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They are wrecked on Melita,

A. M. cir. 4066.
A. D. cir. 62.

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38 And when they had eaten || forepart stuck fast, and remained
unmoveable, but the hinder part was
broken with the violence of the waves.

An. Olymp. enough, they lightened the ship, and
cir. CCX. 2. cast out the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

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40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the

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• Or, cut the anchors, they left them in the sea, &c.

Verse 38. They lightened the ship] They hoped, that by casting out the lading, the ship would draw less water; in consequence of which, they could get nearer the shore.

A. M.cir. 4066.

A. D. cir. 62. An. Olymp. cir. CCX. 2.

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape.

43 But the centurion, 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 :

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.

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b 2 Cor. 11. 25. ver. 22.

from each side of the tongue of land, mentioned ver. 39. and meeting at the point.

Ran the ship aground] In striving to cross at this point of land, they had not taken a sufficiency of sea-room, and therefore ran aground.

The forepart stuck fast] Got into the sands; and perhaps the shore here was very bold or steep, so that the stem of the vessel might be immersed in the quicksands, which

Verse 39. They knew not the land] And therefore knew neither the nature of the coast, nor where the proper port lay. A-creek with a shore] Koλnov, sinus, a bay, with a shore; a neck of land perhaps on either side, running out into the sea, and this little bay or gulph between them; though some think it was a tongue of land, running out into the sea, hav-||would soon close round it, while the stern, violently agitated ing the sea on both sides, at the point of which these two seas met, ver. 41. There is such a place as this in the island of Malta, where tradition says, Paul was shipwrecked; and which is called, la Cale de St. Paul. See Calmet.

with the surge, would soon be broken to pieces. It is extremely difficult to find the true meaning of several of the nautical terms used in this chapter. I have given that which appeared to me to be the most likely; but cannot absolutely say, that I have every where hit the true meaning.

Verse 42. The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners] What blood-thirsty cowardly villains must these have been! Though, through the providence of God, those poor men had escaped a watery grave, and had borne all the anxiety and distresses of this disastrous voyage, as well as the others; now, that there is a likelihood of all getting safe to land,

Verse 40. Taken up the anchors] Weighed all the anchors that they had cast out of the stern. Some think the meaning of the word is, they slipped their cables; and so left the anchors in the sea. This opinion is expressed in the margin. Loosed the rudder bands] Or, the bands of the rudders; for large vessels in ancient times had two or more rudders, one at the side, and another at the stern, and sometimes one at the prow. The bands, LeunTyping, were some kind of fast-that could swim; lest these should swim to shore, and so enings, by which the rudders were hoisted some way out of escape, those men, whose trade was in human blood, desired the water; for, as they could be of no use in the storm, and to have them massacred! We have not many traits in the should there come fair weather, the vessel could not do with-histories of the most barbarous nations, that can be a proper out them, this was a prudent way of securing them from be-counter-part to this quintessence of humano-diabolic cruelty. ing broken to pieces by the agitation of the waves. These bands being loosed, the rudders would fall down into their proper places, and serve to steer the vessel into the creek, which they now had in view.

Heised up the mainsail] Aprauova is not the mainsail (which would have been quite improper on such an occasion) but the jib, or triangular sail, which is suspended from the fore-mast to the bowsprit; with this, they might hope both to steer and carry in the ship.

Verse 41. Where two seas met] The tide running down

Verse 43. Willing to save Paul, &c.] Had one fallen, for the reasons those cruel and dastardly soldiers gave, so must all the rest. The centurion saw that Paul was not only an innocent, but an extraordinary and divine man; and therefore, for his sake, he prevented the massacre; and unloosing every man's bonds, he commanded those that could, to swim ashore and escape. It is likely that all the soldiers escaped in this way; for it was one part of the Roman military discipline, to teach the soldiers to swim. Verse 41. And the rest]

That could not swim: some on

Observations on some remarkable

THE ACTS.

facts in the preceding chapter.

boards, planks, spars, &c. got safe to land; manifestly by || striking interferences of God; and had it not been for the an especial providence of God; for, how otherwise could shipwreck, probably the inhabitants of Malta would not so the sick, the aged, the terrified, besides women and children, || soon have heard of the Christian religion. God serves his (of which, we may naturally suppose, there were some) though on planks, get safe to shore? where still the waves were violent, ver. 41. and they, without either skill or power to steer their unsafe flotillas to the land? It was (in this case, most evidently,) God, who brought them to the haven where they would be.

1. Paul had appealed to Cæsar; and he must go to Rome to have his cause heard. God admitted of this appeal, and told his servant that he should testify of him at Rome; and yet every thing seemed to conspire together to prevent this appeal, and the testimony which the apostle was to bear to the truth of the Christian religion. The Jews laid wait for his life; and when he had escaped out of their hands, and from their territories, then the winds and the sea seemed to combine to effect his destruction. And God suffered all this malice of men, and war of elements, to fight against his servant, and yet overruled and counterworked the whole, so as to promote his own glory, and bring honour to his apostle. Had it not been for this malice of the Jews, Festus, Felix, Agrippa, Berenice, and many Roman nobles and officers, had probably never heard the gospel of Christ. And had it not been for Paul's tempestuous voyage, the 276 souls that sailed with him could not have had such displays of the power and wisdom of the Christians' God, as must have struck them with reverence, and probably was the cause of the conversion of many. Had the voyage been smooth and prosperous, there would have been no occasion for such

will by every occurrence, and presses every thing into the service of his own cause. This is a remark which we have often occasion to make, and which is ever in place. We may leave the government of the world and the government of the church most confidently to God: hitherto he has done all things well; and his wisdom, power, goodness, and truth, are still the same.

2. In considering the dangers of a sea voyage we may well say with pious Quesnel, To what perils do persons expose themselves, either to raise a fortune, or to gain a livelihood? How few are there who would expose themselves to the same for the sake of God? They commit themselves to the mercy of the waves; they trust their life to a plank and to a pilot; and yet it is often with great difficulty that they can trust themselves to the Providence of God, whose knowledge, power, and goodness, are infinite; and the visible effects of which they have so many times experienced.

3. What assurance soever we may have of the will of God; The life of all the yet we must not forget human' means. persons in this ship was given to St. Paul; yet he does not, on that account, expect a visible miracle, but depends upon the blessing which God will give to the care and endeavours of men.

4. God fulfils his promises, and conceals his almighty power, under such means and endeavours as seem altogether human and natural. Had the crew of this vessel neglected any means in their own power, their death would have been the consequence of their inaction and infidelity.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

St. Paul, and the rest of the crew, getting safely ashore, find that the island on which they were shipwrecked is called Melita, 1. They are received with great hospitality by the inhabitants, 2. A viper comes out of the bundle of sticks laid on the fire, and seizes on Paul's hand, 3. The people seeing this, suppose him to be a murderer, and thus pursued by divine vengeance, 4. Having shook it off his hand, without receiving any damage, they change their minds, and suppose him to be a god, 5, 6. Publius, the governor of the island, receives them courteously, and Paul miraculously heals his father, who was ill of a fever, &c. 7, 8. He heats several others also, who honour them much, and give them presents, 9, 10. After three months' stay, they embark in a ship of Alexandria, land at Syracuse, stay there three days, sail thence, pass the streights of Rhegium, and land at Puteoli; find some Christians there, tarry seven days, and set forward for Rome, 11—14. They are met at Appii Forum by some Christians, and Paul is greatly encouraged, 15. They come to Rome, and Julius delivers his prisoners to the captain of the guard, who permits Paul to dwell by himself, only attended by the soldier that kept him, 16. Paul calls the chief Jews together, and states his case to them, 17—20. They desire to hear him concerning the faith of Christ, 21, 22. and having appointed unto him a day, he expounds to them the kingdom of Christ, 23. Some believe, and some disbelieve; and Paul informs them, that, because of their unbelief and disobedience, the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, 25-29. Paul dwells two years in his own hired house, preaching the kingdom of God, 30, 31.

They are kindly received by

A. M. cir. 4066. A. D. cir. 62. Au. Olymp. cir. CCX. 2.

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M.cir.4066.

AND when they were escaped, 2 And the barbarous people shew- A. D. cir. 62.

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then they knew that the island ed us no little kindness for they An. Olymp. was called Melita. kindled a fire, and received us every

eir. CCX. 2.

. Ch. 27. 26.

Rom. 1. 14. 1 Cor. 14. 11. Col. 3. 11.

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NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIII.

Verse 1. They knew that the island was called Melita.] There were two islands of this name, one in the Adriatic Gulph, or Gulph of Venice, on the coast of Illyrium, and near to Epidaurus; the other in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and Africa, and now called Malta. It is about fifty miles from the coast of Sicily; twenty miles long, and twelve miles in its greatest breadth; and about sixty miles in circumference. It is one immense rock of white soft freestone, with about one foot depth of earth on an average, and most of this has been brought from Sicily! It produces cotton, excellent fruits, and fine honey; from which it appears, the island originally had its name; for Meλ meli, and in the genitive case MEXITOS Melitos, signifies honey. Others suppose, that it derived its name from the Phoenicians, who establised a colony in it; and made it a place of refuge, when they extended their traffic to the ocean, because it was furnished with excellent harbours (on the E. and W. shores :) hence, in their tongue, it would be called Meliteh, escape or refuge, from v malat, to escape. The Phoacians were probably the first inhabitants of this island: they were expelled by the Phænicians; the Phoenicians by the Greeks; the Greeks by the Carthaginians; the Carthaginians by the Romans, who possessed it in the time of the apostle; the Romans by the Goths; the Goths by the Saracens; the Saracens by the Sicilians, under Roger earl of Sicily, in 1190. Charles V. emperor of Germany, took possession of it by his conquest of Naples and Sicily; and he gave it in 1525 to the Knights of Rhodes, who are also called the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1798, this island surrendered to the French, under Buonaparte; and in 1800, after a blockade of two years, the island being reduced by famine, surrendered to the British, under whose dominion it still remains (1814). Every thing considered, there can be little doubt that this is the Melita, at which St. Paul was wrecked, and not that other island in the Adriatic, or Venetian Gulph, as high up northward as Illyrium. The following reasons make this greatly evident: 1. Tradition has unvaryingly asserted this as the place of the apostle's shipwreck. 2. The island in the Venetian Gulph, in favour of which Mr. Bryant so learnedly contends, is totally out of the track in which the euroclydon must have driven the vessel. 3. It is said in ver. 11. of this chapter, that another ship of Alexandria, bound as we must suppose for Italy, and very probably carrying wheat thither, as St. Paul's vessel did, (chap. xxvii. 38) had been driven out of its course of sailing

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by stress of weather, up to the Illyrium Melita, and had been for that cause obliged to winter in the isle. Now, this is a supposition, which, as I think, is too much of a supposition to be made. 4. In St. Paul's voyage to Italy from Melita, on board the Alexandrian ship that had wintered there, he and his companions landed at Syracuse, ver. 12, 13. and from thence went to Rhegium. But if it had been the Illyrian Melita, the proper course of the ship would have been, first, to Rhegium, before it reached Syracuse, and needed not to have gone to Syracuse at all whereas, in a voyage from the present Malta to Italy, it was necessary to reach Syracuse in Sicily, before the ship could arrive at Rhegium in Italy. See the Map accompanying this part; and see Bp. Pearce, from whom I have extracted the two last arguments.

That Malta was possessed by the Phænicians, before the Romans conquered it, Bochart has largely proved; and indeed the language to the present day, notwithstanding all the political vicissitudes through which the island has passed, bears sufficient evidence of its Punic origin. In the year 1761, near a place called Ben Ghisa, in this island, a sepulchral cave was discovered, in which was a square stone, with an inscription in Punic or Phoenician characters, on which Sir Wm. Drummond has written a learned essay, (London, Valpy, 1810, 4to.) which he supposes marks the burial-place, at least of the ashes of the famous Carthaginian General Hannibal. I shall give this inscription in Samaritan charac ters, as being the present form of the ancient Punic, with Sir Wm. Drummond's translation:

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"The inner chamber of the sanctuary of the sepulchre of Hannibal,

Illustrious in the consummation of calamity.
He was beloved,

The people lament, when arrayed
In order of battle,

Hannibal the son of Bar-Melec."

As this is a curious piece, and one of the largest remains

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of the Punic language now in existence; and as it helps to ascertain the ancient inhabitants of this island, I thought it not improper to insert it here. For the illustration of this, and several other points of Punic antiquity, I must refer the curious reader to the Essay itself.

Verse 2. The barbarous people] We have already seen that this island was peopled by the Phœnicians, or Carthaginians, as Bochart has proved. Phaleg chap. xxvi. and their ancient language was no doubt in use among them at that time, though mingled with some Greek and Latin terms; and this language must have been unintelligible to the Romans and the Greeks. With these, as well as with other nations, it was customary to call those Baplapoi barbarians, whose language they did not understand. St. Paul himself speaks after this manner in 1 Cor. xiv. 11. If I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh, a Barbarian; and he that speaketh shall be a BARBARIAN unto me. Thus Herodotus also, lib. ii. 158. says Bapapous παντας Αιγυπτιοι καλεουσι τους μη σφι ομογλωσσους• The Egyptians call all those BARBARIANS who have not the same language with themselves. And Ovid, when among the

Getes, says in Trist. ver. 10.

BARBARUS hic ego sum, quia non INTELLIGOr ulli. “Here, I am a barbarian, for no person understands me.” Various etymologies have been given of this word. I think, that of Bp. Pearce the best. The Greeks who traded with the Phœnicians, formed this word from their observing, that the Phoenicians were generally called by the name of their parent, with the word bar prefixed to that name; as we find, in the New Testament, men called Bar-Jesus, BarTholomeus, Bar-Jonas, Bar-Timeus, &c. Hence the Greeks called them Bap-Expol, meaning the men who are called Bar Bar, or have no other names than what begin with Bar. And because the Greeks did not understand the language of the Phoenicians, they first, and the Romans in imitation of them, gave the name of Barbarians to all such as talked in a language to which they were strangers." No other etymology need be attempted; this is its own proof; and the Bur-melec in the preceding epitaph, is at least collateral evidence. The word barbarian is therefore no term of re

proach in itself; and was not so used by ancient authors, however fashionable it may be to use it so now.

Because of the present rain and—of the cold.] This must have been some time in October; and when we consider the time of the year, the tempestuousness of the weather, and their escaping to shore on planks, spars, &c. wet of course to the skin, they must have been very cold, and have needed all the kindness that these well-disposed people shewed them. In some parts of christianized Europe, the inhabitants would have attended on the beach, and knocked the survivors on the head, that they might convert the wreck to their own use! This barbarous people did not act in this way: they joined hands with God, to make these sufferers live.

Verse 3. There came a viper out of the heat] We may naturally suppose that there had been fuel laid before on the fire, and that the viper was in this fuel, and that it had been revived by the heat; and when St. Paul laid his bundle on the fire, the viper was then in a state to lay hold on his hand.

Verse 4. The venomous beast] To Orpion, the venomous animal; for θηρια is a general name among the Greek writers for serpents, vipers, scorpions, wasps, and such like creatures. Though the viper fastened on Paul's hand, it does not appear that it really bit him; but the Maltese supposed that it had, because they saw it fasten on his hand.

Vengeance suffereth not to live.] These heathens had a general knowledge of retributive justice; and they thought that the stinging of the serpent was a proof that Paul was a murderer. There is a passage in Bamidbar Rabba, fol. 239. that casts some light on this place. "Although the sanhedrin is ceased, yet are not the four deaths ceased. For he that deserves stoning, either falls from his house, or a wild beast tears and devours him. He that deserves burning, either falls into the fire, or a serpent bites him. He that deserves cutting off with the sword, is either betrayed into the power of · a heathen kingdom, or the robbers break in upon him. He that deserves strangling, is either suffocated in the water, or dies of a quinsy.” ́ See Lightfoot.

As these people were heathens, it is not likely that they had any correct notion of the justice of the true God; and therefore it is most probable that they used the word dixy, not to express the quality or attribute of any being, but the goddess Diké, or vindictive justice, herself, who is represented as punishing the iniquities of men.

Paul miraculously heals the governor's CHAP. XXVIII.

A. M. cır. 4066.

A. D. cir. 62.

father, who was ill of a fever.

5 And he shook off the beast into Publius; who received us, and lodged A. M.cir.4066. us three days courteously.

An. Olymp. the fire, and felt no harm.

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Hesiod makes a goddess of what the Maltese called Ax, or justice:

Η δε τε παρθενος εσι ΔΙΚΗ, Διος εκγεγαυία,
Κυόνη τ' αιδοίη τε θεοίς, οι Ολυμπον έχουσιν
Και ρ' οποτ' αν τις μιν βλάπτη σκολίως ονοτάζων.
Αυτίκα παρ Διι πατρι καθεζόμενη Κρονίωνι
Γηρυετ' ανθρώπων αδικον νόον

Hesiod. Opera, ver. 254.
JUSTICE, unspotted maid, derived from Jove,
Renown'd and reverenc'd by the gods above:
When mortals violate her sacred laws,
When judges hear the bribe and not the cause,
Close by her parent God, behold her stand,
And urge the punishment their sins demand.

COOKE.

Verse 5. Shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.] This is a presumptive evidence, that the viper did not bite St. Paul: it fastened on his hand, but had no power to injure him.

Verse 6. When he should have swollen] unpartai, when he should have been inflamed; by means of an acrid poison introduced into the blood, it is soon coagulated; and in consequence, the extremities of the vessels become obstructed, strong inflammation takes place, and all the parts become most painfully swollen.

A. D. cir. 62.1 An. Olymp. cir. CCX. 2.

8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

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d

9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

d Mark 6. 5. & 7. 32. & 16. 18. Luke 4. 40. ch. 19. 11, 12. 1 Cor. 12. 9, 28.

The puffy poison spreads and heaves around,
Till all the man is in the monster drowned.

ROWE.

See other examples, in the notes on Numb. xxi. 6.

Verse 6. Said that he was a god.] As Hercules was one of the gods of the Phoenicians, and was worshipped in Malta under the epithet of Axeğixaxos, the dispeller of evil, they probably thought that Paul was Hercules; and the more so, because Hercules was famous for having destroyed, in his youth, two serpents that attacked him in his cradle.

Verse 7. The chief man of the island] The term πρwτos CHIEF, used here by St. Luke, was the ancient title of the governor of this island, as is evident from an inscription found in Malta, which runs thus:

Λ. κ. υιος κυρ. ιππεύς ρωμ. πρωτος Μελιταίων Lucius Caius, son of Quirinus, a Roman knight, CHIEF of the Melitese. See Bochart Phaleg. and Chan. vol. i. chap. 498, &c. and Grotius. This title is another proof of the accuracy of St. Luke, who uses the very epithet by which the Roman governor of that island was distinguished. Verse 8. The father of Publius lay sick] ITUρEтois xαι Πυρετοις duσEVTECia; of a fever and dysentery.

Paul-prayed] That God would exert his power and laid his hands on him, as the means which God ordinarily

Lucan ix. v. 791. gives a terrible account of this effect of used to convey the energy of the Holy Spirit and healed

the bite of a serpent:

illi rubor igneus ora

Succendit, tenditque cutem, pereunte figurâ
Miscens cuncta tumor jam toto corpore major:
Humanumque egressa modum super omnia membra
Eflatur sanies, latè tollente veneno.

Ipse latet penitus, congesto corpore mersus;
Nec Lorica tenet distenti corporis auctum.
And straight a sudden flame began to spread,
And paint his visage with a glowing red.
With swift expansion swells the bloated skin,
Naught but an undistinguished mass is seen
While the fair human form lies lost within,

him; God having conveyed the healing power by this means. In such a disorder as that mentioned here by St. Luke, where the bowels were in a state of inflammation, and a general fever aiding the dysentery in its work of death; nothing less than a miracle could have made an instantaneous cure in the patient. Such a cure was wrought, and even the heathens saw that it was the hand of God.

Verse 9. Others--which had diseases] Luke was a physician; yet we do not find him engaging in these cures.

As

a medical man, he might have been of use to the father of Publius; but he is not even consulted on the occasion. PAUL enters in to him, prays for him, lays his hands on him, and he is healed. The other diseased persons who are

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