、

there, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his family, gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway; who had been warned from God by an holy angel to fend for him. Peter lodged the three men that night; two of them were houfhold fervants, and the third (rare character!) a devout foldier, who waited on him continually.

Next day Peter went with them, but had the precaution to take with him fix Jewish chriftians from Joppa as witneffes of his proceedings. The next day they entered Cæfarea, and came into the houfe of Cornelius, who had called together his kinfmen and near friends, with that charity for their fouls, which fails not to affect the minds of those who have real charity for their own. On the entrance of Peter he falls down and worships. Peter corrects his mistaken devotion. Cornelius informs him, that having been particularly engaged in fafting and prayer, he was affured by an angel that his prayers and alms were acceptable to God, and had obeyed the Divine Direction in fending for him. Peter now preached the gospel to the company, frankly owning, that he was at length fully convinced, that God was no refpecter of perfons, but equally regarded Jew and Gentile, whoever he was that feared him, and wrought righteoufnefs. On this broad basis of encouragement, he was enabled to preach to them the good news of forgivenefs of fins by Jefus Chrift, whose history they knew, though they did not understand.

the

Profelytes of the Gate. Two learned critics, Dr. Lardner and Dr. Doddridge, feem to have fhewn however, that the latter had no exiftence. Cornelius was a Gentile altogether, and treated as fuch by the Jews, though from his pious attention to the Jewish religion he must have been at leaft a profelyte of the fecond fort, if any ever was fo. In that cafe it feems difficult to conceive, why any Jew fhould have made fuch a difficulty of converfing with perfons of this defcription.

the nature of his doctrine. He directed them now to receive it cordially for their peace with God. The perfect holiness and divine works of Jefus, he obferved, demonftrated him to be no impoftor, but fent of God unquestionably; that he and the other Apostles were witneffes of his refurrection, and had received a commiffion from him to preach to the people, and to urge men's acceptance of him here, if ever they expected to be welcomed by him, when he should judge the quick and dead at his fecond coming; that all the prophets had teftified, that whoever placed his confidence for falvation in his name, should receive remiffion of fins.

Few words fuffice, where God himself is powerfully at work. The whole company were converted to God. The Holy Ghost, both in an extraordinary and in an ordinary way, fealed the Apostle's fermon. The Jewish brethren were aftonished to find Gentiles put on an equal footing with Jews. Peter, after obferving how unreasonable it would be to deny baptifm to perfons who had received the Holy Ghoft, no lefs than themselves, baptized the whole company, and at their defire spent a few days with them, to inftruct them farther in chriftian principles, and then left them to the care of Philip, whofe character at Cæfarea would probably rise from this time.

A remark or two on this important transaction will be proper.

1. The Grace of God acts very variously in converting finners. There are great fhades of difference in the cafes of Saul, of the Eunuch, and of Cornelius. The preaching of the gospel - found the first a determined enemy, the fecond an ignorant enquirer, the third a regenerate perfon D 2 already,

already, though with no more than Old Teftament-light. But to all, the doctrine itself is the fame; and the work of God in humbling man for his fins, and leading him to Chrift alone for juftification, is the fame.

2. How neceffary is it, that the way of peace by Chrift alone be diftinctly explained and underftood! Cornelius, with his enlightened mind and tender conscience, unlefs he had understood the doctrine of forgivenefs by the blood of the Re-> deemer, had never found peace. Imperfection ftill attending his beft. actions, he must have remained miferable in his fpirit. The doctrine of forgiveness, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, brought him at once to a peace of confcience before unknown. How careful should we be to understand it aright! how zealous to transmit, as we can, the precious jewel to pofterity!

3. How narrow are the hearts of men! how circumfcribed the charity even of the beft! With difficulty even chriftian Jews are brought to admit as brethren the Gentile converts. Self-righteousness is natural to mankind. That God should receive as his children idolatrous Gentiles, as well as religious Jews, provokes the pride of the heart.

SECTION VI.

ANTIOCH AND SOME OTHER ASIATIC CHURCHES.

WE

E have not yet feen all the good effects which Providence brought out of Stephen's perfecution. Though the Apostles thought it their duty to continue to water the flocks of

Judea

Judea and Galilee, and to look on Jerufalem as a fort of central metropolis to them all, they encouraged the inferior paftors, who fled from the rage of perfecution, to diffeminate the gospel in Gentile regions. Damafcus, we have feen, reaped the benefit of this difpenfation, and fo did Tarfus. Some travelled as far as Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch, ftill preaching only to Jews. At length fome Cypriot and Cyrenian Jews ventured to break through the pale of diftinction, and at Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, preached the Lord Jefus to the Gentiles. The Greek language here prevailed, and on this account the inhabitants were called Grecians, being the defcendants of a Macedonian colony, planted there by the fucceffor of Alexander. And now the Lord, willing to overcome effectually the reluctances of felfrighteous bigotry, attended their miniftry with remarkable fuccefs. The idolaters felt the renovating power of the gofpel, and in great numbers turned to the Lord. The mother-church hearing of this, fent Barnabas, whofe piety and charity were renowned, to carry on and propagate a work, which required more labourers. His benevolent heart was feafted with the prospect, and the reality of falvation by the Grace of Chrift thus exemplified on perfons, whofe lives had hitherto been involved in paganifm, was evidenced in a manner hitherto unknown. Finding many converts, he exhorted them to perfeverance, and the addition of believers was still fo large, that he began to look out for a co-adjutor. He fought for Saul, who was then labouring at Tarfus, perhaps with no great fuccefs; we are told of none at least; " for a prophet is not honoured in his own country;" and brought him to An

D 3

* A&ts xi. 20.

tioch,

tioch. This This populous city employed them à whole year. Here chriftian focieties were regularly formed, confifting, in a great measure, of Gentiles. And here the followers of Chrift were first called chriftians. It is not probable, that they would give themselves that name. The terms brethren, elect, faithful, faints, were names which they would rather approve. The name of christian seems given by their adversaries. It is now a term of honour, then a more opprobrious one could fcarce be thought of by the learned and the polite. Were a man allowed to poffefs many good qualities, but he is a "christian," would have been deemed more than a counter-balance to them all. And other terms invented by the malevolence of unrègenerate men, in different ages, to ftigmatize the fame fort of perfons, have produced, by the bare found, the fame effect on prejudiced minds.

The faith of the Antiochians was fignally operative. Warmed with the love of Chrift, and rejoicing in the profpect of heavenly treatures, they cheerfully contributed to the relief of the poor chriftians in Judea, diftreffed by a famine. A large extenfion of Chrift's kingdom in any place, naturally calls together a large number of paftors. It is pleafant indeed to labour among the faithful, encircled with fincere friends. It is not every real faint who has the fortitude and charity to quit fo agreeable a fcene, for the fake of breaking up fresh ground. How much longer thefe teachers would have remained at Antioch, if left to themselves, we know not. But the Holy Ghost now felected Barnabas and Saul for other labours. They obeyed the call; and Seleucia in the neighbourhood was their first destination. At this port they found a convenient paffage