either a Jew, as is most likely,
Ananias being a Jewish name,
or a proselyte of righteousness,
converted to the faith, Acts
xxii. 12), coming to lay hands
on him, and give him sight.

Ananias, who had a like vi- Acts ix.
sion (not unlike that which 10-16.
Peter and Cornelius had in
their case), comes to Saul; Saul
is baptized, receives his sight,
is "filled with the Holy Ghost,"
and has a message brought him,
importing what he was designed
for, viz. "to be a witness of
what he had seen; and of
those things in the which God
would appear to him;" or, that
he should know his will, see
the Just One, and hear the
voice of his mouth. Imme-Ver. 20.
diately he preaches Christ in

the synagogue, that he is the Gal. i. 23.
Son of God; or that this is the Acts xxvi.
Very Christ; or the faith that 6. xxii. 14,
he once destroyed: and does 15.
this safely now that there were
quarrels between Herod and
Aretas. He had a right to
speak in the synagogue, being
a rabbi, or doctor, brought up
at the feet of Gamaliel. On
which account it is, that we
never find him opposed in this
right by the synagogues, till
he preached the religion of
Jesus, and they were heated
with great rage against it; as
sometimes we shall find in the
sequel. Besides, it is probable,|
that, being now filled with the
Holy Ghost, he from this time
became a prophet and a teacher,
as we find him expressly called,|
Acts xiii. 1, even before he be-
came an apostle; and it is
likely was at first received in
the synagogues as one that
had evidently the prophetic
gifts, and consequently the

35

36 Arabia Deserta.

37 Damas

cus.

38

prophetic right. After this, he
confers not with flesh and blood,
nor goes up to Jerusalem, to
them that were apostles before

Gal. i. 17. him, Gal. i. 15, 16, but goes Gal. i. 17.
and preaches the same faith in
Arabia (as he had at Da-
mascus), where he could then
preach it without disturbance
(under the protection of Aretas,
the king of Arabia, who was
then at war with Herod, the
enemy of the Christians), and
where nobody had preached
Christ before (that he might
not build on any man's founda-
tion), but still only to the Jews.
And perhaps particularly to the
Sampseans, a sect of those who,
of all the sects among the Jews,
seem to have been the best dis-
posed to receive the gospel.

2

Ibid.

Acts ix.
23-25.

Ver. 26.

After some time, about the Acts ix. end of the year 37, he comes 23-25. again to Damascus, and preaches 2 Cor. xi. there to the Jews: who there-32, 33. fore at length took counsel to

kill him, and sent to the gover

nor of that city, under Aretas
the king, to watch the gates
with soldiers, the Jews not
having the power at Damascus,
under Aretas the king of Arabia,
as they had when Saul went
thither with letters from the
high priest; yet having at this
time great credit with the go-
vernor, peace being now made
between Herod and Aretas.
But Saul getting intelligence
of this design, was let down in
a basket, through a window, by
the town-wall, and escaped.

Towards the latter end of the Ver. 26.
Gal. i. 18. year 38 (the churches now
having rest), Saul comes to
Jerusalem to see Peter, and]
attempts to join himself to him
and the rest of the disciples,

Gal. i. 21.

who were all afraid of him,
not believing him to be "al
disciple." But Barnabas took Acts ix.
him and brought him to the 27.
apostles, viz. Peter (who was Gal. i. 18,
then returned from Samaria, 19.
where he with John had been
preaching), and James (who
were the only apostles he saw),
declaring how he had seen the
glory of the Lord in the way. Acts ix.
He then stays with Peter fifteen 28, 29.
days; was with them coming
in and going out at Jerusalem
(or being in an entire confi-
dence with them), spake boldly
in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and disputed against the Gre-
cians (the Hellenist Jews), who
went about to slay him; but
was unknown by face unto the
churches of Judea, though well

known by character and repu- Gal. i. 22,
tation as a preacher of the 23.
faith, which he once destroyed."

The brethren, knowing the
design of the Hellenist Jews,
brought him down to Cesarea.

And then sent him forth to
Tarsus, the place of his birth.

He goes to Syria; but not
yet to Antioch, there being
many converts there already.

The fury of the persecution Acts ix. abating (probably on the dis-31. tressed state the Jews were in under Caligula; see Lardner's Cred. of the Gosp. Hist. vol. i. p. 197-200), the churches had rest in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.

As Peter had gone through Samaria, testifying and preaching the gospel in its chief city and villages on another occasion; so he takes this opportunity to pass through all quarters Ver. 33. of Galilee and Judea. And in

that journey comes to the saints

which dwelt at Lydda; and cures
Eneas of the palsy.

From Lydda Peter comes to Acts ix. Joppa, and raises Dorcas from 40, 41. the dead.

The apostles having now testified and preached to the Jews of Jerusalem, Samaria, and Judea (according to Christ's direction, Acts i. 8), for about eight years, things are disposed for their testifying and preaching it to the devout Gentiles, or the proselytes of the gate, within the bounds of Palestine.

Peter falling into a trance Acts x. 9-
about noon, as he was at prayer 21.
on the house-top, has a vision of
the sheet; and hears the Lord,
saying, "Rise, Peter, kill and
eat:" to which he answers,
"Not so, Lord; for I have
never eaten any thing that is
common or unclean." But the
Lord said again, "What God
hath purified (or cleansed)|
that call not thou common."
And whilst he thought on the
vision the Spirit said unto him,

"Behold, three men seek Ver. 34-
thee;" and orders him to go 40.
along with them. And as Cor-

nelius had the day before had a

vision of an angel, ordering him

to send for Peter; Peter, on

arriving at Cesarea, preaches to Ver. 1-7.
Cornelius, his family and friends,
who were of the same character
with himself, ver. 2. To them
Peter preaches the same "word,
which God sent at first (and
had hitherto only sent) unto
the children of Israel, offering
them peace by Jesus Christ;
who Peter understood now to
be the Lord of all" (devout
Gentiles as well as Jews), on!

Jerusalem.

perceiving now indeed, "that
God was no respecter of per-
sons;" declares that he and the

34

other apostles were "witnesses Acts x. of Christ's miracles, death, and -47. resurrection; that they were chosen witnesses, and commanded to preach the word to the people, and testify that God had ordained him to be judge of the quick and of the dead." Whilst he is speaking, the Holy Ghost "fell" on them, as on Acts xi. the hundred and twenty at the 15. xv. 18. beginning, and they speak with tongues, and magnify God. Peter baptizes them. They that were of the circumcision were astonished, when they saw that on the Gentiles was 66 poured out" the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts xi.1. On Peter's return to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him on his conversing with proselytes of the gate: but on his account of the matter they are satisfied: saying, "Then hath God also unto the Gentiles (that is, the proselytes of the gate) granted repentance Junto life." This was the first controversy in the Christian church; and from which, in one shape or another, it was never free afterwards.

Ver.16

20, 21.

On the dispersion that arose Ver. 19on the death of Stephen, the 21. word was not only preached at Samaria by Philip, but by others, who were scattered abroad by that persecution, even as far as Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch; who preached the word, but still to the Jews only; some of which were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. But on hearing of the conversion of Cornelius, spake now unto the