38 Then Peter said 38. And Peter answered them, that there was now unto them, Repent, but one possible way left, and that was with true conand be baptized every one of you in the trition, and acknowledgment of their sin, to hasten name of Jesus Christ out of this infidelity, and with a sincere and thorough for the remission of change to come as proselytes to Christ, and enter sins, and ye shall re- upon Christian profession with a vow of never falling ceive the [d] gift of off from it, and so to receive baptism from the the Holy Ghost. apostles, that sacrament, wherein Christ enabled them to bestow, or convey from him, remission of sins to all true penitents, farther promising them that they should be made partakers of the Holy Ghost also, and of those gifts which by the descent of the Spirit were poured out on the church, and some among them of those miraculous powers which they now saw and admired in the apostles: (see ch. iv. 31, and note [c] ch. vi.) 39 For the promise 39. For to you, saith he, the benefit of that promise is unto you, and to appertains, if you will lay hold on it; and indeed your children, and to all that afar off, primarily to you Jews this promise of the Holy Ghost even as many as the was made, on purpose for this, that by our preaching Lord our God shall to you ye might be converted, and convinced of the call. vileness of what you have done, and upon repentance be received into mercy, and receive absolution from us, as the deputies and proxies of Christ, which is gone. And as the advantage hereof belongs primarily to you, to whom our first address was to be made, so, in the next place, upon your rejecting it, it must be extended to the rest of the world, to all the Gentiles which shall obey and come in to Christ at his call, or other words did he upon our preaching to them. 40 And with many testify and exhort, 40. And many other discourses he made to them, saying, 15 Save your- all to this effect, conjuring and hastening them with selves from this un- all speed to get (as the angel did Lot out of Sodom, toward generation. Gen. xix. 17.) out of this state of high provoking in4x ༈[ Then they that gladly received fidelity, wherein the multitude of Jews were engaged. his word were bap- 41. And all that were really affected by what he tized and the same said came and renounced their former courses, and day there were added approved the sincerity of their change, and received unto them about three baptism: and that day about three thousand men 42 And they con- were converted to Christianity. thousand souls. tinued 16 stedfastly in 42. And all that were so, continued assiduous in the apostles' doc- hearing the apostles teach, and in_bringing their trine and [e] fellow- goods liberally for the use of them that wanted, ver. of bread, and in pray- 45, and in eating the Lord's supper, and praying together. ship, and in breaking ers. 15 Escape out of, owlŋre àñó 16 constant to the teaching of the apostles, роσкарTE ροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀπ., and in communicating. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and 43. And a general astonishment surprised men to see first those strange operations of the Holy Ghost, signs were done by cession of converts, ver. 41.) And withal the apostles ver. 4, (a consequent of which was this wonderful ac the apostles. did many miracles of very different sorts, some of cures, and some of exemplary severities, and thereby came to have a very great authority among all that 44 And all that be- heard it, ch. v. 5. lieved were together, common; 44, 45. And all that received the faith assembled and had all things together for the service of God, observed constant times of public prayers, and receiving the sacrament of the Lord's supper, (see note [e] ch. i.,) the richer and parted them to communicated their goods to the poorer as freely as if all men, as every man they had been theirs. 45And sold their possessions and goods, had need. 46 And they, con tinuing daily with 46. And they daily assembled in the temple, and one accord in the received the Lord's supper in some of those upper temple, and 17 break- rooms, (see note [d] ch. i.,) and eat together in a ing bread from house most pious charitable manner, with great cheerfulness to house, did eat their meat with glad- and cordial sincere bounty and liberality, ness and is single- 47. Blessing the name of God, and exercising works ness of heart, of mercy to all that wanted; and God daily moved 47 Praising God, the hearts of some or other to come in to this number, and [ƒ]having 19 fa- gave the apostles a fruitful harvest, every day brought vour with all the peo- them in some that obeyed the exhortation given them, ple. And the Lord added to the church ver. 40, repented and got out of the actions and wickdaily 20 such as ed lives of that crooked generation, and betook themselves to the obedience of Christ: (see note [b] Luke xiii. 23.) should be saved. NOW Peter and John went up toge ther into the temple hour. 2 And a certain CHAP. III. prayer. a at the hour of pray- a at three in the afternoon, which was one of the er, being the ninth times of day generally set apart for 2. And there was an impotent man, who was so man lame from his from his birth, who was therefore daily carried by mother's womb was carried, whom they others, and laid at the gate of the temple, toward the laid daily at the gate east, in Solomon's porch, ver. 11, which was called of the temple which the Beautiful gate, that there he might beg and reis called Beautiful, ceive the alms of those that went up daily to pray to ask alms of them there, by which means this man was known to all the pious men of the city that used to go that way, 3 Who seeing Pe- ver. 10. that entered into the temple; ter and John about 17 brake bread in the house, and. 18 simplicity, liberality, ånλóτnti: see note [] Matt. vi. 19 charity to. 20 those that did escape, Toùs σwCoμévovs. to go into the temple 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, b Silver and gold b I cannot give thee that alms thou lookest for, that have I none; but of money to relieve thy wants; but that which will such as I have give I thee: In the name eminently supply all thy wants, and make it unnecesof Jesus Christ of sary for thee to ask any more, I am able and willing Nazareth rise up and to bestow upon thee. walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately chis He was able to stand and go, was perfectly cured feet and ancle bones of his lameness. 3 received strength. 8 And he leaping 8. And he demonstrated the perfectness of the cure up stood, and walk- by using his legs to all services, leaping, standing, them into the temple, walking, and as a testimony of his thankfulness to walking, and leap- God the author, he entered with them— ed, and entered with ing, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: : 10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. II And as the lame 11. And as this person, which was thus healed, man which was heal- kept close to Peter and John, and was unwilling to ed held Peter and depart from them, from whom he had received so ran together unto great a mercy, all the people ran together John, all the people them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Is 1 to receive an alms, λaßeîv èλenμ. 2 looked on them, éreixev avtoîs. ἐστερεώθησαι. 3 became firm, rael, why marvel ye d you why do look upon this cure as a strange at this? or why look thing to be wrought? (the miracles of Jesus are far ye so earnestly on us, as though by our greater than this ;) or, why do ye attribute any thing own power or holi- to us in this matter, as if it were any thing of our own, ness we had made either strength to do such a work, or excellency (for this man to walk? which we might be thought worthy to be used in 13 The God of these works rather than other men) to which this Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, were to be imputed? the God of our fa thers, hath glorified hath given this power of working miracles to that his Son Jesus; whom Jesus whom ye delivered up to Pilate to be crucified, ye delivered up, and and when he would fain have released him denied him in the 4 ye refused presence of Pilate, to have him released, and absolutely against Pilate's when he was deter- will required him to be put to death. mined to let him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, fand de- f and when ye had your choice which should be sired a murderer to released, Christ or Barabbas, ye chose the murderer be granted unto you; before him, 15 And killed the "Prince of life, whom 15. And murdered the Messias, put him to death, God hath raised from who came to bring life into the world. And when the dead; whereof you had done so, God was then pleased to raise him we are witnesses. from the dead, and to make us witnesses thereof. through faith in his 16 And his name 16. And now it is by belief in him that he (or name hath made this his power) hath recovered this man from his lameman strong, whom ness, whom you now see to be cured, and know beye see and know: fore, for many years, to have been unable to go. And yea, the faith which this faith, or believing on him, working not by itself, is by him hath given him this perfect but by his power on whom we believe, is it that hath soundness in the wrought this so remarkable cure on him, which you presence of you all. all so wonder at. thren, I wot that 17 And now, bre- 17. Now this, I suppose, brethren, that you of the through ignorance multitude, which did thus reject Christ, did not know did it, as did also him to be the Messias, and the same I suppose of your rulers. your rulers, those of the sanhedrim. ye 18 But those things, 18. And so the many prophecies of scripture, that which God before the Messias should be put to death, have by this had shewed by the mouth of all his pro- means had their completion. phets, that Christ should suffer, he 19, 20. Do you therefore amend your lives that hath so fulfilled. this may be pardoned, that so the second coming of 19 Repent ye Christ, so often spoken of, Matt. xxiv., for the delitherefore, and be very and rescue of all the faithful, (giving them rest converted, that y t your sins may be blot from their troubles and persecutions, and a quiet proted out, when the fession of the gospel,) but withal for the destruction 5 to release, àπoλvew. 6 Captain, 8 to the blotting out of your sins, that 4 against the face of Pilate, κarà πрóσwwov Miλ. apxnyóv: see Heb. ii. 10. 7 have known, oldate. the seasons-may come, εἰς τὸ ἐξαλειφθῆναι —ὅπως ἂν καιροὶἔλθωσι. [a] times of refresh- of all the obdurate, (which is therefore foreslowed ing shall come from that all may repent,) may by your repentance become the presence of the Lord; matter of advantage and comfort to you; to which end And he shall it was that he was at first sent to Jews peculiarly, send Jesus Christ, or that he is now preached unto you before that time, which before was that if ye repent ye may have the benefit of it, but if 10preached unto you: not, be destroyed with the obdurate. 20 9 11 21 " Whom [b]the you heaven must receive 21-23. This Christ being now entered on his reuntil the times of gal power in heaven, thereby to fulfil all the propherestitution of all cies concerning him, (see note [b] Matt. xvii.,) partithings, which God cularly that of Moses, of destroying and cutting off hath spoken by the from the earth all those Jews that shall reject the mouth of all his holy prophets since the Messias when he cometh; who being also the perseworld began. cutors of Christians as they had been before of Christ, 22 For Moses truly their destruction shall consequently bring that resaid unto the fa- freshment, ver. 19, along with it, (as indeed it hapthers, A prophet shall the Lord your pened in Vespasian's time, after the destruction of God raise up unto the impenitent Jews, the believers, which were reyou of your brethren, markably preserved in that destruction, had Halcyo12 like unto me; him nian days attending. See 2 Thess. ii. 1, and note [d] shall ye hear in all Rev. i.) things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. the coming of the Messias, the destruction of those that reject, and the special mercies to them that be24 Yea, and all lieve on him. the prophets from [c]Samuel and those 25. Ye are the peculiar persons, of whom the prothat follow after, as phets foretold, and to whom the covenant belongs, many as have spo- which was made to Abraham, in which was promised, ken, have likewise that the posterity of him, that is, the Jews, should be foretold of these so blessed by God, in having Christ given to them, days. 25 Ye are the child- (beside many other special prerogatives bestowed on ren of the prophets, them,) that all the families and people of the world. and of the covenant also, that would bless themselves or others, should which God made use this form, God bless them, as he blessed Abrawith our fathers, say- ham's seed: (see note [c] Gal. iii.) ing unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall 26. Which is now accordingly performed. For all the kindreds of God having raised this Christ again, hath by our the earth be blessed. preaching his resurrection first to you over all your 26 Unto you cities, sent him again in a most gracious manner to first God, having raised up his Son bless his enemies, to do all the good to them imagiJesus, sent him to nable, to work upon the most obdurate crucifiers, and 9 And that he may, καὶ ἀποστείλῃ. 10 Or, designed: for the King's MS. and many written and printed copies read, #pokexeɩɩμévov, and Tertullian, prædesignatum. 11 Who must receive heaven till the times of the completion. 12 as me, ws èué. |