:

to them in these words: "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk ?" As if he had said; ye are quite mistaken in supposing us to possess the least power of ourselves look upon us, what we are, mere humble instruments in the hand of God to glorify his son. And here we may observe another striking proof of integrity: for had their design been to advance a worldly interest or ambition, nothing could be more to their purpose than the admiration of the people; which it had been wise and politic in them rather to encourage than repress. But the cause of God and truth rejected all such management in their hands; they sought not their own glory, but that of their master in Heaven and so far are they from assuming to themselves credit from the miraculous event which took place, that they ascribe it wholly to his name, by faith in which alone, they were enabled to perform such mighty works.

Another topic of St. Peter's discourse relates to the conduct of the Jews towards Jesus: "whom. says he, ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go; and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the prince of life," the maker of all living creatures, and the author of eternal life, who by his resurrection overcame death, and

66

is become the first fruits of them that slept. These are very strong, yet just charges urged home to their consciences, in order to purge them from dead works, and bring them back to a proper feeling of their cruelty and wrong. Yet in the midst of them he shews an affecting tenderness and concern, endeavouring to soften down their guilt as much as possible by imputing it to ignorance, and entreating them to repent and be converted, that their sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." I take this to signify some time of visitation or judgment from the Lord, in which the sincere convert and penitent will find relief or deliverance from the general calamity. And it probably alludes, at least in the first instance, to the impending destruction of Jerusalem, out of which many of the primitive Christians escaped by such warnings as the present, and others given to them by our Lord himself. But in a more eminent sense it may apply to the awful coming of the Lord, when as the same Apostle who now speaks says in another place, "the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." And agreeably to this also, St. John in the Revelation describes the refreshment and comfort of God's people upon that happy occa

sion: "He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away."Which interpretation the 21st verse of this chapter appears to favour, when it speaks of the Heaven receiving Christ until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets, since the world began." For if we suppose the scheme of prophecy to take in the whole of God's dispensation, and that before the final consummation of all things, the house of Israel will be restored and again become God's people, (as there is strong reason to believe) we cannot well restrain the language used here to any event short of that period. I look upon it therefore, like many other expressions in holy writ, to have a spiritual as well as temporal view; of which one is as it were a type of the other, yet the completion of both is designed.

The next point pressed upon them by St. Peter is the promise made to their fathers; "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you." This promise is thought by some to intend the successive prophets sent by God to exhort and instruct his people, although the text speaks of one only. But even should this be al

lowed, it is evident, both from the particular application of it here made to Christ, and from some striking points of resemblance between Moses and Him, which no other prophet could lay claim to, that the most perfect fulfilment was reserved for our blessed Lord. For God conversed with Moses face to face, which he never did by the other prophets, to whom he communicated his will by dreams and visions. But Christ never saw visions nor dreamed dreams, having intimate and immediate communication with the Father, and the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him. Moses was a lawgiver; a character not belonging to any of the succeeding prophets, whose duty it was to enforce the law already delivered, not to deliver a new one. "The law and the prophets were until John ;" after which another covenant began to take place, and new doctrines to be prcached by him, who was ordained to bring glad tidings of salvation, of life and immortality to all people. And the execution of the threat which immediately follows, Every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people," was so striking and remarkable in the sad overthrow of the nation for rejecting Christ, that all former judgments were light and tolerable in comparison. Here indeed the measure of their calamities was not merely full, but like a flood of mighty waters overflowed the whole land. And therefore such consummation of their misery

having followed their treatment of this distinguished prophet, shews him to be the person chiefly designed in the words of Moses.

Great as was that desolation, it will be succeeded by one infinitely more terrible to the wicked and impenitent, to whom the Gospel is preached without producing suitable effects upon their life and conduct. The temporal judgment inflicted upon the Jews, is an awful admonition to us as well as to the residue of them. God long forebore with that stiff-necked and stubborn people, till at last their multiplied sins being ripe for vengeance, "the Lord was not slack to them that hated him." former of these has done with every one of us; God grant we deserve not the latter or worse, by wilfully abusing his long suffering and mercy, and by crucifying the Lord of life afresh; not through ignorance, as some of them may plead, but with our eyes open, and our consciences enlightened.

The

The Apostle concludes his address to the people with declaring, that the predictions of all the prophets pointed to these days; by reminding them of their affinity to those prophets, and to Abraham in whose seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; and lastly, shewing the distinguished preference given to the Jews, in God's having first sent his son to them, to turn every one from his iniquities. And as they spake unto the people," (the historian goes on to relate in the 4th chap