Page:Life and voyages of the Apostle Paul.pdf/20

Rh propagating the gospel. In this Epistle he instructs him fully in the execution of his office, both with regard to himself and others.

Soon after the tumult at Ephesus, Paul called the Christians together, and took leave of them. He had spent almost three years at Ephesus, and founded a considerable church, of which he had ordained Timothy, the first bishop. He first travelled about two hundred miles northward, to Troas, before he took ship, expecting to meet Titus there. But missing him, he proceeded on his voyage to Macedonia.

On his arrival there, he preached the gospel in several places, even as far as Illyrieum, now called Sclavonia. During this journey he met with many troubles and dangers, without were fightings, and within fears; but God revived his spirits by the arrival of Titus, who gave him a pleasing account of the good effect his epistle had produced at Corinth. Titus came thither with contributions from the church at Corinth, and from the example of those liberal Christians, St. Paul stirred up the Macedonians to imitate their charity, intending to assist the poor Christians at Jerusalem.

During the stay of Titus in Macedonia, Paul wrote his second Epistle to the Corinthians, and sent it to them by Titus and Luke. About this time also he wrote his first epistle to Timothy, wherein he gives him directions how to conduct himself in the discharge of that great office and authority in the church committed to his care.

During his stay in Greece, he went to Corinth, where he wrote his famous epistle to the Romans, in which his principal intention is fully to state and determine the great controversy between the Jews and Gentiles, with regard to the obligations of the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law, and those principal and material points of doctrine depending upon it, namely, Christian liberty, the use of indifferent things, and the like.

St. Paul being now determined to return into Syria, in order to convey the contributions to the brethren at Jerusalem, set out on his journey; but being informed that the Jews had formed a design of killing and robbing him by the way, he returned back into Macedonia, and came to Philippi, from thence he went to Troas, where he stayed seven days. Here he preached to them on the Lord’s day, and continued his discourse till midnight, being himself to depart in the morning. The length of his discourse, and time of the night, caused some of his audience to be overtaken with sleep, and among them a young man named Eutychus, who fell from the third story, and was taken up