was placed in the seat of the highest honour and authority, at the right hand of God in heaven. To convince the Jews of the certainty hereof, St. Peter applies that promise, Psal. cx. 1. unto Christ, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool; showing that these words are not applicable unto David; for David is not ascended into heaven in his own

person, but his body remained in the sepulchre then amongst them; but Christ was ascended, and at the right hand of God exalted, and, pursuant to his promise, had now sent down the Holy Ghost in fiery cloven tongues, and divers languages, upon them. Where note, The great and wonderful change in the state and condition of

Christ, since his ascension into heaven: a little while since they called him the carpenter's son, this fellow, this deceiver;

His

now he has obtained a more excellent name than angels. Then he had not a place to lay his head on; now he is exalted to be heir of all things. Here he sweats, there he sits; here he groaned, there he triumplis; never to groan, weep, or bleed more. human nature is now advanced to the highest honours, even to the object of adoration both to angels and men. This was the doctrinal part of St. Peter's sermon: it treated of the person, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension, of the Lord Jesus, in a very close and convincing manHis warm application of the whole now follows, ver. 36.

ner.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

That is, God the Father hath ordained and appointed this Jesus, whom ye have crucified, to be the Head and Saviour of his church, he being the true and promised Messiah. Learn hence, That the Lord Jesus Christ was constituted and appointed by his Father, to be the supreme Governor and only Saviour of his church. God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ, both a Prince and a Saviour. Note farther, How very close and home the apostle is in applying what he had said to his auditors; he doth not rest in generals; but says plainly, Ye are the men. This is the same Jesus whom ye have crucified, whom ye with wicked hands have slain. Had not the application

been so close, it is probable the success of the sermon had not been so considerable. Thence learn, That the success and efficacy of the word preached, depends upon a particular and warm application of it to every man's conscience: generals will not affect. See an instance of it in what follows.

37 Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren,

what shall we do?

Here the success of St. Peter's sermon is

recorded: the auditors were not only affected, but their hearts were touched with a kindly remorse; they mourn for sin, and enquire what they should do to be saved? Some in our days would have been offended at such an enquiry, and told them, It was not doing, but believing only, that God expected; that Christ had done all for them, lieve strongly that all was done to their and that they had nothing to do, but to behands: but St. Peter reproves them not for their enquiry, but puts them upon doing; namely, the exercise and practice of repentance, in the next verse. Here note, 1 That conversion, where it is in truth, begets and occasions a very great and sensible change. 2. That the preaching of the word is the instrumental means for the effecting and accomplishing of this change. 3. That the best preaching is that which pricks men's hearts, wounds and convinces their consciences, and makes them thoroughly sensible both of their sin and danger, and of the great necessity of a change. 4. That when men are once convinced of their bad state and dangerous condition, their first enquiry will be, yea, should and ought to be, What they should do to be saved? They said, Men, and brethren, what shall we do? The apostle liked that enquiry very well; and answers it in the

next verse.

38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40. And

with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Observe, 1. St. Peter exhorts them to repentance, But did they not repent already? Were they not now pricked at their hearts? And will the apostle add grief to grief, and pain to smart! Know, that the apostle advises them to join to their legal sorrow, evangelical repentance, such as is attended and accompanied with owning Christ to be the true Messias, with believing in him, with desire and hope of pardon from him. Where by the way, observe, That St. Peter prescribes a dose of the same physic for them, which he had very lately taken himself with good success, when upon his hearty sorrow he obtained pardon for denying his Lord and Master, Matt. xxvi. 75. He went out and wept bitterly. No sermons are so sovereign and so successful as those which proceed from the minister's personal and comfortable experience. St. Peter presses upon his auditors the doctrine of repentance, which he himself had practised. Observe, 2. Upon their repentance, their owning of, and believing in Christ, he directs them to be baptized in his name, and then they should be capable of the gifts of the Holy Ghost; even of those miraculous gifts which they now saw and admired in the apostles. Learn hence, That baptism is a solemn ordinance and sacred institution of Jesus Christ, which is not to be administered to any out of the christian church, till they profess repentance and faith in Christ, and sincere obedience to him; Repent and be baptized every one of you. Observe, 3. The argument which the apostle uses with them by way of encouragement to persuade them to repent and be baptized; for says he, The promise is unto you and to your children; to you, Jews of the seed of Abraham, and to your seed; and to as many of the Gentiles, and their seed, as shall be called by the preaching of the gospel to profess faith in Christ, and subjection to him. Where, by the promisc, is meant the gracious covenant of God, whereby he offers pardon and peace to such as will accept them. Now this acceptance is twofold: 1. Cordial; which entitles a person to all the benefits of the covenant, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. And, 2. Professional only; which entitles a person and his seed to church pri

vileges only. Hence learn, That when God takes believing parents into covenant seed into covenant with himself likewise. with himself, he takes also their children or And if so, then the seal of the covenant, which is baptism, ought to be applied to them. It is evident that under the Old Testament, children were in covenant with God, as well as their parents. And do we any where find that ever they were cast out under the gospel? The apostle doth not say the promise was unto you and your seed; but, still is; for otherwise children would be in a worse condition under the gospel of Christ, than they were under the law of Moses; but surely the privileges of the gospel are not straiter and narrower than those of the law. Observe, lastly, How St. Peter closes all with an exhortation to his auditors, to save themselves from that untoward generation; that is, from the Scribes and Pharisees, that sour sort of men, who desperately and maliciously opposed Christ and his gospel, and by their authority and example kept people from embracing the only way of salvation revealed by Jesus Christ."

his word were baptized and the 41 Then they that gladly received same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Observe here, 1. The wonderful success of St. Peter's sermon: about three thousand were converted to the profession of the christian religion in one day, by hearing a single sermon. How many thousands of sermons have been since preached without the conversion of a single person? Oh, what an high holiday was this memorable day in heaven! This All Saints day was a festival of great solemnity there, where there is joy over one sinner that repenteth. But here did concur several advantages to render St. Peter's sermon more effectual: 1. The sufferings of our Saviour were so near in place, and so late in time, that his wounds were still fresh bleeding in the guilty memories of the people now assembled. 2. The present miracles of tongues bestowed on St. Peter, and his unlearned companions, did wonderfully make way for the word delivered. And, 3. His auditors were devout men, ver. 5. ignorant enough, but yet brought with them minds fairly disposed for information and conviction. 4. The Holy Spirit wrought now

extraordinarily by and with the word, and caused this miraculous improvement. Now did our Saviour fulfil his promise to his disciples: John xiv. 12, Greater works than these shall ye do, when I go to my Father. Now was Peter the disciple above his Master in success: Christ all his life time was angling for a few fishes, whilst St. Peter comes with his drag-net, and catches three thousand at one cast. Observe, 2. These three thousand were baptized the same day in which they were converted, and probably in the same place, which was at Jerusalem; either in the temple, or in some house, where the sermon was preached. We need not enquire, whether the apostles did it by dipping or sprinkling, both being lawful; but this may be said, It is hard to guess how such a quantity of water could be brought to the place, as might serve for the decent dipping of three thousand persons in so short a time. And, upon supposition that the water was not brought to them, but they went down to that; baptizing so many by dipping, would have required a week rather than a day to despatch it in.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Which words give us an account of the behaviour of the first christians, particularly in their religious assemblies, and of the way of worship used in the church of Jerusalem, the true mother church, in the time of the apostles. Where observe, 1. The doctrine which they adhered to, the doctrine of the apostles; that is, the doctrine delivered by Christ, and taught by the apostles, and contained in the Holy scriptures. This was the rule which the first christians governed themselves by, both as to faith and manners. It was infinite wisdom in God to inspire holy men for committing this doctrine to writing, and not to leave it to the hazardous and uncertain way of tradition. Observe, 2. The steady adherence of the first christians to this doctrine of the apostle: They continued stedfastly in it; that is, they were constant hearers of it, and attendants upon it; they received it not upon trust, but due examination. Learn hence, That religion being the great interest and common concern of mankind; he that espouses it aright, must first understand and examine the fundamental

grounds and principles of it, and then choose accordingly; otherwise our adherence to the best religion in the world, will rather be the result of chance than of judgment and choice. Observe, 3. They continued stedfast in fellowship. This may signify and import three things: 1. Their communion with the apostles, their keeping close to their own teachers in opposition to schism, which is a causeless, and therefore a culpable, separation; they were obedient to their spiritual governors and instructors. 2. Their society among themselves, and communion one with another: as the communion of saints in heaven is a considerable part of the happiness of heaven, so the fellowship of saints on earth is a sort of heaven upon earth. The comfort of our lives depends much upon society; but more upon the suitableness of society. The pri mitive saints were all of one mind, and therefore fit to make one body. For though man loves company, yet it is the company of those he loves. 3. Mutual assistance which they gave and received, a communication or free distribution to the necessities of each other: they did by love serve one another, and parted with their possessions for the support of each other. This liberality and mutual supplying one another's wants, did plainly show, that they esteemed themselves as fellow-members of the same body; and that they were perfect. ly united in heart and affection. Observe, 4. Another religious office, in which they continued constant, was breaking of bread; that is, receiving the sacrament: so great and fervent was the devotion of the first christians, that none of their religious assemblies passed in which they did not make this solemn commemoration of our Saviour, and show forth his death; looking upon their other religious service as lame and defective without this. Our Saviour's blood was still warm, and those first christians kept it so, by their devout and frequent remembrances of it. And it was their constancy in breaking of bread, which quickened and put life into all their religious actions. This fitted them both for doing and dying; their frequent drinking of the blood of Christ fired them with zeal for shedding their blood for Christ. Lord! what reason can men now give for neglecting so holy and useful an institution? Are we above those helps to a good life which they used? Have we not as much need to arm ourselves against sin and temptations, as they had? But the plain

truth is, men are not willing to be so holy now as they were then. This ordinance, their consciences tell them, would engage them to greater strictness of life than they are willing to undergo. They must leave their sins, which they are loath to part with; they must forgive their enemies, whom they had rather be revenged of; they must enter into new engagements, whereas they had rather be at liberty. So that those things which make men loath to come to the sacrament, are indeed, if duly considered, the greatest arguments to draw them thither; and, according to the example of these primitive christians, to be constant in breaking of bread. Observe, 5. The last thing which they continued stedfast and constant in, was prayer; that is, in the public and solemn addresses made to God in the religious assemblies, whereby they poured out their souls to God both in prayer, and supplication, and in praise and thanksgivings. The public prayers and intercessions of the church of Christ, are greatly to be esteemed by all christians; they glorify God most, he esteems and accepts them best. This keeps up a sense of God and religion in the world, and nothing delights God more than the joint prayers and praises of his people. Psal. ixxxvii. 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all performances in the dwellings of Jacob.

should want; the rich very readily sold their possessions and goods to help and relieve the poor. Yet note, 1. That this community was not of all their goods, but of that part only which every one did voluntarily consecrate and devote to the relief of the church's necessities. It was not in a strict sense a community of goods that was here practised; but by all things we are to understand such things as every one freely laid aside for the service of the poor. Note, 2. That this practice was only used in Jerusalem in the beginning of christianity, without being a precedent for after-times and places. Res quæ erat temporaria necessitatis et liberi arbitrii, non debet in exemplum trahi, multo minus ut necessaria obtrudi. Christ's gospel doth not destroy the moral law; the eighth commandment is still in force; which it could not be if there were no property. The lesson for your instruction to be gathered from this instance, is this: That they who have ability ought to abound always in ordinary, and sometimes in extraordinary, works of charity; we must always relieve the saints' wants as we are able, and sometimes upon an extraordinary occasion above what we are well able.

Observe here, 1. What awful respect God obliged the people of Jerusalem to pay unto the apostles: Fear came upon every soul, at the sight of those wonders and signs which were wrought by the apostles. 'Tis God that keeps up the authority and reverence of his ministers in the minds of their people did not he hold these stars in his own right hand, how soon would men trample them under their feet! Observe, 2. An extraordinary instance of a noble charity among these primitive christians: They had all things common. That is, they chose rather to part with their estates, than that any of their brethren

This chapter concludes with giving us an account how these primitive christians spent their time together in the service of God; and in great simplicity and sincerity amongst themselves. They continued daily in the temple; that is, at the usual time of prayer they joined with the Jews in their prayers in the temple. We must not think that they preached sermons, and administered sacraments in the temple; that would not be endured, as appeareth, chap. iv. 1. But having performed their public devotions daily in the temple at the accustomed times of prayer there, they used to resort to a private and particular place to celebrate the Lord's supper, and afterwards took their ordinary and necessary repast with gladness and singleness of heart. And thus these holy christians conversing