Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

A. D. 60. which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are fan&ified.

the Bleffings and Promises of the Gofpel, which, with your own fincere Endeavour, will not fail to keep you fteady and compleat in all Branches of your Duty, and

bring you to the eternal Reward of all true Believers.

no

33. I have coveted mans filver, or gold, or apparel.

34. Yea, you your felves know, that thefe hands have miniftred unto my ne

33 & 34. One Thing more you must remember to be my Witneffes in; that if any of thefe falfe and heretical Teachers I warned you against, should fuggeft, That I your Apoftle had ceffities, and to them any fecular and worldly Designs in preaching the Gofpel, thereby the better to draw any from the Faith, by diminishing my Efteem and Credit among you; you put a Stop to fuch a malicious Iruation, by declaring, that I maintained myself and my Friends, by working at my own Trade.

that were with me.

35. I have fhewed
you all things, how
that fo labouring ye
ought to fupport the
weak, and to remem-
ber the words of the

Lord Jefus, how he
faid, It is more bleffed
to give than to receive.

35. For you well know what an Example I have shown you, of endeavouring to remove this Objection, by my own bodily Labour and Industry, how much I encouraged you to that admirable Piece of Charity, of supplying the Wants of the Sick and Needy by our own Pains, often repeating to you that Expreffion of Chrift, 'Tis happier for a Man to give the leaft Charity, than to receive the greatest. 36. And when he had thus fpoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37. And they all wept fore, and fell on Pauls neck, and kiffed him.

38. Sorrowing most

of all for the words

which he fpake, that
they fhould fee his face

no more.

36, 37 & 38. Paul having concluded his Difcourfe, kneeled down and offered his folemn Prayers for a good Effect of it upon them; they in the mean while expreffing all the Marks of Love and Concern at parting from him, without Hopes of feeing him again. And they went with him to fee him take Ship.

And they accompanied him unto the fhip.

СНАР.

CHAP. XXI.

The CONTENTS.

Paul's Arrival at Tyre. Predictions of his great Dan-
ger in going to Jerufalem. Yet he determines to go thi-
ther. Agabus's Prediction at Cæfarea. Paul ar-
rives at Jerufalem. The Advice given him by James,
and the other Apoftles, relating to his Conduct toward
the Jews, and Jewish Chriftians. He follows it. He
goes into the Temple. The Afian Jews raife a Tumult
upon him. The Roman Captain orders him into the
Caftle, and gives him Leave to speak for himself upon
the Caftle-Stairs.
AND it came
A to pals, that
after we were gotten
from them, and had
launched, we came
with a ftraight courfe
unto Coos, and the
day following unto
Rhodes, and from
thence unto Patara.

2. And finding a fhip failing over unto

1, 2 & 3.

Arting in this me- A. D. 60. lancholy Manner from the Clergy of Ephefus at Miletus, we failed directly paft the Ifles of Coos and Rhodes, and fo to Patara, where happening of a Veffel bound to Tyre in Canaan or Syrophoenicia, we went a-board her, and leaving Cyprus to the left, went ftraight and landed there.

Phoenicia, we went aboard, and fet forth.

3. Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and failed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

4. And finding dif ciples, we tarried there feven days: who faid to Paul thro' the fpirit, that he thould not go up to Jerufalem.

4. We ftaid a Week with the Chriftian Converts of that Place, fome of which, by the Spirit of Prophecy, declared to Paul (as feveral others had done before *)* Chap. that if he went to Jerufalem, he xx. 22,23. would run a great Hazard of his Life, and therefore would have diffuaded him from it. L 2

5 & 6.

A. D. 60. 5.And when we had
accomplished thofe
days, we departed,
and went our way,
and they all brought

us on our way, with
wives and children,
till we were out of the
city and we kneeled
down on the fhore,
and prayed.

5 & 6. Notwithstanding which, Paul knowing he had a juft and neceffary Occafion to go thither (and being not forbidden to do it by any exprefs Revelation) purfued his Intention; and fo we parted with them, after we had put up our folemn Prayers together by the Ship-fide.

6. And when we had taken our leave one with another, we took ship, and they returned home again.

7. And when we had finished our courfe from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and faluted the brethren, and abode with them, one day.

8. And the next

day we that were of
Paul's company de-
parted, and came un-
to Cæfarea, and we
entered into the houfe
of Philip the evange-
li, (which was one
of the feven) and a-
bode with him.

7,8& €9. From Tyre we came to Ptolemais, and having paid a Vifit to the Chriftians there, went next Day to Cæfarea in Galilee, and lodged at the House of Philip the Deacon, whofe four Daughters keeping themselves in a State of Virginity, for their higher Advancement in Piety and Devotion, were endowed with the Spirit of Prophecy, i. e. either of understanding the Scriptures to a great Degree, or elfe of foretelling Things to come.

9. And the fame man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

10. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus.

11. And when he was come unto us, he took

10 & 11. During our Stay there (which was pretty long) there came Agabus to us, who took up Paul's + Girdle, binding firft his own Hands, and then his Feet with it; and told us, that as certainly as he had bound himself,

* See Chap. vi.

See the like prophetical Actions and Reprefentations in Jer. xiii, 4, &c. and xxvii. 2, &c.

took Pauls girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and faid, Thus faith the holy Ghoft, So fhall the

himself, the Jews would bind Paul A. D. 60.
at Jerufalem, and deliver him to
the Roman Officer, if he purfued
his Journey thither.

Jews at Jerufalem bind the man that oweth this girdle, and
fhall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

12. And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place, befought him not to go up to Jerufalem.

13. Then Paul anfwered, What mean ye to weep, and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but allo to die at Jerufalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

12. Upon which both we of his Company, and the Chriftians of Cæfarea, begged of him not to thruft himself into a certain and unavoidable Danger.

13. But Paul expoftulated with us, why we should thus endeavour to fright and difcourage him. from doing what his Apostolical Duty obliged him to, upon a Fear of Danger, which he knew he muft undergo fome Time or other, and was always ready to fuffer Perfecution and Death itfelf for the Advancement of the Gofpel, and the Religion of JESUS CHRIST.

[blocks in formation]

A. D. 60. 17. And when we
were come to Jerufa-
lem, the brethren re-
ceived us gladly.
18. And the day fol-
lowing, Paul went in
with us unto James,

27.

and all the elders were
prefent.

19. And when he had faluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his mini

itry.

20. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and faid unto him, Thou feeft, brother, how many thousands of Jews

there are which be

lieve, and they are all

17 & 18. The Chriftians of
Jerufalem entertained us with
great Courtesy and Expreffions of
Satisfaction at our Arrival, and
the next Day Paul carried us a-
fhop of Jerufalem, who upon
long with him to James the Bi-
No-
tice of our coming, had got his
Presbyters and Clergy about him
to receive us.

19. To whom Paul gave a par-
ticular Account of the Succefs of
his Miniftry in this his laft Tra-
vel through Afia and Greece, e-
fpecially among the Gentile Peo-
ple.

20. Which Relation that pious Bishop, and the Clergy aflembled with him, received with all religious Joy and Thanksgiving to GOD; and then recommended fome prudential Confiderations to Paul, with refpect to the Jewish Converts of Jerufalem, that were now increased to vaft Numbers, and all ftill full of Zeal for the Obfervation of the Jewish Law, infifting upon the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of it, as abfolutely neceffary to every one that had been born and brought up in that Religion, tho' he did embrace the Chriftian Faith.

zealous of the law.

21. And they are informed of thee, that See Ver. thou teacheft all the Jews which are mong the Gentiles to forfake Mofes, fay

a

ing, That they ought
not to circumcife their
children, neither to
walk after the cuf-

toms.

21. Now (faid they) here has been a Set of Infidel Jews from thofe Parts of the lefler * Afia, where you have been preaching, who have reported among these Jewish Converts, That you have perfuaded the Jews there to renounce the Mofaical Law, and abfolutely leave off all the Rites and Ceremonies of it; which they account the fame Thing as 22. And

to apoftatize from GOD.

1

« AnteriorContinuar »