being with them when they were assembled, he order'd they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the father had promis'd, which, said he, I mention'd.

"ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? this same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall descend in the same manner as ye have seen him ascend thither."

then they returned to Jerusalem, from the mountain of olives, which is a sabbath-day's journey from it.

from his baptism by John, to the day of his assumption, we should chuse one to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

when all of a sudden there came a sound from heaven, like that of an impetuous wind, which filled all the house where they were.

now many devout Jews were residing at Jerusalem, who came from all quarters of the world.

Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya about Cyrene, foreigners from Rome, Jews, and proselytes,

having delivered him from the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be overpower'd by it.

and with many other discourses did he conjure and exhort them, to save themselves from that depraved generation.

and continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they did eat their meals with gladness, and simplicity of heart,

they were carrying a man who had been lame from his birth, one whom they daily laid at the gate of the temple called, Beauty-gate, to ask alms of those that pass'd into the temple.

but killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord, who shall send Jesus Christ,

but must reside in heaven, till the time of the restitution of all things, of which God has spoken from the beginning by the mouth of his holy prophets.

and whoever he be that will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."

being displeas'd that they taught the people, and maintain'd the resurrection from the dead in the person of Jesus.

and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you entirely recover'd.

having therefore order'd them to withdraw from the council, they conferred among themselves,

then Peter said to her, how comes it that you have conspir'd together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? see there at the door the men that are come from burying thy husband, and they shall carry thee out likewise.

multitudes came likewise from the neighbouring cities to Jerusalem, bringing their sick, and those who were tormented with impure spirits: who were all cured.

my opinion therefore is, not to meddle with these men, but to let them go on: for if the design be a human project, it will fall of it self. but if it be from God,

after the apostles were called in, and scourged, they charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then releas'd them. out they went from the council,

thereupon he went out of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran: from thence, after his father's death, he removed him to this very country where you now dwell.

then said the Lord to him, "put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, arise, and go toward the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza, in the desart.

As he was on his journey, and near Damascus, on a sudden, a light from heaven surrounded him,

at length Saul rose from the ground; and when he opened his eyes, he could not see: so that they led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus,

then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many that this man has done a world of mischief to thy saints at Jerusalem: he is now here,

immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he recover'd his sight; upon which he instantly arose, and was baptized.

when he saw the heaven open, and something descending in the form of a great sheet, ty'd at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

While Peter was perplexed about the signification of this vision, the messengers from Cornelius having enquir'd out Simon's house, arriv'd at the gate,

then he invited them in, and they lodged there. On the morrow, Peter departed with them, and some of his brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

you know, how his fame spread from Galilee through all Judea, after the baptism which John had preach'd:

not to all the people, but to those witnesses, which God had before chosen: to us, I say, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

saying, as I was at prayers in Joppa, I saw something like a great sheet, tied at the four corners, which descended from heaven, and came just to me.

but the voice from heaven address'd it self to me again, and said, don't call that impure, which God has purified.

at that very instant three men, dispatch'd from Cesarea to me, were just arrived at the house, where I was.

About that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch:

the Lord suddenly appear'd and fill'd the room with light, and touching Peter on the side, awak'd him, saying, rise, be quick. and immediately his chains fell from his hands.

said he, I know for certain, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has deliver'd me from the hands of Herod, and from what the Jews were in expectation of.

Herod having caus'd diligent search to be made, without being able to find him, after examining the guards, he order'd them to execution. after which he departed from Judea, and went to Cesarea, where he resided.

but Elymas (a name which signifies Magus) opposed them, endeavouring to seduce the proconsul from the faith.

and said, "thou heap of imposture and mischief, offspring of the devil, and enemy to all justice, wilt thou not cease to pervers men from the right ways of the Lord?

after which Paul and his company set out from Paphos to Perga in Pamphilia, where John quitted them in order to return to Jerusalem.

From Perga they went to Antioch in Pisidia, and going to the synagogue on the sabbath-day, they took their places,

the God of Israel made choice of our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourn'd in Egypt, from whence he conducted them by the terror of his arm.

after they had accomplished all that was written concerning him, he was taken down from the cross, and laid in a sepulchre:

but God raised him from the dead:

and for many days he was seen by those, who had accompany'd him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and they are now his witnesses to the people.

and to show that he rais'd him from the dead, never more to return to corruption, he said thus, "I will faithfully perform the promises, which I made to David."

by him, every one who believes, is purged from all that guilt, for which the law of Moses had made no such provision.

but the Jews having animated the women of quality of their religion, and the leading men of the city, raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and banish'd them from their territorys.

When the people saw what Paul had done, they cry'd out in the Lycaonian tongue, the Gods have assum'd a human form, and are descended among us.

nevertheless he sufficiently display'd himself by his beneficence to mankind, in giving us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, replenishing our hearts with food and gladness."

but whatever they could say, it was with difficulty that they restrain'd the people from sacrificing to them.

Now some Jews being arriv'd from Antioch and Iconium, work'd so upon the people, that they stoned Paul, and dragg'd him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

but the disciples being gather'd about him, he rose up and went into the city, from whence he departed the next day with Barnabas to go to Derbe.

from thence they sailed to Antioch, where they had been recommended to the favour of God, for the commission, which they had now discharg'd.

However some that arrived from Judea, told the Gentile converts, unless you are circumcised agreeably to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.

and after the question had been much canvass'd, Peter rose up, and said, my brethren, you know that a considerable time since God chose me from among you to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and bring them to the faith.

Simon has related how God began to visit the Gentiles, to chuse from among them a people consecrated to his name.

he that does all these things, is the Lord himself that has said it." for the works of God are all known to him from the beginning of the world.

that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, from fornication, from animals that are strangled, and from their blood.

Whereas we have been appriz'd, that some who went from us, have embarass'd you with their discourse, and unsettled your minds, maintaining, that you ought to be circumcised, and to observe the law, though we gave them no such injunction: after having been assembled,

that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the flesh of strangled animals, and from fornication: you will do well to preserve your selves from these practices. farewel.

Being thus dispatch'd, they went to Antioch; where having assembled all the faithful, they deliver'd the letter: from the reading of which,

immediately after he had had this vision, we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, concluding from thence, that the Lord had called us to publish the gospel there. we embark'd therefore at Troas,

from thence we marched to Philippi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. having stopp'd there some days,

when all of a sudden there was such a great earthquake, that the foundations of the prison were shaken: immediately all the doors opened, and the setters dropp'd from the prisoners.

the jayler waking, and seeing the prison-doors open, drew his sword, designing to dispatch himself from the apprehension that the prisoners had escaped.

Paul, as was his custom, us'd to go there, and for three sabbath-days discours'd to the Jews from the scriptures,

explaining them, and setting it to view, that the Messiah was to suffer and rise again from the dead: and that Jesus, whom he denounc'd to them, was that very Messiah.

he receives no service from their officiousness: he is self-sufficient: it is he that gives to all their life and breath and every thing they have.

he he has deduced all mankind from one parent, to inhabit the surface of the whole earth, having pre-establish'd the appointed periods, and the boundarys of their dominions:

by which they might enquire, and by due reflection investigate the supreme being, although he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live,

since then we are the offspring of God, we should not imagine that the Deity bears any resemblance to the form which Gold, or Silver, or Stone has receiv'd from human art and industry.

because he has fix'd the day, when he will judge in equity, by that man, whom he has appointed thereto: of which he has given full proof to all the world, by having raised him from the dead."

where having found a Jew nam'd Aquila, a native of Pontus, who lately came from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had order'd all the Jews to quit Rome; he went to them:

and when Silas and Timothy were arriv'd from Macedonia, Paul with great concern remonstrated to the Jews, that Jesus was the Messiah:

having sail'd from Ephesus, he went ashore at Cesarea, where he saluted the church, and then proceeded to Antioch.

for he strenuously disputed with the Jews in publick, proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Upon this, certain vagabond Jews, who were exorcists, pretended to cure demoniacs by pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus: their form being this, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

at last Alexander was disengag'd from the croud, and accus'd by the Jews. then he waved his hand, desiring to make his defence before them all.

at length the town-clerk appeased the people, and thus began, "who is there, O Ephesians, that does not know, that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana, and of her statue, which fell from heaven:

since this is incontestible, it behoves you to be easy, and free from any rash conduct:

after the feast of unleaven'd bread we sail'd from Philippi, and in five days we join'd them at Troas, where we stay'd seven.

and as Paul continued his discourse a great while, a young man, named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, was seiz'd with a deep sleep, which quite o'er-came him; so that he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.

from thence we bore away: the next day we came off Chios, and the day after we pass'd by Samos, landing at Trogyllium, and arrived at Miletus the next day.

and when they were arriv'd he told them, you know how I have always behav'd towards you from the first day of my arrival in Asia:

things that little affect me, nor is life so much my concern, as to finish my course, and the charge I receiv'd from the Lord Jesus, to attest the declaration of the divine favour.

I have not desir'd to get from any one either silver, or gold, or apparel.

After we were parted from them, and clear of land, we made directly for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from thence to Patara:

we staid seven days with the disciples we met there: who told Paul from the holy spirit, that he should not go to Jerusalem.

From Tyre we sail'd to Ptolemais, which ended our voyage. we saluted the brethren there, and staid a day with them.

after we had been there several days, a prophet arriv'd from Judea, one Agabus, who made us a visit.

as for the believing Gentiles, we have given them by letter this decision, "they need only take care to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood, from the flesh of animals strangled, and from fornication."

this the high-priest and the senate know too well: from them I receiv'd my warrant directed to the Jews of Damascus, where I went, to bring the converts there in chains to Jerusalem, in order to be punished.

as I was upon the road, advanc'd near Damascus, about mid-day, all of a sudden a great light from heaven broke all around me.

why should you now delay? arise, be baptized, and cleansed from your sins, by invoking the name of the Lord.

when it was day, some Jews, that had form'd a conspiracy, engag'd themselves by an oath, not to eat, or drink, till they had kill'd Paul.