this was the very matter of the revelation that was then made to him . As to the agreement of time, St. Paul tells them, that it was about fourteen years ago. Now he wrote his fecond epistle about the year 58; it being written (fays Dr. Whitby, about, I think fomething above) a year after the firft, which was written anno 57 m. Now from 58 it was about fourteen years back to the latter end of 43, which was the fecond time of Saul's being at Jerufalem, after his converfion ". The things that St. Paul relates “of that "revelation," and which "point it out to "be that of the gofpel he was to preach to "the Gentiles," are chiefly thefe: 1. That it was a vifion and revelation P. This agrees well with the account that is given us of his " feeing Chrift," in accomplishment of Ananias's prediction, “That he "fhould fee that juft-one, and likewise hear “him:” which he did, "faying unto him, Depart, for I will fend thee far hence to the "Gentiles." And it agrees well with the fuppofition of a full difcovery of the meffage, he (Saul) was to carry; as well as of 66 m 1 refer the reader to Dr. Whitby's Preface to the first and fecond epiftle of St. Paul to that church. " See the Abstract. ? Ver. 1. VOL. II. 2 Cor. chap. xii. the the perfons to whom he was to carry it: efpecially fince it is mentioned, as an accomplishment of Ananias's prediction, "that he fhould hear the voice of his mouth;" that is, have a full discovery of his good pleasure concerning him: as I have obferved before. And it is remarkable, that this word "reve"lation" is the very term that St. Paul makes ufe of, when he speaks of the discovery of the gospel by Chrift to him. 2dly. It was an . "high vifion and revela"tion." He speaks of them as the greatest of all his revelations: fomething whereof he might "boaft and glory;" and which, if it did not fet him above, would at least among other things fhew that he was not a whit "behind, the chiefeft of the apostles." To be fure, it was a revelation of far greater confequence than the highest of Peter's, which was that of the fheet. And it was a revélation that was abundantly full and clear; and that had like, "through the abundance "of it, to have exalted him above measure;" and that made it neceffary that fomething · very afflictive and mortifying fhould accompany it, in order to abate the pride it might have otherwife occafioned. Now what vifion, or revelation, are all these high characters fo likely to agree in, as the vifion of Chrift, that qualified him to be an apostle; and the reve- 66 St. Paul speaks of his gospel, to the Ephefians, in a strain very fuitable to this, when he tells them in the third chapter of that epiftle, "For this caufe, I Paul, the prifoner of Jefus Chrift for you Gentiles; if ye have "heard of the difpenfation of the grace of 66 + 66 66 "God, which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation" (the fame word that is used 2 Cor. xii. 1.) " he made known unto me the "mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, "whereby when ye read, ye may under"ftand my knowledge in the mystery of Chrift) which in other ages was not made "known unto the fons of men, as it is now "revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles fhould be fellow heirs, and of the fame body, and par"takers of his promise in Chrift by the gof"pel: Whereof I was made a minifter, according to the grace of God given unto me, 66 66 6: by the effectual working of his power. "Unto me, who am lefs than the least of all "faints, is this grace given, that I should 66 preach among the Gentiles the unsearch"able riches of Chrift; and to make all men "fee what is the fellowship of the mystery, "which from the beginning of the world "had been hid in God, who hath created all things in Jefus Chrift: To the intent that "now unto the principalities and powers in "heavenly places, might be known by the "church the manifold wifdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purpofed in Chrift Jefus our Lord.” 66 66 From all this it appears, that St. Paul fpeaks of this as the highest and greatest of all his revelations. Unless therefore a vision and revelation can be fuppofed of greater importance than the feeing Chrift, and receiving from him the revelation of the gospel of the Gentiles, and the qualifying him, and ordering him then immediately to impart it; we muft fuppofe that this was that very revelation; the felf fame, that he mentions to have received Acts xxii. 17. when he fell into a trance in the temple. I am far from denying that Paul might, in this revelation, have had fome vifion, view, or discovery, of the glory of heaven; fince he fays, "he was caught up into paradife and to "the third heaven; and heard unspeakable "words, which it is not lawful (or poffible) "to utter". But I take it, that that revelation was not made for St. Paul's fpeculation; but to encourage him against all the difficulties he was to encounter, in making the other revelations (then made to him) known to the Gentile world; an account of which difficulties he gives us, 2 Cor. xi. from ver. 23, to the end of the chapter. Juft as God was pleased to fhew his glory to Mofes, to support him under the great difcouragements he met with, in conducting the children of Ifrael through the wilderness, from their idolatry of the golden calf; and the wrath that waxed hot against them for it, as may be feen in Exodus w W "2 Cor. xii. 1, 4. W Chapters xxxii. xxxiii. xxxiv. 0 3 St. |