allufion to the effufion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecoft, St. Paul affures the Ephefians, that unto every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Chrift. Wherefore, he adds, he faith, when he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. It may be pertinent yet farther to remark, that fometimes neither the Father, nor the Son, appear to be concerned in this matter; the Spirit being said, of and by himself, to divide his gifts and graces to every man feverally as he will.

But what shall we fay to the invocation implied in the clofe of the prophecy we are confidering; whofoever shall call on the name of the Lord fhall be faved? Whom are we to understand by the Lord here? This, I should think, may be determined by the fignificance of the fame words in other places. They cannot be misunderstood in the original prophecy of foel. And if we refer to the tenth Chapter of St. Paul's Epiftle to the Romans, where they occur again, they will amount + Ephef. iv. 7. 1 Cor. vii 11.

to

to an irresistible, though indirect proof of the point in question. It is apparent that Jefus Chrift is intended, or included however in all these texts, is accordingly to be worshipped, and confequently is God.

After what has been faid, we fhall not be at a loss for the conftruction to be put upon the inference with which the Apostle concludes this firft difcourfe which we have been remarking on. Therefore let all the house of Ifrael know affuredly, that God hath made that fame Jefus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Chrift. Juft noting that in the phrasethat fame Jesus-abundance of reproach is conveyed, I observe, that these words fufficiently exprefs the two natures united in our bleffed Saviour, the Chrift in his human character, the Lord in his divine. But yet farther, the Apostle encourages his auditors, (who, it seems, were pricked in the heart by what he had preached to them,) to repent and be baptized in the name of Jefus Chrift, with the comfortable affurance that the promise of the Holy Ghoft was unto them, and to their

Children,

Children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD OUR GOD fhould call. Agreably to which declaration we are told, that the Lord added to the Church daily fuch as fhould be faved; and are afterwards informed, that believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Now that, according to the most natural and obvious interpretation, we are by the Lord to understand Jefus Christ in the two last quoted places, I presume will be admitted by every candid enquirer; and if fo, it is he who is described under the character of the Lord our God in the text immediately before cited. When therefore we are told at the 42d verse of this Chapter, that the newly-baptized converts continued ftedfaftly in the Apostles doctrine; and afterwards, that the Apostles taught and preached Jefus Chrift, and fpake to the people the words of this life, &c. we may juftly conclude that doctrine to have been the doctrine of redemption, as it has fince been received in the Chriftian Church.

When St. Peter and his colleagues were brought before the High-Prieft and Rulers,

&c.

&c, in order to be examined concerning the cure of the impotent man at the beautiful gate of the Temple, we find them again infisting on the refurrection of their Master, as the fundamental article which was demonftrative of the truth of his miffion and doctrine, and by confequence of the Divinity of his Perfon. This deceiver (as they had blafphemously reputed him) had faid, while he was yet alive, that after three days he would rife again; he had affirmed to them, that as the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even fo the Son quickeneth whom he will; he had declared to them his exiftence before Abraham in the most explicit terms, Before Abraham was, I am; he had faid, that God was his Father, in the stricteft fenfe, making himfelf equal with God, &c, &c. Suppofing then the Lord to have rifen indeed, the truth of these feveral affertions muft neceffarily follow. And, in fact, that he was risen, these betrayers and murderers of the just one, had they not been stiffnecked and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, could not but have been convinced by beholding the lame man who was

bealed

healed ftanding before them; and afterwards by the many figns and wonders which were wrought among the people by the hands of the Apoftles, who moft undoubtedly must have been endowed with such power from on high; or, in other words, by their now glorified Master..

I have already in effect confidered the fin of Ananias and Sapphira, who agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, as a fin against the Third Perfon in the Holy Trinity; and, I think, we may defy infidelity to put a fairer interpretation upon this portion of the Apoftolical history.

I fhall not dwell on the two invocations of the proto-martyr at the hour of death ; Lord Jefus receive my Spirit; Lord, lay not this fin to their charge; both which abundantly imply his faith in Jefus Chrift as God; but pafs on to the account of the converfion of the Ethiopian Eunuch by Philip the Deacon. * The Angel of the Lord spake unto Philip,

*Acts viii. 26, &c.

G

Saying,