him, a thick film, resembling scales, fell from his eyes; his sight was restored, his mind composed, and he was immediately baptized. Saul had several companions with him in his journey, who saw the dazzling light, heard the sound of the voice which spoke to him, and fell to the ground, with suprise, as he did; they knew enough of the circumstances of the case to witness for him, that he neither imposed upon others nor himself: but we have no account that any of them were converted; the most extraordinary occurrences being insufficient to change the heart, without the interposition of Divine grace.

Thus the late persecuting Saul was numbered with the disciples, and soon distinguished himself among them. He now knew, by experience, the wickedness and danger of opposing the Gospel, and was desirous to repair the mischief of his former rage and ill example. A sense of the mercy he had received, and compassion for the souls of others, made him seek every opportunity to persuade and convince the Jews, his former companions and brethren; but he soon found the same treatment from them which he himself had often offered to the disciples. They opposed and vilified him as an apostate, and at length consulted to kill him: his former zeal in their cause was forgot, or, if remembered, it was an argument suited to inflame their resentment. But no counsel can prevail against those whom the Lord protects. Saul had timely notice of their designs, and, because they watched the gates of the city incessantly, he was let down by a basket over

2 Cor. xi. 33. Through a window, in a basket, was I "let down by the wall." The Lord often confounds the pride of his enemies by the manner in which he delivers his servants: he permits violent oppositions and great preparations to be made against them, and then disconcerts the combina

the wall; for, though he neither distrusted his cause nor his protector, he was not unmindful to employ prudent means for his preservation. But before this, he had made some excursions from Damascus, and visited Arabia; for his own words assure us, that it was not till the third year after his conversion that he returned to Jerusalem. In this interval the Lord, who had appeared to him in the way, by subsequent revelations, fully instructed him in the knowledge of his will, and qualified him for the apostolical office; so that he could afterwards say, that he received neither his authority nor his information from rien. When he came to Jerusalem he would have joined himself to the disciples; but they, rememberinghis former conduct, and not clearly informed of the manner and reality of his change, were at first afraid of him. They had a right to be satisfied of his sincerity. But, being soon afterwards introduced by Barnabas, he related to them the means of his conversion, and the occasion of his leaving Damascus. He continued for some time in Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, preaching and disputing in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Jews, who hated all the servants of Christ, could not but be particularly enraged at him, who had forsaken their party: against him, therefore, they chiefly set themselves, and making repeated attempts to kill him, he withdrew again from Judea, and went through Syria to Tarsus, in Cilicia, his native place.

"

CALIGULA, A.D. 38.] Upon his recess, the.

tions of the many and the mighty by feeble and unthought-of

means.

"The churches had rest, and walked in the fear of the Lord and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and were edified and multiplied; Acts, ix. 31. Some well-meaning persons seem to forget this passage, when they take it for granted

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churches in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, had an interval of rest. The Jews about this time were taken up with their own affairs. Caligula, who had lately succeeded Tiberius in the empire, presumed to arrogate divine worship to himself, and commanded altars and temples to be erected to his honour. He was readily obeyed in many places; but when he required his statue to be put up in the temple at Jerusalem, the Jewish nation engaged, as one man, to prevent it. They had rejected the Holy One and the True, and the troubles were now beginning to take place, which ended at length in their total ruin and extirpation. Against this first affront and profanation intended to their temple, they united in earnest supplications to Petronius, the governor of Syria, and, with much entreaty, obtained permission to send their deputies to the emperor, who was, though with great difficulty, prevailed on to desist from his purpose as to the temple; but, at the same time, he forbade them, under the severest penalties, to oppose the erection or dedication of temples to him in any place without the city of Jerusalem. This injunction encouraged their enemies to affront their religion wherever they pleased, and laid a foundation for innumerable disturbances and dissensions, in which the Jews, whether aggressors or not, were always the greatest sufferers. While they were thus distracted among themselves, the believers enjoyed a favourable respite; and, walking in the

that the work of God cannot flourish, except there is a vio lent outward opposition against it. The world will dislike the Gospel; but it is possible, in some measure, to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing; and the Lord can, and often does, favour his people with peace, and put their enemies under restraint.

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Josephus de Bell. Jud. lib. ii.

fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, were edified and increased.

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A.D. 39.] As Peter had formerly seconded the labours of Philip the deacon at Samaria, he now visited those places where he had preached onhis way to Cæsarea, and strengthened the disciples he found there by his doctrine and miracles. At Lydda he restored a man to immediate health, who had been many years ill of a dropsy. Being afterwards invited to Joppa, he raised Tabitha, or Dorcas, to life, to the great joy of the poor and the widows, whom she had assisted by her alms and labours. While he made some stay here, his commission was enlarged, and he received direction from the Lord to communicate the Gospel to the Gentiles, which had hitherto been restrained to the Jews, except in the case of the eunuch, for which Philip had been authorized by the express command of an angel.

When our Lord sent forth the apostles to preach, while he was yet upon earth, he expressly confined their mission to the house of Israel; and though, after his resurrection, he commanded them to disciple all nations, they did not immediately understand the extent of his meaning. Though they were under an infallible

Acts, ix. 32. “He came to the saints at Lydda." The Scripture does not use the word saint in the narrow and appropriate sense of some, or with that improper extent which others have given to it in after-times; it is neither peculiar to apostles and fathers, nor applicable to all who bear it in the Roman calendar; but it is the common appellation of all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are saved from sin and condemnation by his grace. There have been saints in all ages; but real saints (while living) have usually been branded with opprobrious names. The world, which knows not Christ, cannot distinguish his people; but will rather give the title of saints to many who have hated and persecuted the Gospel.

guidance, they were not fully instructed at once; but received intimations of their duty from time to time, as circumstances varied, and as the designs of Divine Providence were successively opening. The great Shepherd and Head of the church has an appointed time and manner for the accomplishment of all his purposes: nothing can be effectually done, but when and where he pleases; but when his hour is come, then hard things become easy, and crooked things straight; his word, Spirit, and providence then will all concur to make the path of duty plain to those who serve him; though, perhaps, till this knowledge is necessary, he permits them to remain ignorant of what he has designed them for. By this discipline they are taught to depend entirely upon him, and are afterwards more fully assured that he has sent and succeeded them. Peter was not yet freed from the Jewish prejudice, that all intercourse with the Heathens was unlawful; or if he had been so himself, he could not have easily convinced the many thousands of his brethren who laboured under the same mistake. This service was therefore pointed out to him, by means which left no room for doubt in his own mind, and enabled him fully to vindicate his conduct to others.

Cornelius, a Roman centurion, or captain, with his family and dependants, were the first fruits of the Gentile converts. He lived at Cæsarea, a city not far from Joppa, and which was the ordinary residence of the Roman governors, and therefore promiscuously inhabited by Gentiles and Jews. It is not probable that he had never heard of Christ, or the new institution that was spreading under his name; but, without doubt, what he knew of it was only from public ▾ Acts, x.