ject of the law, but to deliverance from a heathen state, which is called salvation, and being introduced into the liberty of the people of God. To enjoy this privilege these Jews maintained it was necessary to observe the law of Moses; but Paul and Barnabas asserted that it was sufficient for this purpose to profess faith in Christ, without conforming to the law.

2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissention and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain

other of them, i. e. some of those who maintained the opposite opinion, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Paul, who was once as bigotted as the rest of his countrymen, tells us that he was made acquainted with the privileges of the Gentiles by revelation, probably from Christ himself, from whom he derived the knowledge of the gospel. "Be it known unto you that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery," Eph. iii. 3; but some of the converted Jews were not willing to admit his authority upon this subject, and persecuted him with great violence for his opinion: he maintained the rights of the Gentiles, however, with invariable perseverance and intrepidity, both in his discourses and writings. On the present occasion he is willing to refer the question to the opinion of the apostles and brethren at Jerusalein.

3. And being brought on their way, or, "being deputed by the church," they passed through Phenice, and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

The apostles were first encouraged to preach the gospel to the Gentiles by the conversion of Cornelius, in consequence of a divine vision to Peter; but they do not seem to have undertaken to do it, until Paul went among them to the neighbourhood of Antioch, encouraged by the advice of Christ to him at his conversion, or, perhaps, by a particular revelation. The conversion of Gentiles, therefore, was new and unexpected intelligence to the brethren, and excited in their minds unfeigned joy.

4. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received, they were joyfully received," of the church and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them, "what they and God had done," the miracles which God had wrought, and the services which they had performed.

This was Paul's third journey to Jerusalem, seventeen years after his conversion: so long was it before much progress had been made in converting the Gentiles, and before this controversy arose respecting their conformity to the law of Moses. The words of the next verse, as they are at present translated, seem to contain an account of a party formed at Jerusalem, of the same principles with those at Antioch, who were for imposing the law upon the neck of the Gentiles but they are, in reality, nothing more than the report of Paul and Barnabas to the church of the conduct of those at Antioch who had been the occasion of their taking this journey.

5. "But there rose up," there had risen up," i. e. in foreign parts, certain of the sect of the Pharisees who be

lieved, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

This was the language of the believers at Antioch, who opposed Paul; they are mentioned before as men who came down from Judæa; but we here learn, what indeed we might have supposed before, that they were Pharisees, since that sect was the most zealous for the

law.

6. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this

matter.

7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto

us;

9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Peter endeavours to prove that the Gentiles who believed were in a state of favour and privilege, as well as the Jews; and his argument for this purpose is k k

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God's having given them the Holy Spirit, or poured out upon them miraculous powers, as was the case in the instance of Cornelius, to which he himself had been witness. This was a proof of their faith in the gospel; since it was a favor that would never have been conferred, except upon a believer. This faith is said afterwards to purify the heart; this refers not to any moral efficacy of their faith, but to its cleansing them from that uncleanness which adhered to them as idolaters and unbelievers. In allusion to this the vision said to Peter, "what God hath cleansed that call not thou common or unclean."

10. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God, 66 why try ye God," to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Why try ye the patience of the Divine Being, by treating the Gentiles in a manner so contrary to his own conduct towards them; so contrary, likewise, to the principles of humanity, which teaches us not to lay upon another what we are unwilling or unable to bear ourselves. It was certainly true of the ancient Jews that they were not able to bear the yoke of the law, for they were continually forsaking it to worship idols; it was also true of the modern Jews, who had so corrupted or broken their law as to cast themselves wholly, as a people, out of the divine covenant, and to reduce themselves to the state of the Gentiles. By believing in Christ, however, they were reinstated in the divine favour, not on the ground of merit but of mercy.

11. But we believe, as well as those men, meaning Paul and Barnabas, that they "the Gentiles," are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give you what appears to me the sense of this passage, and what the language of the original will certainly bear. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the favour of God in the gospel of Christ: by this favour Peter expresses his persuasion that the Gentiles are saved. The apostle is speaking of what has actually taken place, and not of what will be in future; and he refers to the sentiments of Paul and Barnabas, and not to those of the Gentiles.

12.

Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

REFLECTIONS.

1. We may observe how early a spirit of imposing doctrines and practices began in the church, and what mischief it was likely to produce. The Jews will not associate with Gentiles, nor allow them the name of brethren, unless they conform exactly to their faith and manners, unless they submit to every rite and to every ceremony which they had been taught to regard as sacred and important; thus imposing restraints upon their brethren, which it would be impossible for them to bear, and placing a bar in the way of all improvement in religion, by requiring every generation of men rigidly to adhere to the practices of their ancestors. The same spirit still prevails in the world, and has the same pernicious tendency. There are men who are for imposing their own opinions, their own feelings and language, upon others, as the only genuine standard of religion, as the only terms of ac