the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He, sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him, said, O full of all guile, and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceasest not 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 time. And immediately there fell a mist and a darkness upon him, and going about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

SECT. CLXXVI. THEY LEAVE CYPRUS, AND COME TO PERGA, AND THENCE TO ANTIOCH IN PISIDIA, WHERE PAUL DISCOURSES TO THE PEOPLE.

Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphilia. And John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

Perga.

But they passing through Perga came to Antioch in Pisidia and entering into the synaAntioch in gogue on the sabbath-day, they sat down. Pisidia. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Ye men brethren, if you have any word of exhortation to make to the people, speak.

Then Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, said, Ye men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give ear. The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought them out from thence. And for the

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space of forty years endured their manners in the desert. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land among them by lot, after about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet. And after that they desired a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised them up David, to be king to whom giving testimony, he said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my will (Ps. lxxxviii. 21; 1 Kings xiii. 14). Of this man's seed God, according to his promise, hath raised up to Israel a Saviour,— Jesus, when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of penance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, I am not he whom ye think me to be; but behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God, to you the word of this salvation is sent. For they that inhabited Jerusalem, and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate that they might kill him. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him up from the dead the third day. And he was seen for many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present time are his witnesses to the people. And we declare unto you that the promise made to our fathers, God hath fulfilled to us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus, as in the second Psalm also is written, Thou art my Son,

this day have I begotten thee (Ps. ii. 7). And to show that he raised him up from the dead, not to return now any more to corruption, he said thus, I will give you the holy and sure pledges given to David (Isa. lv. 3). And therefore in another place also he saith, Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption (Ps. xv. 10). For David, when he had served in his generation, according to the will of God, slept; and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God hath raised from the dead saw no corruption.

Be it known therefore to you, men brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses, in him every one that believeth is justified. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets : Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye will not believe if any man shall tell it you (Hab. i. 5).

And as they went out, they desired them that on the next sabbath they would speak unto them these words. And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews, and of the strangers that served God, followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

SECT. CLXXVII. THE NEXT SABBATH PAUL PREACHES AGAIN. HE IS PERSECUTED BY THE JEWS, AND ESCAPES TO ICONIUM.

But the next sabbath-day the whole city almost came together to hear the word of God. And when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, and blasphemed.

Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly, To you first it behoved us to speak the word of God, but since

ye reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the gentiles. For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the gentiles; that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth (Isa. xlix. 6).

And when the gentiles heard it they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women,* and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

SECT. CLXXVIII. THE APOSTLES PREACH IN ICONIUM, LYSTRA, AND DERBE.

And it came to pass in Iconium, that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a very great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

Iconium.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and incensed the minds of the gentiles against the brethren. A long time therefore they abode there, acting boldly in the name of the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. And the multitude of the city was divided; and some of them indeed held with the Jews, but some with the apostles. And when there was an assault made by the gentiles and the Jews

This means women of rank and station, who had become "proselytes of the gate."

Lystra and

with their rulers, to use them contumeliously, and to stone them, they understanding it, fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, Derbe. and to the whole country round about, and were there preaching the gospel.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. This man heard Paul speaking; who looking upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked.

And when the multitude had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian tongue, saying, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men ; and they called Barnabas, Jupiter; but Paul, Mercury, because he was chief speaker. The priest also of Jupiter that was before the city, bringing oxen and garlands before the gate, would have offered sacrifice with the people. And when the apostles Barnabas and Paul had heard of it, they rent their clothes, and leaped out among the people crying, and saying, Ye men, why do ye these things? We also are mortals, men like unto you, preaching to you to be converted from these vain things to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; who in past ages suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without testimony, in that he did good, giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with joy and gladness.

And speaking these things they scarce restrained the people from sacrificing to them.