16 HOR^ PAULIN.^. 



but not a syllable of any contribution. And as St. Paul had 

 taken several journeys to Jerusalem before, and one also im- 

 mediately after his first visit into the peninsula of Greece, 

 Acts 18 : 21, it cannot from hence be collected in Avhich oi 

 these visits the epistle was written, or with certainty that 

 it was written in either. The silence of the historian who 

 professes to have been with St. Paul at the time, chap. 20, 

 ver, 6, concerning any contribution, might lead us to look 

 out for some different journey, or might induce us perhaps 

 to question the consistency of the two records, did not a very 

 accidental reference in another part of the same history 

 afford us sufficient ground to believe that this silence was 

 omission. When St. Paul made his reply before Felix to 

 the accusations of TertuUus, he alleged, as was natural, that 

 neither the errand which brought him to Jerusalem, nor his 

 conduct while he remained there, merited the calumnies 

 with which the Jews had aspersed him : " Now after many 

 years," that is, of absence, " I came to bring alms to my 

 nation, and offerings. Whereupon certain Jews from Asia 

 found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor 

 with tumult ; who ought to have been here before thee, and 

 object, if they had aught against me." Acts 24 : 17-19. 

 This mention of alms and offerings certainly brings the nar- 

 rative in the Acts nearer to an accordancy with the epistle ; 

 yet no one, I am persuaded, vdll suspect that this clause 

 was put into St, Paul's defence, either to supply the omission* 

 in the preceding narrative, or with any view to such ac 

 cordancy. 



After all, nothing is yet said or hinted concerning the 

 place of the contribution — nothing concerning Macedonia 

 and Achaia, Turn therefore to the first epistle to the Corin- 

 thians, chap, 16, ver. 1-4, and you have St. Paul deliver- 

 ing the following directions : " Concerning the collection for 

 the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, 

 even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every 

 one of you lay by him in store, as God h«ith prospered him. 



