Jefus having, a little before his death, intimated their new commiflion to hem, and, after his refurrection, given it to them in ample terms, but refpiting the execution of it till the lefcent of the Holy Ghoft; that restraint was now to bel taken off. When the day of Pentecoft therefore was A&ts ii. 1fully come (being the fiftieth 15. day after Jefus's refurrection, and the tenth after his afcenfion, in the morning), he being now feated at the right hand of God, and exalted to be Lord of all things, hav-1 ing received the gift of the Holy Ghoft from the Father, or for the filling his hurch with all fullnef, and being invetted with all power, fends down the Holy Ghoft on the apoftles, to qualify them for his ambaffadors; and on the relt of the hundred and twenty, to iprove more fully his being exalted 331 exalted to the right hand of God; and in this manner. As they were all, with one accord, in one place; fuddenly there came a found from heaven, as of a rushing wind, and it filled all the houfe where they were fit ting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire; and it fat upon each of them. And they 66 were "all filled with the Holy "Ghoft," and began 66 to fpeak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them ut"terance." And there were 46 και dwelling (or fojourning, Ver.7-14 oxes, for fome of them weredwellers, oi xalonas, in Mefopotamia, ver. 9, and therefore could only be so journing at Jerufalem) at Je rufalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven, and profelytes of righteoufnefs from Rome. Peter preaches, and " wit"neffes Chrift's refurrection" 41. to them, faying, "Ye Jews, Ver. 14 and all ye that fojourn at Ver. 32. "Jerufalem" (and whom afterwards he calls " men of Ifrael," ver. 22.) "re pent and be baptized every one of you, and ye fhal! "receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. For the promife is to you, and to your children, and tol 66 66 ⚫ all Proofs of the Their moft remarkable Tranfactions. Tranfactions. ઃઃ all that are afar off: (your mot diftant countrymen, or, thofe Jews who live in "countries as remote from Judæa, as the countries "which gave you birth, and their most ciftant pofteri ty)." And with many other words did he testify unto them. And they that gladly received the word were baptized. And the fame day Ver. 40. there were added unto them about three thoufand fouls. Peter imparts the Holy Acts ii. Ghoft to them. The be 38, 44, lievers had all things fo far 145. in common, that none lack-1 ed. For that none might want, they did not only con tribute to the neceffities of the poor out of their revenues, but fold their goods and pof feffions: an high inftance of the difinterestedness, felf-de nial, and charity, that this difpenfation of the Spirit was defigned to produce in the minds of men. And per haps an homage they were defirous publicly to pay to Chrift at his advancement to his royal power, bringing prefents to the apoftles his chief minifters, and his poor er fubjects; agreeable to the prophecy of the 110th pfalm: where Chrift's inveftiture with royal power being fore. ftold, ver. 1, 2, it is im mediately 2-9. Peter and John, the two great apostles (the one who loved Jefas, the other who was beloved by Jefus, above all the reft), go up to the Temple to prayer. As they Acts iii. go up, Peter, by faith in Chrift, heals a beggar that had been lame from his mother's womb, at the gate of the Temple, called The Beautiful; and preaches to the people, "witneffing Chrift's re-Ver. 15 furrection," and that God 26. having raised him up, firft Acts iv. fent him to blefs them" 14. (the Jews), in turning away every one of them from his iniquities; and converts a great number: the men who were prefent at this miracle, and heard and saw the apotles (fee Acts iii. 11. compared with chap. iv. 4-21.) were about five thousand. 66 The priests and the Sad-Acts iv. ducees being offended at 1-3 this cure, at Peter's preach 33 fing, through Jefus, the reurrection of the dead, and at the great number of converts; and the Roman officer, who guarded the Temple, being apprehenfive of the confequences of fo great a concourie of people, went with the priests and the Sadducees, and feized Peter and John, and put them in hold; and notwithstanding) Peter's bold avouching this miracle to be wrought by the name of Jefus, whom they declare that God, the God of Ifrael, whom they acknowledged and worhiped, had "raifed from "the dead," and that by the name of that fame Jefus alone, we can be faved; yet the rulers forbade them to preach any more : which though Peter and John (declaring that they cannot but fpeak the things which "they have feen and heard") abfolutely refufed; yet are releafed. They go to their own company (I fuppofe the hundred and twenty), rehearfe the matter, and pray ; and when they had prayed that God would give them boldness to fpeak the word, and accompany it with figns Ver. 31. and wonders; the place was fhaken, where they were all laffembled together, and they were |