solemnly and publicly ordained by the imposition of hands, before they undertake to minister in the Church, to whatever gifts or inward calling they may pretend; for none could ever pretend to any inward call to the ministry more than Saul and Barnabas might have done and no doubt the great reason why this their public ordination is so minutely described, is to prevent any future Christians from expecting that the Holy Ghost would ordain them Himself, when He would not even ordain such men as Saul and Barnabas, but left them to the Church'. It is clearly not sufficient for persons to "have the call of the Spirit;" but they must likewise be called to the exercise of the ministerial function by men, themselves duly dedicated to it".

SECT.CCIV.-Sergius Paulus and Elymas the Sorcerer.Acts xiii. 4-12.

64

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus." Seleucia was the sea-port of Antioch, a city built by Seleucus, the first Greek king of Syria, on the Mediterranean sea'. Cyprus is a well-known island, in the eastern part of the same sea, about one hundred miles distant from the Phenician coast, and opposite to Cilicia. It was at this time a very beautiful and important country, emi'Bp. Beveridge. 2 Stackhouse. 3 Dr. Wells. 'Bp. Pearce.

nently fertile in all kinds of productions suited to its climate; and once sustained a population of two millions of inhabitants. It had many considerable cities, of which Salamis and Paphos, here mentioned, were the chief". "When these Apostles were at Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews," of whom there were great numbers in the island. It was probably for this reason, rather than because it was the native country of Barnabas, that they went thither: their Divine Master having enjoined His Apostles to go "first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel "." "And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus." It is stated, a little further on, that "Elymas the Sorcerer is his name by interpretation." It seems that Elymas is the Arabic word for a magician'; and, as it is an unusual thing for the Evangelists to render a Hebrew name by an Arabic one, it has been thought that this man was a native of some place or country, where the Arabic was the mother tongue, inhabited by Jews also, that used their own language, and from thence he known by this twofold name. raised prophets in the Christian

3 Pictorial Bible.

' Dr. Hammond.

came to be

God having Church, and

6 Dr. Stack.

* Dr. Lightfoot.

given His Apostles, and the other teachers of His Word, a power to confirm it with mighty signs and miracles, the Jews, who opposed Christianity, pretended also to be prophets, and to work miracles by magical arts'. This man appears to have obtained the favour of the great men of the country; for he "was with the Deputy, (or Proconsul,) Sergius Paulus." It has been thought by sceptics that Cyprus was not such a province as gave the title of Proconsul to its governor; but it appears from history that Cyprus had been assigned by the Emperor to the Senate of Rome in exchange for some other province: so that at this time the title of Proconsul was appropriate'. "Sergius Paulus, a prudent man," of good sense and understanding, expressed a desire to "hear the Word of God;" and, hearing that ministers of religion were in his island, he neither opposed nor despised their doctrine, but "called for Barnabas and Saul." He had wisdom to see that the subject was important, and ought not to be treated with neglect; but the false prophet perceived that his livelihood would be in danger, if the doctrine which these Apostles preached were listened to: so he "withstood them, seeking to turn away the Deputy from the faith "." Imme

9 Dr. Whitby.

2

Bishop Pearce.

1 Archdeacon Paley.
'Archbishop Sumner.

diately, however, at the word of "Saul, who also is called Paul," this vile opposer of Christianity, who laboured to keep others in spiritual darkness, was struck blind; "and he went about, seeking some to lead him by the hand"." This effect, instantly following the words of Paul, "astonished the Deputy when he saw what was done," and he was induced, without further hesitation, to embrace the Christian faith. This man is the first absolute heathen whom we read of as having done so, for the previous conversions of the Roman Centurion, and Candaces' chamberlain, had been grafted, as it were, on some previous knowledge of the Scriptures. Here the name of Paul is first given by St. Luke to the Apostle; and by this name only is he always subsequently mentioned. By his parentage he was a Jew, and so called Saul; but, withal, he was a free denizen of Rome, and thence called Paul. The Apostle having hitherto conversed chiefly amongst the Jews, retained his Jewish name; but, as he is now to act in the character of the declared Apostle of the Gentiles, and has earned the first-fruits of his ministry among them, he is henceforth called by his Gentile name. It has been thought by some that he took the name of Paul, out of deference to the Proconsul, his first illustrious convert, and by others, that he 5 Dean Howard. • Dr. Lightfoot.

4

Dr. Robinson.

6

might have been the first who addressed or spoke to him by the name of Paul; but in this we should discover nothing of the Apostle's usual character; and it is remarkable that the Evangelist gives him this name before he records or notices the conversion of the Proconsul".

SECT. CCV.-Mark leaves Paul and returns to Jerusalem.Acts xiii. 13.

"Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos they came to Perga in Pamphylia." This was a city and province opposite the western extremity of Cyprus, where Paul embarked. The city was famous among the heathens for a Temple of Diana, and for yearly festivals held in honour of that goddess. Whether it were by accident or design, it is to be remarked that Barnabas and Paul made their first journey to the heathen, with Christianity in their hand, into the very head-quarters of their superstitions. Salamis, in Cyprus, was famous for its temple to Jupiter; and in the same island was so renowned a temple to Venus, that one of her common and well-known titles was the Cyprian and Paphian goddess'.

When Paul and Barnabas first set out on their mission, "they had also John to their minister;" and now in Pamphylia it is said, John, departing from them, returned to Jeru

9

7 Pictorial Bible.

8 Dr. Wells.

" Pictorial Bible.