of the band of Herod, &c. Now that Jefus Christ was the Lord that fent his angel, appears evident enough from thefe confiderations. Jefus Chrift is manifeftly defigned by this title, for the most part at least, through this whole history. The Lord who delivered Peter by his angel was certainly the fame Lord who afterwards fpake to Paul in the night by a vifion; and who, upon another occafion, food by the fame Apostle, and encouraged him, &c. Now we should be glad to know, why these particulars are not to be regarded as equivalent to the appearances, and vifions, and deliverances *, which are fo frequent in the Old Testament; and, in that case, I need not point out the confequences they lead to.

In the following chapter, we fee Barnabas and Saul fent forth by an immediate commiffion from the Holy Ghoft. The Holy Ghoft Said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them §. So they being fent forth by the Holy Ghoft, departed

* See Dan. iii, 28. and chap. vi. 22. § Acts xiii. 2.

unto

unto Seleucia, &c. The paffage has been introduced before, and I leave it to the confideration of every attentive and impartial hearer.

The next occurrence is the converfion of the Deputy S. Paulus, who, we are informed, was a prudent man, and called for Barnabas and Saul, and defired to hear the word of God. And we may reasonably suppose that our Apoftles preached it to him at large, and laid before him the great mysteries of the Gofpel; and that he believed in the most extenfive fenfe, and was confirmed in his faith by the judgment which he saw miraculously inflicted by the band of the Lord upon Elymas the forcerer; being, as the facred text expreffes it, aftonished at the doctrine of the Lord: the doctrine just above styled the word of God.

After this we find St. Paul preaching in the fynagogue of the Jews at Antioch in Pifidia*. Now thefe Jews, though they were

*Acts xiii. 16, &c.

not

not immediately concerned with them that dwelt at Jerufalem in the proceedings against our bleffed Lord, were yet in all probability confenting unto his death; as they could not all this while be unacquainted with his story, or strangers to his pretenfions. The Apostle therefore adopts the fame mode of argumentation which St. Peter had ufed before, in his fpeech to the council, and lays the main ftrefs on the fundamental article of the refurrection of our Lord from the dead. From the admiffion of this, the truth of the other great points of Chriftianity muft neceffarily follow. And it should seem that this discourse of our Apoftle had a confiderable effect upon fome of his audience; and indeed that others conceived the full force and import of the most striking particulars in it for we read, that when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious profelytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who fpeaking to them, perfuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And, by the way, this circumstance may well be thought to imply, that the Spirit of grace had previoufly

oufly operated in their hearts to their entire converfion. But the next fabbath day, we are farther told, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God; and the refult was, that the Jews, filled with envy, Spake against those things which were Spoken by Paul, contradicting and blafpheming. I would just ask then, whether this BLASPHEMY does not help us to a very strong presumptive proof of the fenfe in which these Jews understood the things which were Spoken by the Apostle?

Let us now attend Paul and Barnabas to Iconium; and fee whether we may not readily infer the nature of their doctrine from the fuccefs of it there. In this place, we are informed, they abode long time, Speaking boldly in the LORD, which gave teftimony to the word of his grace, and granted figns and wonders to be done by their hands*. I would defire you to compare the laft claufe of this paffage with the conclufion of St. Mark's

* Acts xiv. 3, &c. &c.

1

Gospel;

Gofpel; fo then after the LORD had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, &c: and they went forth and preached; the LORD working with them, and confirming the word with figns following; and with the twelfth verse of the next chapter; all the multitude kept filence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul declaring what miracles and wonders GOD had wrought amongst the Gentiles by them; and with the following paffage in the Epistle to the Hebrews; how shall we escape if we neglect fo great falvation; which at the firft began to be Spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; GOD alfo bearing them witness, both with figns and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the HOLY GHOST, according to his own will §; I fay, I could wish you to compare these several places; and, I believe I might venture to abide by the conclufions you will draw from them.

We find our Apoftles next at Lyftra, where Paul cured the man that was impotent in his § Heb. ii. 3, &c.

feet,