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Then said they, It is his knocking: and when they had

17 Thus every one, having experienced the divine mercy, delights to tell what great things God hath done for him-that his brethren

may thereby the more take courage *.

stantly affirmed that it was even so. angel. But Peter continued opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. "But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode.

Ver. 20. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And 23 An awful instance of the just immediately the angel of the vengeance of an offended God. Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the Ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

25 Their ministry on this particular occasion, was to carry the benevolence of the Christians at Antioch, to those at Jerusalem.

CHAPTER XIII.

APRIL 16, AUGUST 15, DEC. 13.

'Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as

1 It was very usual for great men to train up other youths with their

own sons.

Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost

2 Saul and Barnabas were thus solemnly appointed to the work of the ministry.

* James the less-the son of Alpheus.

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try by the imposition of hands: in3 They were set apart for the minisdicating the consent of the Church and the blessing of the apostles. (See chap. viii. 16.)

said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent inan; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in

9 Saul, appointed to preach to the Gentiles, lays aside his Hebrew name, and assumes the Roman name of Paul.

18 Jehovah shewed great longsuffering with his people of old. Is He not longsuffering with us now? the wilderness. And when he

had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And 21 God deigned, himself, once to be afterward they desired a king: King over Israel.

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and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them 28 And in condemning him. though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should

28 Strange inconsistency! "I find no fault in this man," was the deliberate voice of justice. But that same voice delivered Him to be crucified. (Luke xxiii. 22.)

33 The Apostle's continual reference to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, is a strong confirmation of our faith in their truth. (Ps. ii. 7.)

be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

but he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this

39 If the Mosaic covenant opened the way for heaven's favour, much

more shall our new covenant in Christ enlarge and confirm it.

42 It must cause shame to many a careless Christian, to note how uniformly and anxiously the Gentile

converts looked to the return of the

Sabbath, as their day of comfort and of peace.

man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. 42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

47 This country owes its civilization, and all its contingent advantages of wealth, power, and influence, primarily to the religion of Jesus *.

47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off

When these words were uttered, our land, now so eminent, was "of the ends of the earth"-an island far distant from Judea; little known; inhabited by barbarians, rude and uncivilized. Now, as the depository of the true faith, she is a glorious monument of the triumph of the Gospel; which brings glory to God, and good will towards men. (See xi. 29.)

the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

CHAPTER XIV.

APRIL 17, AUGUST 16, DEC. 14. ST. BARNABAS, morning.

AND it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time .therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, they were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: and there they sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a crip

6 This was their duty. It is no part of wisdom unnecessarily to brave danger, or court persecution. Our life is for God's service. To risk it wantonly is to tempt Him. preached the gospel.

And there

ple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and be healed, said with a loud And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran

9 Being disposed to receive the Gospel, he was a meet object for the mercy of its Author.

perceiving that he had faith to voice, Stand upright on thy feet.

1 The ancients had a prevalent notion, that their gods occasionally assumed human forms. in the speech of Lycaonia, The

12 Mercury was their god of eloquence.

he was the chief speaker. 13 Unto the gates" of the house, where the apostles were. The temple of their worship was without the city.

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