35 Proofs of the Their most remarkable Transactions. Tranfa&tions. fee the Juft-one, and hear he is the Son of God; or Gal.i. 23. Gal. i. 17.fore him, Gal. i. 15, 16, but Gal. i. 17. goes 37 Damaf cus. 38 Gal. i. 17. Acts ix. 23, 24, 25. goes and preaches the fame faith in Arabia (as he had at Damafcus), 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 Chrift before (that he might not build on any man's foundation), but ftill only to the Jews. And perhaps particularly to the Sampfeans, a fect of thofe who, of all the fects among the Jews, feem to have been the beft difpofed to receive the gofpel. 32, 33. After fome time, about Acts ix. the end of the year 37, hel 23-25. comes again to Damafcus, 2 Cor. xi. and preaches there to the Jews: who therefore at length took counfel to kill him, and fent to the governor of that city, under Aretas the king, to watch the gates with foldiers, the Jews not having the power at Damafcus, 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 governor, peace being now made between Herod and Aretas. But Saul getting intelli gence A&ts ix. 26. pence of this defign, was let window, by the town-wall, down in a basket, through a nd escaped. Towards the latter end of A&s ix. he year 38 (the churches 26. Gal. i. 18. now having reft), Saul comes viz. Peter (who was then re-Gal. i. 18, turned from Samaria, where 19. he with John had been preaching), and James (who were the only apoftles he aw), declaring how he had feen the glory of the Lord in Acts ix. the way. He then stays with 28, 3, 29. Peter fifteen days; was with them coming in and going out at Jerufalem (or being in an entire confidence with them), fpake boldly in the name of the Lord Jefus, and ifputed against the Grecians (the Hellenitt Jews), who went about to flay him but was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea. hough well known by cha racter and reputation" as preacher of the faith, ..which he once destroyed." The brethren, knowing the defign of the Helleni Ꭰ Gal. i. 22, 23. Jews, How often Paul bad bi-been there Proofs of the An. Places Proofs of the Dam.ther they after bis time and Their most remarkable Transactions. Tranfactions. went. converfion. place. Gal.i. 21. And then fent him forth to Tarfus, the place of his birth. He goes to Syria; but not yet to Antioch, there being many converts there already. The fury of the perfecution Acts ix abating, (probably on the di- 31. ftreft ftate the Jews were in under Caligula; fee the Cred. of the Gofp. Hift. vol. I. p. 197-200), the churches had reft in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. As Peter had gone through Samaria, testifying and preaching the gofpel in its chief city and villages on another occafion; fo hel takes this opportunity to pafs through all quarters of Acts ix, Galilee and Judea. And in 33. that journey comes to the faints which dwelt at Lydda; and cures Æneas of the pally. From Lydda Peter comes Acts ix. to Joppa, and raises Dorcas 40, 48p from the dead. prayer on the houfe-top, has a vifion of the fheet; and hears the Lord, faying, "Rife, Peter, kill and eat:" to which he answers, " Not "fo, Lord; for I have ne ver eaten any thing that "is common or unclean." But the Lord faid again, What God hath purified" (or cleanfed) that call not "thou common." And whilft he thought on the vifion, the Spirit faid unto him, Behold, three men feek Acts x. thee :" and orders him to 34-4 • go along with them. And is Cornelius had the day be fore had a vifion of an angel, ordering him to fend for Pecer; Peter, on arriving at Sefarea, preaches to Corne lius, his family and friends, Acts x. 1who were of the fame cha-7. racter with himself, ver. 2. To them Peter preaches the fame "word, which God "fent at firft" (and had hitherto only fent" unto the children of Ifrael, offering them peace by Jefus "Chrift; who Peter understood now to be the "Lord of all" (devout Gentiles as well as Jews), onl D 2 perceiving |