Jewess or a Gentile, is not known; but she was not a Roman: for she was " of the city of Thyatira," in the Proconsular Asia, a seller of purple dye, or purple silks, in Philippi'. It will serve to show the minute accuracy of the sacred historian, that among the ruins of Thya

tira has been discovered an ancient Greek inscription, which makes mention of the dyers, as a corporation who set up the stone in honour of a distinguished man, in the days of Claudius Cæsar. Even at the present time, this place is celebrated for scarlet cloths, in which a considerable trade is carried on. The colour of imperial purple and scarlet has been thought to be the same hue. Lydia was probably a proselytess; for she kept the Sabbath, and attended a synagogue out of the town, "where prayer was wont to be made." It appears incidentally from Jewish writers, as well as from Christian fathers, that it was the custom of the Jews to have such oratories or places of prayer "by a river side," probably for the convenience of purification, because the laws probably would not permit Jews to exercise a strange religion within the city'. Lydia seems to have been a person of great piety and virtue, "whose heart the Lord opened;" and her faith gave admission to baptism to herself, and all her household. It appears that the Apostles baptized

5 Brown's Dict. 6 Dr. Hartwell Horne.

* Dr. Lightfoot. Dr. Whitby

whole families at once; and, as no mention is made in those passages, where this custom is mentioned, of adults only being baptized on any occasion, it is concluded that from this early period of the Church, children were baptized by them amongst others'.

SECT. CCXIV.—Paul and Silas imprisoned, and released. -Acts xvi. 16-40.

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AND it came to pass, in going to prayer, they were met by a damsel, possessed with a spirit of divination.' This was much practised as an art or trade among the heathen. There were always persons who took advantage of a sort of madness in individuals, which, when they met with it, they turned it to their profit'. The margin, and indeed the original Greek, expresses it here as "a spirit of Python," because the Greeks supposed this state of mind to be an inspiration from Apollo, whom they surnamed Pythias. In this instance God overruled this peculiar quality, whatever it was, constraining even the wicked spirits to bear testimony to the truth of Christ's religion*; for, on many days the same followed them, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation." The multitude might have imagined from such an attestation, that the woman was

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in league with the preachers of the Gospel, and that they were all impostors of the same kind, deserving alike rather their contempt, than their respect and attention. Paul saw this to be a proper time for employing a power which should overcome the spirit of evil: "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour;" and she was restored to her right mind". The exercise of these supernatural powers had brought much profit to "her masters, who saw that the hope of their gains were gone;" and, incensed at this, they denounced Paul and Silas to "the magistrates, saying, These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans." There does not appear to have been any express law of the Roman senate or emperors, under which such an accusation could have been justified, other than that which required them in every colony to worship the gods of their country. Certainly against these idolatrous practices Christianity was opposed'; and it may have been on this ground that the magistrates proceeded to have them stripped, and scourged, and cast into prison, in the hands of an austere and inhuman jailor, "who thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet Archbishop Sumner. Dr. Whitby.

5 Dr. Robinson.

fast in the stocks." Christ had forewarned His disciples that they would have to bear sufferings such as these: and Paul and Silas felt this; and, therefore, nothing discouraged by their painful situation, with their wounds undressed, and their feet fast in the stocks, they "prayed and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them "." While they were engaged in these exercises of devotion, the earth trembled; for "suddenly there was a great earthquake :" the prison was shaken to its foundation, the doors thrown open, and all the fetters of the prisoners were broken. No doubt but they might have been set free as quietly as Peter was, when he awoke from his sleep, and found himself at liberty. But God had mercy in store for the "keeper of the prison," and possibly for the fellow-prisoners also, who, it is expressly stated, had overheard the Apostle at his devotions. The earthquake which shook the foundations of the prison, shook also that which is often more hard to movethe stony heart. The "bands were loosed," which had held the prisoners' limbs; but that stronger hold, by which Satan held his prey, was loosed also. "Awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, the jailor drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried Abp. Sumner.

8 Dean Howard.

? Dr. Robinson.

1

with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." It is probable that he concluded at once their doctrine to be Divine, both from the extraordinary earthquake, and from their not having taken advantage of the open doors to effect their escape 2. The alarm thus given to his spirit, happily led this man, a stout-hearted sinner, when he "received such a charge," but now overwhelmed with fear and consternation, to run in and fall down at the feet of the very men whom he had so lately treated with contumely and cruelty, and to cry out in deep concern for his soul: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" How can I escape the vengeance of this power which protects you, and which, by severely handling you, I have provoked. The Apostles, who perceived that his contrition was sincere, availed themselves of this favourable opportunity to preach the Word of the Lord: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." The rest of the night was passed in acts of kindness towards the prisoners' by this "keeper of the prison," and in their explaining to him the several articles of the Christian faith, which he was to observe. Thus St. Paul did not require him to believe with an implicit faith, without knowing why or what he believed; but he required him to have

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Dean Howard.