A good while after, the Jews conspir'd to kill him:

but Saul was appriz'd of their plot. and as they were night and day upon the watch at the gates, in order to kill him,

the disciples took him by night, and let him down the wall in a basket.

when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he try'd to associate himself with the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and could not be persuaded that he was a disciple.

thereupon Barnabas took him with him to the apostles, and related to them how the Lord had appear'd to him on his journey, and had spoken to him, and how publickly Saul had preach'd at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him away to Tarsus.

Peter said to him, Eneas, Jesus, who is the Messiah, gives thee health: rise, and make your bed your self: upon which he immediately rose.

and all that dwelt at Lydda, and Saron, saw him, and became converts to the Lord.

as Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples having heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him to desire he would come to them without delay.

Peter immediately went with them, and when he was come, they conducted him to the upper chamber: and all the widows advanc'd to him weeping, and shew'd the robes and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.

one day about the ninth hour, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God, who addrest himself to him, and said, Cornelius!

and when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, Lord? and he said to him, thy prayers and thine alms have been observ'd and approv'd by God.

and a voice said to him, rise, Peter; kill and eat.

and the voice spake to him again the second time, don't call that common, which God calls clean.

As Peter was still pondering upon the vision, the spirit said to him, there are people below, who enquire for you.

they answered, Cornelius the centurion, a man of probity and piety, one that has an universal good character among the Jews, was divinely admonish'd by an holy angel to send for you to his house, to hear what you had to say to him.

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.

as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and prostrated himself at his feet,

but Peter rais'd him, saying, stand up; I am but a man, as well as you.

and as he discours'd with him, he went in, where finding many persons assembled; you know,

but in every nation, he that feareth him, and acts justly, is acceptable to him.

how Jesus of Nazareth divinely inspired by the holy spirit, and with miraculous power, went about doing good, and healing all that were under the oppression of the devil: because God was with him.

we are witnesses of all his transactions, both in Judea, and at Jerusalem. however, they put him to death, even that of the cross.

but God raised him up the third day, and shewed him openly,

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.

he is the person to whom all the prophets give this attestation, that all who believe in him, shall receive remission of sins, by his authority.

Peter was yet speaking, when the holy spirit descended on all that heard him.

so he directed they should be baptized in the name of the Lord. after which they desired him to stay some time with them.

and ask'd him, why did you go to eat with the uncircumcised?

he told us how he had seen an angel, who had presented himself to him, and had said, send to Joppa, to fetch Simon, surnam'd Peter:

at length Barnabas departed to Tarsus in quest of Saul, and having found him, he conducted him to Antioch:

having apprehended Peter, he put him into prison, appointing a detachment of sixteen soldiers to guard him, intending to have him brought to publick execution, after Easter.

thus Peter was kept in prison, but the Church prayed to God, without ceasing, for him,

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.

as Peter still continued knocking, they let him in, and seeing it was he, they were extremely surpriz'd:

but he made a sign to them with his hand, to be silent: and related to them, how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. go, said he, and acquaint James and the other brethren with this affair. after which he departed and went to another place.

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 at the instant an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not glorify God: so that he became a prey to worms and died. In the mean time, the

then Saul, who was nam'd likewise Paul, full of the holy spirit, look'd fixedly upon him,

his hand is falling upon thee, thou shalt be blind, and not see the sun for some time." immediately his eyes were covered with obscurity and darkness; so that he grop'd about for somebody to lead him by the hand.

as for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their senators, by their not knowing who he was, and by condemning him, they have accomplished the declarations of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day:

although they could not convict him of any thing capital, yet they demanded of Pilate, that he should be put to death.

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."

know then, my brethren, it is by him, that the remission of sins is offer'd to you:

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

one day he heard Paul preach, who fixing his eyes upon him, and perceiving that he expected to be cured,

he said to him aloud, rise and stand right upon your feet: upon which he leap'd up and walk'd.

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.

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.

as the brethren of Lystra and Iconium gave him a good character, Paul had a mind he should accompany him.

so he took him and had him circumcised, out of regard to the Jews of that country, who all knew his father was a Greek.

there Paul had a vision in the night. a Macedonian appear'd to him, and thus address'd him, "pass on to Macedonia, and come to our relief."

but Paul call'd to him aloud, and said, do thy self no harm, for we are all here.

then they declared the word of the Lord to him, and to all his family.

at the same time of night he washed their stripes, and immediately he was baptized, he, and all that belong'd to him.

however Paul's guides attended him to Athens: where they left him, after having received his orders for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed.

there certain Epicurean and Stoick philosophers encountred him: "what does this mountebank mean?" said some: "he seems to proclaim some strange deitys," said others: because he talk'd to them of Jesus and the resurrection.

One day they conducted him to the Areopagus, and said to him, may we know what this new doctrine is, which you publish?

for considering, as I pass'd along, the deitys, which you adore, I met with an altar that had this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. now that GOD whom you worship without knowing him, is the same that I denounce to you.

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,

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."

however, there were some who adher'd to him, as Denis the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

but as they oppos'd him with invectives, he shook his garment, and said, "you your selves be answerable for your own destruction, I am clear: and for the future I shall address my self to the Gentiles."

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a general insurrection against Paul, and carry'd him to his tribunal.

but the Greeks in a body fell upon Sosthenes the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the tribunal: whilst Gallio was unconcern'd about the matter.

who desired him to stay longer with them, but he would not consent to it: for,

having talk'd with great freedom in the synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla, who had heard him, invited him home, and gave him a more distinct view of the gospel.

and being determin'd to pass into Achaia, the brethren who advis'd him to it, writ to the disciples to receive him. when he was arrived, he was, by the divine favour, very useful to those, who had receiv'd the faith.

upon which Paul said, John indeed administer'd the baptism of repentance, but with this admonition, that they should believe in him, who was to come after, that is, in Jesus the Messias.

but some of them being such obdurate infidels as to inveigh against the institution before the populace, he retired, and taking the disciples with him, he instructed them daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

if Demetrius and the other artists, that are with him, can lay their action against any man, the law is open, and the proconsul is near; let them begin their process.

there he stay'd three months; and then the Jews conspiring to surprize him at his embarkation for Syria, it was thought adviseable he should return thro' Macedonia. Sopater of Berea,

Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derby and Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus both Asiatics, all accompanied him to Asia,

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.

so Paul went down, and stooping over him, he embraced him, and said, don't trouble your selves; for his life is in him.

meeting with him at Assos, we took him in and arriv'd at Mitylene:

At Miletus he sent a message to the pastors of the church at Ephesus, to come to him:

then melted into tears, they fell upon his neck and kissed him,

being more particularly afflicted at his having said, "they should see his face no more." and then they conducted him to the ship.

when taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, "thus saith the holy spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man, that owns this girdle, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."

upon hearing this, we and some of the city intreated him not to go to Jerusalem.

The seven days being almost expir'd, the Asiatic Jews seeing him in the temple, rais'd a tumult, and fell upon him,

(for having seen Trophimus an Ephesian with him in the city, they imagin'd Paul had conducted him into the temple.)

the whole city was in an uproar, the people crouded together: they seized Paul, dragg'd him out of the temple, and then shut the gates.

the commander advanc'd, seiz'd him, and order'd to load him with two chains: then demanded who he was, and what he had done.

in the hubbub some cry'd one thing, some another: so that not being able to get any information for the tumult, he order'd him to be carried to the castle.

as he was mounting the stairs, the soldiers bore him up thro' the violence of the people, who were all pressing after,

roaring out, "away with him."

the company actually saw the light, but did not hear the voice of him that spoke to me.

and being introduc'd, he said, brother Saul, receive thy sight. and instantly I saw him.

that I was present, when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, that I abetted the slaughter, and watch'd the clothes of those who slew him.

when the commanding officer order'd him to be brought into the castle, and put to the question by the lash, in order to find out the reason of their exclamations against him.

as they were tying him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion, does the law allow to scourge a Roman citizen, and without any trial?

then the head officer came to him, and said, tell me, are you a Roman?

immediately those who were going to put him to the question, withdrew: the commander himself being under some apprehension for having order'd him to be bound.

at which the high priest Ananias order'd those that were near him to strike him on the face: