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THE

TRAVELS AND VOYAGES

OF

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SAINT PAUL.

AINT PAUL was a native of Tarsus, the metropolis of Cilicia, a city famous for riches

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and learning, and where the inhabitants enjoyed the liberties of Roman citizens; which advantage, St. Paul afferted afterwards before Festus, as the privilege of his birth-right. He was born about two years before CHRIST, and belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest fon of Jacob.

The first action we find him engaged in, was the difputation he had with the martyr Stephen, whose death he confented to, keeping the raiment of them that New him. Our Apostle afterwards became a great enemy to the Christian faith, and profecuted all its profeffors with the utmost fury at Jerufalem. Having thus made great havock of the church in that city, he procured a commission of the high-priest and council, to seize, bind, and imprison all Chriftians at Damascus, andto bring them to Jerufalem.

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But in the midst of his bloody career, he was miraculously converted by a voice from heaven, and three days after, was baptized by Ananias, a devout man, and one of the seventy disciples, at Damascus, where he preached that gospel which he had fo lately fought to destroy, to the very great aftonishment of those who knew on what occasion he was fent thither.

ST. PAUL did not stay long at Damascus after his converfion; but retired into Arabia Petrea, and, having preached some time there, returned again to Damascus, where he staid three years.

The malice of the Jews, being incensed for having loft so confiderable a champion, pursued him close. They contrived all possible means to dispatch him; and, after many other stratagems in vain, made their request to the governor, under Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea, (into whose hands, by the defeat of Herod's army, that city had now fallen) that he would gratify them in his destruction. The gates were day and night most strictly guarded, to prevent his escape; but the disciples let him down over the city-wall in a basket.

He now went up to Jerufalem; where he met with Peter, and James the Lord's brother, and abode with them fifteen days, speaking boldly in the name of Jesus, and disputing with the Greeks, who also had consulted how they might kill him; but PAUL praying in the temple, had a trance, in which the Lord bad him depart from Jerusalem, fince they'd not receive his teftimony; adding, that he would fend him to the Gentiles.

PAUL, therefore, left Jerusalem, and, coming to Cesarea Philippi, he fet fail for his native city of Tarsus; from whence, in company with Barnabas, he went to Antioch, the capital of Pisidia, where he continued a whole year, converting multitudes to the faith. Here it was that the disciples first obtained that honourable title of Christians.

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PAUL and Barnabas afterwards set forward in their preaching the gospel, planting the Christian faith in Seleucia, Cyprus, and other places. At Paphos, (a city in Cyprus) they converted Sergius Paulus, the governor of the island; where Bar-Jefus, a Jewish impoftor, who styled himself Elymas, withstanding them, was, at Paul's request, struck blind.

From Cyprus, ST. PAUL repaired to Perga in Pamphilia, and, taking Titus with him, travelled to Antioch, where the Gentiles believe, but the Jews gainsay. Whereupon they turned to the Gentiles, and came to Iconium, the metropolis of Lycaonia, a province of Leffer Afia; and after some stay here, the malice of the Jews pursuing them hither also, caused them to flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lyconia. At Lystra, upon PAUL's healing a cripple, the mob called out, the gods are come down; and bringing sacrifices, they would needs have honoured them therewith, calling BARNABAS Jupiter, and PAUL Mercury. But they are foon exafperated against them by the perverse spite of the Jews from Antioch, and stone Paul, dragging him out of their city for dead; who, coming again to himself, departed next day with Barnabas to Derbe, where he did not continue long, but returned into Syria and Cilicia.

PAUL afterwards coming to Derbe, took Timothy, a young man just converted, with him; and, in a vision, is directed to go into Macedonia. Paffing, therefore, through Phrygia, he took ship, and came to Samothracia, an island in the Agean Sea, not far from Thrace; and the next day to Neapolis, a port of Macedonia. Leaving Neapolis, he repaired to Philippi, the metropolis of that part of Macedonia, and a Roman colony, where he staid some days, and converted Lydia, and cast out of a maid-fervant a spirit of divination, which had brought her master confiderable gain.

Upon this the master complained to the magistrates, who severely scourged and imprisoned them.

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