After this, he "declares," or witneffes, "that "God had raised up Jefus again," as well as the reft of the apoftles; "who, coming 66 up with Chrift from Galilee to Jerufalem, "were his witneffes to the people." That the eleven are to be understood by those who, coming up with Chrift from Galilee to Jerufalem, were his witneffes unto the people, is proved in the Second Effay. 66 St. Paul appeals to the elders of the church of Ephefus, that he had teftified both to "the Jews and to the Greeks." And when our bleffed Lord appeared unto him in the caftle at Jerufalem, he "bids him be of good cheer, for that as he had testified of "him in Jerufalem, fo he fhould bear witness "alfo at Rome "." And he declares to King Agrippa, that, after he was fent to the Gentiles, he continued witneffing both to small and great, "That Chrift fhould fuffer, and "that he fhould be the first that should rise. "from the dead; and fhould fhew light "unto the people, and unto the Gentiles "." And when St. Paul was come to Rome, according to Our Saviour's prediction, St. Luke acquaints us, that Paul " teftified "the kingdom of God." Thus we fee this word, which, if I mistake not, will be found a word applied to none of the ministers of y Acts xiii. 31. Ibid. xxiii. II. z Ibid. xx. 17-21. Chrift's Chrift's kingdom in the apoftolick times, but to the apoftles only (as I have proved in the Second Effay), is frequently made use of by St. Luke, in relation to Paul, after Chrift's appearing to him the fecond time of his being at Jerufalem after his converfion: though it is never used in relation to him before that time; any more than in relation to any other of the prophets, evangelifts, paftors, teachers, or other minifters of the church. 2. There seems to be fomething that deferves our notice in the fuperiour "courage "and refolution" that fhewed itself in all St. Paul's behaviour, after the fecond time of his being at Jerufalem. Before that time, which was the time of his commencing an apostle, he always avoids dangers. At Damafcus, he is let down the wall in a basket *; and from Jerufalem, he flies to Tarfus f. But, after his being the second time at Jerufalem, he and Barnabas "waxed bold" at Antioch in Pifidia; he endures ftoning at Lyftrah; will not go out of the prifon, when the doors are opened by an earthquake, at Philippi, till "the magistrates came and befought him to depart " goes up to Jerufalem "bound in the fpirit," against the diffuafions of the prophets at • Acts ix. 25. f Ver. 29, 30. h Ibid. xiv. 19. k Ibid. xix. 22. 03 Tyre, Tyre!, and of Agabus at Cæfarea, who foretold, that he should be bound by the Jews, and delivered to the Romansm ("none of thofe things moving him"). He goes to Rome a fecond time, and runs into the mouth of the lion, after he had been delivered out of it, when it was neceffary to discharge his apoftolical truft. In all this, he fhewed the greateft firmnefs of mind. Nor could any man poffibly want a greater degree of courage and refolution than he, that was to be brought before Sanhedrims, Roman Governors, and the Roman Emperor or his Lieutenant (when all deferted him "), to anfwer for a doctrine, which was contrary to all men; not only to the believing, but unbelieving Jews, profelytes, judaizing and idolatrous Gentiles yet he published it with a firmnefs and conftancy, that was unfhaken by all the terrors of life. And though it is faid that he had preached boldly at Damafcus, "and he fpake boldly in the name of theLord Jefus at Jerufalem," which was several years before the time that I think he commenced an apoftle; yet we are to confider, that he was ordained to be an apostle from his mo"ther's womb." That confideration might perhaps remove this difficulty. But I think it 66 ! Acts xx. 4. In Ibid. xxi. II. 66 is more material to fay, that "boldly" should there rather be rendered" publickly" or openly:" the fense, as I apprehend, being, that "he, who was certain days with the difciples which were at Damafcus " (namely privately), at last began "to preach Christ "in the fynagogues ;" and which Barnabas, when he comes to give an account of it to the apostles at Jerufalem, fays, was "boldly," as we tranflate it; or, as I think it should be rendered, "openly;" and that "he, who was "with the apostles going out and coming in "," that is, " living familiarly with them in pri66 vate, now begins "to fpeak openly, in "the name of the Lord Jefus "." But I do not find this boldness is afcribed to any, but those who were, or at least were to be, apoftles. Apollos indeed is faid " to have spoke "the word boldly." But I hope I have fhewn, in the Second Effay, that it ought to be rendered" publickly," and not " boldly." The firmness and fteadiness of St. Paul, under all his fufferings for the gospel is what he glories in himself. And fo remarkable a degree as he had of it after the second time of his being at Jerufalem after his converfion, and after which his great fufferings began, q Gal. i. 19. • Ver. 27. ↑ Ver. 20. Ver. 29. See the Second Effay; and L'Enfant and Baufobre, in loc. Acts xviii. 24. feems to me to be a degree of it peculiar to an apostle. 3. Another fign of an apostle, was a power of "inflicting death" or grievous "bodily "diftempers" on obftinate offenders. Thus Peter ftruck Ananias and Saphira dead. And though we do not find Paul ever struck any one dead, yet we find him fometimes inflicting bodily diftempers; the power of inflicting which, he calls "his rod," or "a rod com"mitted to him for edification, and not for "deftruction"." Now, as we do not read that Paul ever used this rod before the time of his feeing Chrift, at the fecond time of his being at Jerufalem; fo we immediately read of his ufing it afterwards, ftriking Elymas the Jewish forcerer blind, when he would have blinded the Proconful, or " 66 per"verted him from the right ways of the "Lord." And we hear much of this rod afterwards, in both his epiftles to the Corinthians; where he orders a bold offender to be delivered "over to Satan, for the destruction "of the flesh, that the Spirit might be faved in the day of the Lord";" and fpeaks of "his being in a readiness to revenge all the «difobedience of a powerful faction” in that W I Cor. iv. 21. 2 Cor. x. 8. xiii. 10. * Acts xiii. 11. I y I Cor. v. 5. church, |