g A Commentary upon the ACTS. Chapa9. Verfe 32. Knew not wherefore &c.1 ` No more do themofl of our commonhearers, They follow the drove, and beleeveas the Churchbeleeveth, They will.fay , they come to Churchto ferve God. But who that god is,how to be ferved,wherein and in whom to be ferved they knownot. Si ventri ben'e fst,fi lateri,as Epicurus in Horace, ifthe belly maybe filled, thebackfitted, itfufficeth them. Verfe 33. And they dregAlexander] The copper-fmith, who was here neertoMartyrdome, yet afterwardsmade fhipwrackof the faith, i Tim. I. 19,2o. and did the Apoflle much evill , and greatly withflood not his perfon onlybut his preachings, 2 Tim. 4. 15, r 6. which was a fin of an high and heinous nature. Wonld havemade his defence] He wouldhave excufed his coun- trymen theJewes (who therefore put him forward) and have turn- ed all the rage of the people upon theApoftles, But by a fweet providence of God, he could nothave audience. Verfe 35. Great goddeffe Diana ] Who yet as great as file was being buhe at Alexander: birth (as he faid)could not be at leifüre to fave her temple at Ephéfus from burning, Like asBaal was fohot in the purfuit ofhis enemies that he could notbe at hand tohelp his friends, [ King.18.27. Andof the image thatfell] Avery ancient image, made byCa netias a certain artificer, and for the antiquityof it,faidby the cove- tous Preifls to have fallen down from 7upiter, that it might be the more venerable. By a likecraft, the PopifhPreiftsnow ihewfòme, fivers of the croffe whereon our Saviour fuffered, yea fome fhreds of the tail of that Aire whereuponhe rod to 7erufalem. Verfe 37. Blaf]hemers ofyour goddeffe] This was falfe : but this polititian held it lawful' to redeeme peace with a lye. Not fo Saint Paul: he knew that afterhis departure fromEpherus greivous wolves would enter in, AO. 20. 29, And yet becaufe he couldnot flayto preachunleffe he would have reftored force Pharifaicall ob- fervations, andnnlefle, for peace fake , he would have yeelded to the rites and image ofDiana, he left the place, becaufe he muttnot do.the -greateflgood by any evill meanes. Verse 38, 39, arc. ] As the town-clark here quietted the to nitiltuating people , fo ought we to compofe unruly paillons. Say to them I. Ye ought to do nothing rafhly. 2. The Law is open :fo isGods eare, towhomvengeance belongeth. 3. We are indanger of th sddayes upr are &c. `
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