of the fame Province, and fo in all the Country that lay round. them.

A. D. 46. unto Lyftra and Derbe,
cities of Lycaonia, and
unto the region that
lieth round about:
7. And there they preached the gefpel:
8. And there fat a

certain man at Lyftra,
impotent in his feet,
being a cripple from
his mothers womb,
who never had walked.

9. The fame heard
Paul fpeak: who fted-
faftly beholding him,
and perceiving that
he had faith to be

healed,

8. As Paul was preaching at Lyftra, there was one of his Auditors that was born a Cripple, and never had any Use of his Legs.

9 & 10. Paul took Notice of this Perfon; and whether by his ferious Behaviour, and devout Attendance to his Difcourfe, or by the Suggestion of the Holy Spirit, knowing the Man to be of fo honeft and religious a Difpofition, that a miraculous Cure of his Body would have its due Effect upon his Mind, called out to him before the whole Congregation, and, in the Name of JESUS, bad him rife up and ftand upon his Legs: Upon which Words the Man did fo, and found the perfect Use of his Limbs.

10. Said with a loud voice, Stand up right on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

II. This fo amazed the Gentile Part of the Auditory that faw it done, that they ran into Town, crying out, The Gods are come down to us in human Shape.

11. And when the
People faw what Paul
had done, they lift up
their voices, faying in
the fpeech of Lycao-
nia, The gods are come
down to us in the likeness of men.

12. And they cal-
led Barnabas Jupiter,
and Paul Mercurius,
because he was the
chief speaker.

13. Then the priest of Jupiter which was before their city, their city, brought oxen and gar

12. They took Barnabas to be Jupiter; and because Paul was the chief Preacher, they took him for Mercury, i. e. Jupiter's Attendant, Meffenger, and Interpreter of his

Will.

13. In Confequence of this Perfuafion therefore, the Priest that belong'd to Jupiter's Temple with his Image in it, came

in

garlands unto the
gates, and would have
done facrifice with the
people.

to them as unto Gods.
14. Which when
the apoftles, Barnabas
and Paul heard of,
they rent their clothes,
and ran in among
people, crying out,

the

15. And faying, Sirs, why do ye thefe things? we allo are men of like paffions with you, and preach unto you, that ye should turn from thefe vanities unto the living God, which made heaven and earth, and the fea, and all things

that are therein.

16. Who in times

ons to walk in their own ways.

in folemn Manner to the Gates A. D. 46,
where the two Apoftles lodged,
with an Ox crown'd with Gar-
lands ready for Sacrifice, to offer

14. Which they no fooner ap-
prehended, but they went out to
them with Expreffions of the ut-
moft Concern and Deteftation at
what
they were about to do,

1

15. Affuring them they were but mortal Men like themselves, tho' they were the Meffengers of Heaven; and that the chief Defign of the Doctrine they had preached, was, to reduce them from their idolatrous and falfe Religion, to the pure and proper Worship of the One True God the Creator and Governor of all the World.

16. And that tho' it has pleas'd

*

past fuffered all nati- the Divine Wisdom and Justice, as a Punishment for their grofs Immorality and Idolatry, to give the greatest Part of the World over for many Ages, to their own Ignorance, by not affording them any express Revelation of his Will, as the Jews had;

17. Nevertheless, he left not himself without witnefs, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

17. Yet he had not left them without any Means of knowing fo much of his Divine Nature and Will, as might restrain them from fuch irrational and barbarous Proceedings; the very Creation of the World about them, and the conftant Courfe of Providence over it, ordering all Things in fo particular a Manner, for the Comfort, Pleafure, and

H

Support

* Ver. 16. See Rom. i. from ver. 20. to the End,

A. D. 46. Support of Mankind, being all clear Arguments of the Wifdom, Power, and Goodness of God. But that now he had intended them the happy Knowledge of his true Worship, if they would accept and embrace it.

A. D. 47.

18. And with these 18. This Difcourse was hardfayings fearce restrain- ly enough to weigh upon their ed they the people, Prejudices, and reftrain the Peothat they had not done ple from their intended Sacrifice.

facrifice unto them.
19. And there came
thither certain Jews
from Antioch and Ico
nium, who perfuaded
the people, and hav-
ing toned Paul, drew
bim out of the city,
fuppofing he had been

19. Soon after this, fome of the malicious Jews of Antioch and Iconium, perfued the two Apostles hither, and by their Calumnies and Inventions, fo incenfed the Rabble against them, (especially against Paul the chief Preacher in publick) that they ftoned him out of the City, and bruised him fo, as they thought they had killed him. And thus it was the Lot of this Apostle to be ftoned, upon the fame Account as he had confented to the Stoning of St. Stephen.

dead.

20. Howbeit, as
the difciples flood
round about him, he
rose up, and came
into the city: and the
next day he depart

ed with Barnabas to
Derbe.

20. But by the Help and Affiftance of fome of his Friends, and Chriftian Converts, he reTown; and to avoid their furcovered and got privately into the ther Fury, went next Day, and Barnabas along with him, to Derbe, another City of the fame

faith, and that we
muft through much
tribulation enter into
the kingdom of God.

to meet withal.
23. And when they
had ordained them el-
ders in every church,
and had prayed with
fafting, they com-

mended them to the

Lord, on whom they

believed.

ture of the Chriftian Religion A. D. 47;
(that was levelled against the
Vices and Prejudices of Man-
kind) they could not but expect

23. Before their Departure from which Places, they did with folemn Fafting and Prayers, ordain fpiritual Governors, for the orderly Management of their refpective Churches, and fo commended both Minifters and People to the Bleffing of that Lord and Saviour, whofe Religion they profess'd; 24. And after they had paffed throughout Pifidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25. And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:

24 & 25. And then went thro
Pifidia into Pamphylia, another
Province of the lefler Afia, and
of Perga and Attalia.
preached the Gospel in the Cities

26 & 27. From whence, at the latter End of the Year, they returned by Sea to that Antioch in Syria, where they were firft appointed in fo particular a Manner for thefe Travels, and gave the Chap. Church a full Account of the xiii. 3. Succefs of them, especially among the Gentile People.

hearfed all that God had done with them, and how he had

opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

28. And there they abode long time with the difciples.

28. Continuing there for two or three Years together.

H 2

CHAP.

CHAP. XV.

The CONTENTS.

A Difpute raifed by fome Jewish Converts concerning the
Neceffity of Circumcifion. Paul and Barnabas return
to Jerufalem, to get this Controverfy determined by the
Apoftles, and the whole Church there.
The Speeches
of Peter, Paul, and James, upon this Subject. The
Determination of the Council fent, in a Letter, to the
Chriftians at Antioch, to the great Satisfaction of the
Gentile Converts there. Paul and Barnabas propofe to
travel again. They part, in a Difpute about taking
Mark with them.

4. D. 50, 1. AND certain

51.

men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and faid, Except ye be circumVer. 5. cifed after the manner of Mofes, ye cannot be faved.

Converts that Paul

i.

HILE Paul and Bar

W nabas continued at An

tioch, (Chap. xiv. 28.) there came thither from Judea feveral Jewish Chriftians, that had been bred up rigid *Pharifees, and ftill re

tained a warm Zeal for the Rites of the Jewish Law; who endeavoured to perfuade the Gentile and Barnabas had made, That they could never be faved by the Chriftian Religion alone, but along with it must be circumcifed, and fo + Gal. v. obliged to obferve † all the Ceremonies of the Mofaical Institution.

2. When therefore

Paul and Barnabas had
no fmall diffenfion and
difputation with them,
they determined that
Paul and Barnabas,
and certain other of
them should go up to
Jerufalem unto the a-
poftles and elders a-
bout this question.

I

2. These Zealots improved this Matter into a very hot Difpute; and though the two Apostles argued plainly and strongly against them, yet, either not prevailing fo far as fully to fatisfy all Parties, or elfe the better to put a full End to the Debate, the whole Church of Antioch came to this Refolution, To leave it to the Determination of the Apoftolical

College