acknowledge in extenuation of your fault, that both you and your rulers perpetrated this great crime, in consequence of your ignorance of the real character of him whom you were persecuting. But these things have been permitted by the providence of God, in order that the predictions might be fulfilled which had been delivered by the prophets concerning the Messiah. Repent ye, therefore, and turn to the true religion of God, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you by the prophets, that he may appear a second time without sin unto salvation. For this event shall certainly take place, although the heavens must receive him for a season, till that important day shall arrive, when all the apparent irregularities of God's providential system shall be fully cleared, his prophecies fulfilled, and the majesty of his truth and excellency displayed in consummate glory. For Moses informed our fathers, [Deut. xviii. 15, 18.] A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets down from the time of Samuel, as many as have spoken any thing largely, have also foretold these important days, which, by the singular favour of God to you, ye are now so happy as to see. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God, in antient times, made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in the turning away every one from his iniquities, who seeks his instruction.

The increasing prosperity of the church of Christ could not fail to awaken the opposition of the Jewish priests and rulers, who must know, that in proportion as the name of Jesus became honoured, they would become the objects of reproach, as the betrayers and murderers of a person who was not only innocent, but divine. They, therefore, suddenly attacked Peter and John as they were employed in addressing the people; and, having apprehended them, imprisoned them till the next day, as the evening was now too far advanced to permit them immediately to proceed to their trial. In the mean time, however, it became evident that Peter had not preached in vain; for many who had heard the word believed, and the number of them who were the baptized followers of Jesus amounted to about five thousand men.

The night passed away with considerable anxiety: and, when the morning approached, the rulers, elders, and scribes, headed by Anuas, who had been formerly high-priest, Caiaphas, who now sustained that dignity, together with John and Alexander, distinguished members of the pontifical family, held a solemn assembly in Jerusalem in order to determine what was to be done upon this pressing occasion. When they had placed the apostles in the midst of their assembly, they asked them, by what power or by what name have ye done this? do you ascribe it to medicine or magic, or do you make pretensions to any prophetical mission? Then Peter, filled by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, boldly replied, Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, by whom we are this day arraigned, if that which you have stated be, indeed, the object of your enquiry, our answer is easy. Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that it is by the name of Jesus, who is, indeed, the Christ, but whom you rather call the Nazarene, whom you crucified a few weeks since with all the circumstances of ignominy and contempt, but whom God hath acknowledged as his Son, by raising him from the dead, this man stands here restored to a perfect sound"This," as it is expressed in the book of Psalms, [cxviii. 22.] "6 'is the stone which is set at nought of you builders, which is become the chief stone of the corner,

ness.

by which the heaviest pressure of the building is sustained. Neither is there sal. vation, temporal or eternal, to be found in any other; for there is none other name under heaven, published by God among men, whereby we must be saved." When the council had heard this speech, and considered both the boldness with which it was delivered, and the disadvantages under which the speakers of it were placed; when they had recollected that these men had been long acquainted with Jesus, and witnesses of his last sufferings on the cross, but were not prevented by the death of their leader from still adhering to his cause; lastly, when they beheld the man who had been healed standing with them, as a witness to the truth of the miracle, they were in extreme difficulty to furnish a suitable reply. Having, therefore, ordered the apostles to retire, they debated among themselves what course it was most expedient for them to pursue. After weighing the dangers which appeared to threaten them alike, whether they remained quiet or made an active opposition, they, at length, tool measures which seemed of a middle kind. They called in the apostles, and commanded them to preach no more in the name of Jesus, lest they should be involved in the same sufferings as they had seen him endure. Peter and John replied, whether it be right before God, the judge of all, that we should obey you in preference to him, you yourselves can easily decide. For though we wish to yield you all that obedience which is due to rulers, we cannot but declare those things which we have seen and heard, and which are of such vast importance to the best interests of mankind. So when they had further threatened them, they dismissed them unhurt, having nothing whereof they might accuse them, sufficient to turn the bulk of the people against them, for all men glorified God on account of the miracle which was performed; for the man who was thus recovered had been in his former state of decrepitude more than forty years.

The apostles were no sooner dismissed, than they resorted to the place where they expected to find a number of their brethren assembled, and reported to them the transactions of the chief priests and rulers. When they had delivered their account, a remarkable effusion of the Holy Spirit took place upon them, so that they all with one heart and voice glorified God, committed themselves and their cause to his holy keeping, and entreated him that he would give them boldness to declare his word in the midst of dangers, and confirm their testimony by such miracles as might increase the number of their converts, animate their friends, and confound their enemies. Their request was heard; for the place of their assembly was shaken, as on the day of Pentecost; they were afresh filled with the Holy Ghost; and declared the word wherever they came with the greatest freedom. The utmost unanimity prevailed among the whole body of the disciples; they who possessed houses and lands selling them, and, placing their price in the public stock, distributed to every one that was in urgent necessity. Among those who thus resigned their property for the public good, particular mention is made of Joseph, a Levite of Cyprus, who was surnamed, account of his benevolence and usefulness, Barnabas, the Son of consolation.

They who consider, that even among our Lord's twelve disciples there was found a Judas, will not be surprised, that out of five thousand professed converts, some should have been influenced by unworthy motives. A certain person, named Ananias, with the concurrence of his wife Sapphira, sold an estate; and, keeping back part of the price, brought the remainder to the apostles, pretending to devote the whole to the sacred treasury. But Peter, whom the Spirit of God had miraculously informed of this fraudulent transaction, thus remonstrated with him on the enormity of his crime: Why hath Satan filled thine heart with such detestable boldness, that thou shouldest audaciously attempt to impose on the Holy Spirit? While the land remained unsold,

was it not perfectly thine own, notwithstanding thy profession of faith in Jesus? and when it was sold, was not the price of it at thine own disposal to have given or not given it as thou shouldest think proper? Why, then, hast thou conceived this wickedness in thy heart? thou hast not lied merely to men, but also unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and immediately expired. Terror and amazement filled the assembly; and, after an interval of suspense, when it appeared he was evidently dead, some young men that were present wrapped him up in his mantle, and carried him out, and buried him without any ceremony of mourning or delay, as a person who had been evidently struck dead by the interposition of God. And after an interval of about three hours, Sapphira, who had been absent, and, from some strange combination of circumstances, hitherto remained ignorant of her husband's death, entered the room; and, upon being questioned by Peter, declared they had sold the land for that precise sum which Ananias had mentioned. Then Peter, moved by the Spirit of God, said unto her again, how is it that ye have thus wickedly conspired together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of those who have just been burying thy husband are now at the door on their return, and shall immediately carry thec out.

These awful events were found to produce the most salutary effects to the infant church; deterring such as might have wished to join them from improper motives, and adding to the veneration in which the apostles were held. Multitudes of true believers were added to the congregation of the faithful, and the utmost harmony continued to prevail. The Spirit of God so mightily favoured the apostles, that people brought their sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, at the least, the shadow of Peter, as he was passing by, might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the neighbouring cities and towns, who brought their sick and possessed relatives, and had the satisfaction to see them universally healed.

The more the church of Christ prospered, the more fiercely were its enemies incensed. The high-priest, therefore, and his companions, again apprehended the apostles, and cast them into the common prison, where the vilest malefactors were lodged. But God, to shew the impotence of their rage, sent his angel by night to deliver them. Their prison doors were now miraculously opened; and, being brought forth, they were exhorted by the celestial messenger to take their stations as soon as possible in the temple, and there publicly declare the words of that gospel, which may be properly denominated, the glad tidings of eternal life. They were not disobedient to this divine admonition; but were early in the temple, diligently teaching the people. But, in the mean time, the high-priest and his associates being come into the room where the council was usually held, they called together all the members of the sanhedrim; and, when they were convened, sent proper officers to the common prison to take charge of the apostles, and have them brought into their presence, that the court might proceed to their examination and punishment. When the officers came thither, to their great surprize, they found them not in the prison; and yet, upon the most diligent enquiry, could not discover any way in which they could have made their escape. The doors wore shut and bolted, and the keepers standing, as centinels, without; but when they had entered the place in which the apostles had been confined, not one of them could be found. When these things were communicated to the high-priest and the other members of the council, they were filled with a perplexity, which was increased, when they were further informed that the apostles had not only escaped, but were teaching the people in the temple with as much holdness as ever. They immediately deputed the captain of the temple, with the

officers who attended him, to bring them without violence, lest it should excite a tuinult among the people, who were still somewhat inclinable to favour the Christian cause. Being produced before the council, they were questioned by the high-priest, how they dared to disobey the coinmandments they had received from the rulers, and fill Jerusalem with their doctrine, so as to bring upon them the odium of crucifying an innocent person, and expose them to the danger of being stoned or torn in pieces by the populace. The apostles, in their answer, which appears to have been chiefly delivered by Peter, alleged what they had before declared, that they ought to obey God rather than men that God had himself cast upon them the odium of the death of Jesus, by having raised him from the sepulchre, and exalted him with the right hand of his power, that he may be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and the remission of sins. Of these truths, they declared themselves the witnesses; and appealed to the testimony of that eternal Spirit, who only could have enabled them to perform such wonderful works. This noble defence so much enraged the high-priest and his Sadducean company; that, forgetting all bounds of decency, they guashed upon the apostles with their teeth, and determined, upon some pretext or other, immediately to take away their lives. Then arose Gamaliel, a celebrated doctor of the law, and commanded the apostles to be put forth for a little time. When, directing himself to his brethren and the other members of the court, he said, Ye men of Israel, whom God has raised up as the guardians of his people, I think it niy duty, on this important occasion, seriously to advise you to take heed to yourselves as to what you are about to do to these men. If they are mere pretenders, you need. be in no great anxiety; for they will soon bring upon themselves the sword of the Romans, as was the case with Theudas, and with Judas of Galilee. Refrain, therefore, from these men, and leave them to themselves; for if this undertaking be of men,. it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; and to attempt it is dangerous, lest, peradventure, you should be found fighters against the power and providence of the Almighty.

Here it is proper to make three historical observations. 1. This Gamaliel is much celebrated among the Jews, who assert that the honour of the law failed with him, and that Onkelos, the author of the Targum, burnt seventy pounds weight of perfumes at his funeral. He is said to have been the author of the prayers against the Christians which are used in the synagogues, but is better known as the preceptor of the apostle Paul. 2. The Theudas who is here mentioned is not the same as he whose history is recorded by Josephus, since that impostor did not make his appearance till, at least, ten years afterward. He was, probably, one of the rebellious leaders who arose about the time of the taxing, or, perhaps he might make his appearance a little earlier. That two impostors of the same name should arise, is not wonderful, since Theudas, or Judas, was a very common name among the Jews. 3. The history of Judas the Galilean is better known. It is recorded by Josephus, and will he noticed by us. in that chapter which contains a relation of the destruction of Jerusalem.

The speech of Gamaliel so far moderated the assembly, that when they had called in the apostles, and ordered them to be scourged in their presence, they charged them not to preach any more in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Thus dismissed, they departed, rejoicing in the persecution which they had been called to suffer. They mmediately resumed their work of teaching in the temple, which they continued whenever it was opened for purposes of worship; and going at other times from house to house, ceased not to instruct their brethren in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Such are the imperfections which attend us in this state of existence, that it is not

in the power of the wisest and best of men long to preserve an uninterrupted tranquillity in societies over which they may preside, especially if the members be numerous, and educated in different habits. The number of the disciples being multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows had been neglected in the daily ministration, That these Grecians, as Dr. Campbell observes, were Jews, is evident from the history; for this happened before Peter was specially called to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family, who were the first fruits of the Gentiles to Christ. Besides, though the word Grecian, made use of in our translation, is synonymous with Greek, yet the term employed in the original is never applied in the New Testament to Pagan Greeks, but solely to those Jews who had resided always or mostly in Grecian cities, and, consequently, whose tongue was Greek. Great numbers of these lived in Egypt, where they made that translation of the Old Testament which is commonly called the Septuagint, or that of the seventy. They are said to have read the Greek bible in their synagogues, and to have used the Greek language in sacred things; and thus they were opposed to the Hebrew Jews, who performed their public worship in the Hebrew tongue; and in this sense Paul speaks of himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews. [Phil. iii. 5.] i. e. a Hebrew both by nation and language. The complaint of these Grecians appears to have. been just, and was, as such, acknowledged by the apostles themselves. How then, it may be asked, could those holy men, on whom the Spirit of God so abundantly rested, be guilty of either fraud or neglect? To this, we reply, that there is no reason to suppose that either of these accusations could be fixed upon them; but as so few must be insufficient for the care of such a vast number of disciples, they were obliged to trust to the management of other men, and from their neglect the evil complained of originated. This might easily have been prevented, had they been enabled. to discern the spirits of their brethren; but it was wisely permitted of God, that thus a temporary inconvenience might be the occasion of a lasting blessing to the churches of Christ.

The twelve apostles, under the direction of God, called together, in one general assembly, the multitude of the disciples, and intimated to them, that it was by no means proper that they, who were appointed to the apostolic office, should forsake the ministry of the word, which required their utmost diligence, to attend to the tables of the poor, and see that they were duly supplied with provisions. They therefore requested that seven men of honest report, whose characters were well attested among them, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, might be put over this business, that so the apostles might, with less interruption, devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. The multitude, therefore, chose seven men, who, by their names, appear to have belonged to the Grecians, and who could not, therefore, be justly suspected of neglecting their widows; and, having presented them before the a postles, they were by them set apart for their office, by prayer and the laying on of hands. The names of these seven deacons were these: Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. The wisdom of this measure appeared; for the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem was greatly multiplied; a great multitude of priests became obedient to the faith, notwithstanding all those prejudices which they had imbibed against this new doctrine, from the scorn with which the great and the noble generally treated it, and the loss of those temporal advantages which they might be called to resign out of a regard to it.

Stephen, one of the newly elected deacons, being full of the Holy Ghost and power, wrought many miracles among the people. His increasing usefulness attracted the