was risen from the dead; and those who believed him to be risen from the dead, could not doubt of his being the Messiah. But of this more in another place.

33. Let us see therefore how the apostles preached Christ, and what they proposed to their hearers to believe. St. Peter at Jerusalem, Acts, ii., by his first sermon, converted three thousand souls. What was his word, which, as we are told, 'they gladly received, and thereupon were baptized?' That may be seen from verse 22 to verse 36. In short this, which is the conclusion drawn from all that he had said, and which he presses on them as the thing they were to believe, viz. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, Lord and Messiah.'

34. To the same purpose was his discourse to the Jews in the temple, Acts, iii., the design whereof you have, verse 18: 'But those things that God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Messiah should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.' In the next chapter, Acts, iv., Peter and John being examined about the miracle on the lame man, profess it to have been done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, who was the Messiah, in whom alone there was salvation. The same thing they confirm to them again, Acts, v. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus the Messiah.'

35. What was Stephen's speech to the council,

Acts, vii., but a reprehension to them, that they were the betrayers and murderers of the Just One ? which is the title by which he plainly designs the Messiah, whose coming was foreshown by the prophets. And that the Messiah was to be without sin (which is the import of the word Just) was the opinion of the Jews, appears from John, ix. 22, compared with 24.

36. Acts, viii. Philip carries the gospel to Samaria. Then Philip went down to Samaria, and preached to them.' What was it he preached? You have an account of it in this one word, The Messiah,' verse 5. This being that alone which was required of them, to believe that Jesus was the Messiah; which, when they believed, they were baptized. And when they believed Philip's 'preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, both men and women.'

37. Philip being sent from thence, by a special call of the Spirit, to make an eminent convert, out of Isaiah preaches to him Jesus; and what it was he preached concerning Jesus, we may know by the profession of faith the eunuch made, upon which he was admitted to baptism: 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God:' which is as much as to say, I believe that he, whom you call Jesus Christ, is really and truly the Messiah that was promised. For that believing him to be the Son of God and to be the Messiah was the same thing, may appear by comparing John, i. 45, with verse 49, where Nathaniel owns Jesus to be the Messiah in these terms: Thou art the Son of God; thou

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art the King of Israel.' So the Jews, Luke, xxii. 70, asking Christ, whether he were the Son of God; plainly demanded of him, whether he were the Messiah? Which is evident by comparing that with the three preceding verses. They ask him, verse 67, whether he were the Messiah? He answers: 'If I tell you, you will not believe;' but withal tells them, that from henceforth he should be in possession of the kingdom of the Messiah, expressed in these words: Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God :' which made them all cry out, Art thou then the Son of God?' i. e. dost thou then own thyself to be the Messiah? To which he replies: Ye say that I am.' That the Son of God was the known title of the Messiah at that time amongst the Jews, we may see also from what the Jews say to Pilate : 'We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God;' i. e. by making himself the Messiah, the prophet which was to come, but falsely; and therefore he deserves to die by the law. That this was the common signification of the Son of God, is further evident from what the chief priests, mocking him, said, when he was on the cross: 'He saved others, himself he cannot save: if he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God;' i. e. he said, he was the Messiah: but it is plainly false; for if he were, God would deliver him; for the Messiah is to be King of Israel, the Saviour of others; but this man cannot save himself. The chief-priests mention here the two titles then in use whereby the Jews com

monly designed the

Messiah, viz. Son of God, and King of Israel.' That of Son of God, was so familiar a compellation of the Messiah, who was then so much expected and talked of, that the Romans it seems, who lived amongst them, had learned it; as appears from Matt. xxvii. 'Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God; this was that extraordinary person that was looked for.

38. Acts, ix. St. Paul exercising the commission to preach the gospel, which he had received in a miraculons way, 'straightway preached Christ in the synagogue, that he is the Son of God;' i. e. that Jesus was the Messiah: for Christ in this place is evidently a proper name. And that this was it which Paul preached, appears from verse 22: Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that, this is the very Christ;' i. e. the Messiah.

39. Peter, when he came to Cornelius at Cesarea; who by a vision was ordered to send for him, as Peter, on the other side, was by a vision commanded to go to him; what does he teach him? His whole discourse, Acts, x., tends to show what he says God commanded the apostles to preach unto the people, and to testify; that it is he (Jesus) 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 believed in him

shall have remission of sins.' This is the Word which God sent to the children of Israel; that Word which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached. And these are the words which had been promised to Cornelius, Whereby he and all his house should be saved:'' which words amount only to thus much, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour that was promised. Upon their receiving of this (for this was all was taught them) the Holy Ghost fell on them, and they were baptized. It is observable here, that the Holy Ghost fell on them before they were baptized; which in other places converts received not till after baptism. The reason whereof seems to be this; that God, by bestowing on them the Holy Ghost, did thus declare from heaven, that the Gentiles, upon believing Jesus to be the Messiah, ought to be admitted into the church by baptism as well as the Jews. Whoever reads St. Peter's defence, when he was accused by those of the circumcision, that he had not kept that distance which he ought with the uncircumcised, will be of this opinion; and see by what he says, that this was the ground, and an irresistible authority to him for doing so strange a thing, as it appeared to the Jews, (who alone yet were members of the Christian church,) to admit Gentiles into their communion, upon their believing. And therefore St. Peter, in the foregoing chapter, Acts, x., before he would baptize them, proposes this question to those of the circumcision, which came with him, and were astonished, because that on the Gentiles

'Acts, xi. 14.

2 Ibid. xi.

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