things, endureth all things'? Here was a prisoner with a chain clanking on his arm, with anxiety about his own fate continually gnawing his heart, with the constant presence of an alien keeper, the eyes ever fixed on him, which have been described* as the greatest torture of guarded imprisonment; with the care of all the churches upon him, and the endless complications of relations of Jew and Gentile to arrange, yet finding room in his heart for the poor runaway slave, and time and words at his command to plead his cause. Such, we may add, is the grace of God's Holy Spirit; such the power of holy love; such the bloom of Christian courtesy and Christian humility.

Again, the history of Onesimus himself is not without its instruction and consolation for us. Like the prodigal, he had fled from his home, and amidst the secret haunts of the depraved metropolis was seeking concealment from justice. But even there the messenger of grace and mercy found him, and he was restored, not to his former estate, but to far greater blessedness: he found, not only a reconciled master on earth, but a loving and precious Master in heaven. Many, in commenting on this

See The Prison Life of Jefferson Davis.'

Epistle, have reminded us of the deeper thought which has occurred to them, that St. Paul is indeed here our example, but was himself following a higher example; even that of Him who found us wandering from our duty and our Father's house, and pleaded for our restoration with His own suffering, and His own most precious blood.

But beyond doubt, the lesson of all others from this Epistle is, that we should carry into the concerns of private life the courtesy and the Christian spirit here shown by the Apostle; that we should talk to one another, argue with one another, write letters to one another, not as men of the world, but as disciples of Christ; not as Pliny, but as St. Paul; remembering Whose we are, and Whom we serve; and that our religion is to be a light shining before men, to show forth the glory of Him who hath redeemed us by Christ.

Our usual task of summing up the necessary corrections of readings and renderings, will in this case be naturally but a short one.

In ver. 2, instead of 'our beloved Apphia,' read, with all our oldest MSS., 'Apphia our sister.' In ver. 4, our three oldest MSS. omit Jesus.' In the same verse, for 'you,' read 'us,' with all our oldest

MSS. In ver. 7, for we have,' read 'I had.' In ver. 12, for 'sent again,' read 'sent back to thee.' In the same verse, omit thou therefore.' ver. 20, for the Lord,' read 'Christ.'

In

As to corrections in the rendering: in ver. 4, it should stand, 'I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers.' And in the next verse, 'hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast,' &c. All the saints,' should be, 'all saints.' In ver. 6, render, 'may become effectual unto Christ in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us.' In ver. 7, and also in vers. 12 and 20, 'heart' expresses much better that which 'bowels' was intended to convey. In ver. 7, for ' are refreshed,' read 'have been refreshed.' In ver. 8, for though I might be much bold,' read though I have much boldness;' and for 'convenient,' 'fitting.' Place the period at the former 'beseech thee,' and connect the next words with what follows: 'Being such an one,-as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus,— I beseech thee,' &c. In ver. 9, 'son' should be 'child,' and 'have begotten' should be 'begat.' In ver. 13, for 'would have retained,' read' was pur

posing to retain ;' and for 'might have ministered,

for shouldest receive

In ver. 19, for 'albeit

In ver. 20, for 'joy,'

play on the name

I do not say,' 'that I say not.' read 'profit;' the word is a 'Onesimus.' In ver. 21, for 'wrote,' 'have written ;' and for wilt also do more,' 'wilt do even more.' In ver. 22, for 'withal,' read 'at the same time.'

Our next chapter will be on the Epistle to the Ephesians; which, being written and sent at the same time, and by the same messenger, as those to the Colossians and Philemon, as well as from its internal similarity to the former of those Epistles, naturally enters into the same group with them.

XI.

THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.

N the consideration of this great Epistle, we

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are at once met by a question which it is of some consequence satisfactorily to answer. There has been in all ages a doubt, whether its present title is rightly given. In order to deal with this, for the general reader, we must first explain its grounds.

It will be remembered that St. Paul had spent a portion of time which he himself describes as 'three whole years' at Ephesus. He was bound to the church there by ties of the closest affection, as appears by the pathetic description of the leavetaking in Acts xx. He writes, as commonly reputed, an Epistle to that church. Yet in it do we find not one single instance of personal greeting, so common in his other Epistles. Is this probable?