SECOND r^riSTLE TO THE COE IIS' Till A NS. 65 



that he had sketched the outline, which the narrative in the 

 Acts only filled up. That the forger of an epistle, under 

 the name of St. Paul, should borrow circumstances from a 

 history of St. Paul then extant, or that the author of a his- 

 tory of St. Paul should gather materials from letters bearing 

 St. Paul's name, may be credited ; but I cannot believe that 

 any forger whatever should fall upon an expedient so refined 

 as to exhibit sentiments adapted to a situation, and to leave 

 his readers to seek out that situation from the history ; still 

 less that the author of a history should go about to frame 

 facts and circumstances fitted to supply the sentiments which 

 he found in the letter. It may be said, perhaps, that it does 

 not appear from the history that any danger threatened St, 

 Paul's life in the uproar at Ephesus, so imminent as that 

 from which in the epistle he represents himself to have been 

 delivered. This matter, it is true, is not stated by the his- 

 torian in form ; but the personal danger of the apostle, we 

 cannot doubt, must have been extreme, wdien the "whole 

 city was filled with confusion ;" when the populace had 

 "seized his companions;" when, in the distraction of his 

 mind, he insisted upon " coming forth among them ;" when 

 the Christians who were about him would not sufier him ; 

 when " his friends, certain of the chief of Asia, sent unto 

 him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into 

 the theatre ;" when, lastly, he was obliged to quit imme- 

 diately the place and the country, " and when the tumult 

 was ceased, to depart into Macedonia." All which particu- 

 lars are found in the narration, and justify St. Paul's own 

 account, " that he was pressed out of measure, above strength, 

 insomuch that he despaired even of life ; that he had the 

 sentence of death in himself;" that is, that he looked upon 

 himself as a man condemned to die. 



IV. It has already been remarked, that St. Paul's origi- 

 nal intention was to have visited Corinth on his way to 

 Macedonia : " I was minded to come unto you before, .... 

 and to pass by you into Macedonia." 2 Cor. 1 : 15. 16. It 

 IS* 



