Jefus Chrift... ver. 15... 18. But when it pleafed God, (who separated ine from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,) to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerufalem, to them which were Apofiles before me. But I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damafius. Then after three years I went up to Jerufalem, to fee Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

Paul muft have been an Apoftle, and qualified to preach the gospel, before he came to Jerufalem, and faw Peter: or what he fays here cannot be reckoned material, and to the purpose, about which he is Speaking.

Undoubtedly, for fome good while Paul preached to Jews only. And when he began to preach to Gentils alfo, he may have had some farther revelations from Chrift. But it does not follow, that he was not an Apostle before that. Peter, and the reft, had been Apofles feveral years, before they were required, or qualified to preach to

Gentils.

Paul feldom fpeaks of his being an Apoftle, or called to be an Apostle, as he often does at the begining of his epiftles, but he feems to refer to, and intend his early call, when he was converted, and put into the ministrie. Rom. i. 1. Paul, a fervant of Jefus Chrift, feparated unto the gofpel of God. 1 Cor. i. 1. Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jefus Chrift, through the will of God. See allo 2 Cor. i. 1. but especially Gal. i. 1. Paul, an Apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by Jefus Chrift, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. See likewife 1 Tim. i. 12. ii. 7. 2 Tim. i. 11.

One requifite qualification of an Apoftle appears to have been, that he fhould fee Chrift in perfon, and that after his refurrection. This was manifeftly one privilege of the first twelve Apostles, and of Matthias, chofen in the room of Judas. Acts i. 21. 22. Accordingly, we find, that Paul alfo, claiming the character of an Apoftle, fpeaks of his having feen Chrift, and as of a well known, and uncontefted thing. 1 Cor. ix. 1. Have I not feen Jefus Chrift, our Lord? And largely in the xv. chapter of the fame epiftle, rehearsing divers appearances of our Lord, after his refurrection, to the Apoftles, and others, he fays ver. 8. 9. And last of all he was feen of me alfo, as of one born out of due time. For I am the leaft of the Apostles, who am not worthie to be called an Apoftle, becaufe I perfecuted the church of God.

It is plain, then, that Paul had feen Chrift, and after he was rifen from the dead, as the other Apoftles had done. But where did he fee him? It is generally (e) faid, and, I think, rightly, in the way to Damafcus.

(e) Vid. Witf. de Vita Pauli. Se&t. ii. num. v. vi. vii. et Bafnagius ann. 37. num. lviii.

Qu. 2. Qualis erat hæc apparitio? Refp. Indubie corporalis: quia fe, ut ceteros, teftem oculatum adducit. Qu. 3. Quando, et ubi Chriftum vidit? Refp. Dum iret Damafcum. A&t. ix, Obj. At Paulus tunc excæcatus erat. Rejp. Prius tamen Dominum vidit, cujus maxima claritate perfri&ti funt ejus oculi, ut fit folem intuentibus. Poli Synopf. ad 1. Cor. xv. 8.

Jam quod ad hanc apparitionem Dominicam Paulo factam attinet, quæ fine dubio poft afcenfionem Domini contigit, illud etiam indubitate tenendum

N 2

eft,

...

mafeus. Then, as feems to me, Chrift perfonally appeared to him. It is evident from St. Luke's account of Paul's converfion. Acts ix. 3...6. And as he journeyed, he came near to Damafcus. And fuddenly there fhined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice, faying unto him: Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? And he faid: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord Jaid: I am Jefus, whom thou perfecuteft. And he trembling, and aftonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord faid unto him: Arife, and go into the city. And it fhall be told thee, what thou must do. When Ananias, by special order, entered into the house, where Paul was, and put his hands upon him, he said: ver. 17. Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jefus, who appeared to thee in the way, as thou camest, & opbeis σas in ride, bath fent me. Compare ch. xxii. 14. And ch. ix. 27. Barnabas brought him to the Apoftles, and declared unto them, how he had feen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken unto bim. Paul likewife in his own accounts of his converfion ufes words expreffive of a personal appearance to him. So Acts xxii. 6. . . 8. in his fpeech to the people of Jerufalem, where truth and exactneffe were very requifite. And it came to pass, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damafcus, about noon, fuddenly, there fhone from heaven a light round about me. And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice faying unto me: Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he faid unto me: I am Jefus of Nazareth, whom thou perfecuteft. Sa likewife Acts xxvi. 12... 19. very ftrong and expreffive, indeed. To which the reader is referred.

If Paul did not fee Jefus in perfon at the time of his converfion, when did he fo fee him? Some may fay, at the time mentioned Acts .xxii. 17. . . 21. ... And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerufalem, even when I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance, and faw him Jaying unto me: Make hafte, and get thee quickly out of Jerufalem. For they will not receive thy teftimony concerning me.

Some think, that (f) Paul had this tranfe when he first came to Jerufalem, at the end of three years after his converfion. Others rather think,

eft, talem fuiffe quâ Chriftus femet ipfum corporaliter atque oculis corporeis videndum Paulo oftenderet: ad quem modum et aliis omnibus fupra memoratis vifus eft. Nam nifi talis vifio fuiffet etiam hæc de quâ nunc Paulus loquitur, quomodo fe perinde ut ceteros teftem adduceret oculatum ad probandam veritatem refurrectionis Chrifti?... Nam Paulo illo tempore fuæ converfionis, quum iret Damafcum, non tantum audiviffe Dominum loquentem, fed etiam vidiffe, ex fubfequenti narratione ciarum eft. Dicit enim ad eum Ananias ix. 17. Dominus mifit me, Jefus qui apparuit, Græce pleis, qui vifus eft, tibi in via. Et. cap. xxii. 14. Deus præordinavit te, ut videres juftum, et audires vocem ex ore ejus. Rurfum cap. ix. 27. Barnabas de eo narrat Apoftolis, quomodo in via vidiffet Dominum, et quia locutus eft ei. Sed et Dominus ad Saulum proftratum, ipfo referente, cap. xxvi. 16. Ad hoc enim apparui, pony, vifus fum tibi, ut conftituam te miniftrum et teftem eorum, quæ vidifti. Et quæ fequuntur. Eft. in 1. Cor. xv. 8.

(f) Ver. 17. Retourné à Jerusalem.] Non pas d'abord. Voyez. Gal. i. 17. mais après fon voyage en Arabie et fon fejour à Damas. Ibid. ver. 18. Lenfant fur Actes. xxii. 17.

See likewife Dr. Doddridge upon the fame place, in his Family-Expofitor. Vol. 3. P. 355. Sect. L.

think, that (g) it happened, when he and Barnabas came to Jerufalem from Antioch, with the contributions of the Chriftians there for the support of the believers in Judea, in the time of the dearth in the reign of Claudius, and in the year of Chrift 44. Of which an account is given Acts xi. 27. .. 30. xii. 25. Others (h) hesitate.

But I cannot perfuade myself, that this is what Paul intended, when he said to the Corinthians: Am I not an Apostle?.. Have I not feen Jefus Chrift, our Lord? nor when he fays afterwards in the fame epiftle: And last of all he was feen of me alfo, as of one born out of due time. For (i) there, as I apprehend, he must mean feeing Jefus Chrift in perfon, walking, and with eyes open. Which is quite different from what happens in a dream, vifion, tranfe, or extafie.

The (k) fame anfwer will fuffice for the season of his being taken up into paradife, and into the third heaven. For fuch things are vifionarie. Nor did Paul himself certainly know, whether it was in the body, or out of the body. 2 Cor. xii. 1... 3. that is, whether he was then perfonally transported into paradife, or whether the reprefentation was made in his mind, without any local removal. And the things, which he then faw and heard, were not to be revealed. He feidom fpeaks of fuch matters. When he does, it is not without an apologie. For, as it seems, they were, chiefly, for his own encouragement under the many

(g) Et tum, opinor, Saulus raptus eft in tertium coelum, poft quod tempus anno xiv. fcripfit fecundam ad Corinthios epiftolam, cap. xii. 2. PearJon. Ann. Paulin. A. D. 44. p. 6.

(b) Witfius, De Vita Pauli. Sect. iii. num. xi. is in doubt, at which of thofe times Paul had this tranfe, or vifion.

(i) Saulo Damafcum proficifcenti Jefum factum confpicuum, nulli dubitamus.... Nobis aperte favent Ananiæ verba: A&t. ix. 17. Illud ipfum teftatur Barnabas eo capite ver. 27. fed et ipfe Paulus talia voce refert. A&t. xxii. 24... Comparatum ita erat, ut nemo apoftolatûs officio fungi poffet, qui corporeis Chriftum oculis non afpexiffet. Itaque in eâ collatâ fibi gratiâ exultat Paulus, atque triumphat. Nonne Jefum Chriftum Dominum noftrum vidi? Quandonam porro vidit, fi non vidit, dum Damafcum proficifceretur ? Non fane in ea vifione, cujus meminit A&t xxii. 17... 21. Fuit enim exftafis, quæ non fufficiebat apoftolatui. Neque ad raptum ad tertium ufque cœlum referri poteft ea manifeftatio, quæ Apoftolo neceffaria: five quia dubitat Paulus, utrum corpore fuerit, an fpiritu: five etiam quia multos ante annos munus obiit Apoftoli, quam mirandus ipfi raptus contigerit. &c. Bafnag. A. D. 37. n. lvii: vid. et n. lviii.

(k) Quod vero multi præter vifionem, quæ in via Damafcena contigit, etiam mentionem huc ingerunt illius vifionis, quam Paulus fibi Hierofolymam reverfo, et in templo oranti, narrat oblatam fuiffe. Act. xxii. 17. tanquam illud refpiciat hoc loco: fatis illud refellitur, ex eo quod, ipfo Paulo tefte, exftatica fuerit illa vifio: five, ut Interpres nofter vertit, in ftupore mentis facta. Jam autem oftendimus vifionem corporalem hic intelligi debere. Sed neque ad raptum in tertium cœlum, atque in paradifum, de qua fcribit 2. Cor. xii. ... referenda eft hæc vifio... Non tamen ibi fcribit, se Dominum vidiffe. Et ut vidiffet, nefcire tamen fe dicit, utrum in corpore, an extra corpus ipfi raptus ille et vifio contigerit: et ut in corpore contigerit, quod eft probabilius, exftaticam tamen fuiffe, mente videlicet a fenfibus corporeis abitracta, convenit inter Theologos. Nec, fi per fenfum oculorum facta fuiffet ea vifio, Paulus id nefcire potuiffet. Hic vero certum perhibet teftimonium, fe corporaliter, ut alios Apoftolos, Chriftum vidiffe. Eftius ad 1. Cor. xv. 8.

many and great difficulties, which he met with. This rapture into the third heaven and paradife had been concealed by him above fourteen years, and not mentioned at all, till now in this his fecond epistle to the Corinthians as has been obferved both by (1) ancients, and (m) moderns. But the feeing Chrift, for qualifying him to be an Apostle, had been often, and openly mentioned by him.

But it may be objected, that long after his converfion Paul is numbered among Prophets. Acts xiii. 1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers: as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen... and Saul.

To which I answer. 1. If Paul fhould be allowed to be here ranked among Prophets, it will not follow, that he was not more than a Prophet, even an Apoftle. St. Peter stiles himself an Elder, though, undoubtedly, he was alfo an Apoftle. 1. Pet. v. 1. Mr. Le Clerc has a fine obfervation, relating to this matter in his Ecclefiaftical Hiftorie: That (n) though Paul is mentioned last, he was fuperior to the reft in point of gifts. But, fays he, the firft Chriftians were not folicitous about titles and pre-eminence.

2. It is not clear, that Paul is here reckoned among Prophets. He feems rather to be diftinguished from them. For, very probably, it is not without fome reason, that Paul is not put first, nor next to Barnabas, but laft of all. The meaning appears to be this. "Now there "were in the church at Antioch certain Prophets, and Teachers, as "Barnabas, and Simeon, and Lucius, and Manaen, and alfo Saul, whose "character, and ftation in the Church is well known from the preced"ing hiftorie of him in this book." Whereby indeed, he evidently appears to be an Apostle.

3. I add one thing more, that I may fully clear up this point. The defignation, mentioned ch. xiii. ver. 2. 3. could not be to the Apostlefhip. For Paul was not an Apofile of men, neither by man, but by Jefus Christ, and God the Father. Gal. i. I. Moreover, it is here expressly faid, that this ordination, or appointment, at Antioch, was to a particular work, or fervice. As they miniftered to the Lord, and fafted, the Holy Ghoft faid: Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work, whercunto I have called them. And when they had fafted, and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they fent them away. And it might be faid, that (0) here is no confecration to an office, but rather a benediction for the particular work, upon which they were now fent.

As

(1) Διὰ τῦτο καὶ τὸν χρόνον ἔθηκε τῶν δεκατεσσάρων ἔτων· ἐδὲ γὰς ἁπλῶς αυτό μέμνηται, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐκ ἂν ὃ τοσῦτον καρτερήσας χρόνον, νῦν ἂν ἐξεἶπεν, εἰ fun woaan ur áváyen. Chryfoft. in 2. Cor. hom. 26. T. x. p. 681. D. (m) See Dr. Doddridge's Family-Expofitor. Vol. 4. p. 522.

(n) Ceterum, fi ex Spiritus Sancti donis, fublimibufque revelationibus, Prophetarum, Doctorumque, qui memorantur, ordo conceptus effet, fine dubio, primum omnium Saulum collocari oportuiffet. Sed iis temporibus nondum de prima fede, dignitateque contentiones erant inter Chriftianos; et qui meritis in rem Chriftianam omnium erant primi, ii fe, ex Domini præcepto, quafi minimos gerebant, nec ultimos appellari refugiebant. Cleric. H. E, A. D. 45. num. i.

(c) Porro, vere ut dicamus, nil ordinationis eft in Antiochenfium Prophetarum gecía.... Eam ergo Paulus Barnabafque manuum fufcepe

runt

As Mr. Hallett fays, in the place before quoted: "They (p) were " not now feparated for the work of the miniftry, in general, but were separated from the other teachers at Antioch, to go abroad, and propagate the gospel in other countries. When they went out upon "this important work, nothing could be more agreeable, than for the "church at Antioch, to pray God to give Barnabas, and Paul, good "fuccefs. Which accordingly they did. They now recommended them "to the grace, or favour of God: as St. Luke fays concerning this folemn "tranfaction. ch. xiv. 26. And after this again, when Paul was fent "abroad another time, to preach the gofpel, where he had preached it " before, he was in the fame manner recommended to the grace of God, "as it is written ch. xv. 40. Paul chofe Silas, and departed, being recom"mended by the brethren to the grace, or favour of God. Since therefore "both times, when Paul went out from Antioch, to preach the gospel "to the fame people, the Evangelift fays, in the fame words, that he was recommended to the grace of God; we cannot fuppofe, that he was any more first made an Apostle of the Gentils, at the former, than "at the later time of his being recommended."

Upon the whole it appears to me highly probable, from all the accounts, which we have of Paul's wonderful converfion, in Acts ix. xxii. and xxvi. that he received his apoftolical commiflion from the mouth of Chrift in perfon, when he called to him from heaven, and spoke to him in the way to Damafcus. And especially does this appear from Acts xxvi. 15... 20. where Paul exprefsly relates his commiffion, and the time of it, and declares, as feems to me, that all which had been hitherto done by him, in preaching the gospel, to the very time when he was imprisoned, had been done in virtue of that commiffion. And he faid: I am Jefus, whom thou perfecuteft. But arife, and ftand upon thy feet. For I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to make thee a minifter, and a witneffe, both of those things, which thou hast seen, and of those things, in which I will appear unto thee: delivering thee from the People, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now fend thee, kis êç võv σe dπoséλaw, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light. ... Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not difobedient unto heavenly vision: but herved first unto them of Damafcus, and at Jerufalem, and throughout all the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gentils: that they fhould repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

This alfo exactly fuits the manner, in which the other Apoftles were appointed. They were Apostles from the time that Jefus Chrift called them to attend upon him. See Matth. iv. 18... 22. Luke vi. 13. And he often difcourfed to them concerning their commiffion in it's full extent, and the difficulties they would meet with in the difcharge of it: giving them also various directions, relating to their conduct, when they thould come abroad in the world. See Matth. x. throughout, and xvi. 18. 19. and many like places in the other Gofpels. And before he left them, he exprefly faid: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. Matt. xxviii. 19. But they did not at firft understand the full

extent

runt impofitionem, quæ benedictionis eft, non confecrationis. S. Bafnag. Ann. 45. num. iii.

(p) Vol. 2. p. 323.