29. Then fearing left we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30. And as the ship-men were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat in

to the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors

31. Paul faid to the centurion, and to the foldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye

cannot be saved.

29. For fear of Rocks, there- A. D. 62.

fore, they put out all Anchors
from the Stern, and lay by wish-
ing for Day-light to discover the
Shore.

30. They faw it next Morning, and the Mariners would have secretly got the Boat and made off; to cover which Design, they pretended to go down, and let another Anchor from the Ship-head. out of the fore-ship.

31. But Paul (most probably by divine Suggestion) knowing their Purpose, told the Captain, That tho he had afssured them,

by divine Information, their Lives were fafe, yet it was upon the natural Condition that every one should do his best Endeavour for it; and if he suffered the Mariners that were to guide the Ship, to go off and leave her, they should all be loft.

32. Then the foldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33. And while the day was coming on, Paul befought them all to take meat, faying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried, and continued fafting, having taken nothing. 34. Wherefore I pray you to take some

meat: for this is for

32. To prevent them therefore, the Captain ordered his Soldiers to cut the Boat off, and fet her a-drift.

33 & 34. Morning coming on, Paul advised the whole Crew to eat and drink a full Meal after their hard Labour, and very little Refreshment. You ought to do it (fays he) for your * Healths Sake, and the better to enable you to work for your Escape to Land; which, with God's Bleffing, and your own Endeavours, you will certainly do.

your

* Ver. 34. Πρὸς Τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας - For your Health, i. e. either in general, or it will strengthen you to swim and fave yourselves.

A. D. 62. your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head

of any of you.

35. And when he

had thus spoken, he
took bread, and gave
thanks to God in pre-
fence of them all,

and when he had

broken it, he began

to eat.

36. Then were they

all of good cheer, and they also took fome meat.

37. And we were in all in the ship, two hundred and

threescore and fixteen fouls.

38. And when they had eaten enough, they lighted the ship, and caft out the wheat

into the fea.

39. And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered certain creek, with

a

a

38. Then confiding in what Paul had faid, That the Ship would be loft, and they must escape for their Lives, they flung

their Provisions over-board.

39. Full Day-light being come, they could fee the Shore, but could not tell what Land it was, and feeing a Creek, they refolved to thrust into it if it were poffible.

shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

40. And when they

had taken up the an

chors, they commit-
ted themselves unto

the fea, and loofed the rudder-bands, and hoised up the main

fail to the wind, and made toward shore.

41. And falling in

41. But before they could reach quite into it, fell aground between two Seas, that beat the Stern apieces, while the Head lay faft.

to a place where two
seas met, they ran the
ship aground, and the
fore part stuck fast,
and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken
with the violence of the waves.

42. And the foldiers counsel was to kill

42. The Soldiers, seeing Things come to Extremity, advised the

the

Captain

the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

Captain to kill the Prisoners, that
so he might be answerable for
none of their Escapes.

43. But the centu-
rion, willing to save
Paul, kept them from
their purpose, and
commanded that they
which could swim, should cast themselves first into the sea,
and get to land:

43. But for Paul's Sake, he gave them all Leave that could swim, to make to Shore, and help the reft;

44. Who, with God's Assistance, swimming upon Planks and Wrecks, got every one of them safe to Shore.

44. And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship: and so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

CHAP. XXVII.
The CONTENTS.

Paul's Treatment in the Isle of Malta. Is bit by a Viper without Harm; and is taken for a Deity. The Governor's Father cured by Paul, with many others. He proteeds to Rome. Is met by fome Christians on the Road. Has only one Soldier to guard him, and freely converseth with his Friends. He preacheth to the Jews at Rome. The Success he had in it.

1.

G

NETTING thus all fafe A. D. 63.
I afhore, we foon learned ن

by the Inhabitants the Name of
the Island to be Melita (now cal-
led the Isle of Malta.)

2. Those barbarous and uncul-
tivated People, treated us with
unexpected Humanity, receiving
us into their Houses, and made
Fires to dry and warm us.

2. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

A. D. 63.

3. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the

4. And when the barbarians saw the ve

a

nomous beast on his
hand, they faid
mong themselves, No
doubt this man is a
murtherer, whom

3. As Paul was turning the Wood upon the Fire, a Viper fastned upon his Hand. heat, and fastned on his hand.

4. The ignorant Inhabitants knowing Paul to be a Prisoner' for fome supposed Crimes, and judging of every Thing merely by Events, concluded him to be a Malefactor indeed; and that

though he hath esca- though Providence had let him efcape the Sea, yet it had now overtaken him in an exemplary Manner.

ped the fea, yet ven-
geance suffereth not
to live.

5. And he shook off
the beast into the fire,
and felt no harm.

6. Howbeit, they looked when he should have swoln, or fallen down dead suddenly; but after they had looked a great while, and so no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and faid that he was a god.

7. In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who re

ceived us, and lodged

us three days courte-
oufly.

8. And it came to
pass, that the father
of Publius lay. fick of

a

5. Paul shook the Viper into the Fire, without the least Harm received by it.

6. But the People being acquainted with the desperate Venom of that Creature, expected he would foon have dropp'd for dead; but convinced by a sufficient Time, it had no Manner of Effect upon him, they concluded him to be a kind of * Deity.

7. Near to the Place where we got ashore, the Roman Governor Publius kept his Residence, who out of Respect to the Captain (Julius) that guarded us, fent

for us Home, and entertained us with great Civility.

8. The Governor's Father at that Time lay fick of a Fever, attended with a Dysentery, to whom

* 'Tis supposed by learned Men, that they took him to be Hercules.

a

whom Paul went, and by Prayer A. D. 63.
and Imposition of Hands restored
him immediately to perfect Health,

a fever, and of
bloody flux, to whom
Paul entred in, and
prayed, and laid his
hands on him, and healed him.

9. So when this was done, others also which had diseases in the ifsland, came, and

were healed:

ro. Who also honoured us with many honours, and when we departed, they laded us with fuch things as were necessary.

9. The Fame of which miraculous Cure, induced abundance of other People to bring their fick Friends to him, and he cured them all.

10. The People, in Gratitude for such Benefits, gave us Plenty of all Provisions, and at parting, furnished us with all Neceffaries for our Voyage.

11. At three Month's End we went aboard an Alexandrian that wintered in the Isle, call'd Castor and Pollux.

11. And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose fign was Castor and Pollux. 12. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 13. And from thence we fet a compass, and came to Rhegium; and after one day the fouth-wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli.

12, 13 & 14. Landing at Syracuse in Sicily, thence we turned a little, and touched at Rhegium, the first Port in Italy, and next Day, with a Southerly Wind, reached Puteoli; where some Christian Brethren requested us to stay a Week, and then we went by Land to Rome.

14. Where we found brethren, and were defired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

15. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as

far as Appii-forum, verns: whom when

15. The Roman Christians hearing of our Arrival in Italy, came to meet us, some as far as Appii-Forum, others as far as the Three-Taverns. For which great Expreffion of brotherly Kindness, Paul was very thankful both to God and to them.