men, who, from a high opinion of his wisdom, and a very low one of their own capacities, followed him whitherfoever he went; without having many difficulties occurr to their own thoughts, and without troubling him with those they had: leaving them all to his conduct; from a full perfuafion, that he would overcome them. All those who (being given him by God out of the world) thus loved him, and believed on him, he kept; but the son of perdition: a man of a falfe, injurious, covetous, and greedy mind. And when our Saviour left his apoftles, and afcended up to heaven, what ftrength did it give to the evidence of his religion, that these twelve mean, illiterate, men, fhould have the courage and the ability to testify the great facts relating to Jefus of Nazareth, and teach his doctrine to all the people of Jerufalem (where he had been crucified but a little before), and even to the rulers, who had not only great power, but, as was generally thought, the fole knowledge of the law; and fhould dare to do it, notwithstanding their menaces, their scourging, their imprisonment, and at laft the putting one of them (James) to death. This we fee ftruck the rulers themfelves, thofe obftinate enemies. of Jefus. For perceiving the "boldness of these "apoftles, men that were illiterate and igno

rant,"

"rant," they perceived it must be "from "their having been with Jefus m."

But after that the religion of Chrift was received by vaft multitudes of Jews and devout Gentiles, objections against men of education ceased; and the reafons turned quite another way. Two men of letters are therefore fent, to reafon with the Gentiles, and recover them to the knowledge of the one living true God, for which knowledge and learning was highly conducive, and to teftify and preach the gofpel to the Gentiles. They could not then pry too clofely into the facts and doctrines of christianity. They would only thereby acquire a more enlarged and extenfive view of the excellency and comprehenfion of this difpenfation of religion; and from thence be brought with St. Paul, in holy rapture, to think of " the height and depth, "the length and breadth of the love of God "in it, that paffeth knowledge;" and with him, to fay within themselves, "how 'un"fearchable are his judgements, and his ways "of mercy paft finding out!"

But as the Gentiles fought after a vain philosophy which they called wisdom, and fine elocution which they called eloquence; Paul renounced the false philofophy of the schools, and was rendered of a stammering speech, and a mean appearance; that fo that fuccefs he had

in preaching the gospel might appear to be of God, and not of man ".

These exalted thoughts of it must necesfarily push them on to undergo all fatigues, and run all hazards, in propagating it to the world; make them more fit to dispute with Jews, and heathen philofophers; to bring down every high thing, and proud imagination against the knowledge of God, and captivate every thought to the obedience of Chrift; and render them the more likely to convince mankind, that nothing but the clearest and strongest evidence could have turned men of their knowledge and zeal in the Jewish religion, and the peculiar interest one of them (a Levite) had in it, to embrace the faith of Jefus, and run this infinite toil, reproach, and hazard, to fpread it in the world.

Before I finish what I have to offer about the apoftles, I will take this occasion to compare Paul with "the apoftles of the circum

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cifion," and, chiefly, with Peter and John, the greatest of them; the better to make out St. Paul's affertion, that he was "not a whit "behind the very greatest of the apoftles°.

Were they fent by God and Christ? so was he. Did three of them fee the most excellent glory, and hear a voice from it, at n See the Third Effay. 2 Cor. xi. 5. P Acts xxii. 17, 18. 21. xxvi. 17.

Chrift's

Chrift's transfiguration in the mount? fo did he, in the road to Damafcus. Did they receive inftructions from Chrift on earth, touching the gospel they were to preach? and from the Spirit after his afcenfion? St. Paul was not only filled with the Holy Ghost; but had all the gospel he was to preach revealed to him immediately by Chrift. Had Peter, whilst he was in a trance (being at prayer on a house-top), a vifion of the Lord, to commiffion him to go to the profelytes of the gate; and the matter he was to preach to them, taught him by that revelation? Paul, falling into a trance, had also a vision of Christ, whilst he was praying in the temple; received a commiffion to go and preach to the idolatrous Gentiles, and a revelation of what he was to teach them. Did they fee Chrift afcend, till a cloud of glory took him out of their fight; and receive a meffage from angels to ftrengthen their faith? He was caught up into Paradife, and the third heaven, and "heard unfpeakable things, that it is not law

ful for a man to utters," to encourage him in his work. Had St. John great knowledge of future events about the church? fo had St. Paul; he having communicated to us, not only the mystery of the cafting off the Jews, of the recalling them, and of the bringing in

the fulness of the Gentiles; but the mystery of iniquity, that was to corrupt the doctrine of the gospel. Whilft we have an account but of one or two vifions of Peter's, we have an account of feven of Paul'st. Does Peter rebuke Simon Magus with all authority"? Paul reprimands Elymas with no lefs". Did Peter once ftrike Ananias and Sapphira dead, two believers, who diffembled and lyed to the Holy Ghost? Paul did not only strike Elymas the forcerer blind," when he perverted the right

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ways of the Lord;" but had a rod committed to him for edification, and not for deftruction; and delivered over to Satan, for the deftruction of the flesh, "that the Spirit might "be faved in the day of the Lord, that wicked "men might learn not to blafpheme." Did St. Peter and John cure a cripple, lame from his mother's womb, at the temple? fo did Paul at Lyftra. Did Peter's fhadow cure the fick? fo did handkerchiefs fent from Paul's body. Did Peter raise Dorcas? Paul alfo raised Eutychus. Did God vouchfafe to fend his angel to open the prifon-doors, to deliver Peter? fo did God likewise by a great earthquake shake the foundations of the pri

t Acts ix. 8. xxii. 18. compared with 2 Cor. xii. 2. Gal. ii. 12. Acts xvi. 9. xviii. 9, 10. xxiii. 11. and xxvii. 23, 24. w Ibid. xiii. 10, II. y Ibid. xx. 12.

Acts viii. 20-24.

x Ibid. xix. 12.

2 Ibid xii. 7-II.

fon,