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him from Joppa, said, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" The disciples were filled with astonishment, on hearing the Gentile converts "speak with tongues and magnify God," and therefore could offer no just objection to the proposal of the apostle, who "commanded the household of Cornelius to be baptized in the name of the Lord."

This conduct of Peter, however, gave offence to the believers at Jerusalem, who still adhered to the Jewish prejudice, that they were to hold no communion with other nations. When therefore Peter returned from Cæsarea 66 they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest in to those who were uncircumcised, and didst eat with them."

Upon this the apostle gave them an orderly relation of all that had occurred to him at Joppa, and of the miraculous effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the proselytes in the house of Cornelius. Peter concluded his narrative with this impressive declaration; "Forasmuch as God gave them the like gift as he gave unto us, who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God?"

This account silenced all murmuring; and the whole assembly "glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."

For some time the church enjoyed peace; and this interval of tranquillity was employed in spreading the gospel in distant places, particularly at Antioch, where the name of Christians was first given to believers in general, without any distinction between the Jewish and Gentile converts.

About the end of Caligula's reign, Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, thinking he should thereby please the elders of the people, caused St. James the Great to be put to death. Finding that

this act of barbarity was acceptable to the Sanhedrim, the tyrant proceeded further to take Peter also, and cast him into prison.

But though the apostle was secured with irons, and kept between two soldiers on the night before his intended execution, he was awakened by an angel, who took off his chains and set him at liberty. In the morning, the guards were thrown into confusion at the escape of their prisoner; and Herod was so exasperated, that he caused them to be put to death for their negligence. But the Divine judgment fell upon the tyrant soon after, at Cæsarea, where he suddenly ended his wicked life, while receiving the impious flattery of his courtiers.

We hear no farther account of St. Peter till the meeting of the counsel at Jerusalem, to determine a controversy which had arisen in the church concerning the imposition of the ceremonial law upon the Gentile converts. On this occasion St. Peter observed, that if these believers had received the Holy Spirit, without being circumcised, it was evident they were accepted of God as well as the Jews. He therefore concluded with protesting against laying a burthensome yoke upon the necks of disciples who were made partakers of the same salvation with their Jewish brethren. This discourse of the apostle was supported by the declaration of Barnabas and Paul, who related to the council the miracles which God had wrought among the Gentiles by their ministration.

St. James, who was president at this assembly, then delivered the judgment agreed upon by all the apostles, that the Jewish rites ought not to be imposed upon the believing Gentiles. This was the first general council held in the Christian church; now, if any thing like a primacy was ever conferred upon Peter, it would certainly have appeared in the assembly at Jerusalem. But instead of this we find Peter taking no higher part on the occasion than Barnabas and Paul; and the decision of the council

was delivered by James in these remarkable terms: "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, who from Gentiles are turned to GOD." Acts. xv. 19.

Notwithstanding the zeal which Peter manifested in the cause of Gospel liberty at Jerusalem, it was not long before he fell into the error which he had condemned; or at least of countenancing, by his practice, those who adhered to it. On his visiting Antioch, the apostle at first lived in free intercourse with the Gentile Christians; but when some Jewish zealots, who still retained their old prejudices came thither, Peter, afraid of displeasing them, withdrew from that communion, in consequence of which many others were carried away with his dissimu lation. Paul opposed this unchristian conduct, and resolutely withstood Peter to his face, justly reproving him for his prevarication.

From this time we read no more of St. Peter in the sacred history: the silence of Scripture, how ever, is abundantly made up by the ingenuity of ecclesiastical writers, who relate some things con cerning the apostle which may have the authority of early tradition; but they are mixed with others so palpably fabulous as to throw a strong shade of doubt over the whole. Thus much only can be relied on with any degree of certainty, that St. Peter suffered martyrdom in the first persecution under Nero. The manner of his death was by crucifixion, as had been foretold by our Lord; and some of the Fathers assert that, in a spirit of humility, he was, at his own request, crucified with his head downwards, thinking himself unworthy to die in the same. position with his master.

The character of St. Peter appears conspicuous throughout the evangelical history; and it is evident that though zeal sometimes carried him beyond the bounds of prudence, yet fervent love to his master, reigned predominant in his soul. As a preacher of righteousness and an overseer of the flock committed,

to his charge, he displayed great energy and vigilance, being always earnest in promulgating the gospel, and ever alive to the spiritual interests of mankind.

In the conclusion of his first epistle, the apostle has given an exhortation, which may be considered as a faithful picture of his own mind and conduct.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of GOD which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: neither as being lords over GOD's heritage, but being examples to the flock: and when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

ST. PAUL.

Converted to the Christian faith, A. D. 35; suffered Death for the same about the year 65.

IF the condition and circumstances of the first dis ciples of Christ are considered as furnishing a striking proof of their sincerity, and of his excellence; we may with equal justice appeal to the conversion and conduct of St. Paul, as a strong and complete evidence of the truth of the Christian doctrine. A thorough examination of his life and writings would prove a powerful check to scepticism; ard a careful consideration of his character must be as forcible an incentive to piety.

This brilliant luminary of the Christian church was born of Jewish parents at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, which place was famous for its academy, and for the privileges conferred thereon by Julius Cæsar

and Augustus, who granted to the natives the honours and immunities of Roman citizens. The Hebrew name of the apostle was Saul; and by this he is sometimes distinguished in the sacred history, even after the account of his conversion. But he is more generally termed Paul; and this name is uniformly adopted by himself throughout his epistles. Different conjectures have been formed on this subject; but the opinion of Origen appears the most probable, which is, that at his birth he had two namesSAUL, in relation to his tribe of Benjamin; and the other PAUL, as a mark of distinction, on account of his being a native of a Roman city.

1 Having completed his studies in the liberal arts, at Tarsus, he was sent to Jerusalem, where he had for a tutor the celebrated doctor Gamaliel. Under this able instructor St. Paul acquired a knowledge of the Jewish law, the traditions of the elders, and the principles of the Pharisaic sect, to which he was zealously attached. But while he was engaged in the pursuit of learning, he was employed in acquiring a profession, agreeably to the prudent maxim of the Jews, that "he who brings not his son to a trade, teaches him to be a thief."

The business to which he was bred was that of a tent-maker, at which he worked after his entrance upon the ministry, that he might not be burthensome to the new converts. His early life was a pattern of industry and sobriety; for in his speech to Agrippa, the apostle made a declaration concerning his moral character, which could have proceeded from nothing else but conscious innocence; "My manner of life, from my youth up, says he, "which was at first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify,) that after the straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee."

The first notice we have of St. Paul, is in the account of the death of St. Stephen, "to which he consented; and from the circumstance of his

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