188 HORiE PAULINjE. 



fore. But since it is expressly stated in the epistle, that 

 Timothy was converted by St. Paul himself, that he was 

 "his own son in the faith," it follows that he must have 

 been converted by him upon his former journey into those 

 parts, which was the very time when the apostle underwent 

 the persecutions referred to in the epistle. Upon the whole, 

 then, persecutions at the several cities named in the epistle 

 are expressly recorded in the Acts ; and Timothy's know- 

 ledge of this part of St. Paul's history, tvhich knowledge is 

 appealed to in the epistle, is fairly deduced from the place of 

 his abode and the time of his conversion. It may further 

 be observed, that it is probable from this account, that St, 

 Paul was in the midst of those persecutions when Timothy 

 became knowft' to him. No w^onder then that the apostle, 

 though in a letter written long afterwards, should remind 

 his favorite convert of those scenes of affliction and distress 

 under which they first met. 



Although this coincidence, as to the names of the cities, 

 be more .specific and direct than many which we have 

 pointed out, yet I apprehend that there is no just reason for 

 thinking it to be artificial ; for had the writer of the epistle 

 sought a coincidence with the history upon this head, and 

 searched the Acts of the Apostles for the purpose, I conceive 

 he would have sent us at once to Philippi and Thessalonica, 

 where Paul suffered persecution, and where, from what is 

 stated, it may easily be gathered that Timothy accompanied 

 him, rather than have appealed to persecutions as known to 

 Timothy, in the account of which persecutions Timothy's 

 presence is not mentioned ; it not being till after one entire 

 chapter, and in the history of a journey three years future 

 to this, that Timothy's name occurs in the Act? «f the Apos* 

 ties for the first time. 



