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be king of Ifrael, the faviour of others; but this man cannot fave himfelf. The chief priests mention here the two titles then in ufe whereby the Jews commonly defigned the Meffiah, viz. "fon of "God, and "king of Ifrael." That of "fon of God" was fo familiar a compellation of the Meffiah, who was then so much expected and talked of, that the Romans, it feems, who lived amongst them, had learned it; as appears from ver. 54. "Now when the « Centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jefus, faw the "earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, "faying, truly this was the SON OF GOD;" this was that extraordinary perfon that was looked for.

Acts ix. St. Paul exercifing the commiffion to preach the gospel, which he had received in a miraculous way, ver. 20. "Straitway "preached Chrift in the Synagogues, that he is the fon of God;"

e. that Jefus was the Meffiah: for Chrift in this place is evidently a proper name. And that this was it which Paul preached, appears from ver. 22. "Saul encreased the more in ftrength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damafcus, proving that this is "the very Chrift," i. e. the Meffiah.

Peter, when he came to Cornelius at Cefarea; who by a vifion was ordered to fend for him, as Peter, on the other fide, was by a vifion commanded to go to him; what does he teach him? His whole difcourfe, Acts x. tends to fhew what he fays God commanded the apostles "to preach unto the people, and to teftify; "That it is he [Jefus] which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead." And that it was "to him that all the Prophets give witness, that through his name whosoever be"lieved in him fhall have remiffion of fins." ver. 42, 43. This is "the word which God fent to the children of Ifrael; that wORD "which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptifm which John preached," ver. 36, 37. And thefe are the "words" which had been promifed to Cornelius, Acts xi. 14. "Whereby he and all his houfe fhould be faved:" which "words amount only to thus much, that Jefus was the "Meffiah," the Saviour that was promifed. Upon their receiving of this (for this was all was taught them) the Holy Ghost fell on them, and they were baptized. It is obfervable here, that the Holy Ghoft fell on them before they were baptized; which in other places converts received not till after baptifin. The reafon whereof feems to be this; that God, by bestowing on them the Holy Ghoft, did thus declare from heaven, that the Gentiles, upon believing Jefus to be the Meffiah, ought to be admitted into the church by baptifm as well as the Jews. Whoever reads St. Peter's defence, Acts xi. when he was accused by thofe of the circumcifion, that he had not kept that distance which he ought with the uncircumcifed, will be of this opinion; and fee by what he fays, ver. 15, 16, 17, that this was the ground, and an irrefiftible authority to him for doing fo ftrange a thing, as it appeared to the Jews (who alone yet were members of the Chriftian church) to admit Gentiles into their communion,

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munion, upon their believing. And therefore St. Peter, in the foregoing chapter, Acts x. before he would baptize them, proposes this queftion to thofe of the circumcifion, which came with him, " and were astonished, because that on the Gentiles alfo was poured " out the gift of the Holy Ghoft: can any one forbid water, that "these fhould not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghoft as « well as we ?" ver. 47. And when fome of the fect of the Pharifees, who believed, thought "it needful that the converted "Gentiles fhould be circumcifed, and keep the law of Mofes," Acts xv. "Peter rofe up and faid unto them, Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God made choice amongst us, "that the Gentiles," viz. Cornelius, and thofe here converted with him, "by my mouth fhould hear the Gospel, and believe. And "God, who knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them "the Holy Ghoft, even as he did unto us, and put no difference "between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith," ver. 7. 9. So that both Jews and Gentiles, who believed Jefus to be the Meffiah, received thereupon the feal of baptifm: whereby they are owned to be his, and diftinguished from unbelievers. From what is above faid, we may obferve, that this preaching Jefus to be the Meffiah, is called "the word," and "the word of God;" and believing it, "receiving the word of God." See Acts x. 36, 37, and xi. 1. 19, 20. And the word of the Gofpel," Acts xv. 7. And fo likewife in the Hiftory of the Gofpel, what Mark, chap. iv. 14, 15. calls fumply "the word," St. Luke calls "the word of God." Luke viii, 11. And St. Matthew, chap. xiii. 19. "the word of the kingdom;" which were, it feems, in the gofpel-writers fynonymous terms, and are fo to be understood by us.

But to go on: Acts xiii. Paul preaches in the Synagogue at Antioch, where he makes it his bufinefs to convince the Jews, that "God, according to his promife, had of the feed of David raised "to Ifrael a Saviour, Jefus," ver. 24. That he was He of whom the prophets writ, ver. 25-29. i. e. the Meffiah: and that, as a demonstration of his being fo, God had raised him from the dead, ver. 30. From whence he argues thus, ver. 32, 33: (6 We evange"lize to you," or bring you this gofpel, "how that the promife "which was made to our fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto

us, in that he hath raised up Jefus again; as it is also written in "the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my fon, this day have I begotten thee." And having gone on to prove him to be the Meffiah, by his refurrection from the dead, he makes this conclufion; ver. 38, 39. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that "through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of fins; and "by him all who believe, are justified from all things from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes." This is in this chapter called the word of God" over and over again: compare ver. 42, with 44, 46, 48, 49. And chap. xii. ver. 24.

Acts xvii, 2. 4. At Theffalonica, Paul," as his manner was, "went into the Synagogue, and three Sabbath-days reafoned with

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the Jews out of the fcriptures; opening and alledging, that the * Meffiah must needs have fuffered, and rifen again from the dead: " and that this Jefus, whom I preach unto you, is the Meffiah. And fome of them believed, and conforted with Paul and Silas : but the Jews which believed not, fet the city in an uproar." Can there be any thing plainer, than that the affenting to this propofition, that Jefus was the Meffiah, was that which diftinguifhed the believers from the unbelievers? For this was that alone which, three Sabbaths, Paul endeavoured to convince them of, as the text tells us in direct words.

From thence he went to Berea, and preached the fame thing: and the Bereans are commended, ver. 11. for fearching the fcriptures, whether thofe things, i. e. which he had said, ver. 2, 3, concerning Jefus his being the Meffiah, were true or no

The fame doctrine we find him preaching at Corinth, Acts xvii 6." And he reasoned in the fynagogue every Sabbath, and per"fuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timo"theus were come from Macedonia, Paul was preffed in fpirit, " and teftified to the Jews, that Jefus was the Meffiah. And when "they oppofed themselves, and blafphemed, he shook his rayment, "and faid unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am “clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Greeks."

Upon the like occafion he tells the Jews at Antioch, Acts xiii. 46. It was neceffary that the word of God fhould first have been "fpoken to you: but feeing you put it off from you, we turn to "the Gentiles." It is plain here, St. Paul's charging their blood on their own heads, is for oppofing this fingle truth, that Jefus was the Meffiah; that falvation or perdition depends upon believing or rejecting this one proposition. I mean, this is all is required to be believed by thofe who acknowledge but one eternal and invifible God, the maker of heaven and earth, as the Jews did. For that there is fomething more required to falvation, befides believ ing, we fhall fee hereafter. In the mean time, it is fit here on this occafion to take notice, that though the apoftles in their preaching to Jews, and the "Devout" (as we tranflate the word ouero, who were profelytes of the gate, and the worshippers of one eternal and invifible God), faid nothing of the believing in this one true God, the maker of heaven and earth; because it was needlefs to prefs this to thofe who believed and profeffed it already (for to fuch it is plain, were most of their discourses hitherto); yet when they had to do with idolatrous Heathens, who were not yet come to the knowledge of the one only true God; they began with that, as neceffary to be believed; it being the foundation on which the other was built, and without which it could fignify nothing.

Thus Paul fpeaking to the idolatrous Lyftrians, who would have facrificed to him and Barnabas, fays, Acts xiv. 15. "We preach "unto you, that you should turn from thefe vanities unto the living "God, who made heaven, and earth, and the fea, and all things that " are therein. Who in times past fuffered all nations to walk in their

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own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in "that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

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Thus alfo he proceeded with the idolatrous Athenians, Acts xvii. telling them, upon occafion of the altar dedicated to the unknown God, "Whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto "you; God who made the world, and all things therein fecing "that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples "made with hands. Forafmuch then as we are the offspring of "God, we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold, "or filver, or tone, graven by art, and man's device. And the "times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth "all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day " in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man "whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given affurance unto "all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." So that we fee, where any thing more was neceffary to be proposed to be believed, as there was to the Heathen idolaters, there the apostles were careful not to omit it.

Acts xviii. 4. " Paul at Corinth reafoned in the fynagogue every "Sabbath-day, and teftified to the Jews, that Jefus was the Meffiah." Ver. 11. "And he continued there a year and fix months, teach"ing the word of God amongst them;" i. e. The good news, that Jefus was the Meffiah; as we have already fhewn is meant by "the word of God."

Apollos, another preacher of the gofpel, when he was inftructed in the way of God more perfectly, what did he teach but this fame doctrine? As we may fee in this account of him, Acts xviii. 27. That" when he was come into Achaia, he helped the brethren "much who had believed through grace. For he mightily con"vinced the Jews, and that publicly, fhewing by the Scriptures "that Jefus was the Meffiah."

St. Paul, in the account he gives of himself before Feftus and Agrippa, profeffes this alone to be the doctrine he taught after his converfion: for, fays he, Acts xxvi. 22. "Having obtained help of "God, I continue unto this day, witneffing both to small and great, "faying none other things than thofe which the prophets and "Mofes did say should come: that the Meffiah fhould fuffer, and "that he should be the first that should rife from the dead, and fhould fhew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." Which was no more than to prove that Jefus was the Meffiah. This is that, which, as we have above obferved, is called "the word of "God;" Acts xi. I. compared with the foregoing chapter, from ver. 34, to the end. And xiii. 42. compared with 44, 45, 48, 49. And xvii. 13. compared with ver. 11. 3. It is alfo called "the "word of the gofpel," Acts xv. 7. And this is that, "word of "God," and that " gofpel," which, where-ever their difcourfes are fet down, we find the apoftles preached; and was that faith, which made both Jews and Gentiles believers and members of the VOL. IV.

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THE REASONABLENESS OF CHRISTIANITY, church of Chrift; purifying their hearts, Acts xy. 9. And carrying with it remiffion of fins, Acts x. 43. So that all that was to be believed for juftification, was no more but this fingle propofition that "Jefus of Nazareth was the Chrift, or the Meffiah." All, I fay, that was to be believed for juftification: for that it was not all that was required to be done for juftification, we shall fee hereafter. Though we have seen above from what our Saviour has pronounced himself, John iii. 36. "That he that believeth on the fon, "hath everlafting life; and he that believeth not the fon, fhall not "fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him :" and are taught from John iv. 39. compared with ver. 42. "That believing on "him, is believing that he is the Meffiah, the Saviour of the world;" and the confeffion made by St. Peter, Matt. xvi. 16. That he is "the Meffiah, the fon of the living God," being the rock, ea which our Saviour has promifed to build his church; though this, I fay, and what elfe we have already taken notice of, be enough to convince us what it is we are in the gofpel required to believe to eternal life, without adding what we have obferved from the preaching of the apoftles; yet it may not be amifs, for the farther clearing this matter, to obferve what the evangelifts deliver concerning the fame thing, though in different words; which therefore perhaps are not fo generally taken notice of to this purpose.

We have above obferved, from the words of Andrew and Philip compared, that the Meffiah, and "him of whom Mofes in the "law and the prophets did write," fignify the fame thing. We fhall now confider that place, John i. a little further. Ver. 41. Andrew fays to Simon, "We have found the Meffiah." Philip, on the fame occafion, ver. 45. fays to Nathanael," We have "found him, of whom Mofes in the law and the prophets did "write, Jefus of Nazareth, the fon of Jofeph." Nathanael, who difbelieved this, when upon Chrift's fpeaking to him he was convinced of it, declares his affent to it in thefe words; "Rabbi, "thou art the fon of God, thou art the king of Ifrael." From which it is evident, that to believe him to be "him of whom "Mofes and the prophets did write," or to be the "fon of God," or to be the "king of Ifrael," was in effect the fame as to believe him to be the Meffiah: and an affent to that, was what our Saviour received for believing. For upon Nathanael's making a confeffion in thefe words, "Thou art the fon of God, thou. "art the king of Ifrael; Jefus anfwered and faid to him, Becaufe "I faid to thee, I faw thee under the fig-tree, doft thou BELIEVE? "Thou fhalt fee greater things than thefe," ver. 51. I defire. any one to read the latter part of the first of John, from ver. 25. with attention, and tell me, whether it be not plain, that this phrafe," the fon of God," is an expreffion used for the Meffiah.To which let him add Martha's declaration of her faith, John xi. 27. in thefe words; "I believe that thou art the Meffiah, THE "SON OF GOD, who fhould come into the world," and that paflage of St. John, chap. xx. 31. “That ye might believe that

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