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tion of an intention of being afterwards baptized unto Christ; and, therefore, that the advantage expected from John's baptism could only be made good to them by fulfilling that promise in embracing the doctrine and religion of Jesus; which, when Paul had expounded to them, they believed, and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus:" after the reception of which holy sacrament, and the laying on of the Apostle's hands, they also obtained the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. We see here that St. Paul exercised the same Apostolic authority, in laying on of hands, which had been exercised by Peter and John at Samaria and Cesarea, and that it is followed by the same effects; for "they spake with tongues, and prophesied "."

SECT. CCXXIV.—Conjuring Books are given in and burnt. -Acts xix. 8—20.

Ir was, as we have seen, conformable to the usual custom of St. Paul, in every city into which he went, to go into the synagogue, that he might first propose the Gospel to his own brethren the Jews: and, indeed, hitherto, what converts soever were made to the Gospel, they resorted still to the service in the synagogue; and this continued to be his custom at Ephesus "for the space of three months"." But, such was the perversion of the Jewish people, Dr. Hales. Dr. Lightfoot.

Dr. S. Clarke. " Dean Howard.

that "divers were hardened, and spake evil of that way before the people :" so that, at length,

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he departed from them, and separated the disciples," removing from the synagogue to a public school in the city'. There has been some difference of opinion as to "the school of one Tyrannus." Some think it a man's name, who had a private room, in which lectures on philosophy or rhetoric were given2; some take it to have been a gymnasium, where those who practised for the public games exercised themselves. It is thought that the expression "disputing daily," means no more than that Paul used the place to discourse to the converts, and satisfy the doubts and objections of others. Another question has been, Whether Tyrannus was a Jew, and his school such as those in which the Doctors of the Law instructed their disciples? for, in the great towns, where there were many Jews, both in Judæa and elsewhere, they had a divinity school as well as a synagogue, in which were discussed and taught dogmatical and controversial points, concerning the difficulties of the Law, and other high matters, from which is supposed to have arisen the difference of “pastor and teacher;" and the expression, "he that teacheth, and he that exhorteth," took its signification'. But yet, when we consider that Paul had withdrawn from the synagogue, and 1 Dr. Robinson. 2 Bp. Pearce. 3 Bp. Mann. Dr. Lightfoot.

4

separated the disciples, on account of the opposition of the Jews, it seems more likely that the school was that of a Gentile, and of one who was a convert; unless it be supposed that the school of this Tyrannus happened to be a vacant building, and that Paul hired it for the brethren.

Paul, at any rate, established here a place of instruction of his own, where the work of conversion went daily on. A vain attempt of some among the Jews at this city to rival the special miracles, which God here wrought by the hands of Paul," turned greatly to the Apostle's renown, and to the discomfiture of the

vagabond Jews "," who are also called "exorcists, who took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus." "And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the Priests, which did so," who, seeing the effects of Paul's use of the name of Jesus, adjured the evil spirits in the same name, but with none of the same faith': so that "the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled naked and wounded." The heathen who observed that the Jewish religion was so different from their own, and so peculiar in itself, rarely sought to understand it, but regarded it as mysterious and incomprehensible. The sentiment of wonder which was thus produced in the Abp. Sumner.

Pictorial Bible.

6 Dean Howard.

minds of the heathen, was highly favourable to the pretensions of some unprincipled Jews to a claim of supernatural powers. Some notion of the ideas and practices of these Jews may be obtained from ancient testimony, Jewish, Christian, and heathen, which shows that there were a great number of such vagrant pretenders, who went about and derived gainful employment in this art from the people. Ephesus was notorious for the addiction of its inhabitants to "curious arts," as may be readily collected from the result that befel the attempt of Sceva's sons, for "fear fell on the Jews and Greeks dwelling at Ephesus: who brought their books together, and burned them before all men." So good an effect for the advancement of the Christian profession was hereby produced, that the converts who had formerly dealt in magic, came confessing and repenting of their bad practices. And they counted the price of the books, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver," which, by one computation, might be taken at fifteen hundred pounds, and by another, at seven thousand pounds of our money 10. This was done in the open view of the town; and it is remarked, as an evidence of the glorious efficacy and triumphant success of the Gospel, and as the immediate consequence of this act, that the Word of God grew mightily, and prevailed "."

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10 Archbishop Sumner.

SECT. CCXXV. - Paul writes his First Epistle to the Corinthians.-Acts xix. 21, 22; 1 Cor. i.—xvi. DURING the period of St. Paul's stay at Ephesus," he fought with beasts there, after the manner of men." It has been thought by some that this was spoken metaphorically, as of contests with impious and ferocious men; but that this was a real, and not a metaphorical combat with beasts, may be collected from what the Apostle tells the Corinthians'. There is express notice here taken of the place which was the scene of this extraordinary combat; and it was not unusual, in the barbarous custom of the men of that age, for the professors of the Christian faith to be cast by tyrants to wild beasts'. During the Apostle's abode at Ephesus, he was not unmindful of his friends and brethren at a distance. He "purposed in the spirit," (that is, he took a resolution, or determined within himself,) to visit Churches which he had himself more or less planted, and which were far separated from each other; and, "after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome." For the present, however, he himself stayed in Asia for a season, but "sent into Macedonia Timotheus and Erastus." About this time he is supposed to have addressed his first Epistle to the Corinthians. The imme2 Mant and D'Oyly.

' Dr. Macknight. 3 Bishop Pearce.

Drs. Robinson and Lightfoot.