and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. gg, St. Paul, when he came to Jerufalem, after. his converfion, applied to St. James, and was by him honoured with the right - hand of fellowlhip: and Peter fent to St. James the news of his miraculous deliver- ance out of prifon, Go, fail he, flaw there things unto fames, and to the brethren; that is, to the whole church, efpecially to St. James the pallor of it at that time. This apoflle was remarkably abfive in the fynod of Jerufalem, when the great caufe relating to the Mofaic rites was de- bated ; for the caufe being opened by Peter, and further debated by Paul and Barnabas, St. James flood up to pats the final and decretory fentence,=that the Gentile converts were not to be loaded with the Jewifh yoke ; a few indifferent rites only being ordered to be obferved, in order to produce an accommodation be- tween the Jews and Gentiles, ufhering in the expedient with this pofitive conclufion, This is my fentence and determination :" a circumflance the more confiderable, be- caufe fpoken at a time when Peter was in council, and produced not the leaft in- timation of the authority afterwards afcribed to him. St. James performed every part of his charge with all poffible care and induftry, omitting no particular neceffary to be ob- ferved by a diligent and faithful guide of fouls.; flrengthening the weak, inflruaing the ignorant, reducing the erroneous, re- proving the obftinate ; and, by the con- Raney of his fermons, 'conquering the flub- bornnefs of that perverfe and refraaory generation he had to deal with, many of the nobler and better fort being perfuaded to embrace the Chriffian faith: but a perfon fo carefui, fo fuccefsful in his charge, could not fail of awakening the fpite and malice ofhis enemies ; a fort of Inca of whomthe apofllehas given too true a charaéter, that they fileafe not God, and are contrary to all men. The Jews being vexed to fee St. Paul had efcaped their hands by appealing unto Ciefar, their malice became as great and infatiable as hell itfelf; fo that as they could not have their revenge on St. Paul, they turned their fury againfl St. James; but being unable to effefì their defign under the government of Feflus, they determined to attempt it under the pro- curatorfhip of Albinos his fucceffor, Ananus the younger, of the feet of the Sadducees, being high priefl. They were however fearful that Albinus would oppofe their defign, and therefore thought it the fureft method to difpatch him, if poffible, before the new governor arrived. In order to this, a council was fummoned, and the apoflle, with others, arraigned and con- demned as violators of the law : but that the aflion might appear more plaufible and popular, the Scribes and Pharifees, mailers in the art ofdifliimulation, endeavoured to enfnare him ; and, at their firfl coming, told him, that they had all placed the greateft confidence in him ; that the whole nation, as well as they, gave him the title of a jufl man, and one that was no re- fpe&er of perfons ; that they therefore de.. fired he would correfi the error and falfe opinion the people had conceived ofJesus, whom they confidered as the Meffiah, and take this opportunity of the univerfal con- fluence to the pafchal folemnity, to fet them right in their opinions in this parti- cular, and would go with them to the top of the temple, where he might be feen and heard by all the people'. To this the apoflle readily confented; and being advantageoufly placed on a pinnacle of the temple, they addreffed him in the following manner: « Tell us, O Juflus ! whom we have all the reafon in the world to believe, that the people are thus generally led away with the doftrine of Jesus, who was crucified.; tell us, what is this inflitution of the crucified Jesus ?" To which the spolle anfwered, with an audible voice: °° Why do you inquire of Janus, the Son of man.? He fits in heaven at the right -hand of the Majefty on high, and will come again in the clouds ofhea- ven." The people below hearing this, glorified
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