James delivered his Opinion, that fince the Gentiles had received the Gospel, as it was foretold by the Prophets, they fhould not be burdened with Circumcifion and other Jewish Ceremonies; upon which, at laft, the Apoftles and Elders, and the whole Church, fent a Meflage to Antioch, and other Countries, that the Gentile Converts were not bound by the Jewish Laws: Yet, by the Direction of the Holy Spirit, they required them at that time to abstain from Meats offered to Idols, from eating Blood, from things ftrangled, and from Fornication, ver. 6-30.

37 Q. Why were these few things fo particularly for bid to the Gentile Converts? A. Some fuppofe thefe were the things always forbidden to the Jewish Profelytes of the Gate. See Note on 2.20. And that it would have given too much Offence to the Jews, as well as to thofe Profelytes, if the Apostles had not required the Gentile Converts to obferve thefe Rules, at leaft for the prefent Season.

Note, Fornication was a thing always unlawful in it felf, yet here other things are joined with it which are not finful in their own nature; because the eating of Blood and things offered to Idols were frequently attended with Fornication and Impurity among the Gentiles at their idolatrous Feafts, and therefore this Sin of Fornication is exprefsly forbidden here, to put the Chrif tians always in mind of the Unlawfulness of it; and more particularly, becaufe fome profeffed Chriftians in that Age pretended it to be lawful, fuch as the Gnofticks, Nicolaitans, &c.

Abflinence from things offered to Idols feems to be but a temporary Command for particular Times and Places, fince it is permitted in fome Cafes by the Apostle, (viz.) where it gives no Offence, 1 Cor. x. 19-31. And Ab ftinence from Blood being not in itself unlawful, seems to stand on the fame foot: For it is plain, that the Reason

given against eating Blood is because it was devoted to God to make Atonement for Sin, Lev. xvii. 10-14. And the Blood of Beasts flain for Food was to be poured out on the Ground, because the Life or most noble part of the Ceeature was contained in it, and was devoted to God as a fort of First-fruits to fanctify the rest for the Eaters Ule, But now the Blood of Chrift having made full Atonement for Sin, and all forts of Food under the New Teftament being fanctified to the Eater by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. iv. 3, 4, 5. Blood has neither of thefe Ufes continued; and is therefore one of those Meats which may be eaten with Thanksgiving, though it was forbidden at firft for a Seafon, together with Meats offered to Idols, left the Jews and Profelytes fhould take offence.

38 Q. What were the next Travels of Paul and Barnabas? A. They determined to vifit their Brethren in every City where they had preached the Gofpel; but they could not agree about 'taking John Mark for their Affiftant, becaufe he had left them before in the middle of their Work, v. 36--38.

39 Q. How was this Contention ended between Barnabas and Paul? A. Barnabas took Mark and failed to Cyprus; Paul chofe Silas (who had been fent with them from Jerufalem to Antioch) and went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches, ver. 39-41.

40 Q. Where did Paul meet with Timothy ? A. He was a young Difciple at Lyftra, the Son of a Jewish Woman, and Paul took him for their Companion in the Miniftry; and they travelled through many Parts of that Country which is now called the Leffer Afia, Acts xvi. 1—8.

Note, Afia is a large Country, one Quarter of the World. The Leffer Afia is the fame with Natolia, a

fquare

fquare Country between the Euxine Sea and the Medtterranean. But the Afia which the Scripture fo frequently speaks of in the Aas, fems to be but a small Part of this Leffer Afia including only Phrygia, Myfia, Caria and Lydia, which are washed on the Weft by the Egean Sea, and where the famous feven Churches were, Rev. i. 11.

41 Q. Where was the next remarkable Place of their Miniftry? A. They were invited to Mace donia by a Vision, and they went to Philippi, a chief City of that Country, and preached there with fome Success, ver. 9-15.

Note. Here it is probable that Luke, who wrote the Alts of the Apostles, became a Companion of Paul, becaufe from this time he uses the Word-We in his Hiftory.

42 Q. What Miracle was wrought there? A. They caft a Devil out of a certain young Woman, who brought much Gain to her Mafters by foretelling things to come, ver. 16-18.

43 Q. How did her Mafters bear it when they faw their Gains were gone? A. They brought Paul and Silas to the Magiftrates, and charged them with teaching ftrange Customs; whereupon they were beaten and imprisoned, and their Feet made faft in the Stocks, ver. 19—24.

44 Q. How were they releafed thence? A. At Midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and fang Praises to God; the Prifon was fhaken with an Earthquake, the Doors opened, their Bands were loofed ; upon which the Goaler awaking, was going to kill himself, fuppofing the Prifoners had been fled, ver. 25-27.

45 Q. How was this Self-Murder prevented? A. Paul and Silas fhewed themfelves as his Prifo

ners,

ners, preached the Gofpel to him, upon which he believed, and he and his House were baptized, ver. 28-34.

46 Q But did the Magiftrates then difmifs them? A. Yes, they defired them to depart when they knew they were Romans, becaufe they had beaten and imprisoned them uncondemned, ver. 35-40.

47 Q. What Trials did they meet with at Thef falonica? A. Many Greeks and Jews were converted there; but the unbelieving Jews there rofe up against them, and almoft in every City where they came; and they went next to Berea, Acts

xvii. I-10.

48 Q. What was the wife and generous Conduc of the Bereans? A. They, (i. e. the Jews of Berea) fearched the Scriptures daily, to find whether Paul and Silas taught the Truth; and by this Practice many of them were led to believe in Chrift, ver. 10-13.

49 Q. In what manner did Paul preach when he came to Athens? A. He difputed with the Jews in their Synagogues, with the devout Perfons, and with the Heathen Philofophers in the Market-Place, and on Mars's-Hill he took occafion to preach the true God to the People from an Altar he found infcribed, To the unknown God, ver. 16-30.

50 Q. But did he not alfo preach Jefus Chrift and the Gofpel? A. Yes, by preaching Natural Religion firft, he led them by degrees to the Doctrine of Chrift, and affured them, that Jefus Chrift was appointed to be the Judge of the World, and God had raifed him from the Dead, as a fure Token of it, ver. 30, 31.

51 Q. What Employment had Paul at Corinth? He there met with Aquila, a believing Jew,

with his Wife Prifcilla, and wrought with him at his Trade, for they were both Tent-makers; but he preached in the Jewish Synagogue every Sabbath, ver. 1-4.

52 Q. What Effect had his preaching there? A. He continued here by Orders received from Christ in a Vifion a Year and fix Months, and fome Jews and many Gentiles believed, and were baptized, ver. 5-II.

53 Q. What Perfecution did he meet with here? A. The Jews brought him before Gallio the Deputy-Governor, but he wifely refused to take Cognizance of any of their Controverfies about Religion, unless they could have charged him with fome Wickedness or Injustice, ver. 12—16.

Note 1ft, Though Paul found fuch great and remarkable Success in his Miniftry among the Corinsbians, yet by the means of fome falfe Brethren, and fome ambitious Pretenders to Apoftleship, there were fuch Factions and Contentions raised in this Church, that coft him much Sorrow of Heart; and this was increased by the irregular Lifes and immoral Practices of fome of his Converts there, which occafioned his writing two large and excellent Epiftles to them.

Note 2d, It is thought most probable that Paul who went from Corinth to Cenchrea and to Ephefus, left Aquila and Prifcilla at Ephefus, where they inftructed Apollos, a fervent Preacher, a Difciple of John Baptift, in the Gofpel of Chrift: But that Paul himself went to Ferufalem to the Feaft, and returned to Ephefus again before Aquila went thence, and before his great Succefs at Ephefus began, which is related in the very next Chapter, viz. the xixth.

54 Q. When Paul came to Ephefus, what remarkable Occurrences did he meet with there?

A.