1» The Officers who were ſent to the priſon with the meſſage about their liberty. o The Magiſtrates who commanded them to be beaten, are juſtly charged with the beating of them; as 1f they had them- ſelves dons It. p It was no ſmall aggravation of their injuſtice, and theſe holy mens ſufferings, that they had, fer the greater ſpite unto
GF & in this place St. Pau! wrote two of his Epiſtles. This City was built by Philip, in memory of a Victory he obtained over the
Theſali. d It ſeems that there was no Synagogue in either of the other places; but that the Jews of the other Ciries reſorted unto the Synagogue in this; all theſe three Cities being in Macedonia The lending away of Pauland Silas, £229.16. 29. to gratific the mad multitade, was a means to bring the word of talvation to theſe places.
2 And Paul, as e his manner was, went inunto thery. and three ſabbath-days reaſoned with them f out of the {criptures.
e Who was faithful unto him that had calieq him, and took «!j occaſions to do his Maſter's work, f The Liw and the Prophets ; which they owned to be of Divine Authoriry : and from the ho!y Scriptures alon? all knowledge in the things of God, and of our ſalvation, muſt be fetched. It any ſp2ak of theſe marters not 8ccord- ing to them, it is becauſe they have no light in them, th. $. 20. What Scriptures Sf. Par! alledged, are not fer down ; bur they were ſuch as our Saviour had made uſe of, Luke 24, 27: for the ſame purpoſe.
This was cuſtomary with Pal, to preach theſe things unto the Few; firſt ; as Chap. 13. 46. till they had pur the viord of God from them by their incredulity.
3 £ Opening ard halledging, thar Chriſt muſt i needs have ſuttered, and riſen again from the dead : and thar this & Jeſus || whom I preach unto you, is Chrilt. : i:Or, i horn
g The Scriptures which he had quoted. The very entrance inr9 I ſaid.
God's Word giveth light, Pfal. 119. 130. + Making the truth con-
cerning our Saviour, which he preached, fo plain to the eyeof their underſtanding, as any thing which is expoſed to the view of our
bodily eyes. #7 Comparing the words of the Prophets concerning
Chriſt, with thoſe things which were done and ſuffered by him, Þſa!,
22. 6. Iſa. 53. throughout, Matt. 16. 21, Luke 24. 26,46. k That
Jeſus whom Paul preached was the true and only Meſſiah ; and that what was written of the Mefſhah, was fulfilled in him.
4 * And ſome of them believed, and /conforted with * Ch. 28. 24: Paul and Silas, and of the #2 devout Greeks a great - malticude, and of the chief women x not a few.
{ Were fo aff-&ed towards them. as that they were willing totake the ſame part or lot with them. The word imports the neareſt and intimateſt friendſhip and union ; even ſuchas is conjugal. ' m Such
them, openly ſcourged them. q For they were not tried, or per- mire to ſpeak for themſelves, » Having the privilege of Roman Citizens ; Which was fomerimes given to whole Communities; Now ſuck by their Laws might not be bound, much leſs beaten (and leaſt of all uncondewn'd ) without the conſent of the Romans. s This the Apoſtle ſtands upon, nor fo much for his own, as for the Goſpel's ſake, that it might nor be noiſed abroad, that the Preachers of it were wi-ked and vile men, and did deſerveſuch ignominious puniſh- ment. Though they were as innocent as doves, 1t became them al- ſo to be as wile as ſerpents.
13 And the ſergeants told theſe words unto the magi- ſiratzs, and they # feared when they heard that they
were Romans.
: For the P-ans (under whom theſe Magiſtrates were ) made it by their Laws to be Treafon thus to abuſe any of their Citizens. God over-ruled their tear of man, for the deliverance of his fer-
Vants.
39 And they came and « beſoughe them, and
$44. brought her out, and * deſired hem to depart out of ,
the city. |
v Two things the Magiſtrates had to defire of them, 1. That they ! would excuſe the wrong done unto them, which they feared leſt the | Romans might revenge. 2. That to avoid further miſchiefs (as they / thought) they wou!d leave the City. But the words here uſed do | ſignifie alſo, that they comforted them, as well as beſought, or ex- | horted them : both by word and deed they ſought ro make amends for the injury they had offer'd unto them; and defired them to de- | part for their own ſafety, leſt the people ſhould expreſs their rage | and madneſs more againſt them. | ; |
49 And they went out cf the priſon, and entred into | tve bouſe 5f Lydia : and when they had ſeen the brethren, |
they x comforted them, and departed.
w Of whom, wer. 14. They do not ſhun dangers, fo as to negleCt : their duty. In reſpe& of the tribulation they had endured, and | vere ſtill to endure, or exhorted them to prepare for ſuffering, and tolubmit unto God in it, and to make an holy uſt of ir.
CHAP. XVII.
Pan! reaſoning with them of Theſſalonica, Preacheth the Suferings arid ' Reſurrefion of Chriſt, 1—-3. Some believe. 4. others raiſe an wproar, and draw Jaſon before the ruler of the city, 3 aud Silas, being ſent to Berza, preach ; many, having ſeaxched the Scripture, believe, 1012, Jews com? from Theſſalonica, and ſtir vp the people there alſo, 13: Paul conduFed ro Athens, 14. and there prieved to ſee their Idolatry, therefore daily diſputeth with the
ews, 15—17; The Epicureans and Stoicks mock him, 18, he © brought upto Areopagus, and examined about his Dofrine, 19-22. te ſheweth their Superſtition, and Idolatry, 23. reacheth them the Worſhip of the true God, who made all things, 24—-29, Exhorteth to repentance and Faith in Chriſt, who would judge the World, God having raiſed him from the dead, 30, 31. Some hearing of the Re- urrefTion, mocked ; but others believed, 32-34. 1 Ow when they had paſled chrough « Amphipoliis, and b Apollonia, they came to c Thellalonica 4, where was a ſynagogue of the Jews. s A City near to Philippi, fo called, becauſe the Sea came up
b ACiry near to Theſalonica. c This Theſſa-
lmigs was one ofthe chiefalt Cities of Macedonia; Unto the Church
of that Nation as were become Prolſclytes, who had renounc'd the Idolatry and wicked conver{ation of the Heathen, amongſt whom they lived; and had joyr.£4 themſelves to the Jews ; atleaſt ſo far {as to hear the Law and the Prophets read and expounded in their