29. Then fearing left we fhould have fallen upon rocks, they caft four anchors out of the ftern, and wished for the day. 30. And as the fhip-men were about to flee out of the fhip, when they had let down the boat into the fea, under colour as though they would have caft anchors 31. Paul faid to the centurion, and to the foldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved. 29. For fear of Rocks, there- A. D. 62. fore, they put out all Anchors from the Stern, and lay by wishing for Day-light to difcover the Shore. 30. They faw it next Morning, and the Mariners would have fecretly got the Boat and made off; to cover which Defign, they pretended to go down, and let another Anchor from the Ship-head. out of the fore-fhip. 31. But Paul (most probably by divine Suggeftion) knowing their Purpofe, told the Captain, That tho' he had affured them, by divine Information, their Lives were fafe, yet it was upon the natural Condition that every one fhould do his best Endeavour for it; and if he fuffered 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, fay ing, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried, and continued fafting, having taken nothing. 34. Wherefore I pray you to take fome 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 ftrengthen you to fwim and fave yourselves. A. D. 62. your health: for there fhall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. broken it, he began to eat. 36. Then were they 35, 36 & 37. And he to encourage them the more, ordered the Table to be spread, faid Grace before them all, and then began to eat; they all followed and Satisfaction in the Hopes he his Example with Chearfulness had given them. all of good cheer, and they alfo took fome meat. 37. And we were in all in the ship, two hundred and threefcore and fixteen fouls. 38. And when they had eaten enough, they lighted the fhip, and caft out the wheat into the sea. 39. And when it not the land: a certain creek, with 38. Then confiding in what Paul had faid, That the Ship would be loft, and they must efcape for their Lives, they flung their Provifions 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. minded, if it were poffible, to thrust in 40. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto 40. And accordingly weighed Anchor, hoifted Sail, and try'd for it. the fea, and loofed the rudder-bands, and hoifed up the main fail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41. And falling into a place where two feas met, they ran the ship aground, and the fore part stuck fast, 41. But before they could reach. quite into it, fell aground between two Seas, that beat the Stern apieces, while the Head lay fast. and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42. And the foldi- 42. The Soldiers, feeing Things ers counsel was to kill come to Extremity, advised the Captain the the prisoners, left any of them fhould fwim out, and escape. 43. But the centurion, willing to fave Paul, kept them from their purpose, commanded that they and Captain to kill the Prifoners, that 43. But for Paul's Sake, he which could fwim, fhould caft themselves first into the fea, and get to land: 44. Who, with God's Affiftance, fwimming upon Planks and Wrecks, got every one of them fafe to Shore. 44. And the reft, fome on boards, and fome on broken pieces of the hip and fo it came to pass, that they escaped all fafe 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 Succefs he had in it. 1.AND when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. G ETTING thus all fafe A. D. 63. afhore, we foon learned by the Inhabitants the Name of the Inland to be Melita (now called the Isle of Malta.)` 2. And the barba- 2. Those barbarous and unculrous people fhewed us tivated People, treated us with no little kindness: for unexpected Humanity, receiving they kindled a fire, us into their Houfes, and made and received us every Fires to dry and warm us. one, because of the prefent rain, and becaufe of the cold, A. D. 63. 3. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of fticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastned on his hand. 4. And when the barbarians faw the venomous beast on his hand, they faid a mong themselves, No doubt this man is a murtherer, whom though he hath efcaped the fea, yet vengeance fuffereth not to live. 5. And he fhook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6. Howbeit, they to him, they changed 7. In the fame quar- ceived us, and lodged 8. And it came to a 4. The ignorant Inhabitants knowing Paul to be a Prisoner for fome fuppofed Crimes, and judging of every Thing merely by Events, concluded him to be a Malefactor indeed; and that though Providence had let him efcape the Sea, yet it had now overtaken him in an exemplary Manner. 5. Paul fhook the Viper into the Fire, without the leaft Harm received by it. 6. But the People being acquainted with the defperate Venom of that Creature, expected he would foon have dropp'd for dead; but convinced by a fufficient 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 afhore, the Roman Governor Publius kept his Refidence, who out of Refpect 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 fuppofed by learned Men, that they took him to be Hercules. whom Paul went, and by Prayer A. D. 63. a fever, and of 9. So when this was done, others alfo which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: ro. Who alfo honoured us with many honours, and when we departed, they laded us with fuch things as were neceffary. him. 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 fuch Benefits, gave us Plenty of all Provifions, and at parting, furnifhed us with all Neceffaries for our Voyage. 11. At three Month's End we went aboard an Alexandrian that wintered in the Ifle, call'd Caftor and Pollux, 11. And after three months we departed in a fhip of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose fign was Caftor and Pollux. 12. And landing at Syracufe, we tarried there three days. 13. And from thence we fet a compafs, 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 Syracufe in Sicily, thence we turned a little, and touched at Rhegium, the firft Port in Italy, and next Day, with a Southerly Wind, reached Puteoli; where some Chriftian Brethren requested us to ftay 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. |