elders on the subject. This business being
adjusted, they, accompanied with Judas and Silas, returned to Antioch
with the general resolution, and continued there for a season,
teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.

Paul now proposed to Barnabas, his fellow-labourer, that they might
visit their brethren in the places where they had been already, and
see how they did. To this Barnabas readily acceded, but a difference
arising between them about taking _John Mark_ with them, who had
deserted them before, these two eminent servants of God were parted
asunder, and never appear to have travelled together any more. They
continued however each to serve in the cause of Christ, though they
could not walk together. Barnabas took John, and sailed to Cyprus, his
native island, and Paul took Silas, and went through Syria and Cilicia
to Derbe and Lystra, cities where he and Barnabas had preached in
their first excursion.

Here they found Timothy, a promising young man, whom they encouraged
to engage in the ministry.

Paul being now at Lystra, which was the boundary of his first
excursion, and having visited the churches already planted, and
delivered to them the decrees of the apostles and elders relating to
circumcision, seems to have felt his heart enlarged, and assayed to
carry on the glorious work of preaching the gospel to the heathen to a
greater extent. With Silas and Timotheus he in his second journey[2]
took a western direction, passing through Phrygia, and the region of
Galatia. Having preached the word in these parts with considerable
success,[3] he and his companions wished to have gone into the
proconsular Asia, and afterwards assayed to go into Bythinia; but
begin forbidden of the Holy Ghost, who seems to have had a special
design of employing them elsewhere; passing by Mysia they came down to
Troas on the sea-coast. Here a vision appeared to Paul, in which he
was invited to go over to Macedonia. Obedient to the heavenly vision,
and greatly encouraged by it, they with all speed crossed the Egean
Sea, and passing through the island of Samothracia, landed at
Neapolis, and went from thence to Philippi, the chief city of that
part of Macedonia. It was here that Paul preached on a Sabbath day to
a few women by a river side, and Lydia, a woman of Thyatira, was
converted and baptized, and her household with her. It was here that a
poor girl, who brought her employers considerable profit by
foretelling events, follow