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.

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.

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.

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.

so far are they from proving what they lay to my charge.

I have the same expectations from the DEITY, which they themselves entertain, that of the resurrection both of the just and of the unjust.

and 'tis my endeavour to preserve a conscience free from reproach both with respect to God, and with respect to men.

Felix then order'd a centurion to take Paul into his custody, without confining him so as to hinder his friends from waiting upon him.

Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went from Cesarea to Jerusalem:

when he appear'd, the Jews, who were come from Jerusalem presented themselves before Festus, and loaded Paul with abundance of accusations, which they were not able to prove.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, you are at liberty to make your defence. upon which Paul disengaging his hand from his cloak, thus made his plea.

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, in having this opportunity of vindicating myself in your presence, from every thing the Jews have laid to my charge:

what course of life I led at Jerusalem, where I was brought up from my youth among those of my own nation, is known to all the Jews.

where numbers of converts I threw into jail, by warrant from the high priests: and when they were put to death, I myself was an accomplice.

it was I that persecuted them from synagogue to synagogue, and tortured them even to blaspheme: and in the transport of my rage I pursued them to foreign cities.

with such views, authorized by commission from the high priests, I was on the road to Damascus:

when at mid-day, O king, a light from heaven exceeding the splendor of the sun, broke all around me, and those that accompanied me.

by delivering you from this people, and from the Gentiles to whom I now send thee, to open their eyes,

and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and partake of the inheritance of the saints, by believing on me."

that he should be the first that was to rise from the dead: and that he should enlighten both the Jews and the Gentiles."

the king is inform'd of these things, to whom I address myself with the greater confidence, being persuaded he is fully apprized of these matters, that were far from being transacted in private.

from thence we put off, and made our coast north of Cyprus, the wind being contrary.

for as that haven could not cover us from the storm, most were of opinion to bear away, and try to put in at Phenice, where we could ride safe, the port lying by south-west, and north-west.

but soon after it blew a storm from north-east, which bore so upon the ship,

where the inhabitants, as much barbarians, as they were, receiv'd us with great humanity. they kindled a fire, and secur'd us from the falling rains, as well as the cold:

when Paul having taken up some brush-wood and laid it upon the fire, a viper started out from the heat, and seiz'd upon his hand.

the barbarians seeing the venomous creature hang fast to his hand, said to one another, this man is a murderer, no doubt; for, escaped from the wreck, the divine justice still pursues him to death.