ACTs xiii. 36. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption :

37. But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

38. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

41. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish : for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

42. And as they were going out of the synagogue (see NOTE), they (several of those present) besought the apostles, that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

43. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas :

those names are now for the first time placed in that order

who, speaking to them, persuaded them to hold fast the gracious offer of salvation which God had thus made.

44. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

45. But when the Jews (the great body of them) saw the multitudes thus assembled, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should in this

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city first have been spoken to you, and so it hath been: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

- now meaning not proselytes only, but others generally, even idolatrous Gentiles: in that lay the great boldness now shown by the two apostles.

And here, at Antioch in Pisidia, let us contemplate, after the individual case of Sergius Paulus, xiii. 12., the first great harvest of the conversion of the heathens, without the intervening stage of their having been proselytes previously.

ACTS xiii. 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

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49. And the word of the Lord was published, generally now, throughout all that region.

50. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the devout women, especially those of rank amongst them (see NOTE), and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

51. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

52. And the disciples whom they left in Antioch (of Pisidia) were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost thus not only receiving present confirmation in the faith, but being endowed also with spiritual gifts for their support and farther illumination in it.

And here, from the high importance of the subject, be it again remarked, that the first Christian church, gathered (in part) from among the idolatrous Gentiles, was at Antioch in Pisidia.

ACTS xiv. 1. And it came to pass in Iconium, whither they fled from the persecution at Antioch, that Paul and Barnabas went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greek proselytes believed.

2. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

3. A considerable time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, who gave testimony to the truth of his gracious gospel, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4. But the multitude of the city was divided and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

5. And when there was an assault made (rather, a plan formed) both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

6. They were aware of it, and fled unto Lystra first, and afterwards (vv. 20, 1.) to Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about.

7. And there at Lystra - they preached the gospel.

At this very time, it appears from A. xvi. 1., Timothy, as well as Lois and Eunice, his grandmother and his

mother (2 TIM. i. 5.), must have been converted to the Christian faith, H. P. 182, 3., in the city of Lystra.

And here be it remarked, that from the nature of the case there can be no necessity to suppose Timothy more than fourteen years old when now converted: an age which, though far from absolutely required by the later dates on our scheme maintained for the two epistles addressed to him, will yet most happily agree with those texts which there allude to his youth, 1 TIM. iv. 12., ch. v. 1, 2., and 2 TIм. ii. 22. That extent of attainments at the age of fourteen which Josephus, it is well known, records of himself, affords probability enough to any such progress in sacred learning as may here be attributed to Timothy at that early age; especially when we are told, 2 TIM. iii. 15., that the holy scriptures, of the Old Testament, were known to him from a child.

ACTS xiv. 8. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked :

9. The same man heard Paul speak who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

10. Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

11. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

12. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

by which order of the names (i. e. Barnabas and Paul), the next mention of them also, in v. 14. seems to be influenced.

ACTS xiv. 13. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

14. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

15. And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like infirmities with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

18. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

19. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch (in Pisidia) and from Iconium, who persuaded the people now in the other extreme, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

20. Howbeit, as the disciples (and among these perhaps the young and affectionate Timothy, 2 TIM. iii. 10, 11., H. P. 182, 3.) stood round about him, he rose up, restored at once by divine power to health, and came into the city (of Lystra): and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many,

- without any hindrance there, H. P. 182., probably aided by the influence of Gaius, himself then