on A. 1 s 24. 12,6. /0A Çu fer differences and miftakes to arife ; and indeed they prove to be very exercitng now and then to his own : As it was a great part of yob's exercife, that his friends con- demned him for an hypocrite ; and how often complain eth he,that they vexed his foul,and were a burden to him? Yet,if his godly friends had not been fuffered thus to mi- ftake and err, he had wanted that piece of profitable ex- ercife ; for no profane men would have had fuch accefs to table and profecute a difpute of that nature againtf him: But it exceedingly heightned his exercife, that his godly friends fhould have been thus at difference and in tops with him. This alfn furthered the exercife of the apoflles, and was the occafion and rife of Paul's being apprehen- ded and committed to prifon, viz. when he condefcen- ded to purify himfelf, with thefe men that were under a vow, according to the ceremonial law, as the Divine hi-- ftori.an gives the account, Aets 21. tho' the Lord had de figned to fend him to Rome ; and, in order to that end, Paul muff come to eruJalem, and be in the temple ;; and , to make way for that, fo many Yews shall think,that thefe ceremonies of Moles his law are tobe fill obferved; and the refl of the apoftles flail withal think it needful that Paul fhould condefcend fo far to p?eafe thefe over- zealous Yews, which he did, and it may he condefcended but too fare idly, The Lord,hy the riling of fuch diffe- rences and miflakes, may intend the further fpreadirig of the gof el, as he did in that inflance of Paul's fending to Rome, and in the contention that fell in betwixt Paul and. Barnabas, which made then part company ; by which the Gofpel came to be preached in mo places,' when thus parted afunder, than it would probably have been had they flayed together; and it is not unlike that they both had their wonted liberty in praying and preaching, with- out any dire& and explicire'challenge breaking their peace on account of that their difference and parting. 4thly, It may be, to make all Beth depend on himfelf, when they may nor depend abfolutely on their own Confcíence, nòr on the multitude of believers, nay, nor on apofles, as to fome pra.ices and opinions wherein they were not in- fallibly infpired; feeing God may fuller them and Con - fcietace too, fometimes to miftake, that neither they nor it.
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