,A P.;2. 'X \ elatioi. tkeApècktPre. this citie, and alto in the Counterpaine of it. fdrthcCity, PAR', who was the firfl that plantedi the faith there,howmany adverfaries found he in that place.? .I. Will :bifle ( faith he ) at- Eibcftu,untnil i çntecöfl, f or there i s a Treat anduñ' f trail doore opened onto me , 0114. there are many adveri`aries, t, Cr o. 16, 9. And yet do we not read that any calamitie happened tohim there. In other places he was beaten, and !toned, and left for dead ; but here when Demetrius railed up trouble againft hirn,he that bolded/ theflnrs in his right hand, did not only keepe Paul free from all hurt, but ('aiats alto, and Ariflarchtu; and Alexander, frilling the.:flir through the prudence of the Town- Clerke, AF.t. 19. The fame hand coyered Tychicur andTimotheus, and the reft of the Angels of that churchwho fucceeded,l phef.6. t 2. t. Tim. 1. 3. And no lefle did it cover the ordinary Elders of that church whom Tatar called unto 111iletuna, being about togive them his laft farewell. At laft came ?ohn thither, and there he fate many yeers, eftablihing all the churches that bordered upon it; Neither did the rageof the Tyrant proceed to the putting ofhim to deathobut being at laft returned from banifhment, he died quietly in this ci- ty. So great fafcty did the vertue of this powerful! and ftar-bearer ing hand afford untohis fervants. The like power thereof shined forth in preferving ofthe Paflours throughout the whole time çf the primitive church. Therewas indeed a great nutber of tlae faithful! daily flame, but this was tobe admired , that when as it tauft needs be inthe opinion ofmen, that the chriflian name (hould utterly be extingiaiflied, efpecially the Pafrours ofChrii}; againft whom. the tÿ -. rants did chiefly rage, even then there was fiuh an increafe made e- very day, that commonly and truly it was then laid, that the blond of the Martyrs was thefeed ofthe Church. NowChrifl walketh a- middefl thecandleflickes, as often as he loth 'givemy open proofe that he is prefent,anddiligently caring for all things Which make for the falvation and fafety of the faithful!. In what city did he af- ford an experience ofmoreplentifufl grace and favour then inF_phe- fus, to whichhe gave for teachers, P Apollos, Tychicus, Tinssthetu, yohn the Apoflle, be des many other Apoftolike men ? And where or when did Chrifl fince his afcenfion into heaven, moremanifeflly convene upon earth, then in thole firnt times , till about the time Of Conflantine? He did io abundantly in richhis church with gifts of all kinds; he didípur on their dwinefle, he did cornea their negli-- gence, he did reward their vertue, fo as he himfelf might feem to keepe his circuit about every one of the faithfèll , and to-view their H labour 1
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