"Gentiles, unto whom I now fend thee," were spoken by Chrift to Saul at the time of the vifion in the temple; and therefore it is not at all probable they were fpoken by Christ on the road to Damafcus.. I cannot but take the history, Acts ix. to be exact as far as it goes; both as it is a hiftory, and as it is confirmed by Paul's relation, Acts xxii. And I believe Paul's relation, Acts xxii. is very critical and exact; because it is very particular as to all circumftances, and because Paul well knew how little candour he must expect from that audience. On the other hand, I take the account Paul gives of this matter to Agrippa, Acts xxvi. to be more fummary and complicated, because he would not detain a King, and the reft of that noble audience, by descending to too great a minuteness, and because he seems to expect a more favourable and candid hearing than from the Jews, Acts xxii. I therefore apprehend the account, Acts xxvi. is to be explained and fet right by Acts ix. and Acts xxii. and not those two places by Acts xxvi. This last account feems to me to be putting every thing shortly together, without diftinguishing the different times pertinent to Paul's purpose, that had occurred on the road, at Damafcus, or in the temple. And it deferves to be obferved, that even in this account, fummary and complicated as it is, he first hints fhortly his trance in the temple, in these words, "of those things in which I fhall appear to thee;" that is, at the time of the trance in the temple: and fays this in oppofition to those things which he had feen;" meaning the transaction in the way to Damafcus: and then farther adds, that his obedience to this command was performed, " by fhewing first unto them of Damafcus, and Jerufalem, and through all the coaft of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they fhould repent ". So that I apprehend, in this fhort narrative to King Agrippa, both the appearance of Christ's glory in the way to Damafcus, and of his perfon to St. Paul at the time of his trance in the temple, and of what Ananias faid to him at Damafcus, are included (though not minutely diftinguished, that not being material to his purpose before Agrippa); and confequently, that this, inftead of being any objection, may ferve to confirm my opinion, that St. Paul never preached to the idolatrous Gentiles till after the fecond time of his being at Jerufalem, after his converfion. III. Some perhaps may object too, that St. Paul, in the account he gives of himself to the Galatians, feems to give it very differently; telling them, that when it pleased God, who feparated him from his mother's womb" (alluding to the pretended fepa Acts xxvi. 20. Gal. i. 15, 16, 17. ration ration of his fect of the Pharifees to a greater degree of holiness and sanctity), "and called "him by his grace to reveal his Son in him, "that he might preach him among the hea "then, immediately he conferred not with "flesh and blood, neither went he up to Jeru"falem, to them which were apoftles before ❝him; but went into Arabia." They may pretend, that the sense of these words is this: That as foon as God revealed his Son to St. Paul, he immediately went and preached, as an apostle, to the Gentiles in Arabia; which has generally been the opinion of divines, But how does it appear that he preached to the Gentiles in Arabia? were there no Hebrews, or profelytes of righteousness, to preach to in a country bordering on Judæa? But however that is, it cannot be the meaning of his preaching to "the Heathen" in this place, that he immediately preached to the Gentiles, even if we fhould by "Heathen" here understand the profelyted Gentiles; much less if we understand by "the Heathen" here, the idolatrous Gentiles (which is to be sure the fenfe of the place), and that for this reafon; that St. Paul was converted in 33, and confequently, according to this opinion, must have preached to profelyted Gentiles in Arabia immediately after: whereas Cornelius and his family were the first fruits of the profelyted Gentiles, as St. Peter and St. James exprefily expreffly declare; and were converted by St. Peter, agreeably to our Saviour's promife to him, "of giving him the keys of the king"dom of heaven;" Peter being then "cho"fen from among the apoftles," to preach the word of the gospel to the Gentiles, as well as by the vifion of the fheet, the vision of Cornelius, and the revelation of the Spirit. Now St. Peter did not convert Cornelius and his family till about the year 41, fix years after this opinion fuppofes St. Paul to have converted idolatrous Gentiles in Arabia. And it is taken notice of as a very remarkable occurrence in the history of the church, that after St. Peter had converted Cornelius, then others converted other profelytest; nor can it be supposed that Paul converted profelyted Gentiles before Peter, who first opened the kingdom of heaven to them. And much less can it be fuppofed that St. Paul converted idolatrous Gentiles before Peter converted profelytes of the gate. If any can imagine that St. Paul converted the idolatrous Gentiles before St. Peter converted the profelytes of the gate; they do not confider the wife order in which God directed christianity to be fpread: first, by ? A&ts xv. 7, 14. q Ibid. chap. x. • Acts x. 5, 11-21. See alfo the Abstract. preaching preaching it to the Jews at Jerufalem; then of Judæa"; then of Samaria"; then to the profelytes of the gate *; and laftly, to the idolatrous Gentiles; agreeable to our Saviour's prediction," and ye thall be witneffes unto me, both in Jerufalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and to the uttermoft parts " of the earth:" and to our Saviour's own example, who first taught at Jerusalem, and in Judæa, then at Samaria, and at last at Galilee; and not only to publicans and finners, and centurions, but to a woman of Galilee. Here is a beautiful gradation, each ftep leading to another; which those who imagine St. Paul converted idolatrous Gentiles in Arabia five or fix years before St. Peter converted the profelytes of the gate entirely deftroy. Befides, as Arabia bordered on Judæa, if Paul had converted idolatrous Gentiles to christianity there, the news foon reached the Jewifh chriftians at Jerufalem; who could not then have been fo furprized, as they were, at the news of Peter's converting the profelytes of the gate; faying with aftonishment, "Then hath God alfo to the "Gentiles granted repentance unto life!" So that the fenfe of this place cannot be, that St. Paul went to Arabia to convert the heathen; but, as I apprehend, is this: that w Ibid. viii. 5. Ann. 34. * Ibid. x. II. xi. 19, 20. Ann. 41. y Ibid. xiii. 12, 46. Ann. 45, 46. z Ibid. i. 8. " Acts x. 36. a Ibid. xi. 18. when |