them and attempt to seduce them from the truth.

23. The subscription to this epistle states, that it was written from Rome, and sent to the Ephesians by Tychicus, who was also the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians, the similarity of which, in style and subject, shows that it was written at the same time. It is evident that this epistle was written during St. Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, from its allusion to his confinement, chap. iii, 1; iv, 1; vi, 20; and as he does not express any hope of a speedy release, which he does in his other epistles sent from this city, it is probable that it was written during the early part of his imprisonment, soon after he arrived at Rome, about A. D. 61.

24. As St. Paul was, in a peculiar manner, the apostle of the Gentiles, and was now a prisoner in Rome, in consequence of his having provoked the Jews, by asserting that the observance of the Mosaic law was not necessary to obtain the favor of God, he was apprehensive lest advantage should be taken. of his confinement to unsettle the minds of his Ephesian converts, who were almost wholly Gentiles. Hearing, however, that they stood firm in the faith of Christ, he wrote this epistle in order to establish them in that faith, and to give them more exalted views of the love of God, and of the excellence and dignity of Christ; and at the same time to fortify their minds against the scandal of the cross.

25. With this view he shows them that they were saved by grace; and that however wretched they once were, now they had equal privileges with the Jews. He encourages them to persevere, by declaring with what steadfastness he suffered for the truth, and with what earnestness he prayed for their establishment and continuance in it; and urging them to walk worthy of their high profession, and faithfully to perform the common and special duties of religion.

26. The style of this epistle is exceedingly animated, he being overjoyed at the happy intelligence of the faith and holiness of the church at Ephesus. "No real Christian," says Dr. Macknight, can read the doctrinal part of the Epistle to the Ephesians, without being impressed and roused by it, as by the sound of a trumpet."

CHAPTER V. PHILIPPIANS-COLOSSIANS-THESSALONIANS

-TIMOTHY.

1. THIS epistle was written by St. Paul from Rome, during his imprisonment, as is manifest from various allusions contained in the epistle itself, chapter i, 7, 13; iv, 22.

2. It was written, probably, toward the end of his confinement, as he meditates sending away his confidential assistant and son in the gospel; and also speaks of an early visit to Philippi, chapter ii, 19–26.

3. This is a peculiarly gratifying and interesting epistle. Philippi was the first city in Europe in which Paul preached, and here the first European church was formed. This church seems to have remained peculiarly steadfast in the apostle's doctrine and discipline, and was not dishonored by the controversies and irregularities of the other churches.

4. Hence the epistle is, as Horne observes, the only one of St. Paul's letters to the churches in which not one censure is expressed or implied against any of its members; but, on the contrary, sentiments of unqualified commendation and confidence pervade every part of the epistle. Its style is singularly animated, affectionate, and pleasing.

5. "It moreover appears that the church at Philippi had on all occasions manifested the most affectionate and generous interest in the apostle's welfare and comfort. When the gospel was first preached in Macedonia, no other church except that of Philippi contributed to his support. Although Thessalonica was the chief city of the province, yet when the apostle was there, the considerate Philippians twice sent him money, lest the success of the great cause in which they felt so much interest might be hindered, by his becoming burdensome to the Thessalonians, chapter iv, 15, 16. They did the same when he was at the wealthy city of Corinth, and, to cut off occasion from them that desired occasion,' declined to accept the wages of his labor from the church there. And now,

when the kind-hearted Philippians heard or feared that their venerated teacher, in imprisonment at Rome, needed assistance, they hastened to send to him Epaphroditus, one of their pastors, with supplies of money. On his return home, Paul sent by him this letter, in which he gratefully acknowledges their kindness to him.

6. "From the manner in which he expresses himself, we learn, with some surprise, that he had really been in circumstances of considerable want at Rome; but this may be easily accounted for, by the recollection, that not having been the instrument of the conversion of the Romans, he did not think himself entitled to receive his support from them; while in most of the other churches there were factions opposed to him, and from such churches it was his rule not to accept assistance.

7. "We may also consider that his situation at Rome, as a prisoner, probably precluded him from deriving much advantage from his trade. Under this concurrence of circumstances, it so happened that the church at Philippi was the only one to which the apostle could concede the privilege and honor of ministering to his wants."

8. The Epistle to the Colossians. The town of Colossæ lay in the southern part of Phrygia, near to Laodicea and Hieropolis, which are mentioned together in chapter iv, 13.

9. Though Paul traveled through Phrygia, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we

have no account of his founding a church in this town; on the other hand, from an intimation given in the epistle, that they had "not seen his face in the flesh," it is probable that this church was founded by some other person.

10. It is not improbable that Epaphras, mentioned in chapter i, 7, was one of the earliest teachers, if not the founder. It appears from Acts xix, 10, that during Paul's residence at Ephesus, many, both Jews and Greeks, came from various parts of Asia to hear the gospel; and Michaelis supposes that several Colossians, and especially Philemon, may have been of this number. He also adds, "As St. Paul subjoins the name of Timothy to his own, (chap. i, 1,) it is not improbable that Timothy had taught Christianity at Colossæ. Throughout the whole of the first chapter St. Paul speaks in their joint names, and uses the plural 'we,' except where the subject relates to his own imprisonment, and when Timothy therefore could not be included.”

11. There is a remarkable similarity between this epistle and that to the Ephesians; so much so, that the above writer remarks: "Whoever would understand these epistles must read them together; for the one is in most places a commentary upon the other; the meaning of single passages in one epistle, which alone might be variously interpreted, being determined in parallel passages in the other epistle."

12. It seems probable that the two epistles