Hebrews.

That the Jews acknowledged David's Lord to have been the Christ, is evident by Jesus silencing them with this very question,"How, then, does David in spirit call him [the Christ] Lord?" The other point I have shortly handled in the former part of this treatise, and more fully in another work: I on the will content myself at present with referring to Luke, xxii. 69, 70, in proof that the Jews thought the exaltation of humanity to the right hand of God amounted to the investiture of the creature with the attributes of Deity; this, therefore, was blasphemy in their estimation, and for this Jesus died. Matt. xxvi. Shortly, then, to recapitulate

1. The outpouring of the Spirit had been promised.

2. The Christ was to be raised from the dead.

3. The Christ was to sit at God's right hand as LORD.

4. Jesus was raised from the dead.

From these premises the apostle concludes that Jesus is "both" the "Lord," mentioned in Psalm cx., who should sit on God's

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throne, and the "Christ," whom God had promised should sit upon David's throne.*

I have concluded my attempt to analyse the argument as it would present itself to a Jew: we Gentiles do not always see the drift of such passages, for we should most readily concede the very points, which a Jew would find most difficulty in admitting; and, on the other hand, a Hebrew would, in argument, take for granted, positions which Christians have perhaps never considered: hence the conclusions, which we shall now draw, are inferential rather than direct. Inference 1. The first observation from this passage is,

David's

throne,

throne of Christ.

2. The reign of Christ on David's

throne after

the resurrection.

that the throne of David is the throne of the Anointed, or Christ.

The second inference is, that the reign of Christ the throne of David was to be

upon

* One point more appears necessary to make the argument complete: that is, the time in which the outpouring of the Spirit should take place. St. Peter fixes it to "the last days," Acts, ii. 17,—an expression always applied by the Jews to the times of Messiah; but the present Hebrew text does not appear to support this, though, according to Blomfield, the words are equivalent.

after his resurrection: this accounts for the apostles, when Jesus had risen, asking, "Lord, wilt thou, at this time, restore again Acts, i. 6. the kingdom to Israel?"

In the next place, the reign of Christ upon the throne of David was to be after the dispensation of the Spirit. Christ did not sit upon the throne of David when he ascended into heaven; for then he sat on the right hand of God, co-ordinate with the Father, not as David's Son, but as David's Lord; when even the Lord God the Holy Ghost himself was subordinate to and dispensed by him. The descent of the Spirit marked the commencement of the dispensation of the last days, which was to continue until the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, during which time the apostles and ministers of Christ were to witness unto him, and throughout which "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved;" and after which follows the reign of Christ upon the throne of David.

The discourse in the third chapter of Acts Acts, iii. 1. is apparently grounded upon what St. Peter

had before urged; the former discourse was Comp. Acts, at the ninth hour, this was "at the same [time]," at the third hour, that is, about

iii. 1 with

ii. 15.

six hours after; and the doctrine of the resurrection, which grieved the Sadducees so

Acts, iv. 3. much as to cause the imprisonment of the apostles, was most fully discussed in the second chapter; hence the expression, "Jesus Christ, which before was preached. unto you," refers, I conceive, to Peter's preActs, ii. 14- vious sermon: I shall therefore consider this discourse in connexion with what we have already learned from the second chapter.

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"In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene," said Peter to the cripple, "rise up, and walk;" and immediately the lame man leaped as an hart: so that in this, as in the former discourse, the groundwork was a miraculous fact, evident to the senses of the multitude.

The proposition advanced is, that God has glorified his Son Jesus: this, apparently, the apostle establishes by enunciating several other points respecting Jesus.

1. That the Jews delivered Jesus.

2. That they denied him in the presence of Pilate.

3. In denying Jesus, they denied "the Holy One."

4. They denied" the Just One."

5. They killed "the Prince of Life."

6. God raised him from the dead: hence the power exercised by the apostle in working the cure.

That the Jews did deliver Jesus, that they did deny him, and occasion his death, was notorious. The points requiring proof were, that Jesus is the Holy One, the Just One, and the Prince of Life; that God had raised him from the dead; that he therefore is God's Son; and that, moreover, God has glorified him.

The manner in which Peter opens his appeal must first be noticed. He speaks of the Deity under that title which involves the doctrine of the resurrection, and the certainty of all the promises being made good to the nation of Israel," the God of Abra- Luke, xx. ham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of

our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus."

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