267. П, especially in the beginning of a sentence, signifies porro, Moreover. Matt. xiii. 44. I, Moreover the kingdom of heaven is like,' &c. See ver. 45. 47. 2 Cor. xi. 16. Пa, Moreover I say.' Wherefore John iv. 54. may be thus translated, T&TO TN Tμ, Moreover this second miracle Jesus performed, having come again from Judea into Galilee.' In this sense Tax is sometimes used by the LXX., as Mintert observes. See also Gal. v. 3.

268. Παλιν, On the other hand. Matt. iv. 7. Πάλιν, 'On the other hand it is written.' John xviii. 40. Exgauγασαν εν παλιν παντες, But they all cried on the other hand, not this man but Barabbas:' For the multitude had not, before this, cried to have Jesus crucified. 2 Cor. x. 7. Let him (a) on the other hand, reason this from himself.'

269. Пax, In like manner. 1 Cor. xii. 21. "H aλ, Nor in like manner the head to the feet.' Matt. xxvi. 42. Πάλιν εκ δευτερο απελθων, In like manner a second time going away, he prayed.'

270. Пlaw, A second time. Heb. v. 12. 'Ye have need of one to teach you (raw) a second time.' Heb. vi. 1. Not laying (a) a second time, the foundation of repentance,' &c.

ПАРА.

271. Пage, To. Matt. xv. 29. And Jesus departed thence, and came (g) to the sea of Galilee.' Col. iv. 16. When this epistle hath been read (rug' iμn) to you' For it was to be read to them, when assembled together; and not by them.

272. Пag, Besides, except, save. 1 Cor. iii. 11. Other foundation can no man lay, (ag) except that which is laid.' 2 Cor. xi. 24. Forty stripes, (raga)

save one.""

275. Пaga, Of. Matt. ii. 4. Inquired (rag' aura) of them where the Christ should be born.'* Ver. 7. Inquired (gauTV) of them diligently, what time the star appeared.'* John i. 14. As the only begotten (raga Targs) of the Father.'*

276. Пaga, On account of, therefore. 1 Cor. xii. 16. Is it (Tag T&T) therefore not of the body ?'* Or, 'Is it for this,' &c.

277. Пaga, From. 2 Tim. i. 18. Grant to him to find mercy (g) from the Lord.'

283. Hagi, Above. 3 John ver. 2. 'I wish (eg avrov) above all things. This sense of T, Beza, in his note

on 3 John ver. 2. proves by a quotation from Homer. ΠΛΗΝ.

284. П, Moreover. Matt. xxvi. 64. Пany, 'Moreover I say to you, Hereafter,' &c. See this sense established by a passage from Demetrius Phalereus, Blackwall, vol. ii. p. 132. 12mo edit.

To lay

285. Пny, Besides. Mark xii. 32. And there is no other ( aurs) besides him.' Acts xv. 28. upon you no greater burden (λ) than (besides) these necessary things.'*

286. П seems to have an illative signification. Eph. v. 33. Iany, Therefore let every one of you in particular so love his wife, even as himself.' See Beza on the passage.

287. П, Except. Acts viii. 1. Пa, Except the apostles.'*

ΠΡΟΣ.

288. Προς, On account of. Mark x. 5. Προς την σκλη gongdav, On account of the hardness of your heart, he wrote you this precept.'

289. Пges, For the sake of. Acts. iii. 10. "That it was he which sat (ges) for alms.'* Acts xxvii. 34. Пges της ύμετερας σωτηρίας ύπαρχε, «This is for your health. Thucyd. Lib. 3. p. 182. (Cited by Blackwall, vol. i. p. 110.) Ου προς ύμετερας δόξης τάδε, These things are not for your reputation." Heb. xii. 10. They verily (gus) for the sake of a few days.' Mark xii. 12. For they

·

290. Ilgos, Of, concerning. knew that he had spoken the parable (gos autos) concerning them.' See also Luke xx. 19. Rom. x 21. Пgos de Tev logun, But of Israel he saith.' Heb. i. 7. Ilgos um res aggs, Of the angels he saith.'* 291. Пges, According to. Gal. ii. 14. They walked not uprightly, (gs) according to the truth.'* 2 Cor. v. 10. Пgs, According to that he hath done.'* 292. Пges, Towards. Luke xxiv. 29. 'Abide with us, for it is (gc) towards evening.'* 293. Пgos, Among. Mark i. 27. (g) among themselves.'* 294. Ilges, With. Matt. xiii. 56. His sisters, are they not all (gos nuas) with us?' Matt. xxvi. 18. 'I will keep the passover (gos ) at thy house.'* ix. 19. How long shall I be (gos pas) with you?'* Mark xiv. 49. I was daily (gos iuas) with you in the temple'* John i. 1. The word was (προς τον Θεον) with God.'*

They questioned

Mark

295. Пges, joined with words of time, signifies during. 2 Cor. vii. 8. Пgos gav, During an hour.' 1 Thess. ii. 17. Пgos nagov gas, During the time of an hour.'

ΠΩΣ.

296. Пs, (quod) That. Mark ix. 12. Said to them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things, (xa Ts) and that it is written (7) concerning the Son of man.'

ΣΥΝ.

297. vv, construed with ava, signifies to be on one's side. Acts xiv. 4. Part (nov uv) held with the Jews, and part (vv) with the apostles.'*

298. Zur, With, in respect of place. Luke i. 56. Mary abode (~ʊ) with her.'*

299. Zur, in composition, governing the accusative, commonly signifies together. Mark xv. 16. Zuquezon, They call together the whole band.'* But when the compounded word governs the dative, it often signifies together with. 1 Cor .xiii. 6. But (ouu) jointly rejoiceth (rejoiceth with other good men) in truth.'

300. Συν, By. 1 Cor. v. 4. Συν τη δυνάμει, « By the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one to Satan.'

TE.

301, Tε, Even. Rom. i. 20. 'H T audios, Even his

6

303. T is put likewise for da T, why. Matt. vi. 28. Teguvare, Why are ye anxiously careful? Matt. xvii. 10. T 8v, Why then say the scribes?' John i. 25. Tv, Why then baptizest thou?' See Whitby in loc. 304. T, Whether, namely, of two things. Luke v. 23. TI, Whether is easier to say, thy sins be forgiven thee?'* 305. T, what sort, how great. Luke viii. 25. aga bros, How great indeed is this man! for he commandeth,' &c.

Τις

306. TK, Every one. 1 Cor. iv. 2. It is required in stewards, that (TI) every one be found faithful.'

ΥΠΕΡ.

307. Trg, with the genitive case, signifies concerning. Rom. ix. 27. Esaias also cries (g) concerning Israel.'* 2 Cor. i. 7. Our hope (g) concerning you is firm.' Ver. 8. I would not, brethren, have you ignorant (g) concerning our trouble.' 2 Cor. viii. 23. Whether any inquire (g) concerning Titus, he is my partner.' 2 Cor. viii. 24. Our boasting (ing μv) concerning you.' 2 Thess. ii. 1. Now we beseech you, brethren, () concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him.'

6

308. Trg, For, instead of, in behalf of. Rom. v. 7. 'Scarcely (g) for a righteous man.' Ver. 8. Christ died (ru) for us."* Philip. i. 29. To you it is given (X) in behalf of Christ.'* Philem. ver. 13. Detained him with me, that (ing) in thy stead he might have ministered.' 309. Trg, On account of. 1 Cor. xv. 29. What shall they do who are baptized (g) on account of the dead?' 310. T, With respect to. Col. i. 7. Who is a faithful minister of Christ (g) with respect to you.' 311. Trg, From, denoting the motive of an action. Philip. ii. 13. Who worketh in you (g) from good will.'

316., preceded by w, signifies because. Rom. viii. 3. The thing impossible for the law to do, (s) because it was weak through the flesh.' Heb. ii. 18. Ev, Because he suffered, being tempted, he is able to save.' Heb. vi. 17. Ev,For which cause God willing,' &c. In this sense, the best Greek writers use the phrase. See Vigerus, p. 364.

317. Ev signifies while. Mark ii. 19. Can the children of the bride-chamber fast (w) while the bridegroom,' &c.* Rom. ii. 1. Erg, For whilst thou condemnest,' &c.

·

ΩΣ. See Καθώς.

319. is sometimes used affirmatively, and must be translated indeed, truly, certainly, actually; for Hesychius and Phavorinus tell us, that is put for crews, andos. Neh. vii. 2. AUTCs is arng anne, He was indeed a true man.' Matt. xiv. 5. He feared the multitude, because they counted him (John, & goprns) really a prophet.' John i. 14. We beheld his glory, the glory (s vegans) indeed of the only begotten of the Father.' Acts xvii. 22. I see that in all things ye are (s) certainly most religious.' Rom. ix. 32. But (s) actually by works of law.' 2 Cor. ii. 17. Anλ' us & ringivas, anλ' is in On, But indeed from sincerity, and from God.'

320., When. Luke xx. 37. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, (ús aŋu) when he called the Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,' &c.* Luke xxii. 66. Kas is vero nμa, And when it was day.' Luke i. 23. winno Thour nμngan, When the days were fulfilled.' Acts xxvii. 1. nc, When it was determined.'* Philip. ii. 12. Not (s) when in my presence only.

་

321. ', Seeing. 2 Cor. v. 20. 'Ne To Ou raganaATCs, Seeing God beseeches you by us, we pray in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.' Col. ii. 6. 'ns, Seeing ye have received Christ Jesus,' &c. Scapula likewise gives us this meaning.

322. ', Namely. 2 Cor. xi. 21. I speak with respect to reproach, (s) namely, that we have been weak.' 2 Cor. v. 18. And hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.' 19. (T) Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.'*

323. ns, illative, Wherefore. Heb. iii. 11. ', 'So (wherefore) I sware.'*

324. ns, admiration, How! Rom. x. 15. ', 'How beautiful!' Rom. x. 35. ns, How unsearchable !"* 325. ns, That. 1 Tim. i. 3. ns, That without ceasing.""

ΩΣΤΕ.

326. 's sometimes signifies, so then, so that. 1 Cor. iii. 7. ', 'So then neither is he that planteth any thing.' 2 Cor. ii. 7. 5, So that contrary wise ye ought rather to forgive.'* Gal. iv. 16. 5 xgas, So then I am become your enemy, because I speak truth to you?'

327. n, In like manner. Iliad, B. line 474.; M. line 278.

328. ', That. 1 Cor. v. 1. 'nse, 'That one should have,' &c.

329. ns denoting the end for which a thing is done. Rom. vii. 6. 25, That we should serve in newness of spirit.'*

330. ns, causal, for. 2 Cor. v. 17. 5, For if any man be,'* &c.

331., illative, Wherefore. Rom. vii. 4. 1st, 'Wherefore, my brethren.'* Ver. 12. 'ns, Wherefore the law is holy."" 1 Cor. x. 12, ns, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth." 1 Cor. xi. 27. 15, Wherefore, whosoever shall eat.'* Cor. v. 16. et, Wherefore, henceforth we know no man after the flesh.'

.

Conclusion.-From the numerous passages of Scripture produced in this Essay, it appears that the Greek particles, as used by the writers of the New Testament, have a great variety of significations; that no translation, especially of the apostolical epistles, in which the Greek particles have only a few of their significations given, will rightly express the meaning of these writings; and that the rectifying of the translation of the particles, though it be only by substituting one monosyllable for another, will often change the sense of a passage entirely, and render it a chain of strict logical reasoning; whereas, by a wrong translation, it becomes quite incoherent, if not inconsequent.

When St. Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans, a. n. 57. their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world,' Rom. i. 8. and many of them possessed spiritual gifts, Rom. xii. 6. and their obedience was known to all men,' Rom. xvi. 19. Farther, the fame of the church at Rome had reached the apostle long before he wrote this letter. For he told them, he had a desire for many years to come to them,' Rom. xv. 23. The gospel therefore was introduced in Rome very early, perhaps by some of the disciples who were scattered abroad after Stephen's death, in the end of the reign of Tiberius. Or the founding of the Roman church may have happened even before that period; for among the persons who heard Peter preach on the day of Pentecost, and who were converted by him, strangers of Rome are mentioned, Acts ii. 10. 41. These Roman Jews, on their return home, no doubt preached Christ to their countrymen in the city, and probably converted some of them: so that the church at Rome, like most of the Gentile churches, began in the Jews. But it was soon enlarged by converts from among the religious proselytes; and in process of time was increased by the flowing in of the idolatrous Gentiles, who gave themselves to Christ in such numbers, that, at the time St. Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans, their conversion was much spoken of.

These facts merit attention; because the opposers of our religion represent the first Christians as below the notice of the heathen magistrates, on account of the paucity of their numbers, and the obscurity with which they practised their religious rites. But if the faith of the Roman brethren was spoken of throughout the whole empire at the time this letter was written, the disciples of Christ in Rome must have been, numerous, and must have professed their religion openly; for the turning of a few obscure individuals in the city from the worship of idols, and their worshipping the true God clandestinely, could not be the subject of discourse in the provinces. Farther, that there were many Christians in Rome when St. Paul wrote this epistle, may be inferred from the tumults occasioned by the contests which the Jews had with them about the law, and which gave rise to Claudius's decree, banishing the whole of them from Rome, Acts xviii. 2. See sect. 3. page 50. at the beginning. The salutations, likewise, in the end of this epistle, show how numerous the brethren in Rome were at that time, some of whom were of long standing in the faith, as Andronicus and Junias, who were converted before Paul himself; others of them were teachers, as Urbanus; others were deacons and deaconesses, as Mary, Tryphena, Try

phosa, and Persis, all of whom were active in spreading the gospel; others were persons of station, such as the members of the family of Narcissus, if, as is commonly supposed, he was the emperor's favourite of that name. But although this should not be admitted, the saints in Cæsar's household,' whose salutation, some years after this, the apostle sent to the Philippians, may have been persons of considerable note.

SECT. II. Of the state of the Christian Church at the time St. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans.

THE gospel being offered to the world as a revelation from God, the Jews justly expected that it would agree in all things with the former revelations, of which they were the keepers. And therefore, when they perceived that many of the doctrines taught by the apostles were contrary to the received tenets, which the scribes pretended to derive from the writings of Moses and the prophets, the bulk of the nation rejected the gospel, and argued against it with the greatest vehemence of passion, in the persuasion that it was an impious heresy, inconsistent with the ancient revelations, and destructive of piety.

To remove this specious cavil, the apostles, besides preaching the doctrines of the gospel as matters revealed to themselves, were at pains to show that these doctrines were contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets, and that none of the tenets contrary to the gospel, which the Jewish doctors pretended to deduce from their own sacred writings, had any foundation there. Of these tenets, the most pernicious was their misinterpretation of the promise to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.' For the Jews considering the moral precepts of the law of Moses as a perfect rule of duty, and its sacrifices and purifications as real atonements for sin, and believing that no man could be saved out of their church, affirmed that the blessing of the nations in Abraham's seed consisted in the conversion of the nations to Judaism by the Jews. Hence the Jewish believers, strongly impressed with these notions, taught the Gentiles, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved,' Acts xv. 1. But this doctrine, though obstinately maintained, was a gross error. The law of Moses was no rule of justification. It was a political institution, established for governing the Jews as the subjects of God's temporal kingdom in Canaan. And therefore the apostles, elders, and brethren assembled in the council of Jerusalem, justly decreed, that the yoke of the law was not to be imposed on the Gentiles, as necessary to their salvation.

A decision, so deliberately and solemnly pronounced, by such an assembly, ought, among the disciples of Christ, to have silenced all disputations on the subject. Nevertheless, the converted Jews, having been accustomed to glory in their relation to God as his people, and in the privileges which they had so long enjoyed, were extremely offended, when, according to the new doctrine, they found the Gentiles under the gospel raised to an equality with them in

all religious privileges. Wherefore, disregarding the decrees which were ordained of the apostles and elders, they exhorted the Gentiles everywhere to become Jews, if they wished to be saved. And this exhortation made the stronger impression on the Gentiles, that the Jewish worship by sacrifices, purifications, and holidays, was, in many respects, similar to their former worship. Besides, as the Jews were the only people who, before the introduction of the gospel, enjoyed the knowledge of the true God and a revelation of his will, and as the Christian preachers themselves appealed to that revelation in proof of their doctrine, the Gentiles naturally paid a great regard to the opinion of the Jews in matters of religion, and especially to their interpretations of the ancient oracles. Hence some of the Gentile converts, especially in the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, who before their conversion were extremely ignorant in religious matters, hearkening to the Judaizing teachers, received circumcision, and thereby bound themselves to obey the law of Moses, in the persuasion that it was the only way to secure the favour of the Deity.

According to this view of the matter, the controversy which in the first age disturbed the Christian church, was not, as Locke supposes, whether the Gentiles, in their uncircumcised state, should be admitted into the church, and enjoy equal privileges with the Jews; and whether it was lawful for the Jews to hold religious communion with them, while they remained uncircumcised; but plainly, whether there was any church but the Jewish, in which men could be saved. For when the Judaizers taught the Gentile brethren, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved,' they certainly meant that salvation could be obtained nowhere but in the Jewish church.

6

In this controversy the unbelieving Jews and all the Judaizing Christians ranged themselves on the one side, strongly and with united voices affirming that Judaism was the only religion in which men could be saved; that there was no gospel church different from the Jewish, nor any revealed law of God but the law of Moses; and that the gospel was nothing but an explication of that law, of the same kind with the explications given of it by the prophets. On the other side, in this great controversy, stood the apostles and elders, and all the well informed brethren, who, knowing that the Jewish church was at an end, and that the law of Moses was abrogated, strenuously maintained that a new church of God was erected, in which all mankind might obtain salvation by faith without circumcision; and that the gospel was the only law of this new church. They therefore maintained the freedom of the Gentiles from the law of Moses in all its parts, and boldly asserted, that the gospel alone was sufficient for the salvation of the Gentiles; consequently, that they were under no obligation to have recourse to the Levitical sacrifices and purifications, for procuring the pardon of their sins.

The controversy concerning the obligation of the law of Moses, viewed in the light wherein I have placed it, was a matter of no small importance, since on its determination depended, whether the law of Moses or the gospel of Christ should be the religion of the world. No wonder, therefore, that St. Paul introduced this controversy in so many of his epistles; and that he wrote three of them, in particular, for the express purpose of confuting an error so plausible and so pernicious: I mean his epistles to the Romans, to the Galatians, and to the Hebrews. These learned epistles, in process of time, produced the desired effect. By the strength of the arguments set forth in them, and by representing the same things everywhere in his preaching and conversation, the apostle enlightened many of the Jewish converts; and these well instructed Jewish brethren in their several

THE Controversy concerning the law of Moses, described in the foregoing section, was agitated very early at Rome, where the Jews, being rich and factious, disputed the matter with greater violence than in other churches. And the unbelieving part taking a share in the controversy, they occasioned such tumults, that the emperor Claudius, in the eleventh year of his reign, banished the contending parties from the city. So the Roman historian, Suetonius, informs us, who, confounding the Christians with the Jews, calls the whole body by the general name of Jews, and affirms that they were excited to these tumults by Christ (Christo impulsore, Claud. c. 25.), because he had heard, I suppose, that Christ was the subject of their quarrels.

Among the banished from Rome was Aquila, a Jew, born in Pontus, and his wife Priscilla, both of them Christians. These came to Corinth about the time St. Paul first visited that city; and being of the same occupation with him, they received him into their house, employed him in their business, and gave him wages for his work, with which he maintained himself all the time he preached the gospel to the Corinthians. During his abode with them, Aquila and Priscilla, no doubt, gave the apostle a full account of the state of the church at Rome, before its dispersion; and, among other things, told him, that the unbelieving Romans, following the Greeks, affirmed the light of natural reason to have been from the beginning a sufficient guide to mankind in matters of religion: That, being great admirers of the Greeks, they considered their philosophy as the perfection of human reason, and extolled it as preferable to the gospel, which they scrupled not to pronounce mere foolishness: That, on the other hand, the unbelieving Jews, no less prejudiced in favour of the law of Moses, affirmed, it was the only religion in which men could be saved, and condemned the gospel as a detestable heresy, because it did not adopt the sacrifices, purifications, and other rites enjoined by Moses.-They farther told the apostle that many, even of the converted Jews, extolled the institutions of Moses as more effectual for the salvation of sinners than the gospel, and, in that persuasion, pressed the Gentiles to join the law with the gospel, that, by its sacrifices and purifications, the gospel might be rendered a complete form of religion: That the Gentile converts, who knew their freedom from the law of Moses, despised their Judaizing brethren as superstitious bigots, while the others regarded them as profane, for neglecting institutions which they esteemed sacred: That those who possessed spiritual gifts had occasioned great disturbance in the church, each extolling his own gifts, and striving to exercise them in the public assemblies, without giving place to others: Lastly, That some, both of the Jewish and Gentile believers, reckoning it disgraceful to obey constitutions made by idolaters, had, in several instances, contemned the wholesome laws of the state, and were in danger of being punished as evil doers, to the great scandal of the Christian name.

As the apostle had not been in Rome when he wrote this epistle, some persons, well acquainted with the affairs of the church there, must have made him acquainted with all the particulars above mentioned. For his letter to the Romans was evidently framed with a view to these things. If so, who more likely to give the information

than Aquila and Priscilla, with whom the apostle lodged so long? And though the Roman brethren were then dispersed, consequently the apostle had no opportunity of writing to them as a church, yet the disorders which prevailed among them having made a deep impression on his spirit, we may suppose he resolved to embrace the first opportunity of remedying them. Accordingly, during his second visit to the Corinthians, having heard that the church was re-established at Rome, St. Paul wrote to the Romans this excellent and learned letter, which bears their name; wherein, at great length, he discoursed of the justification of sinners; answered the objections made to the gospel doctrine of justification; proved from Moses and the prophets the calling of the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews, and their future restoration; and gave the Roman brethren many precepts and exhortations, suited to their character and circumstances.

From the pains which the apostle took in this letter, to prove that no Gentile can be justified by the law of nature, nor Jew by the law of Moses, and from his explaining in it all the divine dispensations respecting religion, as well as from what he says, chap. i. 7, 13, 14, 15, it is reasonable to think it was designed for the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles at Rome, as well as for the brethren; who therefore would show the copies which they took of it to their unbelieving acquaintance. And inasmuch as the apostle professed to derive his views of the matters contained in this letter from the former revelations, and from inspiration, it certainly merited the attention of every unbeliever to whom it was shown, whether he were a Jewish scribe, or a heathen philosopher, or a Roman magistrate, or one of the people; some of whom, I make no doubt, read it. And though, by reading it, they may not have been persuaded to embrace the gospel immediately, the candid and intelligent, by seriously weighing the things written in it, must have received such instruction in the principles and duties of natural religion, as could hardly fail to lead them to see the absurdity of the commonly received idolatry; which was one good step towards their conversion.-To conclude: As in this learned letter the principal objections by which Jews and Deists have all along impugned the gospel are introduced and answered, it is a writing which the adversaries of revelation, who pretend to oppose it on rational principles, ought to peruse with attention and candour.

The commentators observe, that although the apostle, in the inscription of this letter, hath asserted his apostolical authority, to make the Romans sensible that the things written in it were dictated to him by the Spirit; yet, as he was personally unknown to the greatest part of them, he does not teach, exhort, and rebuke them with that authority which he uses in his letters to the churches of his own planting, but he writes to them in a mild and condescending manner, in order to gain their affection. SECT. IV.—of the Time and Place of writing the Epistle

to the Romans.

THE first time Paul visited Corinth, he found Aquila and Priscilla, lately come from Italy in consequence of Claudius's edict (Acts xviii. 2.), which was published in the eleventh year of his reign, answering to A. D. 51. (See Pref. 1 Cor. sect. 1.) Probably the apostle arrived at Corinth in the summer of that year. And as he

And as

abode there more than eighteen months before he set out for Syria (Acts xviii. 18.), he must have left Corinth in the spring of A. D. 53. In his voyage to Syria, the apostle touched at Ephesus, then sailed straight to Cesarea. From Cesarea he went to Jerusalem, and after that to Antioch. And having spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening the disciples,' Acts xviii. 21, 22, 23. Then passing through the upper coasts, he came to Ephesus,' Acts xix. 1. His voyage from Corinth to Cesarea, and his journey through the countries just now mentioned, may have been performed in a year and ten months. Wherefore, if he sailed from Corinth in February, 53, he may have come to Ephesus in the end of the year 54. And seeing he abode at Ephesus about three years (Acts xx. 31.), before he went into Macedonia, his arrival in Macedonia (Acts xx. 1.) must have happened in the year 57. At this time the apostle went over all these parts, and gave them much exhortation before he went into Greece. (Acts xx. 2.) Probably this was the time he preached the gospel in the borders of Illyricum, Rom. xv. 19. these transactions would take up the summer of the year 57, we cannot suppose he came into Greece sooner than in the autumn of that year. The purpose of his journey into Greece was to receive the collections which the churches of Achaia had made for the saints in Judea, 2 Cor. ix. 3-5. Having therefore abode three months in Greece (Acts xx. 3.), he departed with the collections early in the year 58.-The time of the apostle's departure from Greece with the collections being thus fixed, there can be no doubt concerning the date of his epistle to the Romans; for he told them he was going to Jerusalem when he wrote it, Rom. xv. 25. 'But now I go to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints.' Wherefore the epistle to the Romans was written at Corinth, as we shall see immediately, in the end of A. D. 57, or in the beginning of a. D. 58, full seven years after the Jews and Christians were banished from Rome by Claudius, and about three years after their return. For Claudius dying in the year 54, his edict terminated with his life; and not being renewed by his successor, the Jews and Christians came back to Rome in such numbers, that, in the third year of the emperor Nero, when the apostle wrote this letter, the Roman church had acquired its former celebrity.-To conclude: The circumstances by which the date of the epistle to the Romans is fixed, are so well ascertained, that learned men are nearly agreed in their opinion upon the point-some, with Pearson, dating it at Corinth, in the year 57; others, with Lardner, in the beginning of 58; and others, with Mill, in 58, without determining the time of the year.

The salutations from Gaius or Caius, the apostle's host, and from Erastus, the chamberlain of the city (Rom. xvi. 23.), are additional proofs that this epistle was written at Corinth. For that Gaius lived there, seems plain from 1 Cor. i. 14., as did Erastus likewise, 2 Tim. ii. 14. Besides, Phœbe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, the eastern part of Corinth, having been the bearer of this letter, Corinth, by that circumstance also is so plainly pointed out as the place where it was written, that there was no occasion for the apostle to be more particular.