he knew only the baptifm of John; he knew, as we cannot but fuppofe from this account of him, he knew Jefus Chrift to be the prophet, the Meffiab that was to come, whose way John had prepared by preaching the baptism of repentance, &c; but he knew not the whole mystery of godliness, the grand fecret of human redemption by the Son of God, coexiftent with his Father, before the foundation of the world. And accordingly, we may safely conclude, that it was with refpect to this great mystery, that Aquila and Priscilla expounded to him the WAY OF GOD more perfectly. If we do not infer from hence, that he expressly and directly preached the great mystery in queftion to thofe Jews whom he mightily convinced, &c. every difficulty under this head is fairly folved by preceding confiderations.

The cafe of the difciples whom St. Paul found at Ephesus is very fimilar to that we have just despatched. Have ye received the Holy Ghoft, fays he, fince ye believed? And they faid unto him, we have not fo much as beard whether there be any Holy Ghost. ‡ And

‡ Acts xix, 2, &c.

be

be faid, unto them what then were ye baptized? And they faid, unto John's baptifm. Then faid Paul, John verily baptized with the baptifm of repentance, faying unto the people, that they Should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Chrift Jefus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghoft came on them; and they fpake with tongues, and prophefied. The paffage is not wholly free from obfcurity; but we cannot do lefs than collect from it, that these difciples knew as much of Christ Jesus antecedently to this interview as Apollos did before his acquaintance with Aquila and Prifcilla; and confequently, that when they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus, they were baptized in the name of a greater perfon than a prophet; and when the Holy Ghoft came on them, and they spake with tongues and prophefied, had, like Cornelius and his houthold, an immediate infight into the profound mys tery of the Christian faith. I just add that, in the chapter before us, the name of the Lord Jefus is faid to have been magnified;

and

and that the wORD OF THE LORD JESUS, and the WORD OF GOD are different modes of expreffion which at firft fight will be found to import one and the fame thing.

But to proceed. I fee nothing of confequence enough to our argument to detain us, till we find St. Paul at Miletus, from whence he fent to Ephefus, and called the elders of the Church. And when they were come to him, says the history, he said unto them, ye know from the first day that I came into Afia, after what manner I have been with you; ferving the LORD with all humility; and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you; testifying both to Jews and Greeks, repentance towards GOD, and faith toward our LORD Jefus Chrift. And now behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerufalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me; fave that the HOLY GHOST witneeth in every city, faying, that afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, fo that I might finish my course, and the miniftry which I have received of the LORD

Jefus, to testify the Gospel of the

And now I know, that ye all,

grace of God. among whom I

have gone preaching the kingdom of GOD, fhall fee my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record, that I am pure from the blood of all men; for I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the HOLY GHOST hath made you overfeers, to feed the Church of GOD, which he hath purchafed with his OWN BLOOD. For I know this, that after my departing fhall grievous wolves enter in among you, not Sparing the flock: alfo of your own felves fhall men arife, Speaking perverfe things, to draw away difciples after them. Now if we fuppofe this Apoftolical charge to have been delivered to perfons pre-instructed in the mystery of the Gospel, agreeably to our reprefentation of it, i. e. to have been believers in the Holy Trinity, it must be acknowleged to contain words of perfpicuity, truth, and foberness; but on every other fuppofition, muft not St. Paul have been thought by his audience to have been indeed befide himself? I would recommend

the

1

the whole of this paffage to every judicious and impartial reader's thorough consideration.

We will now attend this great Apostle to Jerufalem; where we find him violently attacked by the Jews which were of Afia, who ftirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, men of Ifrael belp, this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the law, &c. The accufation brought here against our Apostle is plainly in fubftance the fame with that alledged by the fews of Achaia, who accused him of perfuading men to worship God contrary to the law. I fhall therefore refer you to what was said on that occafion. Only I will add here, that the observation then made is much confirmed by the circumftance of St. Paul's purifying himself at Jerufalem with the four men who had a vow on them, agreeably to the advice before given by the judaizing Christians, and in exact conformity to the Mofaic conftitution. But if we turn to what the Apostle has to say in his own defence, we shall find

Acts xxi. 27, &c.