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A. D. 63.

16. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prifoners to the captain of the guard:

but Paul was fuffered to dwell by himself, with a foldier that kept him.

See Cb. dier to guard him. xii. 6.

17. And it came to pafs, that after three days, Paul called the chief of the Jews to gether. And when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or cuftoms of our fathers, yet was I delivered prifoner from Jerufalem into the hands of

the Romans.

18. Who when they had examined me, would have let me

16. When we were got thither, the Captain delivered all the other Prifoners to the proper Officer called the Præfect of the Prætorium; but either by his lix's Letter in his Behalf, he got own Recommendation, or by FeLeave for Paul to live in a House of his own, with only one Sol

17, 18 & 19. Three Days after Paul was fixed in his Lodging, he fent for the principal Jews, and told them his Cafe, and the Occafion of his coming thither, his falfe and malicious Accufation to Felix and Feftus, and his Conftraint to appeal to the Emperor: But to fence against any Prejudice these Romish Jews might take at him, he affured them, that in this Appeal he would be no Informer againft his Countrymen of Judea (tho' they had fo ill used him) but only ftand upon his own Defence,

and clear himself.

go, because there was no cause of death in me.

19. But when the Jews fpake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Cæfar, not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

20. For this caufe therefore have I called for you, to fee you, and to speak with you because that for the hope t of Ifrael I am bound

with this chain.

a + future State.

20. Now (fays he) the Reason I fent for you was, to acquaint you with this my hard Ufage, and to affure you, that the only Pretence for it was, my preaching a Doctrine owned and believed by all orthodox Jews, viz. The Coming of the Messiah, and 21. They

4 Ver. 20. The Hope of Ifrael-See Note on Chap. xxiii. 6.

21. They told him, They had A. D. 63. no Information nor Complaints from Judea against him, either by Writing or Word of Mouth.

21. And they faid unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came,

22. But we defire to hear of thee what thou thinkeft: for as concerning this fect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

23. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and teftified the kingdom of God, perfuading them concerning Jefus, both out of the law of Mafes, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

24. And fome believed the things which were spoken, and fome believed not.

fhewed or spake any harm of thee.

22. Only they found in general, that this Chriftian Religion he profeffed, had a bad Character, and therefore defired him to give them fome Account what the Doctrines of it were.

23. Paul set them a Day to do it in at his Lodgings, where to a numerous Affembly of them, he gave them the History of the Life and Actions of Jefus Chrift, and fhewed them the Nature of his Religion; demonftrating him to be the true Meah, in whom were moft eminently fulfilled the grand Defigns of the Mofaical Law, and all the Predictions and Defcriptions of their Prophets, in a Difcourfe for a whole Day together.

24. Which converted some of them, but had no Effect upon others.

25. As the Infidel Jews were going away, Paul freely told them, they exactly answered the Character the Prophet Ifaiah had given of fome of their Fore-fathers, (Ifa. vi. 10.)

25. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well fpake the Holy Ghoft by Efaias the prophet, unto our fathers,

26. Saying, Go un- 26 & 27. In which he repreto this people, and feated them as an obftinate and infay, Hearing ye fhall curable Generation of Men, that

hear,

0 3

by

A. D. 63. hear, and fhall not un-
derftand; and feeing
ye fhall fee, and not
perceive.
27. For the heart
of this people is wax-
ed grofs, and their

ears are dull of hear-
ing, and their eyes

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have they closed, left they fhould fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and fhould be converted, and I should heal them.

28. Be it known

therefore unto you,
that the falvation of
God is fent unto the
Gentiles, and that
they will hear it.

28. Know therefore (fays he) That all these gracious Privileges of the Religion and Kingdom of the Meffiah, which you have fo ungratefully rejected, fhall be offered to the Gentile World, who

will give them a better Reception than you have done.

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A

PARAPHRASE

ON

The Epiftle of St. PAUL

TO THE

ROMAN S.

T

The PREFACE.

HE Sum and Subftance of the Chriftian Religion, is contained in the History of the Life and Death, the Doctrine and Difcourfes of our bleffed SAVIOUR in the Four Gofpels. The Epiftolary Writings of the Apoftles were occafional, and intended only to confirm the Churches, to whom they were written, in the fame Rules of Gospel Faith and Practice they had before been inftructed in. They are accommodated to the particular Difputes and Controverfies, Errors or falfe Notions, that were then fet on Foot among Christian People.

04

WHERE

WHEREFORE to a due Understanding of the far greater Part of thefe facred Writings, the principal Thing requifite is, an Infight into the Grounds of the Controverfies therein handled, and the Perfons that broached and spread the false Notions therein oppofed and confuted. The two Epistles to the Romans and Galatians are, for the Main, written upon one and the fame Occafion, and levelled at the fame erroneous Doctrines; for which Reason, I intend this for a fufficient PREFACE to them both. The Sum of the Cafe is this:

BEFORE the Coming of CHRIST, the Jews being the only People in Covenant with God, and his proper Church; they, instead of an humble Thankfulness for fuch a Privilege and Fa vour, proudly look'd upon themselves to have the only Right and Title to it for ever. All other Nations of the World they contemn'd and defpifed, as utterly unworthy of any Divine Privilege, Favour, Providence, or Protection. Their Meffiab they expected to be a glorious temporal Prince, who fhould raife their Church and Nation to an Excess of external Greatnefs and Splendor, and become the Wonder and Amazement, but not the Saviour of the Gentile World. Thefe Notions were fo rooted in them before, and at Our SAVIOUR'S Time, that his very Apoftles, in a great Measure, retained them after his Death," until St. Peter was convinced of the contrary, by an express Revelation in Acts x. The Jews that did embrace the Faith of the Gospel, had ftill fuch a Reverence for their Ceremonial Law, that they would not endure to converfe with a Gentile-Chriftian that was not circumcifed. But the College of Apoftles, all fully convinced by St. Peter's Cafe with Cornelius, declared in

full

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