of Meats to be obferved; and he was taught by Way of Emblem, that the Gentiles fhould no longer be counted unclean, or unfit for Jews familiarly to eat and converfe with.

49 Q. How did Peter begin his Sermon to Cornelius and his Friends?

A. Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Refpecter of Perfons; but in every Nation, he that feareth God, and worketh Righteoufnefs, is accepted of him, ver. 34, 35.

50 Q. What was the chief Subftance of his Difcourfe? A. He preached the Life, and Death, and Refurrection of Chrift; and that he was ordained to be the Judge of the World, and that whofoever believeth in him fhould have Remiffion of Sins, ver. 36-43.

Had this

51 Q. Had this Sermon of Peter any remarkable Success?

A. While Peter fpake thefe Words, the Holy Ghoft fell on all that were prefent; and they fpake with Tongues, and were baptized in the Name of the Lord, ver. 44-48.

3

52 Q. How did Peter defend himself for converfing and eating with the Gentiles, when the Jewish Believers reproved him for it?

A. Peter related the whole Story, both of his own Vifion upon the Houfel top, and of the Angel that was fent to Cornelius, and the wonderful Succefs of his Sermon; upon which they held their Peace, and glo rified God, Acts xi. 18.

53 Q. Were the Disciples of Chrift free from Perfecution at this Time? They had been free from Perfecution for a confiderable Time in Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, till Herod killed James the Brother of John with the Sword, and put Peter in Prifon, Acis ix. 31. and xii. 1-4.

54 Q How did Peter efcape from his Hands?

A. Prayer

A Prayer was made by the Church, without ceafing, for him; and while he was fleeping between two Soldiers, bound with two Chains, and the Centinels. kept the Prifon-door, at Night a Light fhone in the Prifon, and the Angel of the Lord awakened him, the Chains fell from his Hands, the Gates opened of their own Accord, and the Angel, brought him into the Street, and departed, As xii. 5-10.

55 Q Whither went Peter after his Releafe from Prifon? A. To the Houfe of Mary the Mother of John Mark, where the Difciples were met together for Prayer, and he ordered them to acquaint the Brethren of his miraculous Deliverance, ver. 12-17.

56 Q How did Herod fhew his Rage for his Difappointment? A. He commanded the Keepers of the Prifon to be put to Death, being exceedingly vexed that Peter had efcaped his Hands, ver. 19.

57 Q: What remarkable Judgment of God fell upon Herod? A. Upon a fpecial Occafion fitting on his Throne in his Royal Robes he made a Speech to the People, upon which they cried out, It is the Voice of a God, and not of a Man; and immediately the Angel of the Lord fmote him, because he gave not God the Glory, and he was eaten of Worms, and died, ver. 21, 22, 23,

58 Q. What further Account is there given of Peter in Scripture? A. He preached the Gospel to the World, he encouraged the receiving the Gentiles into the Church without Circumcifion by his own Example, he wrote Letters to encourage the Believers under Perfecution, till at laft he was crucified, as Christ had foretold him, Acts xv. 7-11. first and fecond Epiftle of Peter, John xxi. 18, 19. 2 Pet. i.

13, 14, 15.

59 Q. Is there any Thing else recorded concerning the Apostle John? A. He also preached the Word, and

wrote

wrote the Hiftory of the Life and Death of Chrift, which is called bis Gofpel; he wrote feveral Epiftles to the Christians; he was banished to the Ifle of Patms for the fake of Chrift, where he wrote the Book of the Revelations: In what Order he wrote these Things, does not appear from Scripture.

60 Q. You have informed us what were the Doctrines, and what was the Religion that the Apofles and Difciples taught after Chrift went to Heaven: But how comes it to pass that among these Doctrines we do not find them infifting more expressly on that great Arti de of the Gafpel, the Redemption by Chrift's Death, and the Atonement made for Sin by his Sufferings?

A. It is fufficiently evident that this Doctrine was taught the World by Peter and John, as well as by Paul, fince there is frequent mention of it in their Epifles, as well as it fhines every where through the Epiftles of St. Paul: Nor can we fuppofe their Preaching utterly forgot or neglected what their Write ings abound with, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. ii. 24. iii, 18. and iv. 1. 1 John i. 7. ii. 2. iii. 16. and v. 6. and therefore it is poffible they might preach it fometimes at first, though it be not exprefsly recorded in fuch fhort Abstracts of their Sermons, as we find in the Book of Acts.

Or, if this Doctrine was not published at firft with Frequency and Freedom, there feems to be a very good Reafon for it, viz. becaufe neither the Jews nor Gentiles could well bear it fo foon; for it was a Stumbling-block to the Jews, and Foolishness to the Greeks, 1 Cor. i. 23. And they were to be led by Degrees into a full Acquaintance with the Mystery of the Gospel, even as Christ himself led his own Difciples by flow Degrees into the Knowledge of this and other Things, as they were able to bear them, John xvi. 12.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXVI.

1

The Acts of PAUL the Apostle, bis Travels and Sufferings, his Life and Death.

D

TQ WHO
WHO was Paul?

A. He was a few of the Tribe of Benjamin, born at Tarfus; his Name at firft was Saul, he was brought up in the ftrict Sect of the Pharifees, a Man of good Morals, and exceeding zealous of the Traditions of the Fathers, Ads xxiii. 9. and xxi. 39. Phil. iii. 5, 6. Gal. i. 14. Acts vii. 58. *2Q. What was his Behaviour towards the Chriftians while he continued a Pharifee?

JA

A. He was a very great Perfecutor in his younger Years, he made Havock of the Church every where, fending Men and Women to Prison, and he encouraged those who stoned Stephen, Acts viii. 1; 3. and vii. 58.

3 Q. How came he to become a Chriftian?

193

A. As he was going to Damafcus with Orders from the High-Prieft to bring all the Chriftians he could find there bound to Jerufalem, he was ftruck down on the Road, by a Blaze of Light from Heaven, Acts ix. 1, 2, 3.

4 Q. Did he bear any Voice at the fame Time?

A. A Voice from Heaven faid to him, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? I am Jefus whom thou perfecuteft? ver. 4, 5.

5Q What Effect had this upon Saul?

A. He trembled and cried out, Lord, what wilt. thou have me to do? And the Lord bid him, arife, and go to the City of Damafcus, and there he fhould be told his Duty, ver. 6.

6

6 Q. Did Saul obey this divine Vision?

A. He rose from the Earth, and found that he was ftruck blind, and he was led by the Hand into Da- : mafcus, where he was three Days without Sight and without Food, and engaged much in Prayer, ver. 8-II.

7 Q. Who was fent to teach him his Duty there?

A. Ananias a Difciple was ordered by the Lord in a Vision to go to him in the Houfe where he lodged, and to restore his Eye-fight, ver. 11, 12, and to tell him what Honour and Duty God had appointed for him.

8Q Did Ananias go willingly on this Errand? 4. He was at firft afraid to go, because he e had heard of his cruel Perfecution of the Chriftians; but, the Lord affured him that Saul would receive him, because he had given Saul alfo a Vifion, of one Ananias to prepare him for his coming, ver. 10, &c. 9 Q. How did Saul recover his Sight?

A. Ananias laid his Hands upon him, and he received his Sight, and was filled with the Holy Ghoft, and was baptized, ver. 17,1

18.

10 Q. Who appointed Saul at firft to be a Preacher ? A. The Lord Jefus ordered Ananias to tell him that God had chofen him to know his Will, to fee Jefus, and to be a Witnefs for Chrift to the World, Als xxii. 14, &c. And fome Time after that, Chrift himself in another Vision fent him to preach to the Heathen Nation, ver. 21.

Note here, in St. Paul's Rehearfal of this Matter to Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 16, &c. Chrift himself is represented as giving St. Paul his firft Commiffion from Heaven to the Gentiles at this Time: Yet it has been questioned whether the Apostle does not in this Rehearfal join toge ther all that Christ said to him both in his first Vision upon the Road to Damafcus, and his fecond Vision at Jerufalem