he was therefore afraid they would efteem unclean, notwithstanding their having been "fanctified by the Holy Ghoft," as his expreffion is? From this incident therefore, and fome particular paffages relating to it, it is natural to conclude, that this was the time when St. Paul firft defigned to communicate, and actually did communicate, the news of the converfion of the idolatrous Gentiles to the church at Jerufalem: especially if, as it is plain on the one hand, that he did not carry thefe contributions before his third apoftolick journey; fo it thould appear on the other, that he carried contributions from the Gentile to the Jewish believers at Jerufalem, at the end of his fourth apoftolick journey alfo; as there is fome probability he did.

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If it be objected, that St. Paul is faid "to "have declared, what miracles and wonders "God had wrought among the Gentiles, by "him and Barnabas among the Gentiles;" which was in the year 49: I answer, that I think it may be made to appear, that that was understood at that time by all the apoftles (except three), elders, and brethren, to whom Paul and Barnabas made that relation, to refer to the profelytes of the gate converted to chriftianity only; and not to the idolatrous Gentiles: as I hope to prove in the Fourth Effay.

Rom, xv. 16. See the Firft Effay, Acts xv. 12.

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This

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Thus I imagine it will appear, that Saul was not fent to the idolatrous Gentiles, nor preached to them, till the fecond time of his being at Jerufalem, after his converfion : but I am fenfible this is liable to objections, which deferve an answer.

I. It may be objected, that Saul preached before this time to the Jews, and even to the profelyted Gentiles; and therefore was even an apostle of the Gentiles before this time. I anfwer, 1. That Saul's preaching to the Jews does not make him an apostle, because he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and not of the Jews; as I have proved in the Second Effay. 2. That he could not be called the apostle of the Gentiles for preaching to the profelytes of the Gate; 1. Because the profelytes of the gate are not the perfons defigned by Gentiles in fcripture, unless there be fomething that fhews particularly that they are intended. 2. Peter and others had preached to the profelyted Gentiles before Saul; whereas he glories in it, as a special grace and favour to him, that the mystery of calling the Gentiles to the "fellowship of the gospel was reserved to be "revealed by him f." But chiefly, 3. because St. Paul preached fomething new to the idolatrous Gentiles after his vifion in the temple,

f Eph. iii. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10. Gal. i. 15, 16. and in feveral other places which I quoted, fully to this purpose, in the Second Effay.

different

different from what he and others preached to the profelytes of the gate before; namely, the gofpel of the Gentiles. He and others preached to the Jews the faith of Chrift; but withal telling them, that they must remain Jews, and were bound by the laws of Mofes as Jews; though they were not bound by them as the people of God, or bound by them as the terms of justification and eternal life. St. Peter, He, and others, preached to the profelytes of the gate the chriftian faith; but they were fo far from releasing them from the obligation they were under to the law of Mofes, of abftaining from things ftrangled, and from blood, and from the pollutions of idols; that their decree was, that they were still bound by thofe laws. But what St. Paul preached to the idolatrous Gentiles was chriftian faith, without the obfervance of any one of the laws of Mofes; which no man preached before him, or knew till he preached. This he calls "his gofpel;' "the "gospel he preached among the Gentiles, the "unfearchable riches of Chrift";" "the

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mystery of the gospel," "the fellowship "of the mystery for which he was a prifo"ner;""the mystery which had been "hid from ages, but is now made manifeft to his faints; whereof he was made the mi

. Rom. xvi. 25. i Ibid. vi. 14.

Eph. iii. 8, 12.

Ibid. iii. 1-12,

«nifter.

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"nifter!" Befides, 4. there was not only a difference between Paul's preaching before and after his being the fecond time at Jerufalem after his converfion, on account of the matter he preached, and the perfons he preached to; but in the manner of doing it: having only preached, taught, proved, or difputed, before his vision in the temple; but teftifying and witneffing immediately after it; that is, preaching in the peculiar manner and character of an apostle. But I fhall but just mention this here, intending to speak more fully to it presently.

II. It may be objected, that Paul tells King Agrippa, that as he was going to Damaf cus, Chrift bid him rife, and ftand on his feet-for he would deliver him from the Gentiles, to whom he then fent him;" as Paul himself relates it ". I confefs, this looks at first fight as if Paul had faid, that as he was going to Damafcus, Chrift had fent him to the Gentiles. But I think this will not appear in that view, on looking more narrowly into it. For, 1. If we confult the hiftory itself of what paffed on the road to Damafcus Acts ix. we fhall not find that any words of this kind are there related to have been faid by Christ to Saul. 2. We fhall find fome words faid there by Chrift to Saul, from whence I think we may fairly infer, that 1 Col. i. 20, 26. See the Second Effay.

m Acts xxvi. 16.

thefe

thefe words were not faid. at the time. The words I refer to are (on Saul's asking, “what "Chrift would have him to do"), ver. 6. "Arife," (which is the fame with " Árife, and, "stand on thy feet," Acts xxvi. 16. •) " and go "into the city, and it shall be told thee what <thou must do." Thefe words referring Saul entirely to what should be told him in the city, makes it highly improbable that any thing particular, efpecially any thing fo very particular as that he would deliver him from the people and the Gentiles, to whom he then fent him, fhould have been faid to him at that time. It feems much more probable, fo high an honour as this defigned him fhould have been notified to him by Ananias, after his three days faft, to whom indeed fome intimation of this kind feems to have been made known, Acts xxii. 5. And Paul relates the tranfaction on the road to Damafcus, precifely in this manner, Acts xxii. 8, 9, 10. 3. In the relation, Acts xxii. he hints that Ananias faid thefe words to him at Damafcus (not Chrift on the road thither); namely, "for I have appeared unto thee, to make thee

ver. 16.

a minifter and a witnefs both of these 66 things which thou haft seen, and of those "in the which I will appear unto thee," as will appear by Acts xxii. 15. It appears from Acts xxii. 21. that these words, ver. 17. delivering thee from the « Gentiles,

4.

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