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join himself to the difciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that was a difciple.

the Chriftians, and fuch of the 4. D. 38.
Apoftles as were then there. But
they knowing his former Charac-
ter, and not hearing of him late-
ly fince his Conversion, suspected

and fhunned his Acquaintance.

27. But Barnabas 27 & 28. Till Barnabas, who had a certain Account of his miraculous Converfion, and preaching at Damafcus, introduced him to Peter and James, and fully fatisfied them of his Sincerity, fo that he lived in Confultation with them (particularly with Peter) for fifteen Days. (Galat. i. 18.)

took him, and brought him to the apoftles, and declared unto them how he had feen the Lord in the way, and that he had fpoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damafcus, in the name of JESUS.

28. And he was with them, coming in, and going out at Jerufalem.

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29. During which Time, he preached the Gofpel to the Jewis Strangers and Profelytes, with great Strength of Argument, Fortitude, and Freedom of Speech; who, instead of being convinced by him, contrived and plotted his Death.

30. But the Chriftians finding out their Intent, conveyed him firft to Cæfarea, and then along the Coaft to Tarfus, the Place of his Nativity, where he stayed and preached, till Barnabas came

31. Whether the Fury of the Jewish Council was abated by the Lofs of fo eminent an Inftrument as Saul, or from fome other Caufe, they now fuffered the

Christians

See The Hiftory of the firft Plantation of the Chrift. Relig. by Mr. Benfon, Vol. 1. Chap. ix. Sect. III. and Mr.

Lardener's

A. D. 39. ing in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghoft, were multiplied.

Chriftians of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, to enjoy for a while the free Exercife of their Religion, which gave a great Opportunity of encreafing the Number, and of enlarging the Comfort and Piety of its Profeffors.

32. And it came to
pals, as Peter paffed
throughout all quar-
ters, he came down
alfo to the faints which
dwelt at Lydda.
33. And there he
found a certain man
named Æneas, which
had kept his bed eight

34. And Peter faid
unto him, Eneas, Je-
fus Chrift maketh thee
whole arife, and
make thy bed. And
he arose immediately.

35. And all that dwelt at Lydda, and Saron, faw him, and turned to the Lord.

36. Now there was at Joppa a certain difciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas : this woman was full

32 & 33. Peter laid hold of this Seafon to go round those Parts, vifiting and confirming the feveral Converts; and being at Lydda, had a Man brought to him, that had been confined to his Bed eight Years with a dead' Palley.

years, and was fick of the palfey.

34. As foon as he came to him, Peter called him by his Name, and bad him in the Name of JESUS CHRIST, rife up and be perfectly whole; and fo he did immediately.

35. Which Miracle brought a great many in Lydda, and Saron the next Town, to the Chriftian Faith.

36 & 37. At the fame Time there died at Joppa a very pious and charitable Chriftian named Tabitha, and her Corpfe was prepared for the Funeral.

of good works, and alms-deeds which the did.

37. And it came to pafs in thofe days, that he was fick and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

38. And forafmuch 38. But before they would inas Lydda was nigh to terr her, hearing of Peter's Fame Joppa,

at

Lardener's Credibility of the Gofp. Hift. pag. 123, &c.— where it is proved, that Caligula's Perfecution of the Jews caused them to cease, at prefent, from perfecuting the Chriftians.

at Lydda (which was juft by) her A. D. 39.
Friends fent and begg'd of him to
come thither, in hopes he would
reftore fo ufeful a Perfon to Life.

Joppa, and the difci-
ples had heard that
Peter was there, they
fent unto him two
nen, defiring bim
that he would not delay to come to them.

39. Then Peter arofe, and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows flood by him weeping, and fhewing the coats and garments with them.

40. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed, and turning him to the body, faid, Tabitha, arife. And The opened her eyes: and when the faw Peter, fhe fat up. 41. And he gave her his hand, and lift

39. Peter went with the Mef fengers immediately, and in the Room where the lay, the poor Widows came about him, and fhewed him the Clothes they had on, as Evidences and Monuments of her Charity.

which Dorcas made, while fhe was

40 & 41. Then ordering them all to withdraw, he kneeled down and prayed by the Body, and commanded her to rife up; upon which the opened her Eves, and he gave her his Hand, lifted her up, and prefented the forrowful Widows with their Benefactress perfectly restored to Life.

her up; and when he had called the faints and widows, prefented her alive.

42. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

43. And it came to pafs, that he tarried many days in Joppa,

with one Simon a tanner.

42. Which as foon as it was known, converted a great many in that Town.

43. Where Peter, feeing he could gain ftill more Converts, continued a good while at one Simon's a Tanner.

CHAP.

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Cornelius the firft Gentile-Convert. The Manner of his Converfion by Peter. Peter's Vifion, to fatisfy him, that the Distinction between Jew and Gentile was abolished. His Speech upon it. The Effect it bad upon the Hearers. A. D. 40. 1.' HERE was a 1. THERE certain man in Cæfarea, called Cornelius, a centurion of the band, called the

Italian band.

man,

2. A devout*
and one that feared
God, with all his
houfe, which gave
much alms to the peo-
ple, and prayed to
God alway.

1 & 2.

THE Gospel having

thus in the Space of about feven or eight Years, been preached by the Apostles and Difciples of CHRIST in most Parts of the Jewish Land, it was now begun to be offered to the Gentile World (and, in this Publication of the Chriftian Religion to the Gentiles, divine Providence was pleased to proceed in a wife and proper Gradation; beginning it first of all with fuch Gentiles as were partly profelyted to the Jewish Religion, had renounced Idolatry, and worshipped the true God; whereby they were the more eafily perfuadable to embrace the Religion of the Son of God;) Cornelius a Roman Officer belonging to the Italian Legion, a Profelyte to the Jewish Religion (but not circumcis'd) a Man of fingular Piety and Charity, being first converted at Cafarea, by St. Peter, in the following Manner.

3. As

* Ver. 2. φοβέμεν@ τὸν θεὸν ·One that feared God. This Phrafe fo often occurring in this Book of the As, it is proper here, once for all, to obferve the Meaning of it to be, fuch a Convert to the Jewish Religion, as acknowledged and worshipped the GoD of Ifrael, but was not circumcifed. This Sort of foreign Converts, the Jews called Profelytes of the Gate. Such as were fully converted and circumcifed, they called Profelytes of Righteoufnejs (thole were the Hellenists, or Greeks, as Bishop PEARSON thinks.) And the Jews by original Defcent, were called Hebrews and Ifraelites.

3. He faw in a vifion evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and faying unto him, Cornelius.

4. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and faid, What is it, Lord? And he faid unto him, Thy prayers and

3. As he was at his Devotion, 4. D. 40. about three a-Clock in the Afternoon (the Time of Evening-Service) an Angel appeared to him in the Form of a Man, furrounded with great Glory and Brightness.

4. At which unaccustomed Appearance, being in a Fright, he defired to know what his Pleafure was? To which the Angel moft kindly and chearfully replied, That his Piety and Charity were fo acceptable to God, that, in Reward of them, he now intended him a free and full Dif covery of the true Religion, and perfect Way of Sal

thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

vation.

5. And now fend men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whofe furname is Pe

ter:

5 & 6. And accordingly ordered him to fend to fuch a House in Joppa, for one Simon Peter, who fhould fully inftruct him in it.

6. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whofe house is by the fea-fide: he fhall tell thee what thou oughteft to do.

7. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his houfhold-fervants, and a devout foldier of them that

waited on him continually:

8. And when he had declared all these things unto them, he

9. On the morrow as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon

the

7 & 8. As foon as the Angel
was gone, Cornelius acquainted
two of his own fervants, and one
of his Soldiers, that was a Wor-
hipper of the true God, as well as
himself, with what the Angel

had faid to him; and ordered
them next Day to go to Joppa in
Search of Peter, and give him
an Account of it.
fent them to Joppa.

9 & 10. And the better to pre-
pare Peter to receive and comply
with their Meffage, God was
pleafed to clear him of the com-
mon Prejudice of the Unlawful-
F

nefs

1

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