vindication. Wherefore, it was with the utmost difficulty he efcaped condemnation after making his first defence: fo that he looked for nothing but a sentence of death, when next brought before his judges.

Impreffed, therefore, with the view of his approaching condemnation, Paul wrote his fecond epistle to Timothy; in which he defired him to come to him before winter, (ver. 21.) and to bring Mark with him, (ver. 11.) that they might receive his laft inftructions, and affift him in the ministry during the few months he had to live. Withal, to induce Timothy the more cheerfully to come, he told him, he had sent Tychicus to Ephesus (2 Tim. iv. 12.) to fupply his place there. From this epiftle, we learn also, that although the apoftle's affiftants, terrified with the danger that threatened him, forfook him and fled, he was not altogether without confolation. For the brethren of Rome came to him privately, and miniftered to him; as we learn from his fending their falutation to Timothy, 2 Tim. iv. 21.

Most of the particulars above mentioned, the apostle hath fuggefted in his own letters, especially in his fecond to Timothy. What followed, we learn from ancient Chriftian writers, who inform us, That Paul was condemned and put to death, in the 12th year of the reign of Nero, answering to A. D. 66. And two years after that, namely A. D. 68. Nero put an end to his own life, and to this terrible persecution, after it had continued four years, and fwept off a prodigious number of the disciples of Christ.

CHAP. XII. Character and Eulogy of the Apoftle Paul.

Such was the life, and fuch the death, of Paul the apostle of Jefus Chrift. In his younger years, being exceedingly zealous of the law of Mofes, he perfecuted the Chriftians, as enemies of God and religion. But after Jefus appeared to him, and fhewed him his error in denying his resurrection, he forthwith became a zealous and indefatigable preacher of that faith, which formerly he was fo active in deftroying. In the rolls of fame, Paul stands deférvedly next to his Divine Master as a

teacher

teacher of religion and morality; being without comparison a greater hero by that undertaking, and much more worthy of admiration, than the greatest of thofe who have been called Great. The bodily labour which he endured, the dangers which he encountered, the sufferings which befel him, and the courage which amidst all these evils, he exerted in his apoftolic office, fhew that his virtues, both active and paffive, were far fuperior to thofe, which the moft renowned conquerors have exhibited in the pursuits of ambition, or fame. The end likewife, for which he exerted such an high degree of all the virtues, was more noble; being not to amass riches, or to acquire power, or to obtain fame, or to conquer kingdoms, or to enflave mankind; but to deliver the nations of the world from the thraldom of ignorance, idolatry and wickedness, by imparting to them the knowledge of God and of a future state, and by teaching them those duties of religion and morality, on which their happiness both in time and eternity wholly depends.

This noble, this beneficent employment, Paul profecuted with unremitting diligence for the space of thirty years; all the while foreseeing and experiencing innumerable evils, as the confequence of his generous undertaking, without reaping from it any worldly advantage whatever. Such heroic benevolence is the more to be efteemed, that at the time Paul carried the light of the gospel through the world, mankind were involved in one thick cloud of darknefs, which hindered them from difcerning those spiritual matters, which as reasonable beings defigned to exist through eternity, it was of the greatest importance for them to know. Wherefore, if any person ever merited well of mankind, it is Paul, who with fuch unwearied activity, and with fuch labour and lofs to himself, imparted to the nations of the world, the knowledge of the true God, and of the way of falvation.

But this most excellent man is entitled to admiration and gratitude, not from those alone who put a just value on religious knowledge, but from those also, who esteem nothing but what promotes the interest of the prefent life. For the gofpel, which Paul spread through the world, hath been the source of many

of

of thofe good qualities, whereby fuch as have embraced the Christian religion, have been rendered fuperior to all who have gone before them. More particularly, the gospel hath introduced good faith, which is the foundation of mutual confidence between nations, in their leagues and compacts: it hath banifhed that fiercenefs with which the most civilized nations auciently carried on war; it hath diffufed that humanity and complaifance, by which modern manners are fa happily distinguished from the ancient: Nay, if I am not mistaken, the gofpel hath, by accident, contributed to the improvement even of the fciences and the arts: For by the great objects which it prefents to the minds of men, their intellectual faculties have been enlarged and strengthened: and by the rewards of immortality which it promises, its votaries have been inspired with a fenfe of their own dignity, and fuch hopes have been infufed into their breasts, as have rendered them not only just, but ac tive, even in the affairs of this life. Let the gofpel therefore, have its due praife, which holds out diftinguished rewards in the future life, even to those who mingle in the affairs of the prefent, and who from juft principles, promote the temporal intereft of their fellow creatures. Alfo let the bleffed Paul have his praise, to whom chiefly we in this part of the world are indebted for our knowledge of the gospel, and for all the advantages, temporal and eternal, of which the gospel hath been the happy occafion to mankind.

PROOFS

PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING LIFE.

N

O.

70. I. pag. 7. Stirred up the most zealous members of the foreign fynagogues in Jerufalem. Vitringa, de Syn. Vet. lib. 1. p. 1. c. 14. tells us from Jewish authors, that there were 480 fynagogues in Jerufalem. And learned men suppose, that of thefe, a number were compofed of Jews from the provinces, who chose to worship God in their native language. Lightfoot (Exercit. Acts vi. 9.) obferves, that Jewish authors exprefsly mention a fynagogue which the Alexandrian Jews had at Jerufalem. With refpect to the fynagogue of the Libertines, there are facts in hiftory which fhew who they were. Libertinus or Libertine, is a Latin word, which fignifies a flave who hath obtained his freedom: Also the son of fuch a person. From Philo we learn that the 800 Jews, who, as Jofephus (Ant. xvii. 13. initio) tells us, joined at Rome the embaffy which came from Judea, to petition Auguftus against Archelaus, were mostly of this denomination. For he expressly affirms, that the Jews at Rome were generally fuch as had been taken captives, but were made free by their Roman masters. Tacitus likewife fpeaks of the Jews, when he tells us, Ann, ii. 85.* that 4000 of the Libertine race were tranfported into Sardinia. Belides, Suetonius (Tib. c. 36.) and Jofephus (Antiq. xviii. 4. fine.) exprefsly calls them Jews who were thus transported.

The Jewish Libertines being fo numerous at Rome, and in Italy, it is probable that like other foreign Jews, they had a fynagogue in Jerufalem.-The members of all thefe foreign fynagogues, being generally very zealous, were most fit instru

Actum et de facris Ægyptiis Judaicifque pellendis factumque Patrum confultum, ut quatuor millia Libertini generis ea fuperftitione infecti, quis idonea ætas, infulam Sardiniam veherentur, coercendis illic latrociniis, et fi ob gravitatem cœli interiffent, vile damnum; cæteri cederent Italia, nifi certam ante diem profanos ritus exuiffent.

ments

ments to be employed in oppofing the difciples of Christ. Accordingly they difputed with great vehemence against Stephen. Acts. vi. 9. Then there aroje certain of the fynagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Afia, difputing with Stephen. 10. And they were not able to refift the wifdcm and the Spirit by which he spake. II Then they fuborned men, which faid, We have heard him speak blafphemous words against Mofes, and against God. 12. And they firred up the people, &c.

a

No. II. pag. 8. It feems the fynagogues in foreign parts had jurifdiction over their own members. In all the provinces of the Roman empire, the Jews were governed by a fenate of their own: and where they were numerous, they had a chief magiftrate, elected by themfelves, who was fometimes called Alabarch, and fometimes Ethnarch.

Of the nature and extent of that feparate government, which the Jews exercised over thofe of their own race, we have the moft authentic account, in a decree concerning the Jews of Sardis, of which Jofephus has preferved a copy. Antiq. xiv. c. 10. § 17. Gen. edit. page 487. and which deferves a place here. It is as follows, "Lucius Antonius, fon of Mark, pro"quæftor and proprætor, to the magiftrates, fenate, and peoપહે ple of Sardis, greeting. The Jews which are our citizens, "have fhewn me, that they have always had an affembly of "their own, according to the laws of their country, and a "place of their own, in which they decide the affairs and dif"ferences which concern themfelves. Having defired of me, "that it may be lawful for them fo to do, I have decreed that this (right) be preferved and permitted to them.” Wherefore, Paul had reafon to blame the Chriftians at Corinth, for going to law with one another before the unbelievers, (i Cor. vi. 5, 6.) fince they might have decided thefe differences by their own judges. Jofephus has alfo preferved an edict of Claudius, publifhed in favour of the Jews, in the beginning of his reign. In that edict Claudius obferves, as a precedent, "That when a Jewish Ethnarch died, Auguftus did not forbid "the creation of a new Ethnarch, willing that all men fhould "remain fubject to him, but in the observation of their own "customs." And Strabo, in a paffage not now in his works, but cited by Jofephus, Ant. xiv. c. 7. § 2. fays, "A good "C part of Alexandria is inhabited by this people, (the Jews). "They have likewife an Ethnarch, who adminifters their af"fairs, decides causes, prefides over contracts and mandates, "as if he were the governor of a perfect republic."

The