age: he is often called Bishop of Crete by ecclesiastical writers. St. Paul always speaks of Titus in terms of high regard, and intrusted him, as we have seen, with commissions of great importance.

II. It is by no means certain from what place St. Paul wrote this Epistle. But as he desires Titus to come to him at Nicopolis (h), and declares his intention of passing the winter there, some have supposed that, when he wrote it, he was in the neighbourhood of that city, either in Greece or Macedonia; others have imagined that he wrote it from Colosse, but it is difficult to say upon what ground.

III. As it appears that St. Paul, not long before he wrote this Epistle, had left Titus in Crete for the purpose of regulating the affairs of the church, and at the time he wrote it had determined to pass the approaching winter at Nicopolis, and as the Acts of the Apostles do not give any account of St. Paul's preaching in that island,

(h) C. 3. v. 12. There were many cities of this name. The one meant by St. Paul was probably in Epirus, and was built by Augustus, in honour of his victory over Antony at Actium,

island (i), or of visiting that city, it is concluded that this Epistle was written after his first imprisonment at Rome, and probably in the year 64. It may be considered as some confirmation of that opinion, that there is a great similiarity between the sentiments and expressions of this Epistle and of the first Epistle to Timothy, which was written in that year.

IV. IT is not known at what time a Christian church was first planted at Crete; but as some Cretans were present at the first effusion of the Holy Ghost at Jerusalem (k), it is not improbable that, upon their return home, they might be the means of introducing the Gospel among their countrymen. Crete is said to have abounded with Jews; and from the latter part of the first chapter of this Epistle it appears, that many of them were persons of very profligate lives, even after they had embraced the Gospel.

V. THE principal design of this Epistle was to give instructions to Titus concerning the manage

ment

(i) St. Paul stopped a short time in Crete, when he was carried prisoner from Jerusalem to Rome; but there is no reason to believe that he then preached the Gospel there. No one ever supposed that this visit to Crete was the one referred to in the Epistle to Titus,

(k) Acts, c. 2. V. II. ̧

ment of the churches in the different cities of the island of Crete, and it was probably intended to be read publicly to the Cretans, that they might know upon what authority Titus acted. St. Paul, after his usual salutation, intimates that he was appointed an apostle by the express command of God, and reminds Titus of the reason of his being left in Crete; he describes the qualifications necessary for bishops, and cautions him against persons of bad principles, especially Ju daizing teachers, whom he directs Titus to reprove with severity (1); he informs him what instructions he should give to people in different situations of life, and exhorts him to be exemplary in his own conduct; he points out the pure and practical nature of the Gospel (m), and enumerates some particular virtues which he was to inculcate, avoiding foolish questions and frivolous disputes; he tells him how he is to behave towards heretics, and concludes with salutations (n).

(1) C. 1.

(m) C. 2.

fx) C. 3.

PART II.

CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST.

OF THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON.

I. Who Philemon was-II. Date of this Epistle.— III. Occasion of its being written.-IV. Substance and Character of this Epistle.

I. PHILEMON was an inhabitant of Colosse, and from the manner in which he is addressed in this Epistle, it is probable that he was a person of some consideration in that city. St. Paul seems to have been the means of converting him to the belief of the Gospel (a). He calls him his feilow-labourer; and from that expression some have thought that he was bishop or deacon of the church at Colosse; but others have been of opinion, that he was only a private Christian, who had shown a zealous and active disposition in the cause of Christianity, without holding any ecclesiastical office.

II. WE

(a) V. 19.

II. WE learn from this Epistle itself, that it was written when St. Paul was a prisoner, and when he had hope of soon recovering his liberty (b); and thence we conclude, that it was written towards the end of his first confinement at Rome. This opinion is also supported by the following circumstances: Onesimus, the bearer of this Epistle, was one of the persons who were intrusted with that to the Colossians; and in both Epistles, Timothy, Epaphroditus, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, are spoken of as being present with the Apostle; we therefore infer that they were written at the same time, and consequently we are to place the date of this Epistle in the year 62.

III. THE Occasion of writing it was this: Onesimus, a slave of Philemon, had run away from him, and taken up his residence at Rome. It is generally supposed that he had also robbed his master; but the only foundation for that opinion. is in the following passage, which does not appear to me conclusive: "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on my account."Surely these words do not necessarily imply that Onesimus had been guilty of theft; they may only allude