e It is obſervable, that St, Luke never before called this great Apoſtle by the name of Pau! : and henceforth never calls him by the naine of Sau! ; though there be no great difference in theſ: n2mes, Saul might be more acceprable to the ZFews, amongſt whom hehad hicherto converled. And Paul 4 more pleaſing name unto the Gen- files, unto whem he wasnow fent, and with whom for the fucure he thou!d moſt converſe. He was called Saul as he was a Few born, an H-brew of the H:brews; and Paul, as he was a Deniſon of Kome ; the Romans having thit name in good account in ſeveral of their chief Families. f Zxa: tor God's Glory, and Faith and Power to work the enſuing NMcracies. :
to And faid, O full of all ſubrilty and all g miſchief, * thou 5 child ofthie devii, thou enemy of all righteouſ neſs, wi!t thou not ceaſe z to pervert the right ways of
the Lord ? | g Padegyia ſignifies a faclity or readineſs in 40mg miſchief ; and that ſuch who are given to Sorcery are ealily drawn to cominit any kind of fin whatſoever. 4 Becaute he did his work who is the De- frrozer, in hindring what he could the Salvation of Sergius Paulus and his Family. #- To make the way of God crooked, whichis ſtraighe ; and rugged, when indeed it is ſmooth : that is, to lay whar rubs he could to keep any from coming unto, or continuing in the ways ot God. 11 And now behold, & the hand of the Lord is upon
thee, and thou ſhalr be blind, nor ſeeing the ſun / for a ſeaſon. And immediately tnere feil on him a miſt and a darkneſs; and he went about, ſeeking ſome to lead
him by the hand.
k The hand of the Lord is put for any powerful ation of God, whether in Mercy or Judgment :*hzre ir 15 put forthe Divine Power wherewith God ſtrikes his Enemies. / God did in Judgment re. member Mercy, infliQting this blindneſs only for a ſeaton, that it might be rather a Medic:ne than a puniſhment.
12 Then chedeputy when he ſaw what was done be- lieved, zz being = aſtoniſhed at the dofrine of the
Lord.
2 The Goſpel which Paul Preachzd. » Finding in it ( though a wife Man ) depths beyond his fathoming : and all accompanied with ſuch a power 1n doing of Miracles, and changing of Hearts, and Lives; as might well amaze fo prudent, and conſidering a man. :
13 Now when Paul and his company looſed from Paphos, they came to o Perga in p Pamphylia : And John 4 departing fromthem, returned to Jeruſalem.
o A City in Pamphylia: not that there were any other Cities of that name; but becauſe this Region was more commonly known, :r bzing p a Country in the leflkr 47a, bordering on Cilicia. 2 The departure of John; of whom before, Yerſe 6. and Chap. 12. 25. Was blame-worthy, as C-ap 15. 38. Some think he ſhun- ned that Jabour and ſuffering which he ſaw attended the Goſpel ; o-hers ſuppole that he returned to Fers/alem out of too fond an z/&Qion for his Mother, who lived there ; and it may be that he reraining a great averlion from the Genzzles, might abhor to go amongſt them ; howſoever, let him that ſtands, rake heed leſt he fall.
14 © But when they departed from Perga,they came to 7 Anticch in Pilidia, and went into the ſynagogue s on the ſabbath-day, and fate down,
7 So called to diſtinguiſh it trom the other Antioch mentioned in the firſt Z72ſe, which was a City in Syria, as this in Piſidia, next to, or part of Pazphylia. 5 Either to joyn with the Jews in ther Worſhip, which wasnot then unlawful; or to ger an op- port.iuty more Fublickly to Preach the Goſpel unto them: they
were no ſooner come thither, but they miud chat great bulineſz :!,. went abour. ®
15 Andafter the ; reading of the : law and the Dro phets, the « rulers of che Synagogue ſenr unty thas laying, Ye men and x brethren, It ye have any worg
exhorration for the people y, ſay on,
: The reading of the Law was commanded by Mo{c; ; and th ſay, that Ezra commanded the reading of the Prophers aj, TT their Synagogues, which was uſed, as we may ſee in the Verſz, and to divided into ſeveral SeCtions that once 4 | Eh might be aJl read over, « They were luch as had rhe over-ſight *: this Service of God in their Synagogues, that it m!ghe L bs formed according to the prefcription. x An uſual compellatie” which the Jews gave one another, owning them to ſerve the Wes (zod, and profeffing a ſuitable relpett for thm, » After the _ . ing before ſpoken, there followed a Sermon, or Exhortaticq. which the Apoſtles are deſired ro make, the Rulers of the "oak, rogue, as "tis ſuppoled, having had fome previous knowledge of them,
16 Then Paul ſtood up z, and beckning with bs hand, ſaid, Men of Iſrael, and 2 ye that fear God give
audience.
z To procure ſilence and attention, as Chap. 12. 17, aÞeſids the Native Jews, the Profelytes, and ſuch out of all Nation; who leſt the Idolatry of the Gentiles, and vow*®d the only True God. mer rogether in the Worſhip of God ; thele were the Se ſpoken of, Chap 17. 4. I: ſhews allo what they are ro do that would he: the Word ofthe Lord with profir, wv:z. to attend unto itin the fer of his Name.
17 The b Ged of this people of Iirael © choſe our fathers, and dexalted the people *. when they dweltagsp ſtrangers in the land of Egypt, * and with an e high arm;
brought hÞ- them out of it, I%1
b God was the God of 1ſrae! after a peculiar manner. «Hung cioſen them before all Nations, to make himſelf known unto they, to be ſervedand Worſhipped by them. 4 And God exalted then in the time of Joſeph; and whilſt the memory of that grex pre. ſervation wrought by his means, did continue, till another Kino aroſe thar knew not Joſeph. e The many Miracles done by the Power of God towards the Iſraelites deliverance out of £:;; By which the Apoſtle would have them remember, that they gyed all which they challenged from their Progenitors, to the Grace nd — of God only; and that God may do with his own x hz pleaſes,
18 And * about the time of fourty years f ſuffered #;
he their manners in the wilderneſs. 21