presented to him a large sheet let down from heaven, containing all sorts of creatures, clean and unclean; and at the same time a voice said to him, Arise Peter, kill and eat; but the apostle, as yet tenacious of the rites and institutions of the Mosaic law, answered, that his conscience refused to comply, having never eaten any thing that was common or unclean. To which the voice replied," That it was unjust to consider that as common which God had cleansed." This was done thrice, after which the vessel was again drawn up to heaven, and the vision disappeared. By this symbolical representation, St. Peter was given to understand, that the Almighty was now going to send him on a new embassy, which the Spirit at the same time commanded him to undertake. While he was still wondering with himself what the event could prove, three messengers knocked at the gate, enquiring for him; and from them he received the following account: That Cornelius, a Roman captain of a band of Italian soldiers at Cæsarea, a person of great piety and religion, one who had been long a proselyte of the gate, had sent for him by an immediate command from God. Peter accompanied with some of the brethren, went the next day with the messengers, and soon after arrived at Cæsarea.

Cornelius having information of his coming, had summoned his friends and kindred to Cæsarea; and at the apostle's entering his house, fell at his feet, a method of address frequent in the Eastern countries; but Peter, who considered that honour as due only to the Almighty, lifted him up, and declared to the company the reason of his coming, saying that he had lately learned that with God there was no respect of persons.

As soon as the apostle had ended his speech, Cornelius, at his request, related the particular reason for his sending for him. "Four days ago, said this Roman officer, being conversant in the duties of fasting prayer, an angel from the courts of heaven appear

and

ed to me, declaring that my prayers and alms were come up as a memorial before the throne of the Most High; and at the same time, ordered me to send to Joppa, for one Simon Peter, who lodged at the house of a Tanner near the sea-side, who would give me further information in the duties of religion. Accordingly, I made no hesitation to obey the Heavenly messenger, but sent immediately for thee."

The apostle was at first astonished at this relation of the centurion; but he was soon convinced that God had broken down the partition-wall, and no longer maintained a peculiar kindness for the sons of Jacob; that it was not the nation, but the religion; not the external quality of the man, but the internal temper of the mind, that recommended the human race to the favour of Omnipotence: that the devout and pious, the righteous and the good man, whatever part of the the earth he may inhabit, is the favourite of heaven; that God as highly respects a just and virtuous man in the barren wastes of Scythia, as on the mountain of Sion; that the reconciling and making peace between God and man by JESUS CHRIST, was the doctrine published by the prophets of old; and that God had now anointed and consecrated JESUS of Nazareth with divine power, in the exercise whereof he went about doing good to the children of men.

At the time that Peter was thus preaching to them, the Holy Ghost fell upon the greatest part of his hear ers, enabling them to speak several languages, and in them to magnify the great Creator of the sons of men. At this the Jews, who accompanied Peter, marvelled exceedingly, to see that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were poured upon the Gentiles; and Peter seeing this, told the company, that he knew no reason why these persons should not be baptized, as they had received the Holy Ghost as well as they; and accordingly, he gave orders that they should be baptized; and, to confirm them in the holy faith they had embraced, he tar¬ ried some time with them.

Having thus finished his visitation to the new planted churches, Peter returned to Jerusalem, and was indefatigable in instructing the converts in the religion of JESUS, and preaching the glad-tidings of salvation to the descendants of Jacob: but he did not long continue in this pleasing course; Herod Agrippa, in order to ingratiate himself into the favour of the Jews, put St. James to death, and finding the action was highly acceptable to that stiff-necked people, he resolved to extend his cruelty to Peter, and accordingly cast him into prison: but the churches were incessant in their prayers to God for his safety; and what have mortals to fear, when guarded by the hand of Omnipotence! Herod was persuaded he should soon accomplish his intentions, and sacrifice Peter to the insatiable cruelty of the Jews.

The night before the intended execution a messenger from the court of heaven visited the gloomy dungeon, where he found Peter asleep between his keepers. The angel raised him up, took off his chains, ordered him to gird on his garments, and follow him: Peter obeyed, and having passed through the first and second watch, they came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened to them of its own accord: the angel also accompanied him through one of the streets, and then departed from him; on which Peter came to himself, and perceived that it was no vision, but that his great and beloved Master had really sent a messenger from above, and released him from prison. He therefore repaired to the house of Mary, where the church was assembled, and offering up their prayers to the throne of grace for his safety. On his knocking at the door, a maid who come to let him in, knowing his voice, ran back to tell them that Peter was at the door, which they at first considered as the effect of fancy but the damsel continuing to affirm that it was really true, they concluded it was an angel or some messenger sent to him from the court of heaven: but on opening the door, they were convinced of their

mistake, finding that it was Peter himself, who briefly told them how he was delivered, and, desiring them to inform his brethren of his being set at liberty, he retir ed from them.

The officers came in the morning from Herod to the prison, with orders to bring Peter out to the people, who were gathered together to behold his execution: but when they came to the prison, the keepers informed them, that the apostle had made his escape; which so exasperated Herod, that he commanded those to be put to death who were intrusted with the care of the pri

soner.

After this miraculous deliverance of St. Peter, a controversy arose between the Jewish and the Gentile converts, with regard to the observation of the Mosaic law, a dispute which gave great uneasiness to the minds of many persons; the Jews zealously contending, that it was absolutely necessary to salvation to be circumcised, and observe the precepts of the ceremonial law as well as those of the gospel. To compose this dif ference, it was thought necessary to summon a general council of the apostles and brethren to meet at Jerusalem. This was accordingly done, and the case thoroughly debated.

At last Peter stood up, and declared, that God having chosen him out of all the apostles to be a preacher of the gospel not only to the Jews, but also to the Gen tiles, God who was best able to judge of the hearts of men, had borne witness to them, that they were acccpted of him by giving them his Holy Spirit, as he had done the Jews; and, consequently, that there was no difference between them.

St. Peter's declaration convinced the church, and it was unanimously decreed, that no other burthen than the temporary observance of a few particular precepts, equally convenient to Jew and Gentile, should be im

posed on them: and the decision drawn up into a synodical epistle, and sent to the several churches, for allaying the heats and controversies which had been occasioned by this dispute.

This he

Peter soon after left Jerusalem, and went down to Antioch; where, using the liberty given him by the gospel, he freely ate and conversed with the Gentile proselytes, considering them now as fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. had been taught by the vision of the sheet let down from heaven; this had been lately decreed at Jerusalem; this he had before practised with regard to Cornelius and his family, and justified the action to the satisfaction of his accusers; and this he had freely and innocently done at Antioch, till some of the Jewish brethren coming thither, he, for fear of offending them, withdrew himself from the Gentiles, as if it had been unlawful for him to hold conversation with uncircumcised persons; notwithstanding he knew, and was fully satisfied, that our blessed Saviour had broken down the partition wall between the Jews and Gentiles under the gospel.

Having thus acted against the light of his own mind and judgment, Peter condemned what he had approved, and destroyed the superstructure he had before erected; at the same time, he confirmed the Jewish zealots in their inveterate errors, filled the minds of the Gentiles with scruples, and their consciences with fears. Nor was this all, the old prejudices between Jew and Gentile were revived, and the whole number of Jewish converts, following the apostle's examples, separated themselves from the company of the Gentile Christians; nay, even Barnabas, himself was carried away by the torrent of unwarrantable practice that now unhappily prevailed.

The apostle Paul was now at Antioch, and resolutely opposed St. Peter to his face; he publicly reproved