1 lic journeys. Paul's 5 Apofto worker with St. Paul, had both of them left Paul, and that Silas, or Sylvanus, a prophet, now was, and tha Luke, an evangelift, was foon to be his companion; it is likely, that Timothy, who was to be likewife his companion, and his fellow worker, and brother, as he is ftiled, 1 Theff. iii. 2 fhould have fome fimilar gifts conferred upon him; and particularly at this time, fince when they came to Theffalonica, which was very foon after this, Timothy was fo inftrumental in the converfion of the Theffalonians, that Paul indites his epiftle to them thus: "Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus to the church of the Thef"falonians," 1 Theff. i. 1. From Cilicia they go over Gal. iv. xvi. Phrygia, and Galatia: and here Paul is received as an 6. Ibid. angel of God.' They intended to have preached the word at Afia (i. e. the proconfular Afia ;| a fmall part of Afia Minor, containing Ionia, Lydda, &c.), but were forbidden by the Spirit: the Spirit defigning the gospel thould be preached firft in Macedonia and Greece; Afia being referved for Paul's next journey. And when they came to My 14. A&s Galatia. fia, they attempted to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit fuffered them not. Paffing therefore by My A&ts fia, they came to Troas. A&ts Here Paul had a vifion to Acts xvi. go over to Macedonia. And 9. here, it is probable, Luke became St. Paul's companion; fince it is here firft) added, ver. 10. "We en"deavoured," &c. And the fame ftile continues to the end of the Acts. It is probable Luke might follow Paul hither from Antioch in Syria; where he had been with Paul before; as may be gathered from Acts xi. 28. for the Cambridge copy reads Συνετραμμένων δὲ ἡμων. See Mill. in loc. Perhaps he had been a difciple of Paul's there. It is moft likely he was a devout Gentile, Paul not ranking him among those of the circumcifion who were with him, but among thofe of the uncircumcifion. Coloff. iv. 10, 11. compared with ver. 12-14. xvi. Paul converts Lydia, a Acts xvi, 11. worshiper of God, or a pro-14. felyte of the gate. And difpoffeffes the Pythonefs. Paul and Silas are beaten by means of the Pythonefs's mafter, caft into prilon, and fet in the ftocks: but an earthquake opens the prifondoors for them, as the angel Acts xvi. did for Peter; they convert 34. the gaoler and his family, who were idolatrous Gentiles: but they having been beaten, though they were Ver. 35Romans, refuse to go out of 40. the prifon, till the magistrates came and entreated them to depart; thereby acknowledging the injury they had done them. Whereupon they go to Lydia's houfe, and after feeing the brethren, and comforting them, they deActs parted and paffing through xvii. Amphipolis and Apollonia, : came to Theffalonica. Here fome few Jews be- Acts xvii. Ibid. lieved, a great multitude of the devout Greeks (Couéνων Ελλήνων, profelytes of the gate), and feveral of the chief women. 4. And it is plain, Paul converted idolatrous Gentiles here, perhaps more of those than of the others, from fome places in his epiftle to this church, which he wrote rom Corinth, foon after he left them, 1 Thess. i. 9. and v. 3, 5, 6. Whilft he ftaid here, which was for fome ime, the Philippians fupolied his neceflities once ind again, Philip. iv. 16. Acts xvii. At last, he and his compa-15. Amphipolis, Apollo I. Ibid. nia, Theffalo nica, (cities of Macedo nia.) A&ts nions are forced from hence From Theffalonica, they Acts xvii. xvii. go to Bercea. Here the 1, 12, 10. Jews fearched the fcriptures, to fee whether what St. Paul taught, was fo or no. Many of them believed, and feveral honourable Greeks ("Enves, devout Gentiles), men and women. But the Jews of Theffalonica following him hither, and stirring up the people (Tès öxλus), the brethren fend Paul away (without Silas or Timothy, and accompany him to 15. A&s Athens: whence Paul xvii. fends orders by the brethren for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed. But while he waited for them, he was preffed in fpirit, and difputed with the Jews and devout Gentiles in the fynagogue, and with the idolatrous Gentiles in the market. And on a fet day Acts xvii. preached on Mars-hill. A 22, 23. few believe; among which was Dionyfius the Areopa gite. As foon as Timothy came hither to Paul, he having had an earneft defire to return back to the Theffalonians once and again, but being hindered by Satan, 1 Theff. ii. I. ii. 18. fends Timothy to A&ts And goes himself to Co-Acts xvii. Here Paul feems firft to As foon as Timothy came A&s xviii. hither to Paul from Thefla-4, 5, 6. lonica, and Silas from Beræea, "Paul teftifies" to the Jews, and devout Gentiles, that Jefus was Chrift. And when they oppofed and blafphemed, he thook his raiment, and faid, "Your Ver. 6. "blood be upon your own "heads; I am clean: from "henceforth I will go unto "the Gentiles." Leaves the Ver. 7. fynagogue, and goes into Juftus's houfe, a profelyte of the gate (fuppofed by Gro tius and Mills to be Titus, but not justly), and has a vi |