arraigned before the emperor; but when it was, or what was the decision, or why he was at last set at liberty, are all involved in impenetrable obscurity. In his own hired house. In a house which he was permitted to hire, and occupy as his own. Probably in this he was assisted by the kindness of his Roman friends. And received all, &c.-Received all hospitably and kindly who came to him to show him kindness, or to listen to his instructions. It is evident, from this, that he was still a prisoner, and was not permitted to go at large.

VER. 31. Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

a Chap. iv. 31. Eph. vi. 19.

from the close of this book, every thing becomes
at once so involved in obscurity and uncertainty?
Instead, however, of pouring forth the sigh of un- ||
availing regret that the sacred historian has car-
ried us no farther onward, we should rather speak
the language of praise that he has given, by the
inspiration of the Holy Ghost, a history of the
church for thirty years after the ascension of the
Saviour; that he has recorded the accounts of
the first great revivals of religion; that he has
presented us the examples of the early missionary
zeal; that he has informed us how the early
Christians endured persecution and toil; that he
has conducted us from land to land, and from
city to city, showing us every where how the
gospel was propagated, until we are led to the
seat of the Roman power, and see the great |
apostle of Christianity there proclaiming, in that
mighty capital of the world, the name of Jesus as
the Saviour of men. Perhaps there could be no
more appropriate close to the book of the inspired
history, than thus to have conducted the apostle
of the Gentiles, and to have recorded the spread
of Christianity, to the capital of the Roman
world, and to leave the principal agent in the
establishment of the Christian religion in that
seat of intelligence, and influence, and power.
It is the conducting of Christianity to the very
height of its earthly victories; and having shown
its power in the provinces of the empire, it was
proper for the inspired author of this ecclesias-
tical history to close the account with the record
of its achievements in the capital.

Preaching the kingdom of God.-Note, chap. xx. 25. With all confidence.-Openly and boldly, without any one to hinder him. It is known, also, that Paul was not unsuccessful even when a prisoner at Rome. Several persons were converted by his preaching, even in the court of the emperor. The things which had happened to him, he says, (Phil. i. 12—14,) had fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel, so that his bonds in Christ were manifested in all the palace, and in all other places; and many brethren in the Lord, says he, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. In this situation he was remembered with deep interest by the church at Philippi, who sent Epaphroditus to him with a contribution to supply his wants. Of their kindness he speaks in terms of the tenderest gratitude in Phil. ii. 25; iv. 18. During his confinement, also, he was the means of the conversion of One-clusion of this book, that he did not survive the simus, a runaway slave of Philemon, of Colosse, in Phrygia, (Philem. 10;) whom he sent back to his master, with a letter to himself, and with an epistle to the church at that place. See epistle to the Colossians iv. 8, 9, 18. During this imprisonment, he wrote, according to Lardner, the following epistles, in the following order and time, viz. :

Here closes the inspired account of the propagation of Christianity, of the organization of the Christian church, and of the toils and persecutions of the apostle Paul. Who can but be deeply affected when he comes to the conclusion of this inspired book of revivals, and of the history of the spread of the Christian religion, and of the account of that wonderful man-the apostle Paul? Who can help heaving the sigh of regret, that this interesting historian did not carry forward the history of Paul till his death, and that henceforward, in the history of the church, we want this faithful, inspired guide; and that,

Why Luke closed his history here is not known. It may have been that he was not afterwards the companion of Paul; or that he might have been himself removed by death. It is agreed on all hands, that he did not attend Paul in his subsequent travels; and we should infer from the con

apostle, as it is almost incredible, if he did, that he did not mention his release and death. It is the uniform account of antiquity, that Luke, after the transactions with which the Acts of the Apostles closes, passed over into Achaia, where he lived a year or two, and there died at the age of eighty-four years.

Every thing in regard to the apostle Paul, after the account with which Luke closes this book, is involved in doubt and uncertainty. By what means he was set at liberty is not known; and there is a great contradiction of statements in regard to his subsequent travels, and even the time of his death. It is generally agreed, indeed, that he was set at liberty in the year of our Lord 63. After this, some of the fathers assert, that he travelled over Italy, and passed into Spain. But this account is involved in great uncertainty. Lardner, who has examined all the statements with care, and than whom no one is better qualified to pronounce an opinion on these subjects, gives the following account of the subsequent life of Paul. (Works, vol. v. 331–336. | Ed. Lond. 1829.) He supposes that, after his release, he went from Rome to Jerusalem as soon as possible; that he then went to Ephesus, and from thence to Laodice, and Colosse; | and that he returned to Rome by Troas, Philippi, and Corinth. The reason why he returned to

THE END.

Phrygia, situation of.......................................................................................
Prophecy, obscurity of..................................................................................... 12
Proselytes, their character......................................................................................
Psalms, imprecations of....................................... 18 Wind, rushing of the...................

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THE END.

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