said on demoniacs in my Leben Jesu. This spirit gave Paul the confident belief, that as Christ had conquered and rendered powerless the kingdom of eviltherefore by his divine power every thing which belonged to this kingdom would henceforth be overcome. In this faith, he spoke full of divine confidence, and his word took effect in proportion to his faith. But in the words of Christ, and the declarations of the apostle respecting himself, I find no ground for admitting, that with this light of his Christian consciousness, an error could by no possibility exist, which did not affect the truths of the gospel, but belonged to a different and lower department of knowledge; such as the question, whether we are to consider this as a phenomenon explicable from the nature of the human soul, its natural powers and connexion with a bodily organization, or an effect of a possession by personal evil spirit.

2

the gains which they had hitherto obtained from this source. Enraged, they seized Paul and Silas, and accused them before the civil authorities, the Duumvirs,' as turbulent Jews, who were attempting to introduce Jewish religious practices into the Roman colony, which was contrary to the Roman laws, though the right was guaranteed to the Jews of practising their national cultus for themselves without molestation. After they had been publicly scourged without further examination, they were cast into prison. The feeling of public ignominy and of bodily pain, confinement in a gloomy prison, where their feet were stretched in a painful manner, and fastened in the stocks (nervus), and the expectation of the ill-treatment which might yet await them—all this could not depress their souls; on the contrary, they were rather elevated by the consciousness that they were enduring reproach and pain for the cause of Christ. About midnight they united in offering prayer and praise to God, when an earthquake shook the walls of their prison. The doors flew open, and the fetters of the prisoners were loosened. The keeper of the prison was seized with the greatest alarm, believing that the prisoners had escaped, but Paul and Silas calmed his fears. This earthquake which gave the prisoners an opportunity of recovering their liberty—their refusing to avail themselves of this opportunity-their serenity and confidence under so many sufferings-all combined to make them appear in the eyes of the astonished jailor as beings of a higher order. He fell at their feet, and calling to mind what he had heard from the lips of Paul and Silas respecting the way of salvation announced by them, addressed them in similar language, and inquired what he must do to be saved. His whole family assembled to hear the answer, and it was a joyful morning for all. Whether the Duumvirs had become more favourably disposed by what they had learnt in the mean time respecting the prisoners, or that the jailor's report had made an impression upon them, they authorized him to say that Paul and Silas might depart.

The name orрaτnyol which is used in the Acts to designate these magistrates, was anciently employed in the smaller Greek cities to designate the supreme authorities. See Aristoteles Politic. vii. 8, ed. Bekker. vol. ii. p. 1322, ἐν ταῖς μικραῖς πόλεσι μία περὶ πάντων (ἀρχή)καλοῦσι δὲ στρατηγοὺς καὶ πολεμάρχους.

2 Tertullian ad Martyres, c. 2. animus in coelo est."

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Nihil crus sentit in nervo, quum

Had any thing enthusiastic mingled with that blessed inspiration which enabled Paul to endure all shame and all suffering for the cause of the Lord, he certainly would have done nothing in order to escape disgrace, though it might have been without injury and to the advantage of his calling,—or to obtain an apology to which his civil privileges entitled him, for the unmerited treatment he had received. How far were his sentiments from what in later times the morals of monkery have called humility! Appealing to his civil rights,' he obliged the Duumvirs, who were not justified in treating a Roman citizen2 so ignominiously, to come to the prison, and, as an attestation of his innocence, with their own lips to release him and his companion. They now betook themselves to the house of Lydia, where the other Christians of the city were assembled, and spoke the last words of encouragement and exhortation. They then quitted the place, but Luke and Timothy, who had not been included in the persecution, stayed behind in peace. Paul left in Philippi a church full of faith and zeal-who shortly after gave a proof of their affectionate concern for him by sending contributions for his maintenance, though he never sought for such gifts, but supported himself by the labour of his own hands.

3

4

Paul and Silas now directed their course to Thessalonica, about twenty miles distant, the largest city of Macedonia, and a place of considerable traffic, where many Jews resided. Here they found a synagogue, which for three weeks Paul visited on the Sabbath; the hearts of many proselytes were

1 See the well-known words of Cicero, Act. II. in Verrem, v. 57. "Jam illa vox et imploratio civis Romanus sum, quæ sæpe multis in ultimis terris opem inter barbaros et salutem attulit.'

2 How Paul's father obtained the Roman citizenship we know not. We have no ground for assuming, that Paul was indebted for it to his being born at Tarsus; for though Dio Chrysostom, in his second λóyos Tapoids, vol. ii. ed. Reiske, p. 36, mentions several privileges which the Emperor Augustus had granted to the city of Tarsus as a reward for its fidelity in the civil wars, yet it does not appear that Roman citizenship was one of them, and allowing it to have been so, it may be doubted whether it would have been conferred on a foreign Jewish family, to which Paul belonged.

3 Silas also must have obtained by some means the right of a Roman citizen.

Timothy rejoined Paul at Thessalonica or Beroa; and Luke at a later period.