i. 31. It made no great figure till Ptolemy Philadelphus king of Egypt rebuilt it, and called it PTOLEMAIS

To ABUSE; to use persons or things from wrong ends or motives; or in a sinful and dishonourable manner, Judg. xix. 25. Men abuse them-after which it often shared in the disselves with mankind, when they commit the horrid sin of Sodom, that brought ruin on that and the cities around, 1 Cor. vi. 9. Men abuse the world, when they use the good things || of it to dishonour God, and gratify their own lusts, 1 Cor. vii. 31.

tress of the Syrian war. The Christian religion was early established here; and here Paul visited the saints in his way to Jerusalem, Acts xxi. 7. Church history informs us, that here were bishops in the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th, centuries of the ChrisTo ACCEPT; (1.) To receive fa- tian æra. In the 12th and 13th cenvourably, Mal. i. 10-13. (2.) To turies it was a place of great strength, take pleasure in, Jer. xiv. 10. (3.) || and was the object of no small conTo esteem highly, Luke iv. 24. To tention between the Mahometans and be accepted of God, is to be received the Europeans in the sacred wars. It into his grace and favour, Acts x. 35. began about that time to be called The saints are accepted in the beloved: St. John de Acra: and here the knights through union to the person, and im- of St. John of Jerusalem fortified putation of the righteousness of Jesus themselves along time. It has for Christ, they are received into the di- about 300 years been subject to the vine favour, and entitled to all the Turks, and is still remarkable for a blessings of eternal life, Eph. i. 6. deal of magnificent ruins of palaces, The sinful accepting of persons, is the castles, and about 30 churches. It shewing them partial respect in judge- is now but poorly built and inhabited; ment or otherwise, on account of some scarce a mile about, and without walls; carnal circumstances and motives, as the Arabs will not allow it to be Prov. xviii. 5. inclosed, least they should loose their ACCESS; free admission; un-power over it. It has an old church, hampered entrance. Our access to a gracious state, and to God, is through Christ, as our ransom and way; by the Spirit, as applying to us the perACCOMPLISH; (1.) To person and fulness of Christ: and by faith form; FULFIL; fully execute, Jer. as the means of receiving and im-xliv. 25. (2.) To bring to pass what proving Christ as the Lord our righ- is desired, purposed, or promised, teousness and strength, Eph. ii. 18. Prov. xiii. 9. (3.) To finish; so days Rom. v. 2. are accomplished, Acts xxi. 5. Luke ii. 6.

and a bishop of the Greek church. The Popish monks have an inn, which serves them instead of a convent.

ACCORDING; (1.) Agreeably

ACCHO, was a city of Gallilee, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, ACCORD; of its, or his own acabout 32 miles south of Tyre. It cord; freely without pains or conwas built on a plain, but had moun-straint, Lev. xxv. 5. 2 Cor. viii. 17. tains surrounding it on all sides, ex- With one accord, with universal harcept towards the sea: on the south mony and agreement, Acts i. 14. and was Carmel; on the east the moun- ||ii. 46. and v. 12. tains of Galilee; and on the north the ladder of Tyre, about 12 miles distant.to, 2 Tim. i. 9. (2.) Even as; in proIt had a fine harbour, and on the north of it the river Belus; and the sea shore afforded great quantities of sand for making glass. It was given to the tribe of Asher: but they suffered the Canaanites to continue in it, Judg.

portion to, Acts iv. 35. God rewards all men according to their works; that is, agreeably to the nature of their works, 2 Cor. v. 10. Rev. xxii. 12; but deals not with his elect according to the merit of their works, whether

good or bad, 2 Timothy i. 9.

11. 5.

Titus || ver, brass, and iron, were under the form of a curse set apart to the scrTo ACCOUNT; to reckon ; vice of God, and the rest devoted to rujudge; value, Deut. ii. 11. The He- in,Jo. vi. 16, 19. and vii. 1. The hanged brews made account for the Paschal malefactors were accursed of God, de lamb; every eater paid his share of voted to public punishment, and in emthe price, Exod. xii. 14. To put blem of Jesus dying under the curse, a thing to one's account, is to charge Deut. xxi. 23. To promote the salit on him as his debt; or reckon it vation of his Jewish brethren, Paul to him as his good deed, Philem. 18. could have wished himself accursed Phil. iv. 17. To take account, is to from Christ; not cast into hell, and search into and judge a matter, Mat. for ever under the power of sin, and xviii. 23. To give account, is to have employed in blasphemy of God, but our conduct tried, whether it be rea- cast out of the church, and made a sonable and lawful or not, Rom. xiv. temporary monument of God's wrath. 12. Heb. xiii. 17. 1 Peter iv. 5. God Rom. ix. 3. Moses too is thought to giveth not account of his matters: he have offered himself to ruin for the does not ordinarily inform his crea-preservation of Israel; but I suppose tures of the reasons and circunstances he only wished that he might not outof his conduct; nor is he under obligation to do it, Job. xxxiii. 13.

live the destruction of his people, Exod. xxxii. 32. Haters of Christ, ACCURSED. The Hebrew word and preachers of righteousness by the HHEREM, and the Greek ANATHEMA, works of the law, are accursed, Isa. which our version often renders ac- ixv. 20. Gal. i. 8, 9. To be Anathecursed, signify things set apart or de- || ma, Maranatha, is to be finally sepavoted; and with Jews and Christians rated from Christ and the saints, and marked the highest degree of excom-devoted to everlasting punishment by munication. They generally imported him at his second coming: the one the cutting off one from the commu-word is Greek, and the other Syriac, nity of the faithful, the number of the to import that neither Jews nor Genliving, or the privileges of society;tiles shall be accepted, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. and of a thing from existence and To call Jesus accursed, is to account common use. The cities of king him a deceiver, and act toward him Arad, the seven nations of Canaan, as such in our profession or practice, the sacrifices of false gods, were ac1 Cor. xii. 3. cursed, or devoted to destruction, To ACCUSE; to charge with a Numb. xxi. 2, 3. Deut. vii. 2, 26. || crime, Dan. iiì. 8. ACCUSATION is Exod. xxii. 19. The Hebrews devot- the act of charging one with a fault; ed to a curse such as did not assist in or the charge itself, Lu. xix. 8. 1 Tim. punishing the Benjamites, Judg. xxi. v. 19. Men's thoughts accuse them, 5. Jephthah devoted whatever should when their conscience charges their first meet him from his house, Judg.sins on them, fills them with pain, xi. 29. Saul devoted such in his host shame, and fear on account thereof, as should taste any food before sun-Rom. ii. 15. Moses accused the Jews in set, while he pursued the Philistines,Christ's time; his law pointed out 1 Sam. xiv. 24. Above forty Jews and condemned them for the defects devoted themselves under a curse, if and irregularities of their practice, they did eat or drink before they had John v. 45. Satan is the accuser killed Paul, Acts xxiii. 12, 13. No-of the brethren before God day and thing devoted to the Lord, under the form of a curse, could be redeemed, Lev. xxvii. 28, 29. The wealth of Jericho was accursed; the gold, sil

night without ceasing, he, by his agents accused the primitive Christians before the civil magistrates; and towards GOD, to the world, and to

their own conscience, he, in every age, charges the saints with manifold crimes real or feigned, Rev. xii. 10. ACELDAMA; a field, said to have lain on the south of Jerusalem, just north of the rivulet Shiloah. It is said to have been the same with the fuller's field, where they whitened their cloth, Isa. vii. 3. It is certain it was the potter's field, whence they digged their materials: its soil being quite exhausted by them, it was of very small value. When Judas brought back the thirty pieces of silver, which he had received for betraying his Master, the high-priest and rulers pretended it was not lawful to cast it into the sacred treasury, as it was the price of blood, and purchased with it this field to bury strangers in; and so it came to be called Aceldama, or Hakeldama, the field of blood, Zech. xi. 12, 13. Matth. xxvii. 8. Acts i. 18. Travellers assure us, that it is now covered with an arched roof, and will consume a corpse in two or three days.

ACHAN, or ACHAR, a descendant of Judah by Zerah, Zabdi, Carmi. At the taking of Jericho, he, contrary to the express charge of JOSHUA, COveted part of the accursed spoil: Having seized a Babylonish garment, a wedge of gold, and two hundred shekels of silver, he concealed them in his tent. Offended with his crime, and to deter others from secret wickedness, God marked his indignation hereat in the defeat of three thousand Hebrews before AI, and the slaughter of thirty-six. Pained with grief, Joshua and the elders of Israel rent their clothes, and cried to the Lord for help. The Lord informed Joshua, that one of the people had taken of the accursed spoil, and hid it among his stuff; and that they were to have no assistance from him, till that evil should be discovered and punished. By the direction of God, the whole assembly of Israel sanctified themselves, and prepared for a solemn search on the morrow: the search was referred to the determiACHAIA, a country of the Greeks nation of the lot: First the tribe of in Europe. Sometimes it was taken Judah; next the family of Zerah; largely and answered to GRECIA pro- next the family of Zabdi; and lastly, per, now called Livadia: but Achaia Achan himself was taken: admoproper was a very small canton on nished of Joshua, he candidly confesthe south of Greece, and north of sed his offence; and it is hoped, truthe Peloponesus or Morea. Its ca-ly repented of it: The stolen goods pital, and only city of note, was Co-were brought and publicly exposed rinth. Gallio was the Roman deputy to the view of the assembly: Then here when Paul preached the gospel, and founded various Christian congregations, Acts xviii. 1-12. 2. Cor. i. 1.*

• The provinces of the Roman Empire were of two kinds; those belonging to the Emperor, in which the Governor was called Proprætor; and those belonging to the Senate, in which the Governor was called Proconsul. The province of Achaia, which, in the reign of Augustus Cæsar, belonged to the Senate, passed afterwards to the Emperor Tiberius. But Claudius restored it again to the Senate; so that when Paul preached there the government was Proconsular; and the Governor Gallio was properly called the Proconsul, which is the signification of the word which in Acts xviii. is rendered deputy.

he and his children, who probably concurred in the theft, and all his cattle, were, for the terror of others, publicly stoned to death; and the dead bodies, with his household furniture, burnt to ashes in the valley of Gilgal, called from that event ACHOR, that is trouble; and a great heap of stones cast on them. 1 Chron. ii. 5—7. Josh. vii.

ACHISH, or ABIMELECH, king or lord of the Philistines of Gath. To avoid Saul's persecution, David retired to Gath. The courtiers represented to Achish that this David had killed Goliah, and been celebrated as a noted destroyer of their na

tion. Informed of these insinuations, || some brave warrior to wrest KirjathDavid, to secure himself, meanly sepher from the Canaanitish giants, counterfeited madness. Achish hin- Caleb proffered Achsah as his reted to his servants that they had no ward. On these terms, Othniel her reason to be afraid, and himself had cousin quickly obtained her. In her no need of a fool to make sport to way home to her husband's residence, him: He ordered them to expel him she alighted from her ass, threw herfrom the city. About four years af- self at her father's feet, and begged, ter, David returned to Gath. Achish, that as he had portioned her with a the same who had formerly contem-south, a dry land, he would give her ned him, or perhaps his son, gave him a friendly reception. He assigned him and his warriors Ziklag, one of his cities to dwell in. Almost two years after, he required David and his warriors to assist him and the Philistines against Saul and the Hebrews, and promised to make them his life-guard. The other lords of the Philistines absolutely refused to allow David and his men to serve in

their army. Achish, therefore, discreetly dismissed them to their home. Psal. xxxiv. tit. 1 Sam. xxi. xxvii. xxviii. and xxix.

ACHMETHA. Some think it signifies Ecbatana, the capital or chief city of Media, built by Dejoces or Phraortes, and surrounded with a seven-fold wall of different colours and unequal height. But perhaps it signifies but a strong box or press, in which the old rolls of the MedoPersian court were deposited, Ezra vi. 2.

ACHOR, the valley near Jericho where Achan was stoned. The valley of Achor being a rest for flocks, and a door of hope, imports, that under the gospel, chiefly during the thousand years reign of the saints, the issue of discouraging troubles, and the ordinances and influences of God's grace, shall afford restful pasture to his people and encourage their solid hope of the heavenly bliss; even as the Hebrews' first encampment in the valley of Achor was to them an hopeful pledge of their complete possession of the promised land, Joshua vii. 26. Isaiah lxv. 10. Hosea ii. 15.

ACHSAH, the dsughter of Caleb the son of Jephunnch. To excite

some moist field, abounding with springs of water: he gave her one, or perhaps two fields, thoroughly moist Joshua xv. 16-19. Judges i. 12—15.

ACHSAPH, a city about the foot of mount Tabor; Joshua conquered the king of it, and gave it to the tribe of ASHER. In Jerom's time, about 400 years after Christ, it seems to have been a small village called Chasalus, Josh. xii. 20. and xix. 25.

ACHZIB, a city pertaining to the tribe of Asher. It is thought to have been the same with Eedippa, now Zib, which stands on the shore of the Mediterranean sea, about half way between Tyre and Ptolemais, Joshua xix. 29. There was another city of this name in the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 44. The houses, forts or families of Achzib were a lie to the kings of Israel; disappointed them, or proved unfaithful to their allegiance, during the Assyrian invasion, Mic. i. 14.

To ACKNOWLEDGE; (1.) To own or confess, Gen. xxxviii. 26. (2.) To observe; take notice of, Isaiah xxxiii. 13. (3.) To esteem and respect, Isa. lxi. 9. 1 Cor. xvi. 18. (4.) To approve of, 2 Cor. i. 13. Philem. 6. (5.) To worship, profess, and own as a God, Dan. xi. 39. We acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, when in every matter we request and wait for his direction and assistance; when we observe what direction or encouragement his word and providence afford us in our affairs, temporal or spiritual, Prov. iii. 6.

To ACQUAINT; to get a familiar knowledge and intimacy, Psalm cxxxix. 3. To acquaint one's self with, or accustom ourselves to God,

is by repeated endeavours to get spi- || the gospel among the Gentiles by the ritual knowledge of, and intimacy dispersed preachers; and the contriwith him, Job xxii. 21. AcQUAIN-bution for the saints at Jerusalem in TANCE, persons to whom one is familiarly known and intimate, Job xix. 23.

ACQUIT, to clear from charge of guilt, Nah. i. 3.

ACRE. The English acre is 4840 square yards, the Scotch 6150 2-5ths, the Roman 3200, and the Egyptian aroura 3698 7-9ths; but the Hebrew Tzemed appears to mean what one plough tilled at one time. Ten acres of vineyard yielding one bath, and the seed of an homer an ephah, imports excessive barrenness; that the best ground should scarce produce the tenth part of the seed, Isa. v. 10.

ACT, ACTION, a deed; particularly a more noted one, Isaiah lix. 6. Deut. xi. 3. ACTIVITY, an alert briskness, attended with wisdom and prudence in doing business, Genesis xlvii. 6.

the time of a dearth, chap. xi. 1939: of Herod's murder of James; imprisonment of Peter, and fearful death, chap. xii: of the council held at Jerusalem, which condemned the imposition of Jewish ceremonies, and advised to avoid offence of the weak, to forbear eating of meats offered to idols, or of things strangled, or blood, chap. xv. The rest of the book reiates the conversion, labours, and sufferings of Paul, chap. ix. 1—31. and xiii. and xiv. and xvi. to the end. It contains the history of the planting and regulation of the Christian church for about 30 years. Nor have we any other for 250 years after, that deserves our belief. This large gap betwixt inspired history, and that of human authority which deserves credit, Providence no doubt ordered, that our faith and practice relative to the concerns of the church should stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the authority of God.

Luke the evangelist was the penman of this history: he wrote it as a continuation of the history of Christ. The Marcionite and Manichean heretics of the early ages of Christianity utterly rejected it. The Ebionites translated it into Hebrew, grossly corrupting it. Other heretics attempted to obtrude on the church a variety of forged imitations of it; as Abdias's Acrs of the apostles, the ACTS of Peter, Paul, John, Andrew, Thomas, Philip, Matthias, &c.

The ACTS of the Apostles, are an inspired history of their actions and sufferings, at or after the ascension of their adored Master. It chiefly relates these of PETER, JOHN, PAUL and BARNABAS. It gives us a particular account of Christ's ascension; of the choice of Matthias in place of Judas; of the effusion of the Holy Ghost at the feast of Pentecost; of the miraculous preaching of the gospel by the apostles, and the success thereof, and their persecutions on that account, chap. i. to v: of the choice of the deacons, the prosecution and murder of Stephen, one of them, chap. vi. and vii: of a more general proseADAM. This name, which sigcution, and a dispersion of the Chris-nifies red earth, was divinely imposed tian preachers into Samaria and places on both the original parents of the adjacent; of the baptism and base- human race, to import their earthly ness of Simon the sorcerer; and of original, their comeliness, and affecthe conversion and baptism of the E-tionate conjunction, Gen. v. 2; but it thiopian eunuch, chap. viii; of Peter's is ordinarily appropriated to the man. raising Dorcas to life, preaching to On the sixth day of the creation, and baptising the Gentiles of Corne- when God had fitted the earth for his lius's family, and vindication of his residence, he formed man's body of conduct herein, chap. ix. 32-43. and the dust of the ground; he breathed x. and xi. 1—18: of the spreading of into his nostrils the breath of life, and