EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 19 



found the journey to Jerusalem but nothing about the con- 

 tribution. In the first epistle to the Corinthians, he Mould 

 hive found a contribution going on in Achaia for the Chris- 

 tians of Jerusalem, and a distant hint of the possibility of 

 the journey, but nothing concerning a contribution m Mace 

 donia. In the second epistle to the Corinthians, he would 

 have found a contribution in Macedonia accompanying that 

 in Achaia, but no intimation for whom either was intended 

 and not a word about the journey. It was only by a closf 

 and attentive collation of the three writings, that he could 

 have picked out the circumstances which he has united in 

 his epistle, and by a still more nice examination, that ho 

 could have determined them to belong to the same period 

 In the third place, I remark, what diminishes very much tlie 

 suspicion of fraud, how aptly and connectedly the mention 

 of the circumstances in question, namely, the journey to 

 Jerusalem and the occasion of that journey, arises from the 

 context: "Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, 1 will 

 come to you ; for I trust to see you in my journey and 

 to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first 1 be 

 somewhat filled with your company. But noiu I go unto 

 Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it Jiath pleased 

 them of Macedonia and AcJmia to make a certain contri 

 hutioQifor the iioor saints luhich are at Jerusalem It hath 

 pleased them verily, and their debtors they are ; for if the 

 Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, 

 their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things 

 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to 

 them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain " Is the 

 passage in italics like a passage foisted in for an extraneous 

 purpose? Does it not arise from what goes before, by a 

 junction as easy as any example of writing upon real busi 

 ncss can furnish ? Could any thing be more natural than 

 that St. Paul, in writing to the Romans, should speak of the 

 time when, he hoped to visit them; should mention tha 

 business which then detained him ; and that he purposed 



