where most modern chronologists place it, and I think not without reason, about three or four years after Jesus Christ's ascension,* somewhere near the end of the year 36 (say January, 37,) the autumn of A.D. 40 will have been near about three years and eight or nine months later; and consequently not inconsistent with the date assigned by him in Gal. i. 18, to his first subsequent visit to Jerusalem, viz. as "after three years."+ Nor in the assignment of this date to the visit spoken of does there seem to be any chronological inconsistency with other dates more or less affected by it; according to the various data furnished in the Pauline Epistles and in the Acts.

* The Ascension, A.D. 33 or 34; when Daniel's 70 weeks ended; the last week, begun from 15th year of Tiberius' associated reign, including both John Baptist's and Christ's ministries.

+ μETA ETN Tola. An expression, which allows the latitude, of course, of an extension,-indeed of a considerable extension,-into the fourth year. The μe0' uepas è in Matthew xvii. 1, and Mark ix. 2, is in Luke ix. 28, wσe nuεрaι OKTW a week.

In Gal. ii. 1, St. Paul dates another of his visits to Jerusalem (that doubtless of the Council) as δια δεκατεσσαρων ετων, calculated (as most expositors agree to do) from after the same epoch of his conversion. Now here the expression is one that may be tantamount to, "in the course of the fourteenth year." Says Viger, δια δεκα ετων =δια δεκατου ετους. Also Schleusner ; δια τριων nueрwv, Matt. xxvi. 61, intra tres dies. Now, reckoning from the conversion as occurring (say) in January, A.D. 37, the fourteenth year after begins from January, 50, and runs on to January, 51. Placing then his Jerusalem Council visit early in the year 50, (say March,) there will be found a sufficient interval in the five and a quarter years intervening between it and the Pentecost of A.D. 55 for the events of both the Apostle's second great missionary tour, including his 1 years' stay at Corinth, and earlier and chief part of his third missionary tour; the latter including his 2 years' sojourn at Ephesus, and travel after leaving that city at Pentecost into Macedonia, where the second Corinthian Epistle was written.1

1 Thus, years at Corinth + 2 at Ephesus 4 years out of the 54. So 14 years, or about 450 days, are left for St. Paul's actual travelling, and frequent shorter stays at different places. Allowing 100 days for such shorter stays, there remain 350 for his travelling; which, were it all on foot, and only at ten miles a day, would suffice for 3,500 miles. This may probably have fully equalled the space travelled over, considering the shortening of the return journey by sea.

Assuming then, as regards the chronological position of the vision spoken of in Acts xxii., and that of the vision spoken of in 2 Cor. xii., that there seems to be, on that score, not only no objection to, but rather a strong à priori probability of their identity, assuming this, I say, if we then look carefully into other characteristic particulars indicated respecting the one vision and the other, the following further coincidences will be found

between them.

1. In either place St. Paul notices the vision in immediate sequence to his mention of the ever-memorable stay at Damascus after his conversion. So Acts xxii. 10-17; 2 Cor. xi. 32, xii. 2—7.

2. In either place the vision spoken of is mentioned in connexion with the subject of his divine appointment to the apostleship. So Acts xxii. 21; 2 Cor. x., xi., xii.

3. Comparing the recorded accounts of the divine mission of Old Testament prophets, we find that their appointment to it was sometimes made in the course of a heavenly rapture and vision. So in the cases of Ezekiel and of Isaiah. More especially in Isaiah vi. we read of Isaiah's most solemn prophetic commission being given him on occasion of just such a heavenly rapture, and Further, on looking into Roman history, we learn from Tacitus (Ann. xii. 54) that Felix had in the year 53 been for some considerable time Roman Governor of Samaria, before superseding Cumanus in the government also of Judæa proper. So that, were the time of Paul's pleading before him in the May of the year 56, as I suppose, St. Paul might reasonably then have addressed him in the words recorded in Acts xxiv. 10, "Thou hast been for many years a judge unto this nation." (Compare the many years in the same chapter, verse 17, alluded to, Note +, p. 140.)

With reference to the time of Paul's early escape from Damascus, mentioned 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33, it appears from secular history that it was a city under Aretas, King of Petra, who is there particularized as its king, in the year 39; which is the year that I assign in my Chart to that occurrence: also, with reference to the time of Paul's arrival in Rome, which I assign to the year 59, that there was then only one Prætorian Prefect there, viz. Burrhus, just as intimated, Acts xxviii. 16; whereas after Burrhus' death, early in 62, there were appointed two. Thus, as before said, all is consistent with itself, and with known history, in the Pauline chronology of my Chart.

vision and revelation of the Lord, as St. Paul speaks of in 2 Cor. xii. "The Lord said, Whom shall I send? And I said, Send me."

4. In that vision Isaiah heard the song of the Seraphim in adoration of the Lord Jesus, addressed to Him in his character as JEHOVAH. One cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is JEHOVAH of hosts." Now, even in apostolic days, the word JEHOVAH was the sacred Tetragrammaton, or "word which it was not lawful for man to utter." The appellatives Elohim or Adonai were substituted for it, when the Jews spoke of God. Indeed so it is among Jews even to the present day. (See Adam Clarke on 2 Cor. xii. 4; also Lightfoot.) Now then, if angelic songs similar to these were heard by St. Paul in the heavenly vision granted to him, when receiving his apostolic commission, we have therein a distinct explanation of that very remarkable twice-made statement, for which no satisfactory explanation has ever yet been suggested; "I heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

5. In St. Paul's heavenly rapture and vision, just as in Isaiah's, there was declared to him, as foreseen by the Lord, that the Jews would determinately shut their ears to the divine message. Whence, indeed, Christ's stated reason for commissioning him as apostle to the Gentiles; not, so as he had wished and prayed, to the Jews. Compare Isa. vi. 9—11; Acts xxii. 18—21; also Rom. ix. 3, construed as by Dr. Burton and others, "I myself made it my prayer to be specially devoted by Christ (i.e. as a missionary) on behalf of my brethren according to the flesh;" which I have little doubt is the true rendering. Very notably, in Paul's own voice to the Jews of the dispersion at Rome, we read as it were the last echo of the prophecy respecting their obduracy given by God to Isaiah. See Acts xxviii. 25-28. The divine message to them of mercy, it was then said to Isaiah, was even unto Messiah's time, continuously to be repeated, and continuously to be rejected; until at length,

after Messiah's last pleadings with them, first personally, then by his apostles, judgment was to supersede mercy, and their cities to be desolated without (Jewish) inhabitants." Compare Isa. vi. 7, 8; liii. 1, etc.

(C.)

INTERNAL EVIDENCE, FROM COINCIDENCES, OF THE PAULINE AUTHORSHIP OF EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

It may be interesting and satisfactory to many of my readers to note, from comparison of little historic points of indication discoverable in the Epistle to the Hebrews with others elsewhere, the strong internal evidence of the Pauline authorship of that epistle:a point which, on what seems to me very insufficient evidence, has been by many disputed.

I subjoin therefore a list of various coincidences of that kind which may thus be traced:-my hypothesis being that the Epistle was written by St. Paul to the Hebrew Christians in Palestine at the close of his first imprisonment at Rome, A.D. 61.

1. The place where the Epistle was written was Italy. So Heb. xiii. 24. (On the Greek, o amо тηS ITAλIAS, compare Acts xvii. 13; also Acts xxvii. 1.)-Now St. Paul, at the end of his two years' Roman imprisonment, was in Italy; whether at Rome, or elsewhere.

2. The time was when Jerusalem and its temple were still standing; but near the predicted epoch of their destruction. So Heb. ix. 25; x. 11, 25, etc.-A time this which well suits the year A.D. 61, of St. Paul's emancipation. For the fatal Jewish war began A.D. 66; and Jerusalem was destroyed A.D. 70.

3. Timothy is spoken of by the writer as then a well-known and intimate companion of his; Heb. xiii. 23. So Timothy was with St. Paul early and late in his first Roman imprisonment. Early, Col. i. 1; late, Phil. Moreover, very probably he, as well as Epaphras,

i. I.

had been for a time a prisoner, like Paul at Rome; so as is seemingly implied of Timothy in Heb. xiii. 23. (Compare Col. iv. 12.)

4. But, just at the time of the Epistle to the Hebrews being written, Timothy was away from the writer; yet soon expected back; Heb. xiii. 23.—So, Phil. ii. 19, Paul speaks of soon sending Timothy to Philippi; and also expecting him back, after a while, with news of the Philippian Christians.

5. Timothy is called by the writer to the Hebrews "our brother," or (as in some мss.) "the brother; Heb. xiii. 23.-So by St. Paul, Timothy is called both "our brother," I Thess. iii. 2; and "the brother," 2 Cor. i. I.; Col. i. 1.

6. The writer speaks, xiii. 19, of being restored to the Hebrew Christians whom he wrote to; as if having come from them, by some constraint, into Italy.-So St. Paul had been sent, after two years' imprisonment at Cæsarea, which was a town in the Jewish province, a prisoner into Italy.

7. The writer speaks of the Hebrew Christians addressed having ministered either (so some MSS.) to my bonds," Tois deσμois μov, or (so other MSS.)" to the prisoners bound," rois deσμios; Heb. x. 34.-So in St. Paul's Cæsarean imprisonment his friends in that neighbourhood and country were expressly permitted by Felix to visit and minister to him; Acts xxiv. 23.— See also Acts xxviii. 16, where other prisoners (deσμo) are mentioned, very possibly some of them Christians, as having been sent from Cæsarea with him.

N.B. The above list of coincidences I drew out some time since for my own satisfaction, from the various passages cited. But, as might have been expected, I have subsequently found that most of them (not, I think, all) had been noted previously by other advocates of the Pauline authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews.