c In ſo long and violent a Tempeſt, thinking every moment to be ſwallowed up, they could keep no reckoning of the ſhips running or way ; neither were Charts or M:ps, fo uſual (if they had any at all) in thoſe times. & A Bay, or boſom of the Sea, having Land on each ſide ; where they judged it moſt likely for them to get on ſhore ; uſing ſtill all means tor their ſafery.
40 And when they had {| taken up the anchors, they committed themſelves unto the ſea, and looſed e the rudder-bands, and hoifed f up the main fail to the wind, and made towards ſhore.
e Rudders is in the Plural Number put for the Singular: Or rather, in thoſe times they having two Rudders (as by ſeveral paſſages amongſt the Ancients do appear,) they were both looſed that now they might uſe them to dire& rhe thip to the beſt ad- vantage in making the ſhore, they having been ried whilſt they were a=-drift, or at Anchor. f Which they had ler down, or ſtruck, wer. 17. and now that they might make ſome uſe of the winds, to get nigher to the ſhore, they hoifed up. As God doth inſtruct the Plowman, Ja. 28. 26. to he teacherh the Mari- ner, and every one in their Calling.
41 And talling intog a place where two ſeas mer *, they ran the ſhip a-ground ; and the fore-part ttuck faſt, and remained unmoveable, + but the hindzey part was broken with the violence of the waves.
g A Shoal, Sand, or Ithmus, where the Sea was on both ſides of it. þ They were now in the greateſt extremity ; and God ſuffers them to fall into it before that he tends them delverance, that he might have the more Glory by it.
42 And the ſouldiers counſel was : to kill the pri- foners, leſt any of them ſhould {ſwim out and eſcape.
# This ſpeaks their great ingratitude, that they wou!d take away Paul's Life, who had preterved theirs. Bur Chriſts Apo- ſtles and Miniſters muſt nor look for their Reward in this Lite : Though men cannot, or do not recompence them, they ſhall be recompenced at the ReſurreCtion of the Juſt, Luke 14. 14.
43 Bur the & centurion willing to fave Paul, kept them from rheir purpoſe, and commanded that they which could ſwim, ſhould caſt :herm{e/wes ] firlt into the ſea, and get to land:
k Becauſe Paul was a Roman Citizen, whoſe Death he durft
.not be acceflary unto, It may be alſo, that this Centurion (if
there were no more), as the Samariten that was cleanſed, did this in thankfulneſs unto Paul, 1 That they might be helptul to others 1n getting on ſhore. |
44 And the reſt, ſome #2 on boards, and ſome on broken pieces of the ſhip: And fo it came to pats that they eſcaped »: all fafe to land.
2» Still uſing means, though it was of God only that they had them; and that they were effeQtual ro them, In this Hiſtory is lively verified that of the Pſalmiſt, P/al. 107. 18, 19, 20. Their ſoul abherred all manner of meat, and they drew near unto the gates of death. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, he ſaved them out of their diſtreſſes. He ſent "his word and healed them, he delivered them from their deftruftions, And what follows, but wer. 21. O that men would praiſe the Lord for his goodneſs, for his wonder- ful works to the children of men. God hath a Tribute of Praiſe which is due unto him from the Readers of this Story, that they would acknowledge that there is none elſe who can deliver after this manner, Dax. 3. 29. and then to be ſure they will deſire that this God might be their God for ever and ever, Pſal. 48. 14.
C H AP. XXVIIL
Paul, and they that ſailed with him, landing at Melita, are kindly entertained by the Barbarians, 1, 2. 4 Yiper cleaving to Paul's Hand, he is ſuſpefFed to be a Murderer ; but ſhaking it off withe out. harm, they t ake him for a God, 3—6. Paul heale1 Publius”; Father of a Fever and a Bloody Flux, with other Diſcaſed Per- ſons, 79—9g. Paul and his Company, after Three Months, [ailing by Syracuſe and Regium, come toward Rome, 10—14. They travel forward, and then the Brethren hcaring, come out to meet them, 19. Paul at Rome is kept by a Sonldier, 16. He calleth together the Jews, and fheweth he was Impriſonsd and Bound without @ Cauſe, 17.—20. They diſcharge him, and aeſire t9 hear bis Opinion of that Religion ſhoken againſt every where, 21, 22. which he does ; perſwading out of Moſes and the Prophers concerning Feſus, which ſome believe, others not, 23, 24.
A* D when they. were eſcaped, then they knew that the 4 iſland was called + Mel # This was {foretold by mo chap, 27, 26 Andatherefore
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a word ſpoken by Paul did fall to the ground, bur the boy oo Fr 200 + by, þ Now called Malts, a little Ifland between Sicily and | Africa. There#is another obſcure Hfland in Iilyricum, that was called by this name, which ſome have miſtook for this place of Paul's ſhipwrack, by reaſon that this Tempeſt was in the Adriatick Sea; but not only the Gulf of Yenice, but the Sea abour Sicily, and this Coaſt, was fo called ; as Srrabo wit- neflſeth : See Chap. 27. 27.
2 And the c barbarous people ſhewed us no little
kindneſs: d for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, becauſe of the preſent rain, and becauſe of
the cold. : |
© So the Grecians and Romans called all other Nations that did not receive their Cuſtoms, nor ſpeak their Language, r Cor. 14. is. And tothis day the African Coaſt overagainſt this Hand, is called Barbary, d How far is this Humanity of Heathens be- yond that Inhumanity which ſome thar are called Chriſtians uſe towards thoſe that are ſhipwrack*d, and their Goods that come on ſhoar ? :