the fea, and all things that are therein. 16. Who in times paft fuffered (1) all nations to walk in their own ways. vertheless, he left not himself without f witnefs, in that he' World, and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth. not in Temples made with Hands. A&ts 4. 24. -They lift up their Voice to God with one accord, and faid, Lord, Thou art God, which haft made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and all that in them is. Rev. 14. 7. -Worship him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and the Fountains of Waters. 17. Ne did the Lufts of their own Hearts, to dif honour their own Bodies between. themselves. Eph. 3. 5. Which in other Ages was not made known to 5 the Sons of Men, as it is now revealed to his holy Apoftles and Prophets by the Spirit. · Pet. 4. 3. The Time paft of our Lives may fuffice to have wrought the Will 10 of the Gentiles, when we walked in Lafcivioufnefs, Lufts, excefs of Wine, Revellings, Banquetings, and abominable Idolatries. 15 ** Pfal. 81. 12. So I gave them up to their own Hearts Luft: and they walked in their own Counfels. Pfal. 147. 19, 20. He fheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments unto Ifrael. He hath not dealt fo with any Nation and as for his Judgments, they 20 have not known them. t Acts 17. 30. The Times of this Ignorance God winked at; but now com mandeth all Men every where to repent. Rom. 1. 24. God alfo gave 21 them up to Uncleannefs, through a f Pfal. 19. 1. The Heavens de-. clare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his handy-work.. Acts 17. 27. That they fhould. feek the Lord, if haply them might: feel after him, and find him, tho' he be not far from every one of us. † Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the Greation of the World are clearly feen, being, understood by the Things that are, made, even his eternal Power and Godhead. (1) Thefe Words do not imply that Almighty God approved of the Idolatry and Wickedness of the Heathen World, or that he did not afford them Knowledge and Affiftances to enable them to do better than they did. TheReferences here fet down, fuggeft thefe two Interpretations; One is, that' they refufing to follow the Light they had, and to make ufe of the Affiftances offered to them, God, to punish their Difobedience, left them to themselves; the Confequence of which was, that they walked in their own Counfels, and followed their own Hearts Luft; which Senfe is confirmed by what the Apoftle fays, Rom. 1. from the 26th Verfe to the end of the Chapter. At the fame time he winked at or overlooked their Ignorance, which was in fome measure wilful,and did not fo feverely punish them as their Crimes deferved, which I take to be the Meaning of the Apoftle, As 17. 30. The other Interpretation is, That tho God did not leave himself without a Witnefs in any Nation, but gave them fufficient Proofs of his Being; and though they had, or might have had full and clear Convictions of the Duty he required of them, yet he did not. fend any extraordinary Prophets to them, nor give them any written Reve lation of his Will, as he did to the Jews. And this Senfe is expreffed, Pfal. 147. 19, 20, which is among the References. did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and (1) fruitful a Pfal.36-5,6. Pfal. 36.6.-0 Lord, thou preferveft Man and Beast. Pfal. 145.9. The Lord is good to all; and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. Mat. 5. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven, for he maketh his Sun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth Rain on the juft and on the un-1 juft. 334. feafons, watereft it. Thou watereft the Ridges thereof abundantly: thou fettleft the Furrows thereof: thou makeft it foft with Showers, thou bleffeft the fpringing thereof. Pfal. 68. 9. Thou, O God, didft fend a plentiful Rain, whereby thou didft confirm thine Inheritance, when it was weary. Pfal. 104. 13. He watereth the Hills from his Chambers: the Earth is fatisfied b Lev. 26. 34. If ye walk in my with the Fruit of thy Works. Statutes, and keep my Command-Pfal. 147. 8. Who covereth the Hea, ments and do them; thenI will give you Rain in due Seafon, and the 15 Land fhall yield her increafe, and the Trees of the Field fhall yield their Fruit. Deut. 11. 13, 14. It fhall come to pafs, if you thall hearken diligently unto my Com. 20 mandments, to love the Lord your God, and to ferve him with all your Heart, and with all your Souls, That I will give you the Rain of your Land in due Seafon, 25 the firft Rain and the latter Rain that thou mayft gather in thy Corn, and thy Wine, and thy Oil. Deut. 28.12. The Lord fhall open unto thee his good. Treature, the 30 Heaven to give the Rain unto thy Land in his Seafon, and to blefs all the Work of thine Hand.Job 5. 10. [God] who giveth Rain upon the Earth, and fendeth Wa-35 Morning: and he fhall come unters upon the Fields. Pfal. 65. 9, to us as the Rain; as the latter and 10. Thou vifiteft the Earth, and thy ven with Clouds, who prepareth Rain for the Earth. Jer. 5. 24. Neither fay they in their Heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain, both the former and the latter in his Seafon-Jer, 3. 1, 3. -Thou haft played the Harlot with many Lovers; yet return again to me, faith the Lord. Therefore the Showers have been with-holden, and there hath been no latter Rain. Jer. 14. 22. Are there any among the Vanities of the Gentiles that can caufe Rain? or can the Heavens give Showers? Art not thou he, O Lord, our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou haft made all thefe Things. Hof. 6. 3. Then fhall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord : his going forth is prepared as the former (1) Notwithstanding the many useful Difcoveries in natural Philofophy, those who are best skilled therein, acknowledge that their Conjectures, with refpect to a dry or a wet Seafon, to a fruitful or unfruitful one, are very imperfect. Among other Reafons hereof, this may be one, that Almighty God has referved the Knowledge of thefe Things to himself, and difpenfes them as Rewards or Punishments, or as the Effects of his meer Bounty and Goodness to Men. The Jews, whom God took under his more immediate Care and Protection were, among divers other Bleffings, promifed the former and the latter Rains in their Seafon, if they were obe dient and on the contrary, if they were disobedient, among other Judg. ments they were threatned, that their Heaven and Earth fhould be Iron and Brafs, and their Rain Powder and Duft. See Lev. 26, 19. and Dent. 28. 23. 24. eafons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18. And with thefe fayings, fcarce reftrained they the people, hat they had not done facrifice unto them. 19. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who perfwaded the People, and having ftoned Paul, drew him but of the city, fuppofing he had been dead. 20. Howbeit as the difciples flood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21. And when they had preached the gofpel to that city, and had taught many, [Gr. had made many difciples] they returned again to Lyftra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22. Confirming the fouls of the difciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the king f e d* dom hath appointed unto me. † Rom, 8. 17. If Children, then Heirs; heirs of God, and joint.heirs with Chrift: if fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glorified together. 2 Cor. 4. 10. Always bearing about in the Body the dying of the Lord Jefus, that the Life alfo of Jefus might be made manifest in our Bo rody. 1 Cor. 4. 9. I think that God hath fet forth us the Apostles laft; as it were appointed to Death: former Rain unto the Earth. Joel 2. 23. Be glad then ye Children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former Rain moderately, and he will caufe to come down for you the Rain, the former Rain, and the latter Rain,in the first Month. Zech. 10. I. Ask ye of the Lord Rain in the Time of the latter Rain, fo the Lord fhall make bright Clouds, and give them Showers of Rain, to every one Grafs in the Field. Baruch 6. 53. Neither can they [Idols] fet up a King in the Land, nor gives Rain unto Men: c+ 2 Cor. 11. 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods, once was I ftoned. 2 Tim. 3. 11. Perfecutions, Afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lyra.d. Mat. 28. 19. Go ye there fore and teach all Nations. 20 f-25 See on A&ts13.43. Pfal. 34. 19. Many are the fitions of the Righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Mat. 16. 24. Then faid Jefus to his Difciples, If any Man will come after me, let him deny him- 30 felf, and take up his Cross, and follow me. Luk. 22. 28, 29. Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations. And I appoint anto you a Kingdom, as my Father 35 Phil. 1, 28. In nothing terrified. by your Adverfaries: which is to them an evident Token of Perdition, but to you of Salvation, and that of God. 1 Thef. 3. 3. That, no Man fhould be moved by thefe Afflictions: for your felves know, that we are appointed thereunto. 2 Tim. 2. 11, 12. It is a faithful. faying, For if we be dead with him, we fhall alfo live with him, If we fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him: If we deny him, he alfo will deny us. 2 Tim. 3. 12. All that will live godly in Chrift Jesi fus, fhall fuffer Perfecution. 1 Pet. 2. 21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also fuffered for us, leaving us an Example, that ye fhould follow his Steps. †1 Pet. 4. 13. Rejoice, in as much as ye are Partakers of Christs Sufferings; that ACTS XIV. dom of God. 23. And when they had ordained them elders in every Church, and had prayed with fafting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. 24. And after they had paffed throughout Pifidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25. And-when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: 26. And thence failed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God, for the work which they d fulfilled. 27. And when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had fopened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28. And there they abode long time with the disciples. T «e CHAP. 25. Whereof I am made a Minifter according to the Difpenfation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfil [or, fully to preach] the s Word of God. Col. 4. 17. Take heed to the Ministry which thou haft received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. 2 Tim. 4. 5, 17.- Make full Proef of [or, fulfill thy Miniroftry. The Lord ftood with me and ftrengthned me; that by me the Preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear 5.1. Namely, by Fafting and Prayer. See on Ver. 23. d Acts ri. 25. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerufalem, when they had fulfilled their MiniftryRom. 15. 19. From Jerufalem, and round obout unto Illyricum I Kave fully preached the Word of God. I Cor. 9. 16. Neceffity is Jaid upon me; yea, wo is unto me' if I preach not the Gofpel. Col. i. 20t 25 e f + Acts 15.4, 12. Cor 16. 9. A great Door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many Adverfaries. . 2 Cor. or. 2. 12. A Door was opened unto me of the Lord. Col. 4.3: Withal, praying for us, that God would open to us a Door of Utte rance.- Rev. 3. 8. Behold, I have fet before thee an open Door, and no Man can fhut it for thou haft a little Strength, and haft kept my Word, and haft not denied my Name. : ND certain men which came down from Judea, A taught the brethren, and Jaid, Except ye be cir . Year of our Lord 52. cumcifed after the manner of Mofes, ye cannot be faved. 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no fmall diffention and difputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, fhould go up to Jerufalem unto the apoftles and elders about this question. 3. And being brought on their way by the church, they paffed through Phenice, and Samaria, declaring the Converfion of the Gentiles: and they caufed great joy unto all the brethren, 4. And when they were come to Jerufalem, they were received of the Church, and of the apoftles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 5. But there *rofe up [Or, rofe up, faid they, certain] certain of the fect of the Pharifees which believed, faying, That it was needful to circumcife them, and to command them to keep the law of Mofes. 6. And the apoftles and elders came together for to confider of this matter. 7. And when there had been much difputing, Peter rofe up, and faid unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by it Gal. 2. 1. Fourteen Years af ter, I went up again to Jerufalem, with Barnabas, and took Titus with me alfo. you. 5 k. Rom 15: 24.- I trust to fee 8 Gal. 5. 2. Behold, I Paul fay unto you, that if ye be circumcifed, Chrift fhall profit you nothing. † Philip. 3. 2. -Beware of the Concifion. Col. 2. 8, 11, 16. Beware left any Man fpoil you thro' Philofophy and vain deceit, after the Traditions of Men, after the Rudiments of the World, and not after Christ. In whom alfo ye are cir- to cumcifed with the Circumcifion made without Hands, in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh, by the Circumcifion of Chrift. Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat, or in Drink, or in refpect of an holy Day, or of the new Moon, or of the Sabbath-Days. ht Gen. 17. 10. t Lev. 12. 3. See on Joh. 7. 22. 20 1 mt Ver. 12. Acts 14. 27. n * A&ts 10. 20. Arife therefore, and get thee down, and go with them,doubting nothing: for I have fent them. Acts 11. 12. The Spirit bade me go with them nothing doubting * 1 |