358 The NEW and COMPLETE L IFE of our BLESSED LORD 5it,"46'5101A*511i.U&evixD510111W4tZE*7 St%',t& St. PETER, the APOSTLE to the JEWS. rrHIS remarkable apoftle and difciple of our bleffed Lord and Saviour was born at Bethfaida, a city of Galilee, fituate on the banks of the lake of Gen- nefareth, called an the fea of Galilee, from it's being fituated in that country ; and the lake of Tiberias, from that city being built on it's banks : but the particular time of this great apoftle's birth cannot be known; the evangelifts, and other writers amongst the primitive Chriftians, having been filent with regard to this particular. It is, however, pretty certain, that he was at leaft ten years older than his Matter ; thecircumftances of his being married, and in a fettled courre of life, when he became a follower of the great Meffiah, and that authority and refpect the gravity of his perron procured him amongst the ref} of the apoflles, fuffcciently declare this con- jefure to be very far from improbable. St. Peter, being a defcendant ofAbraham, was circumcifed according to the rites of the Mofaic law, and called, by his parents, Simon or Simeon, a name at that time common amongst the Jews : but after his becoming a difciple of the bleffed Jesus, the additional title of Cephas was conferred upon him by his Matter, to denote the ñrmners of his faith; the word Cephas in the Syriac, the common language of the Jews at that time, fignifying a f}one or rock: and thence he is called 'in Greek Petras, and by us Peter, which appellation bears the fame meaning. The evangelifts have alto been filent with regard to the parents of St. Peter, except in telling us, that his father's name was Jonah, probably a fifherman of Beth- faida: but whatever was his trade, he was highly honouredbyour bleffed Saviour, who chofe two of his fons, Andrew and Peter, to be his apoflles, and preachers of the glad-tidings of falvation to mankind. While young, St. Peter was brought up to the trade offithing on the lake of Beth- faids, famous for different kinds of which excelled all others in the finenefs of the tafle. Here he clofely followed this trade: but afterwards removed to Caper- naum, probably on his being married, where he fettled ; for we find he had a houle there when our Saviour began his public miniflry, and there he paid tribute. Nicephorus tells us, that Helen, the mo- ther of Conflantine, ereaed a beautiful church over the ruins of St. Peter's houle, in honour of him. The town of Capernaum was as well fituated as Bethfaida, for the carrying on his trade, [landing at the influx of the Jordan into the fea of Galilee, and where he might, with equal advantage, reap the fruits of an honer} and indul}rious diligence. The bufinefs of St. Peter was, I confers, both mean and fervile; it expofed him to all the injuries of the weather, the temper tuoufnefs of the fea, and the darknefs and horror of the night, and all to acquirea mean livelihood för himfelf and his family: but
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