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Observe here, 1. How the gracious care and good providence of God did watch over St. Paul from place to place, and from time to time, when and wheresoever he went forth to preach, to plant, and propagate the gospel. After fourteen years he went up to Jerusalem, that is, fourteen years after his conversion; soon after which he went about preaching the gospel to the Gentile world. Blessed be God, who is oft-times pleased, in mercy to his church, to preserve the lives of his laborious ministers, and their liberties also, for the free exercise of their ministry, notwithstanding the joint endeavours of men and devils to the contrary. This good man, this great apostle, whose blood was thirsted after having obtained help of God, continued fourteen years together, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Observe, 2. The end, design, and intent of St. Paul, in this present going up to Jerusalem, and appearing before St. Peter there: It was not to acknowlege St. Peter's supremacy over him, or to appeal to him as the infallible judge in matters of religion: but it was, in a friendly and brotherly manner, to acquaint St. Peter and the rest of the apostles, with the doctrine preached by him; that their concurring approbation being given to it, the mouth of his adversaries, the false apostles, might be stopped, who accused him for preaching contrary to what the rest of the apostles both believed and practiced.
Observe, 3. The ground upon which St. Paul undertook this journey to Jerusalem at this time; He went up by revelation; he advised with God about the matter, and received direction from God to undertake the journey. Blessed be God, that although we cannot expect immediate direction and information from God, now, as the saints of old had before the canon of the scripture was completed, yet we have the written word of God to be a light to our feet, and a lamp unto our paths, to direct and guide us in all our enterprises: and we ought to regulate all our actions according to it, and to judge of the lawfulness and expediency of our undertakings by it.
Observe, 4. With what prudence and holy caution the blessed apostle proceeded in this matter; he imparted his sentiments, and communicated his doctirne to the rest of the apostles privately, for fear of exasperating the zealous Judaizing Christians: And to the most eminent of the apostles, such as were of greatest reputation; lest if there should be any opposition made to his doctrine, he should hereafter run, or had run in vain. Nothing more obstructs the success and efficacy of the gospel, than differences of judgment, and strife and debate about those differences, amongst the most eminent preachers of it.
Hence it was, that St. Paul endeavoured so much to get the joint consent of the most eminent apostles to the doctrine delivered by him, lest by the calumnies of his adversaries, his preaching should have been rendered unsuccessful, and he should hereafter run and labour in vain.