19H H0IIJ5 PAULINA. 



every rem&nibrance of you," Phil. 1 : 3 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 2, 3 , 

 2 Tim. 1:3; and never speaks q{ hearing of them. Yet, 

 I thiniv it must be concluded, from the nineteenth verse ol 

 this ejDistle, that Philemon had been converted by St. Paul 

 himself: '' Albeit, I do not say to thee how thou owest unto 

 mc even thine own self besides. ' Here then is a peculiarity. 

 Let us inquire whether the epistle supplies any circumstance 

 which will account for it. "VYe have seen that it may be 

 made out, not from the epistle itself, but from a comparison 

 of the epistle with that to the Colossians, that Philemon 

 was an inhabitant of Colosse ; and it further appears from 

 the epistle to the Colossians, that St. Paul had never been 

 in that city : "I would that ye knew what great conflict I 

 have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as 

 have not seen my face in the flesh." Col. 2:1. Although, 

 therefore, St. Paul had formerly met with Philemon at some 

 other place, and had been the immediate instrument of his 

 conversion, yet Philemon's faith and conduct afterwards, inas- 

 much as he lived in a city which St. Paul had never visited, 

 could only be known to him by fame and reputation. 



IV. The tenderness and delicacy of this epistle have Ion? 

 been admired : " Though I might be much bold in Christ 

 to enjoin thee that which is convenient, j^et for love's sake 

 I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, 

 and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ ; I beseech thee for 

 my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." 

 There is something certainly very melting and persuasive 

 ui this and every part of the epistle. Yet, in my opinion, 

 the character of St. Paul prevails in it throughout. The 

 warm, aflectionate, authoritative teacher is interceding with 

 an absent friend for a beloved convert. He urges his suit 

 with an earnestness befitting perhaps not so much the occa- 

 sion, as the ardor and rensibiUty of his own mind. Here 

 also, as everywhere, he shows himself conscious of the weight 

 and dignity of his mission ; nor does he suffer Philemon foi 

 a moment to forget it ''I jnigkt be much bold in Chrisl 



