shining forth of Gods most free and infinite grace unto men and Angels here and hereafter which as our Saviours expression is to all single-eyed beholders is obvious to be discerned yea there is no part of the foundation or fabrick of the whole work wherein it doth not wonderfully shine out to such soules in their better temper at least which if it do not unto any at least when they are themselves it is because they are not as in the Text transformed into the same Image if the glory shining in the work of the Creation when that was finished was the reason then wherefore the Lord blessed the seaventh Day Sabbath and hallowed it that his people might have a weekly opportunity to worship and celebrate his praise for the innumerable benefits conferred on them by Creation then how much more may the glory shining much more brightly when Christ Jesus our Lord having finished the whole work of redemption by his resurrection gloriously triumphed over all adverse powers of darkness occasion him the Lord of the Sabbath to put it over to the first day and is justly therefore by his holy spirit intitled to himself the Lords day our Christian Sabbath Rev. 1. 10. even when in the highest raptures he communicated so divinely to that beloved Disciple the great things to be accomplished in reference to the Church and her enemies to the end of the world now as the perfected glory of the Saints hereafter shall swallow up the inchoate glory here or as the glory of the Lord our redeemer seems to ecclypse the lustre of the glory of the Lord our Creator as the shining light of the sun doth the brightness of the Moon when they appear both together in our hemisphere even so is the glorious forme and beauty of this work transcendently above the other Fifthly The largeness of the time or continuance allotted for this work above all the other excellent illustrations of it First Creatio fit in instanti so the Learned Creation is done in an instant the whole work was finished and celebrated in a weeks space at first sustentation is the continuance of that for a limited time and Gubernation here is but while this course of nature or Creatures or rather supportation in their rankes from God is so variously disposed of in such wonderful manner after the good pleasure of his will but the time allotted for the contriving effecting applying confirming carrying on and perfecting this most glorious work of Gospel grace is not only a long time but all time and not only time but eternity too yea all eternity in reference to the eternal and coequal Trinity of persons in the unity of the divine nature Now this illustration of the length of time for raysing a work may more clearly appear from a threefold evidence First of nature the baser sort of creatures soon come to their height of stature as is observable in varieties of sorts of plants and beasts and fowls Secondly in Reason the more excellent the nature of a work and the more accurately it is to be wrought the longer time is required to provide for it to accomplish it Thirdly in experience both of Nature Art by all which the long continuance for the raysing of this work may be manifest above all the rest which is an other of its excellencies unto which let us now adde the Sixt Namely in regard of the way and manner of the raysing of this work by the constant shining out of the wonderful glory of the Father Son and Holy ghost all the time it is in raysing Oh the unspeakeable splendor of the wisdome and power of the grace and goodness of the mercy and truth in reference to all the holy persons in that undivided Trinity made evident therein from the beginning of the world and shall be to the end thereof in such glorious mnnifestations continually breaking forth through all successions of Ages as can never be sufficiently admired nor much less celebrated with praises both from men and Angels in all things that concern the way and manner of the revealing exhibiting as will be of the perfecting of that most precious grace from and by those sacred persons derived Whether we respect the sufficiency the sureness the efficacy the happiness in such way and manner continually held out and communicated unto the world First sufficient to make up all the Creatures wants to answer all their doubts Secondly Sure to remove all their fears settle all desirable security to them Thirdly Effectually to carry on against all obstacles and to accomplish all and more then they could hope for or desire Fourthly To administer what ever good they are capable of receiving to make them perfectly blessed let your thoughts be inlarged upon these particulars I must leave them as the dry bones in Ezekiels Prophesie till the Spirit causeth flesh to come upon them to cover them for I feare to be tedious even in a subject so precious and pleasant to such as have interest in it but therefore not pleasant unto others because they find not any to themselves yea they know it not and therefore they desire it not yea they are not willing to know it least they must loose those Idols wherein they take more pleasure But thus much at presenâ— of Gods own undertaking in the most sutable manner to all his own most blessed purposes respecting both himself and his creatures according to his own good pleasure as we shall indeavour afterwards to shew and is evident from all passages to this purpose in holy writ unspeakeably above what is to be found in any other his great and glorious works here being a way for the magnifying of the riches of his free grace only revealed in his word which is therefore magnifyed above all his name as the Psalmist saith remarkably Ps 138. in such a concurrence of all Divine excellencies as is no where else to be found since there and there only we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. Seaventhly In regard of the subordinate meanes of raising up this work not here to speak of the chief the holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father and the Son for we shall have occasion to speak of him afterwards as the Lord the Spirit the prime efficient cause of the efficaciousness of all other meanes but only of his inferior means such as Angels men extraordinarily inspired ordinarily qualified ordinances sanctified and providences and many other means oâ— Creatures sometime at his pleasure blessed to be in some sort instrumental in this work For sometimes to use Angels in it was an honour to it but to have used them alwayes would have been terrible to weak and fraile Creatures besides otherwise incommodious to them when as to use mans ministry is natural familiar affecting as being of the same nature and lyable to the same miserie capable of the same happiness
time after was it in any suitable manner taken notice of or displayed in publique till the Spirit of God in a four-fold witnesse gave testimony of all these things when after that by doctrine by holinesse by miracles by sufferings by death and a powerfull raising of himselfe to life having slaine all enmitie thereby he was powerfully declared to be the Sonne of God yea so was the light of his appearing eclypsed in the worlds eye that after Ages could not finde out the time or season when that his birthglory did first shine out and therefore the Fathers vid Jerome Cyprian upon severall grounds have anciently argued for different seasons as likewise later times have differed therein divine Oracles being particularly silent as if of old God by the buriall of Moses body by him would prevent the Israelites adoring of his sepulchre so as some conceive he would conceale the season of his nativity neither doe we reade in Scripture any like celebration but that of Herod de porcorum grege Epicurus Nor is the day of a Conquerors taking up Armes celebrated as glorious but the day of his victory and conquest nor was the first day of the Creation appointed by God to be observed at first for his Sabbath but the day when his work was finished and by the same Law upon Greater enforcement is the day of the Lord his Resurrection day as the day of his victory conquest and triumph over sin death and hell with all the powers of darknesse by himselfe substituted as his own for a continuall Christian Sabbath to be observed and celebrated in his Universall Church for the honour and glory of such their wonderfull deliverance then accomplished by him throughout all Ages from Sabbath to Sabbath so long as the Sunne and Moone shall endure and herein is the glorious mysterie of God so accomplished to be admired that the bleer-eyed world is not able to behold the divine brightnesse of it and so it hath been since in the Apostles and after Ages as the mysterie of God hath been in fulfilling the great things of Christ have been hid from their eyes Christ crusified hath been to the Jewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse while to them that believe it is the power of God to salvation The Apostles were mean in the eyes of the Great ones of the world when they went on Christs Embassie into the world yet they went conquering and to conquer by preaching praying improvement of all spirituall grace even in suffering and dying after the example of their great Soveraigne they greatly prevailed over the powers of the world over the strength and subtiltie of sin and Satan And have not the two Witnesses the contemporaries of Antichristian tyranny done so too and shall they not more prevaile still and maugre all vaine imaginations of any men or counsells taken by them against Christ Yet will not God set his King upon his holy hill of Sion Yea will it not be both the honour and happinesse of the Greatest Potentates upon earth to kisse the Sonne and give the glory of their Scepters unto him that as they reigne by him so they may reigne for him and in his good time may likewise reigne with him in endlesse glory But what is this Historical hint as it may be called of this mystical manner of gradual fulfilling of gospel Glory somewhat observable indeed in the eyes of the Saints but little in the eyes of Men of the world But if we come to speak of the inward glory of true gospel Grace spiritually glorious in the soules of Gods faithful people for the Kings daughter is all glorious within We may say of this as the Queen of Sheba after she had heard in her own Country the same of King Solomons wisdome and magnificence when she came to his Court to heare and see the truth of both that she confessed the half thereof was not formerly shewed unto her So much more may it be said of inward Divine glorious Grace shining from Christ into the souls of his servants in his spiritual manifestations of himself unto them the injoyment of which soule-chearing solace is incomparably beyond what any Historical narration thereof can represent it to be and not to go about to speak of that consummate glory belonging to them reserved for another world here not to be conceived much less competently decyphered but only to touch upon that incoate glory here transmitted by the holy Spirit into the souls of the faithful as that which is more particularly intended in our Text the subject now in hand which is so great that it may well appear to be the design of God to Glorifie himself eminently by this in his Church in this life For should I speak but of those resemblances in Scripture which the Spirit of God sheweth but to shaddow out unto our weak sight the radiant beams of spiritual Gospel glory the expressions will appear much below the matter though in themselves they be very high as namely the hidden Manna The water of life for food yea the fat things and pleasures of Gods house the marrow and fatness there and wines on the lees well refined Isa 25. 6. for their feasting eye salve for medicine to make them see Rev. 3. 18. App'es and Flaggons to keep them from sounding Balme and Physitians from Gilead Gold tried in the fire to make them rich garments of needlework and wrought gold with jewels to adorn them white rayment to make them pure the white stone with the new name written in it that none can read but they that have it to secure their interest Rev. 2. 17. with others of the like nature which are spoken to the capacity of other men but what the inward efficacy and glory of these things is is only rightly and really known to such as have them by this inward work of God upon mens Souls a truly glorious change is wrought in them of Bond-slaves under Sin and children of Satan they are made free indeed and the children of Abraham yea the Image of God is restored in them and they are partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Their Souls are made Temples of the holy One where God the Father vouchsafes his presence Christ holds his Soveraignty and the Holy Ghost his Residence and hereby they have Communion with the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by which means great discoveries great consolations and great security unto such poor Souls upon all good occasions from time to time are happily administred untill from strength to strength in grace here they be by the Almighty power and grace of God their heavenly Father brought into possession of the fulness of glory with himself in the highest heavens there with all the Celestial Angels and perfected Saints sing forth their Halelujahs to the eternall praise of his infinitely great and glorious name But Secondly we have seen it hath been the design of God by Gospel grace
and Revelations as a more plausible way with some under the New Testament and among some by denying the lawful comfortable use of outward good things as meats and decent apparel and civil respect with too much insisting upon trivial matters scruples in some things where God makes none though of some things it may haply be said as our Saviour spake of the tything of Mint Annise and Cummin These things ye ought to doe and not to leave the other undone while cleare and manifest truths and duties are rejected and neglected Proceed we now to the Text it selfe the maine subject where of is that glorious Gospel grace so excellently many wayes deciphered therein and first by that excellent title the Spirit of God here ascribeth to it The glory of the Lord whence after some short explication of the words premised our First Observation was Obs 1. That Gospel grace is the greatest Glory of God manifest to his true Church upon earth Which first is to be understood of revealed glory not his essentiall glory which no man can here behold and live yet this revealed glory is to be understood complexive and extensive containing all the rich free wonderfull grace of God through Christ communicated unto his Church by the holy Ghost Et grat is data et gratos faciens as the Schools speak both given freely and making men acceptable Proceed we then to the proofe and illustration of the poynt which First may appeare that the excellent title of Glory is so often ascribed in holy Scripture to the grace of God that they are often put one for another as by comparing this Text with others may be evident in 40 Chap of Isa ver 5. The Prophet having foretold ver 3. of the coming of John Baptist whose voyce should cry in the Wildernesse prepare the way of the Lord he adds in this 5. ver concerning this Gospel grace That the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together which though it was in a great degree fulfilled in Christs coming in our flesh whose glory was the glory of the only begotten of the Father though as being full of grace and truth Joh 1. 14. yet that that was not all the meaning may be evident from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now what this seeing this Gospel glory is our Saviour teacheth Joh 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God not have true faith or grace or be in a state of salvation Againe all flesh shall see it together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it namely that the Gentiles together as well as the Jewes should come together to see this glory at his revealing of his grace to them Thus our Apostle calls the Riches of Gods grace the riches of his glory Rom 9. 23. that is his grace freely given and in like manner he speaks of his grace viz. that makes them acceptable Eph 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man And so the othe◠side we finde grace put for glory as 1 Pet. 3. 7. As heires together of the grace of life that is heires of life by grace a phrase somewhat like to which he likewise hath Chap 1. 7. That the tryall of your faith might be found to glory Hence likewise it is observable that the gracious manifestations of God both in Old and New Testament are stiled his glory Whence the Arke is called the glory 1 Sam 4. 22. So Rom 9. 4. To whom belonged the adoption and the glory The like of the Tabernacle in the Kingly Prophet Davids dayes Psal 26. 8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and as in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the Tabernacle of thy glory the manifestation of his grace being there So againe Psal 63. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Thus the gracious manifestation of God in the Temple in Solomons time though it was but by a cloud is called the glory of the Lord 1 Kings 8. 11. So that the Priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord yet in the very next words before it was said the cloud filled the house of the Lord so in that the cloud was a manifestation of Gods gracious presence and acceptance it was therefore the glory of the Lord and hence the pillar of the cloud by day as well as the pillar of fire by night were equally the glory of the Lord before the Camp of Israel in the wildernesse because they were both manifestations of his gracious presence with them Now further to demonstrate and illustrate this soul-satisfying truth in its wayfairing condition First We shall endeavour to shew that it hath been the great designe of God to glorifie himselfe by Gospel grace from the beginning of the world yea from all eternity unto all eternity Secondly that he hath been is and will be more glorious in the eyes of all his faithfull people by this then by any other or all other his glorious workes besides whereby he hath any wayes discovered his glory in the world Thirdly that by means of this only men are made capable of glory and true glory made truly glorious in their eyes Fourthly that Gospel grace and celestiall glory differ not in nature but in degrees and the first shall be perfected in the other when grace shall be swallowed up of glory .. Lastly that from this Gospel grace shall be infinite cause for all glorified Saints and Angels to celebrate the glory of the Lord to all eternitie all which being done I hope it may sufficiently appeare how emphatically Gospel grace in the Text is stiled the glory of the Lord. First that it hath been the great designe of God by such Gospel grace to glorifie himselfe from all eternity is not only cleare from all such Scriptures as speak any thing in reference to that grace as eternall a parte ante for what is past as that Christs blood was shed and that he offered himselfe unto God through the eternall Spirit Heb 9. 14. and that the Gospel is called the everlasting Gospel Rev 14. 6. But we have a full declaration of Gods great designe herein from all eternity plainly set down by the holy Apostle Paul Eph 3. who having minded them in the former part of the Chapter that the mystery of the Gospel was by revelation made knowne to him and that he should be the Minister thereof to the Gentiles and as ver 9. that they might see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ who is the beginning of the creation of God Rev 3. 18. But
man to appease thereby his Fathers wrath against him and restore him into a State of grace And that such his goodness might not be cast away as that before conferred by Creation upon him was God the Father and the Son will send the holy Spirit who proceeds from both by whose all-powerful efficacious grace that most glorious manifestation of God the Fathers incomprehensible goodness towards lost man and that most gracious manifestation of God the sons most tender love and compassion towards lost man this work of salvation should be irresistably and most effectually carried on by informing the mind reforming the will conforming his heart and soul to the will of God and confirming the whole man in his reformed condition and all this by bringing home this gospel discovery of the Glory of the Lord spoken of in the Text and by that his peculiar work and undertaking as we shall endeavour by the assistance of the said Lord the spirit in due time to shew from the last words of the Text. Now according to this three-fold manifestation of the glory of the Lord from the beginning have all the most glorious dispensations of the grace of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost ever since been derived revealed communicated applyed preserved conserved rewarded in the souls and persons of all Gods faithfull servants in all Ages and so will be to the end of the world and was but mens Religion setled upon this foundation of Gods own laying and steered in a right course to his own end that as all grace is from himselfe so the glory thereof might be given to him alone how might the Church of God be setled in truth and peace But let us a little view the most radiant beames of this incomprehensible love this supernatural grace this divine Glory of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as from time to time they are darted out of Heaven and powerfully sent home into the souls of poore sinners upon earth together with the reflexions of those radiant beames in and upon those poor sinners souls for I speak not here of those close stopped bottles that will suffer no good liquor to fall into them though much fall upon them yea though cast into a sea of water yet none can enter because they are close stopt up or such dark Lanthorns that receive no light though they be set in the bright Sun-shine at noon-day but of such as like burning or looking glasies in the beholding of this glory as in the Text receive from the Sunne of Righteousnesse that shines most gloriously in their Hemisphere only as the light of old did in Goshen when thick darknesse was in Egypt receive I say from him both light and heate and brightnesse and are transformed into the same Image Where should I begin to speak of the glory of their transfiguration or when should I make an end Look upon their birth it is celestiall it is divine it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is from above it is from God so they are not only a truly noble or Royall which the vaine world is apt too much to prize alone but they are also a reall divine Race 2 Pet. 1. 4. But this glory of theirs being that of the Queens Daughter is mainly within this spirituall life of theirs is hid with Christ in God Col. With this new birth and life is conveyed a divine and spiritual illumination into their souls with this is inseparably conjoyned a particular spiritual application of every sacred truth by that illumination discovered out of the word of God by any means whereby God sets it before them from this application proceedeth love which labours to manifest it selfe in an affectionate constant endeavour of all due thankfulnesse and obedience to his divine Majestie in the improvement of all grace received and all gracious dispositions and affections and in the performance of all duties toward God and man and so when the holy Spirit hath taken possession Christ sits regent in all their souls where he hath a spiritual and invincible Kingdome of which there shall be no end whose Subjects shall never be traytors nor revolters from his Divine Majestie bribes shall not allure them terrours shall not fray them they are sworne feodaries to him and will approve themselves his liedg Subjects their Rule and Law is Gods word their Strength is his grace and joy their Teacher and counseller and comforter is his sacred Spirit their Tower of defence and rock is the rock of Ages their Guard the holy Angells their Annuitie or portion the good of the earth the ayre the Seas here in their non-age their present inheritance the grace of God the favour of God the peculiar providence of God the promises of God the Covenant of God with all the benefits of redemption purchased for them by that infinite ransome of the blood of Christ needfull for them in their pilgrimage here on earth till they enter the possession of the heavenly and eternal Kingdome of Glory And this constant course of glorious Gospel grace God the Father Sonne and holy Spirit have manifested and magnified themselves by to the true and invisible Church throughout all generations to this very day though in different manners and degrees and still will doe so to the end of the world and this glory of the Lord is so great in the eyes of true believers that if all the excellency of temporal glory not only of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world but the Glory of the Sunne Moone and Starres were united into one it would seeme to them obscure and contemptible in comparison of this and so full of sound comfort is their interest in this glorious grace that were they offered the wealth the pleasure the honour the favour of men the confluence of all the seeming worth of the world without this they would in their right temper refuse and reject them all as an incompetent offer yea faithfull Moses and all the Martyrs in their times would rather chuse to suffer affliction with the people of God to injoy this than to have the pleasures of sin for a season for oh the pearless worth of their secret but certain injoyment of the favour of God their secured interest in Christ the guidance the teaching the comfort of the holy Ghost his life-giving grace his grace-working Ordinances the spiritual pleasures of his house their communion with himselfe the satisfaction the securitie the soul-ravishments of his love with the reflections thereof their love againe to his Divine Majestie that twofold righteousnesse of Christs imputed and theirs endeavoured that peace of conscience that passeth understanding that joy in the holy Ghost unspeakeable and glorious in which the Kingdome of Heaven doth consist as the Apostle witnesseth Rom 14. 17. The Glory indeed of this Kingdome is not discerned but by the spiritual eye of faith the happinesle thereof is not injoyed but in the particular application of a truly believing soul herein
in prison they are forbidden to preach any more in the name of Jesus then they returne to the other Apostles tarry many dayes together working many miracles among the people insomuch that the Cities round about resorted daily to Jerusalem to have their sick and diseased healed Then againe the Apostles are put in prison and the Lord delivered them and many dayes they preach in the Temple and in every house after this came a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem insomuch as they were all dispersed save Acts 8. 1. 14. the Apostles Then at the last after many dayes Peter is sent out of Jerusalem into Samaria where he preacheth in divers Townes about it Thus far good Reader thou seest plainly Peter is no Bishop nor yet in any speciall authoritie when as the other Apostles send him out to Acts 8. 25. preach then he returned againe to Jerusalem and this is one yeare after the death of our Saviour Christ as the Histories doe all agree in reporting the conversion which was now done as appeareth Acts 9. This is the yeare of our Lord 35. In the yeare of our Lord 38. he dwelleth in Jerusalem Gal 1. 18. Likewise in the yeare of our Lord 46. he is imprisoned at Jerusalem Acts 12. 2. Againe in the yeare of our Lord 48. he is at the Counsel holden at Jerusalem Acts 15. 7. From that day forward he giveth his faith unto Paul and Barnabas that he will be an Apostle not to the Romans but to the Jewes Gal 2. 9. which truly he accomplished even untill his death and doubtlesse never came to Rome Now Christian Reader seeing the Scripture lyeth thus that Peter's abode in Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul An. Dom. 35. is recorded three severall times and after the last time a Covenant made that he would continue amongst the Jewes If I shall prove unto thee that these severall times are rightly numbred according to the yeare of our Lord that is that the first time was the 38 yeare the second time the 46 yeare the third time the 48 yeare and then in the meane while between the 35 yeare and the 38 likewise the 38 yeare and the 46. and between the 46 yeare and the 48. that Peter was not in Rome last of all that it was true of his promise and after the 48 yeare came not at Rome then I trust thou wilt confesse with me that Peter was never 25 yeares Bishop of Rome but all Popery as it is in it selfe nothing but lyes so it is grounded wholly and altogether upon lyes First it is agreed upon by all and the thing is plaine in it self Paul was converted in the yeare of our Lord 35. then Paul himselfe Gal 1. 18. writeth thus after three yeares I came to Jerusalem to Acts 9. 26. see Peter and abode in his house 15 dayes so this was the 28 yeare of our Lord when Peter is first in Jerusalem when he was after imprisoned at Jerusalem Acts 12. 2. That it was the 46 yeare of our Lord it is proved thus the Countreys about that Acts 12. 20. is Tyre and Sidon were then nourished with the Kings provision but that provision Claudius made Suetonius in Claudio Euseb Beda in a great famine the 4th yeare of his Reigne which was the yeare of our Lord 46. Againe immediately after the Acts 12. 23. Scripture mentioneth the death of Herod but Herod was made King in the first yeare of Caligula and reigned seven yeares so he dyed in the fourth yeare of Claudius and consequently as is said the 46 yeare of our Lord Peter being now in prison at Jerusalem And thus the second time that Peter is mentioned to be in Jerusalem is the 46 yeare Others number these 14 yeares from his first going to Jerusalem and so this Counsell is holden An 51. of Christ afterwards when the Apostles held the Counsell in Jerusalem that it was the 48 yeare of our Lord it is proved by St Paul who after he had mentioned his conversion and his first going to Jerusalem whereof we spake before he saith thus Then after 14 yeares I went up againe to Jerusalem so it was the 48 yeare of our Lord this being 14 yeares after his conversion and he converted in the 35 yeare of our Lord Thus it is proved that in the yeares of our Lord 35 38 46 48 Peter was in Jerusalem Now it resteth to prove that in the meane space Peter came not to Rome that he was not at Rome between 35 38 yeares I have this proofe In the yeare of our Lord 37. Pilate wrote his Letters unto Tiberius the Emperour of Christ and of his doctrine and how the Jewes accounted him a God whereby the Emperour was so moved that he would needs make Christ a God in Rome If Peter had been in Rome Pilate's Letters had not been necessary the Emperour should have had better instruction Thus in these three yeares Peter was not in Rome between the 38 yeare and the 46 yeare they say such is their impudency that Peter was Bishop all the while in Antioch If it be so then by their own confession he was not at Rome but the Scripture is plaine he was neither at Antioch nor yet at Rome and how these seven yeares are passed mark and thou shalt see In the beginning of these seven Acts 9. 32 33. 35. years Peter goeth forth a preaching first into all Jewry Galilee and Samaria which would require some continuance afterwards Acts 9. 39. 43. he goeth up to the Saints at Lydda and there tarrieth from thence he goeth to Joppa and there tarrieth dies multos a long while from thence he goeth to Cesarea and there converteth Cornelius the first Acts 10 24. Gentile that ever he converted as is plain by the Scriptures Then he abideth certain dayes at Cesarea all this well nigh 400. Acts 12. 2. miles from Antioch And now for proof he makes no hast to Antioch he comes home again to Jerusalem where he is again joyned to the Apostles and now the Apostles hear word that certain Gentiles at Antioch are converted not by Peter Acts 11. 20 22. but by certain Disciples that fled when Stephen was stoned Acts. 7. 60. 8. 1. Well did the holy Ghost here name them that preached this while at Antioch or else here had been some colour for Peters Bishoprick But marke further when the Apostles heare this to confirme the Gentiles they send to Antioch But whom send they Peter surely they would have done had he been their Bishop But Peter abideth still in Jerusalem and Barnabas is sent to Antioch where he abideth afterward goeth into Tarsus to Acts 11. 26. Paul from thence they come again both to Antioch and there tarrieth afterward one whole yeare about this time saith Acts 12. 2. 4. the Scripture Peter was put in prison which was is proved the year of our Lord 46. and that he