Peter heals Eneas, who had been A. D. cir. 37. A. M.cir.4041. Eneas, which had kept his bed eight || 35 And all that dwelt in Lydda and A. years, and was sick of the palsy. Saron saw him, and turned to the An. Olymp. Cir. CCIV. 1. 34 And Peter said unto him, Eneas, * Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. a Ch. 3. 6, 16. & 4. 10. by the Spirit which is given him: nothing less can be implied in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Were multiplied.] No wonder that the church of God increased, when such lights as these shone among men. This is a short, but full and forcible description of the righteousness, purity, and happiness of the primitive church. b Lord. C M.cir. 4011. A. D. cir. 37. An. Olymp. cir. CCIV. 1. Verse 34. Jesus Christ maketh thee whole] Not Peter, for he had no power, but what was given him from above. And as an instrument, any man could heal with this power, as well as Peter; but God chose to put honour upon those primitive preachers of his word, that men might see that they were commissioned from heaven. Arise, and make thy bed.] Give now full proof that Jesus nas made thee whole, by arising, and by making thy He was at home, and therefore was not commanded, as the paralytic person, to take up his bed; but he was ordered to make it, that all might see that the cure was perfect. Verse 32. As Peter passed through all quarters] Ala Karшy, Bp. Pearce thinks, should be translated not through || Christ all quarters, but through all the saints. The churches hav-bed. ing rest, the apostles made use of this interval of quiet, to visit the different congregations, in order to build them up on their most holy faith. Of Saul, we hear no more till chap. xi. 30. which is supposed to be about five years after this time; eight in all, from his conversion. Peter, it seems, had continued in Jerusalem, all the time that the churches were in a state of persecution throughout the whole land. Great as he was, he never evidenced that steady, determinate courage, by which St. Paul was so eminently distinguished; nor did he ever suffer half so much for God and his truth. To the saints] The Jews, who had been converted to Christianity. Which dwelt at Lydda.] A town in the tribe of Ephraim almost on the border of Judea, and nigh unto Joppa: it was about ten leagues from Jerusalem, and was afterwards known by the name of Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter. Verse 35. All that dwelt in Lydda and Saron saw him] Saron was that champaign country that lay between Joppa and Lydda. The long affliction of this man had been well known, and his cure, consequently, became a subject of general examination: it was found to be real. It was known to have been performed by the grace and mercy of Christ; and the consequence of all this conviction was, that all these people became Christians. Verse 36. Note there was at Joppa] This was a sea-port town on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, about a day's journey from Jerusalem. It is supposed to be the same which is called in the Old Testament Japho, which belonged to the tribe of Dan, Josh. xix. 46. It is at present called Jaffa; and is still a place of considerable note. Verse 33. A certain man named Eneas] This name has been celebrated in the annals of heathen poetry, in that A certain disciple named Tabitha] This word is more probeautiful work of the poet Virgil, called the Eneid; which perly Syriac, than Hebrew. tebitho is the word in the gives an account of the misfortunes, travels, wars, &c. of a Trojan prince of this name, after the destruction of his native Syriac Version, and is their manner of writing the Hebrew city Troy. On the difference of names which so frequently tsebi; the teth being changed for the saddi. occurs in some parts of the Scriptures, Calmet makes the fol-The word a tabio, and the feminine lowing judicious remarks: As both Greek and Hebrew, or Syriac, were commonly spoken in Palestine, most persons had two names, one Greek and the other Hebrew. Thus Peter was called Cephas in Hebrew, and Petros in Greek. Paul was called Saul in Hebrew, and Paulos in Greek. The person in ver. 36. Tabitha in Hebrew, and Dorcas in Greek. And the paralytic person cured by Peter, Hananiah in Hebrew, and Aineas in Greek. So Thomas was the Hebrewtiful, and was therefore called Tabitha and Dorcas. name of the apostle, who in Greek was called Didymus. Had kept his bed eight years] This was occasioned by a palsy; and now inveterate and hopeless, through its long standing. tabitho, have the same meaning as the Hebrew tsebi, and the Greek opnas Dorcas, and signify the gazel or antelope: and it is still customary in the East, to give the names of beautiful animals to young women. The comparison of fine eyes to those of the antelope, is continually occurring in the writings of the Arabic and Persian poets. The person in the text probaby had her name in the same way. She was very beaus This woman was full of good works] She spent her life in acts of kindness and charity. Her soul was full of love to God and man; and her whole time was filled up with works of piety and mercy. Verse 37. She was sick, and died] Even her holiness and usefulness could not prevent her from sickness and death. Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, is a decree that must be fulfilled, even on the saints; for the body is dead, sentenced to death, because of sin, though the Spirit be life because of righteousness. Whom when they had washed] Having the fullest proof that she was dead, they prepared her for her interment. In most nations of the world, it was customary to wash their dead before they buried them; and before they laid them out, to lie in state, as Homer tells us, was the case with the body of Patroclus: Ως είπών, έταροισιν εκέκλετο διος Αχιλλευς, Και τοτε δη λουσαν τε, και έλειψαν λιπ' ελαίω Iliad. xviii. 343. "So saying, he bade his train surround with fire They stretch'd him on his bed, then cover'd him COWPER. The waking or watching of the dead, was also practised among the ancient Greeks, as we learn from a preceding paragraph, where Achilles, addressing his dead friend Patroclus, tells him, Τόφρα δε μοι παρα νηυσι κορωνίσι κείσεαι αύτως• “Mean time, among My lofty gallies thou shalt lie, with tears Peter is sent for, to come to Joppa. A. M.cir. 4041. A. D. eir. 37. An. Olymp. cir. CCIV. 1. 38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there; they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. d 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. Ch. 1. 13.- d Or, be grieved. A similar description is given by Virgil of the funeral obsequies of Misenus, Æneid vi. ver. 212. Nec minus interea Misenum in littore Teucri * Pars calidos latices et aëna undantia flammis Expediunt, corpusque lavant frigentis & unguunt Fit gemitus: tum membra toro defleta reponunt, Purpureasque super vestis velamina nota Conjiciunt, &c. "Meanwhile, the Trojan troops with weeping eyes To dead Misenus pay his obsequies. First from the ground a lofty pile they rear Of pitch-trees, oaks and pines, and unctuous fir: DRYDEN. These rites, in many respects, resemble those still used among the native Irish. See the account of the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians, in the notes on Gen. chap. 1. 2. The primitive Christians washed the bodies of their dead, not only out of decency and affectionate respect to them; but as a token of their firm belief in the resurrection of the dead. Verse 38. Sent to Peter-desiring that he would not delay to come] Tabitha died at Joppa, and Peter was at Lydda, about four leagues distant. But why did they send for Peter? Peter? We cannot tell. It is not likely that they had any expectation that he should raise her from the dead; for none of the apostles had as yet raised any and if God did not chuse to restore Stephen to life, this favour could not be reasonably expected, in behalf of inferior persons. However, they might hope that he who cured Eneas at Lydda, might cure Dorcas; for it is probable that they had sent for Peter before she died and in this sense we might understand the απέσειλαν οf the text. Verse 39. Shewing the coats and garments] Xirwras nai Peter restores Dorcas to life: A. D. cir. 37. THE ACTS. A. D. cir. 37. An. Olymp. in consequence of which, many believe. A. M.cir.4041. When he was come, they brought | 41 And he gave her his hand, and A. M.cir.4041. Au. Olymp. him into the upper chamber and all lifted her up, and when he had cir. CCIV. 1. the widows stood by him weeping, called the saints and widows, he preand shewing the coats and garments which sented her alive. Dorcas made, while she was with them. cir. CCIV. 1. 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; 43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa, with one Simon a tanner. e Christianity; but also of bringing many sincere converts to the Lord, so that the church was thereby both builded up and multiplied. Verse 43. He tarried many days in Joppa] Taking advantage of the good impression made on the people's minds by the miracle, he preached to them the great truths of Christianity; and thus established them in the faith. Simon a tanner.] Whether the original word Supreus sig iparia, the outer and inner garments. These, it appears, she had made for the poor, and more particularly for poor widows, in whose behalf she had incessantly laboured. Verse 40. Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed] It was not even known to Peter that God would work this miracle: therefore he put all the people out, that he might seek the will of God by fervent prayer, and during his supplications, be liable neither to distraction nor interruption, which he must have experienced, had he per-nifies a tanner or a currier, is of little consequence. The mitted this company of weeping widows to remain in the person who dealt in the hides, whether of clean or unclean chamber. animals, could not be in high repute among the Jews. Even And turning-to the body] Ewua; the lifeless body, for the in Joppa, the trade appears to have been reputed unclean; spirit had already departed. Said, Tabitha, arise] During his wrestling with God, he had, undoubtedly, received confidence that she would be raised at his word. And when she saw Peter, she sat up.] As Dorcas was a woman so eminently holy, her happy soul had doubtless gone to the paradise of God. Must she not therefore be filled with regret to find herself thus called back to earth again? | And must not the remembrance of the glories she had now lost, fill her with dislike to all the goods of earth? No for, 1. as a saint of God, her Maker's will must be her's; because she knew that this will must be ever best. 2. It is very likely that in the case of the revivescence of saint or sinuer, God mercifully draws a veil over all they have seen or known, so that they have no recollection of what they have either seen or heard. Even St. Paul found it impossible to tell what he had heard in the third heaven, though he was probably not in the state of the dead. Of the economy of the invisible world, God will reveal nothing. We walk here by faith, and not by sight. and therefore this Simon had his house by the sea-side. See chap. x. 6. Of the trade itself, the Talmudists speak with great contempt; they reckon it among blemishes. See proofs in Schoettgen. 1. Thus terminates what has not been improperly called the first period of the Christian church, which began at the day of pentecost, chap. ii. and continued to the resurrection of Dorcas; a period of about eight years. During the whole of this time, the gospel was preached to the Jews only, no Gentile being called, before Cornelius; the account of whose conversion, and the divine vision that led to it, are detailed in the following chapter. Salvation was of the Jews: theirs were the fathers, the covenants, and the promises; and from them came Christ Jesus; and it was right that they should have the first offer of a salvation, which, while it was a light to lighten the Gentiles, was to be the glory of the Israelitish people. When they utterly rejected it, then the apostles turned unto the Gentiles. Among them the Christian church was founded; and thus the reprobates became the elect; and Verse 41. Saints and widows] In primitive times, the the elect became reprobates. Reader! behold the goodness widows formed a distinct part of the Christian church. Verse 42. Many believed in the Lord.] That is, in Christ Jesus, in whose name and through whose power they under- || stood this miracle to be wrought. This miracle, as well as that at Lydda, was not only the mean of strengthening the faith of the disciples, and gaining credit to the cause of and severity of God! towards them that fell, severity; but towards thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off, Rom. xi. 22. Thou canst only stand by faith; and be not high-minded, but fear. Nothing less than Christ dwelling in thy heart by faith, can save thy soul unto eternal life. Observations on the CHAP. IX. conversion of St. Paul. 2. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is one of the most | It exposed the absurdity and folly of Grecian and Roman remarkable facts, recorded in the history of the Christian church. When we consider the man; the manner in which he was brought to the knowledge of the truth; the impression made on his own mind and heart by the vision he had on his way to Damascus, and the effect produced in all his subsequent life, we have a series of the most convincing evidences of the truth of the Christian religion. In this light he ever viewed the subject himself; the manner of his conversion he ever appealed to, as the most proper apology for his conduct; and on several most important occasions, he not only refers to it, but enters into a detail of its circumstances, that his hearers might see that the excellency of the power was of GOD and not of man. superstition and idolatry; and asserted itself to be the completion, end, and perfection of the whole Mosaic œconomy. It was therefore hated by all those nations; and its followers despised, detested, and persecuted. From the profession of such a religion so circumstanced, could any man, who possessed even the most moderate share of common sense, expect secular emolument or advantage? No! Had not this apostle of the Gentiles the fullest conviction of the truth of Christianity, the fullest proof of its heavenly influence on his own soul, the brightest prospect of the reality and blessedness of the spiritual world, he could not have taken one step in the path which the doctrine of Christ pointed out. Add to this, that he lived long after his con view; and tried it in all circumstances. What was the result? the deepest conviction of its truth; so that he counted all things dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of its knowledge. Had he continued a Jew, he would have infallibly risen to the first dignities and honours of his nation; but he willingly forfeited all his secular privileges, and wellgrounded expectations of secular honour and emolument, and espoused a cause, from which he could not only have no expectation of worldly advantage, but which, most evidently and necessarily, exposed him to all sorts of privations, sufferings, hardships, dangers, and death itself! These were not only the unavoidable consequences of the cause he espoused; but he had them fully in his apprehension, and constantly in his eye. He predicted them, and knew that every step he took was a progressive advance in additional sufferings, and the issue of his journey must be a violent death! Saul of Tarsus was not a man of a light, fickle, and un-version, saw Christianity and its influence in every point of cultivated mind. His natural powers were vast, his character the most decided, and his education, as we learn from his historian, and from his writings, was at once both liberal and profound. He was born and brought up in a city which || enjoyed every privilege of which Rome itself could boast; and was a successful rival both of Rome and Athens in arts and science. Though a Jew, it is evident that his education was not confined to matters that concerned his own people and country alone. He had read the best Greek writers, as his style, allusions, and quotations sufficiently prove; and in matters which concern his own religion, he was instructed by Gamaliel, one of the most celebrated doctors the synagogue had ever produced. He was evidently master of the three great languages which were spoken among the only people who deserved the name of nations: the Hebrew, and its prevailing dialect, the Chaldaio-Syriac; the Greek, and the Latin; languages, which, notwithstanding all the cultivation through which the earth has passed, maintain their rank, which is a most decisive superiority over all the languages of the universe.. Was it likely that such a man, possessing such a mind, cultivated to such an extent, could have been imposed on or deceived? The circumstances of his conversion forbid || is self-evident, that in St. Paul's call there could be no imthe supposition: they do more; they render it impossible. One consideration on this subject will prove, that imposture in this case was impossible: He had no communication with Christians; the men that accompanied him to Damascus were of his own mind; virulent, determined enemies to the very name of Christ: and his conversion took place in the open day, on the open road, in company only with such men as the persecuting high-priest and sanhedrin thought proper to be employed in the extermination of Christianity. In such circumstances, and in such company, no cheat could be prac- || tised. But was not he the deceiver? The supposition is absurd and monstrous, for this simple reason, that there was no motive that could prompt him to feign what he was not; and no end that could be answered by assuming the profession of Christianity. Christianity had in it such principles as must expose it to the hatred of Greece, Rome, and Judea. The whole history of St. Paul proves him to be one of the greatest of men; and his conduct after he became a Chris、 tian, had it not sprung from a divine motive, of the truth of which he had the fullest conviction, would have shewn him to be one of the weakest of men. The conclusion therefore posture; that in his own mind there could be no deception, that his conversion was from heaven; and the religion he professed and taught, the infallible and eternal truth of Jehovah. In this full conviction, he counted not his life dear unto him, but finished his rugged race with joy, cheerfully giving up his life for the testimony of Jesus; and thus his luminous sun set in blood, to rise again in glory. The conversion of St. Paul is the triumph of Christianity; his writings, the fullest exhibition and defence of its doctrines; and his life and death, a glorious illustration of its principles. Armed with the history of Paul's conversion and life, the feeblest believer needs not fear the most powerful infidel. The ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles will ever remain an inexpugnable fortress to defend Christianity, and defeat its enemies. Reader, hath not God so done his marvellous works that they may be had in everlasting remembrance? Account of Cornelius, THE ACTS. CHAPTER X. a Roman centurion. An angel appears to Cornelius, a centurion, and directs him to send to Joppa, for Peter to instruct him in the way of salvation, 1-6. He sends accordingly, 7, 8. While the messengers are on their way to Joppa, Peter has a remarkable vision, by which he is taught how he should treat the Gentiles, 9-16. The messengers arrive at the house of Simon the tanner, and deliver their message, 17–22. They lodge there that night, and on the morrow Peter accompanies them to Cæsarea, where they find Cornelius and his friends assembled, waiting the coming of Peter, 23, 24. Peter makes an apology for his coming, and enquires for what purpose Cornelius had sent for him, 25-29. Cornelius answers, 30-33. And Peter preaches unto him Jesus as the Saviour of the world, and the Judge of quick and dead, 34-43. While he speaks, the Holy Ghost descends on Cornelius and his company; and they spake with new tongues, and magnify God, 44-46. Peter commands them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, 47, 48. NOTES ON CHAP. X. valry; but the cohors prima, or first cohort, consisted of I have already observed (see the conclusion of the preced- 1105 infantry and 132 cavalry, in the time of Vegetius. But ing chapter) that hitherto the apostles confined their labours the cavalry are not to be considered as part of the cohort, among the Jews and circumcised proselytes; not making any but rather a company joined to it. A Roman legion conoffer of salvation to the Gentiles: for they had fully imbibed sisted of ten cohorts; the first of which surpassed all the the opinion, that none could enter into the kingdom of God, others, both in numbers and in dignity. When in former and be finally saved, unless they were circumcised, and betimes the Roman legion contained 6000, each cohort concame obedient to the law of Moses. This prejudice would sisted of 600, and was divided into three manipuli; but both have operated so, as finally to prevent them from preaching the legions and cohorts were afterwards various in the numbers the gospel to the Gentiles, had not God, by a particular they contained. As there were doubtless many Syrian auxiinterposition of his mercy and goodness, convinced Peter, liaries, the regiment in question was distinguished from them and through him all the other apostles, that he had accepted as consisting of Italian, i. e. Roman soldiers. The Italian the Gentiles as well as the Jews; and would put no difference cohort is not unknown among the Roman writers: Gruter between the one and the other, purifying their hearts by gives an inscription, which was found in the Forum Semfaith, and giving the Gentiles the Holy Ghost, as he had be-pronii, on a fine table of marble, nine feet long, four feet fore given it to the Jews. The means which he used to produce this conviction in the minds of the apostles, are detailed at length in the following chapter. This was Verse 1. There was a certain man in Cæsarea] Cæsarea of Palestine, called also Strato's Tower, as has been already noted; and the residence of the Roman pro broad, and four inches thick; on which are the following words: L. MAESIO. L. F. POL TRIB COH. MIL. ITALIC. VOLUNT See Gruter's Inscriptions, p. ccccxxxiii-iv. This was probably the same cohort as that mentioned here by St. Luke; for the tenth legion mentioned in the above inscription was certainly in Judea, A. D. 69. Tacitus also mentions the Italica legio, the Italic legion, lib. i. c. 59. which Junius Blæsus had under his command in the province |