feet, &c on the fight of which miracle, the people lift up their voices, faying, the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Poffeffed with this notion, the priests of Jupiter brought oxen, and would have done facrifice, &c. This no fooner came to the ears of Barnabas and Paul than they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, firs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like paffions with you, and preach unto you, that je should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven and earth, &c. &c. Now this was precifely the expoftulation which the occafion demanded. The existence of the one living and true God was to be afferted to these idolatrous believers in a plurality of deities. At that time to have opposed to their perfuafions doctrines peculiarly Chriftian, would have been altogether premature and unfeasonable. It appears however that our Apoftles had, before and after this, preached these doctrines at Lyftra, and in the neighbourhood, with fuccefs; though most probably, for obvious reafons, not in the

* Acts xiv. 8, &c.

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hearing

hearing of those that would have done facrifice. For we read at the fixth verse of this chapter, that, being ware of the defign of the Jews ́and Gentiles at Iconium to use them despitefully, &c. they fled unto Lyftra and Derbe, &c. and there they preached the Gospel. And after the affair of the facrifice, we are told, that there came to Lyftra certain Jews from Antioch, who perfuaded the people, and having ftoned Paul, drew him out of the city, &c; that nevertheless he revived, and foon after preached the Gospel at Derbe, and taught many, and returned again to Lyftra, &c, confirming the fouls of the Dif ciples, and exhorting them to continue in the

>

We meet with nothing now that hath particular connexion with our argument, before the converfions related in the fixteenth chapter. Let us proceed then to these. At Troas, fays the hiftory, a vifion appeared to Paul in the night; from which he and Silas affuredly gathered that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel in Macedonia. Obferve

*Acts xvi. 1.

then

then the account of the converfion of Lydia at Philippi. A certain woman named Lydia, which worshipped God, heard us: whofe heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when She was baptized, fhe befought us, faying, if ye bave judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come

into my house, &c. Now I would ask, whether we may not reasonably suppose the Lord opened this woman's heart for the reception of all evangelical truths, almost in an inftant? Whether her cafe is not at least fimilar to that of Cornelius? And whether we are not as much authorised to take it for granted, that the things which were spoken of Paul were the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, agreeably to our fyftem, as that this convert was baptized according to the form in St. Matthew's Gospel? I would just remark here, that this fyftem is in no wife prejudiced, either by the declaration of the damfel poffeffed with a fpirit of diviniation, who followed Paul and his companions, and cried, faying, thefe men are the fervants of the most bigh God, which fhew unto us the way of Salvation;

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vation; or by the Apostle's exorcism of that fpirit in the following words, I command thee in the name of fejus Chrift to come out of her.

But let us turn to the converfion of the jailor, to whofe cuftody Paul and Silas were committed at Philippi. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? * is the question which the former, in a fit of astonishment and terror, put to the latter. And they faid, believe on the Lord Jefus Christ, and thou shalt be faved, and thy boufe. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, &c. And he was baptized, be and all his. And he rejoiced, believing in God with all his houfe. To believe in God, and to believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, appear here to be convertible expreffions. In fhort, I affirm that in this, as well as in preceding inftances, we have good reafon to fuppofe the perfons preached to were made acquainted by the Apoftle and his companion with the capital truths of Christianity, as they are taught in the Church.

* Acts xvi. 30.

Not

Not long after this, our Apoftle and his fellow-travellers came to Theffalonica, where was a fynagogue of the Jews. * And Paul (as the narrative proceeds) went in unto them, and three fabbath days reafoned with them out of the Scriptures; opening and alledging, that Chrift muft needs have fuffered, and rifen again, and that this Jefus whom I preach unto you is Chrift. And fome of them believed. It will be fufficient to obferve here, that our Apoftle dealt no doubt with these Jews and Jewish profelytes, as he had before done with others on like occafions. But the grofs mifrepresentation, and fcandalous calumny of the unbelieving Jews, in the city just mentioned, is extremely worth notice. They drew Jafon, as we are informed, and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, thefe men that have turned the world upfide down, are come hither alfo ; and thefe all do contrary to the decrees of Cafar, faying, that there is another king, one Jefus. Now it is perfectly reasonable to fuppofe, that Jafon and thefe brethren proclaimed their crucified

*Acts xvii. 1, &c.

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+ Ibid. xvii. 6.

mafter