OND when they were escaped, they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down suddenly but, after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.' Here was a most signal and : seasonable interposition of Providence, without which St. Paul's preservation from the dangers of the deep would have been of little value. This frank and kind, though ignorant people, knew no medium between deeming a man a murderer or a god, because of what thus happened before their eyes. They afterwards submitted to be better taught.-ACTS xxviii. N the same quarters were possessions of the chief man IN of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. 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.' Well was Publius, the chief of the island, with the other inhabitants of it, rewarded for their kindness to these THE BRETHREN MEET PAUL. 345 distressed strangers, by the cures wrought on diseased persons in their respective families; and naturally did their kindness and liberality to them increase, with such experience of the miraculous power which wrought by Paul. With regard to the expression 'barbarous people' made as to these islanders, we are not to take it as meaning anything more than that they were not Greeks or Romans. The word barbarian was applied by these polite nations to all people but themselves. The sacred historian merely adopts the current phrase.-ACTS xxviii. HIS WAY. FTER spending some time at Melita, Paul, with his companions, departed in a ship of Alexandria, and at length drew towards Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as |