CHAPTER XI. 365 ing to Christ's atonement for sin by his death, our pardon and justification by faith in him, his intercession, his headship of the church, his kingdom over all, his final judgment, &c. For all this was more fully revealed to the apostles, by their conversation, with Christ about his kingdom, forty days after his resurrection ; Acts i. 2. and by the large effusions of the gifts of the holy Spirit upon them, when he ascended to heaven, and sent them to plant and propagate the christian church throughout all the world. VI. And though the apostle Paul was the last of the apos- tles, that is, was called by Christ himself, after his ascension to heaven, yet we who are of the Gentile nations, are more particu- larly to learn our religion, in the several doctrines and duties of it, from his writings, who was in a more especial manner com- missioned to be the apostle of the Gentiles; Gal. ii. 7, 8. and who had this mystery of preaching the gospel to the Gentile world, revealed to him before the other apostles well understood it. He received his gospel from Jesus Christ himself, by revelation, as he tells us ; Gal. i. 1, 2. And he came not a whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles, either in knowledge or gifts, or labours, in success, or in sufferings; but was more eminent and glorious, in his. active and passive services for Christ, than any other, and perhaps than they all. 1 Cor. xv. 10. and 2 Cor. xi. 5, 6. And he hath left more of his epistles behind him, for the use of the Gentile churches, than all the rest put together. It is moreover evident, from several of this apostle's wri- tings, that he had a most peculiar insight into the various and different dispensations of God to man, fromthe beginning to the end of the world. His writings, therefore, eminently demand our perusal, if we would learn our lessons of christianity. CHAP. XI. The Gradual Changefrom Judaism to Christianity; and the Jewish and Gentile Christians at last united in One Body. I. It is also from the writings of St. Paul, this great epos, tle, and from hispractice and conduct, that we must chiefly learn the gradual procedure of God, in the abolition of the Jewish dispensation, and the complete introduction of christianity into the world, or among all nations, both Jews and Gentiles, which thing has some difficulties attending it; but I think may be made easy by the following account. II. Let us first take notice, that among all the former dis- pensations of grace, there was none but that of Adam and Noah, who were the two common fathers of all mankind, which was designed for all the nations of the earth, till the dispensation of Christ was introduced. By this last dispensation, the heathen. nations, as well as the Jews, even all mankind, wheresoever the
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