teftified of me in Jerufalem, fo must thou bear witnefs alfo at Rome, Acts xxiii. 11.

74Q. What was the next Danger he was ex

to? A. More than forty Jews had bound themfelves under a great Curfe not to eat till they had killed Paul, and therefore they perfuaded the chief Priefts and Elders to defire that he might once again be brought before them, ver. 12-15.

75 Q. By what Means did the Providence of God fecure Paul from this Confpiracy? A. Claudius Lyfias the chief Captain having private Notice of this Confpiracy from Paul's Nephew, fent him to Cefarea to Felix the Governor of Judea by Night with a Guard of almost five hundred Men, ver. 16-35.

76 Q. What was the next Step taken by the High-Priefts and Elders to condemn Paul, and how did Paul defend himself? A. They went down to Cefarea, and laid their Accufation before Felix: But Paul defended himself by declaring, he believed the Law and the Prophets, nor was he guilty of prophaning the Temple, or raifing a Tumult, nor of any thing of which they accufed him, Acts xxiv. 1-21.

77 Q. What did Felix determine concerning him? A. Felix only kept him as a Prifoner; for he faw no Reafon to condemn him, and often difcourfed with him, hoping that Paul or his Friends would give him a good Bribe for a Release, ver. 22-28.

78 Q. Had Paul's Difcourfes any good Effect upon Felix? A. Once, as he fpoke concerning Faith in Chrift, and reafoned of Righteoufnefs, Temperance, and Judgment to come, Felix trembled, and bid Paul retire till he had a more convenient Season to hear him further, ver, 24, 25. But he kept him Prifoner till to pleafe the Jews, ver. 27.

79 Q. Did the High Priefts and Elders entirely drop their Accufations against Paul? A. Two Years after this, Feftus was made Governor in the room of Felix, and the Jews went to Cefarea and laid in grievous Complaints against him, Ats xxiv. 27. and xxv. 2.

80 Q. How did Paul come off here before Feftus? A. He utterly denied the Charge of the Jews, and when Feftus would have had him gone up to Jerufalem to be judged of these Matters, as the Jews defired, in hopes to kill him by the way, Paul told Feftus, that he knew very well he had done the Jews no wrong, that no Man ought to deliver him up to the Hands of the Jews, and therefore he appealed to Cafar, ver. 9-12.

81Q. What occafion had Paul then to plead his Caufe again before Agrippa, who was the King of Galilee? A. Agrippa, with his Sifter Bernice, came to make a Vifit to Feftus; upon which Feftus, among other Converfation, informed him that he was going to fend Paul the Prifoner to Cæfar, upon his Appeal, and he would fain fend to Cæfar a more particular Account of the Cafe; upon which Agrippa defired to hear Paul himself, ver. 13—27. ·

82Q What was the Subftance of Paul's Speech to Agrippa? A. Paul knew that Agrippa was acquainted with the Laws and Cuftoms of the Jews, and therefore he related before him, in brief, the Hiftory of his younger Life as a Pharifee, his Hatred of the Chriftians, his being called by Jefus Chrift from Heazen, when he was on the Road to Damafcus, and his preaching the Resurrection of Chrift and his Gofpel ever fince; which he maintained to be all agreeable to Mofes and the Prophets, As xvi. 1-23.

83Q. What Influence had this Speech upon Agrippa? A. Paul addreffed King Agrippa in fo agreeable a manner, that Agrippa declared that he was almost perfuaded to be a Chriftian; and that Paul had done nothing worthy of Death, or of Bonds; and that he might have been fet at liberty, it he had not appealed to Cæfar, ver. 26—32.

84 Q. How was Paul fent to Cæfar at Rome? A. He was fent thither by Sea, with feveral other Prifoners, and Soldiers to guard them: They had a Voyage of utmoft Danger, through Storms and dark Weather, which Panl forefaw, and warned the Sailors of it. They were at laft fhipwrecked, but all escaped fafe to Land, as Paul had affured them by a Vifion of an Angel. The Name of the Ifland was called Melita, now Malta, Acts xxvii.

85 Q. Was there any remarkable Occurrence fell out there? A. The Rain and the Cold made them kindle a Fire, and there came a Viper from among the Sticks, and faftened on Paul's Hand; but he fhook it off, and felt no Harm, Acts xxviii. 1-5.

86Q. What did the barbarous People of the Ifland think of this when they faw it? A. They thought at firft this Man was a Murderer, and Vengeance pursued him at Land, though he had efcaped the Sea: But when they faw him shake off the Viper, and no harm come to him, they changed their Minds, and said he was a God, ver. 4, 5, 6.

87 Q. What Entertainment did they meet with upon the Island? A. Publius, the chief Man there, lodged them three Days: Paul prayed, and healed his Father of a Bloody Flux, by laying on his Hands; upon which many other diseased Perfons came and were healed, ver. 7—9.

88Q. How long did they tarry there? A. They tarried three Months, because it was Winter; and

then

then failed again, and landed in Italy, and travelled towards Rome, ver. 11-13.

89 Q. How was Paul difpofed of when he came into the City? A. He was fuffered to dwell by himfelf with a Soldier that kept him, ver. 16.

90 Q. What was Paul's first Work when he came to Rome? A. In three Days time he fent for the chief of the Jews that were in the City, and excused himself to them that he was constrained to appeal unto Cæfar; and afterwards on a D.y appointed, he preached the Gofpel of Chrift to them out of the Law of Mofes and the Prophets, ver. 17-23.

91Q What Effect had this Sermon of Paul on the Jews at Rome? A. They were much divided; fome believed the Gospel, and others oppofed it: upon which Paul answered, that the Salvation of God is fent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it, ver. 24, 28.

92 Q. How long did Paul continue there? A. He dwelt two whole Years in his own hired House, and preached the things concerning Chrift to all that would come to hear him, ver. 29-31.

Note, Here ends the Hiftory of the Book of Scripture, called the Acts of the Apoftles. What remains is collected from the Epiftles of Paul.

93 Q. Since feveral of the Epifiles of Paul are faid to be written from Rome, which are thofe which he is fuppofed to write at this time? A. That to the Philippians, Ephefians, Coloffians, and to Philemon; and he tells them he fhall foon come to them and about this Time his Bonds were manifeft in all the Place, having continued there fo long, Phil. i. 13, 26. Eph. vi. 30. Col. iv. 18. Philem. 9, 22.

94 Q

94 Q. When he was releafed from Prifon at Rome, whither did he go? A. Into feveral Countries both of Europe and Afia, preaching the Gofpel, and confirming the Chriftian Converts.

95 Q. Who attended and affifted him in his Miniftry and his Travels? A Sometimes Tychicus, or Timothy; fometimes Titus, Demas, or Luke, Silas, or Trophimus, whom he left fick at Miletum, when he went again to Rome. See 2 Tim. iv. 10, 11, 12. 96 Q. What became of him when he came the fecond Time to Rome? A. He was caft into close Prison, and when he made his firft Defence all Men forfook him; and Alexander the Copper-smith did him much hurt, 1 Tim. iv. 14, 15, 16.

97 Q. Did he finifh bis Life and Labours here? A. He now tells Timothy, that the Time of his Departure is at band, and he was just ready to be offered up, when he wrote the fecond Epiftle to him from Rome, 2 Tim. iv. 6. And when he had both laboured and fuffered more than any of the Apoftles, as he himself had told us, 1 Cor. xv. 10. 2 Cor. xi. 23, &c. he was beheaded, as a Martyr for Christ, under the Reign of Nero, Emperor of Rome, as the ancient Hiftorians inform us.

Note, My Defign in writing this Summary of the Scripture-Hiftory, by way of Queftion and Anfwer, was chiefly for the eafier Inftruction of the younger part of Mankind, and not fo much for the Improvement of the learned; for which Reason I have not been follicitous to trace out, with a critical and chronological Accuracy, every Step of the Travels of Paul; nor relate how often he went to Jerufalem, and to other Cities, in repeated Voyages and Journeys; but only to point out his moft remarkable Travels, Labours and Sufferings. A more exact Account is drawn up, with great Labour and Skill, by a learned Writer, in his Book intitled Mifcel

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