1798.1 Paul's appeal to the ephesian elders. 507
please, but what would " profit tliem :" and delivering to them his sentiments, not merely in public addresses, but privately and personally in their own houses, whenever an occasion offered ]
3. The subject of his ministrations — [He had never entertained them with unprofitable specu- lations, but had uniformly endeavoured to instruct them in the two great fundamental doctrines of Christianity, " repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." These he inculcated on all, whether they were self-righteous Jews, or philosophizing and contemptuous Gentiles : he inculcated these things, I say, on all, as being equally necessary, and equally sufficient, for all the human race ]
As the making of such an appeal to them may, to
a superficial observer, appear to savour of pride, let
us consider,
II. The end for which he made it —
We may be well assured that he sought not to ad- vance his own glory : no ; he had higher ends in view : he endeavoured to shew them,
1. How much they were indebted to God for the privileges they had enjoyed —
[To have such a ministry of the word so long continued to them, was a greater blessing than to be loaded with all the temporal benefits that could have been bestowed upon them. By means of his ministry, vast multitudes had been " turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God :" now therefore that they were about to be deprived of those blessings, it became them, not so much to grieve at the loss they were to sustain, as to adore God for the benefits they had enjoyed. In reviewing his labours amongst them for the space of three years, they would see how greatly they were indebted to God above other cities, which had enjoyed only a transient visit of a few days or weeks; and would feel themselves bound to render to the Lord, according to the benefits he had conferred upon them ]
2. How carefully they should guard against de- parting from the faith —
[Notwithstanding all the instructions they had received, they might, and would, if left to themselves, depart from God. St. Paul knew, that, " after his departure, grievous wolves would enter in among them ;" and that " even from among themselves men would arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." This, alas ! is what frequently