salem;" why John, or, as he is more generally called, St. Mark, departed from them at this time is not related here. But Paul appears to have been so much dissatisfied with him for quitting them, that afterwards, when Barnabas would have again had him "to their minister," 66 'Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.” Whether it were that he heard of Peter's trouble and danger from Herod's tyranny, which made him desirous to return to Jerusalem; (for that he was especially attached to Peter may be collected as well as from the salutation at the end of St. Peter's first epistle, as from his showing himself so well acquainted with his house on his escape from prison, that it was the first place he made for;) or whether in regard to this attachment to him, who was the minister of the circumcision, he had shared some of his prejudices, and would not go among all the idolatries of the Gentiles, into which we have seen Paul and Barnabas had selected the very thickest to work amongst; or whether he did not concur with what they of the uncircumcision did and permitted, to the Gentile converts'; or whether he both doubted the propriety of thus receiving idolatrous heathens into the communion of the Church, and also shrunk from the

1 Dr. Lightfoot.

labour and hardship of the work, we are not informed, and therefore may presume the real motive to be unimportant for us to know. We may conclude that St. Paul was afterwards

reconciled to him from the manner in which he mentions him a long time after this dispute; when writing to Timothy, he says, "Take Mark, and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry."

SECT. CCVI.-Paul preacheth at Antioch in Pisidia.Acts xiii. 14-52.

"AND when they departed from Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia." This was one of the cities built by Seleucus, in honour of his father Antiochus, situated in Pisidia, a small province in Asia Minor3. "And they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down." This was the ordinary custom for such as taught or preached, so that the rulers of the synagogue, even if they had no other knowledge of Barnabas and Saul, would very naturally address them as they did, saying, "Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." It is expressly said that this was not done to them until "after the reading of the law and the prophets." The usual service of the synagogue commenced with prayer, then followed the reading of the Law and the prophets, all which 'Dr. Lightfoot.

2 Dean Howard.

3 Dr. Wells.

was done by the regularly appointed officers of the synagogue; but, after that the reading and expounding were over, any person of learning and knowledge in the Scriptures might address himself to the people upon what moral or Divine subject he thought proper, and this was a compliment especially paid to strangers, as in the example before us. Accordingly, Paul took this opportunity, in a long discourse, to show, that Jesus was the true Messiah foretold by the prophets, and declared by John the Baptist: that although He was barbarously treated, crucified, and slain, they had fulfilled the prophets in "condemning Him" to those sufferings: that God raised Him from the dead, "in order that the promise which was made unto the fathers might be fulfilled in their children, in that He, whom God raised up, should see no corruption," as Lazarus and the widow's son did; for "in that He hath raised up Jesus from the dead now no more to see corruption, He saith on this wise, Thou shalt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption," which was a distinguishing privilege, above that of any other person miraculously restored to life, who all returned again to the dark prison of the grave. By this man, therefore, "is preached the forgiveness of sins," which could never be attained by the Law of Moses, but is obtained by the sacri

5 Stackhouse.

6

• Pyle.

fice of His death; accordingly, it nearly concerned them as a matter of the last importance not to neglect so great a salvation'; lest they should come under the same character wherein the prophet described their forefathers in Manasseh's time, and, for a still more wicked obstinacy and contempt against God, be at last cut off by a more exemplary and amazing destruction than that of the Babylonish captivity; alluding very probably to their approaching final destruction by the Romans. This audience heard Paul with great attention, and "when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed him and Barnabas;" but "the Gentiles besought them that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath." These Gentiles were probably such as had been "Gentiles," and had become "religious proselytes." And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God," which, when the unbelieving Jews saw, such was their envy and despite, that they "spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." The Apostles seeing this difference of effect upon the Jews and the Gentiles, whom they were addressing, "waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken to you," that is, to those * Pyle.

7 Stackhouse.

66

of the seed of Abraham who hear me; "but, seeing ye put it from you, lo! we turn to the Gentiles." This speech, of course, only referred to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia; for it would not have been reasonable that the Jews of other places should be deprived of the Gospel for the perverseness of those at this place; and accordingly we find St. Paul still preaching to them after this in the synagogue of every city into which he came 9. "And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad," and as many as were duly prepared and disposed in their hearts for the doctrines of eternal life, with readiness received the Word, and became Christians'. The Jews, however, had influence enough to stir up the persons of the highest quality in the city against the Apostles, and "expelled them out of their coasts." 'But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium." The Jews held the dust of heathen lands to be polluted; and, in using this significant action, (as they had been directed by our Saviour to do,) they showed that they considered these unbelieving Israelites in the light of heathens'. Iconium was the chief city of Lycaonia, another province of Asia Minor, lying north-east of Pisidia 3.

Bishop Mann.

3 Dr. Wells.