for the riches of the next, and rendered himself unworthy to partake of the marvellous fcene now about to be exhibited. Behold then the twelve Apoftles, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the fon of Alpheus, Simon Zelotes, Judas the brother of James, and Matthias, expecting and longing for the unfpeakable bleffings of true christianity!

The Pentecoft, one of the Jewish festivals, was the era of the Divine Vifitation. The Apoftles were all in harmony affembled together; when lo! fuddenly there came a found from heaven as of a rufhing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were fitting. Their Master had, in his conference with Nicodemus*, compared the operations of the Holy Spirit to the wind, and the found from heaven on this occafion was a juft emblem of the power of the Divine Influence now commencing. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it fat upon each of them" Another emblem no lefs juft, which the church of England ufes in her hymn to the Holy Ghost in the ordination-office,

Thy bleffed unction from above

Is comfort, life, and fire of love.

66

In truth they now found they were "baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire." And the effects in purifying their hearts, in enlightening their understandings, and in furnishing them with gifts, and zeal, and boldnefs, hitherto unknown, were very foon exhibited. They were all filled with the "Holy Ghoft, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Of the many miraculous gifts now imparted, this of tongues, at once fo useful for the propagation John iii. † Acts ii.

+ Matt. iii. 11.

of

of the Gospel, and so striking an atteftation of its truth, first displayed itself to the amazement of a number of Jews, out of every nation under heaven, who heard thefe Galileans fpeak each in his own language. There is reafon to believe, that as many of them were devout men, they had been prepated by Divine Grace for the effectual reception of the Gofpel, and that a confiderable part of the first converts were of their body.

While many were expreffing their admiration at this ftrange event, others, whom we may fuppose to have been chiefly the native Jews, who understood not thefe feveral languages, derided the Apostles as intoxicated with wine: and now the zeal of Peter was ftirred up to preach both to those who admired, and to those who fcorned. He begged them to have fo much candour, as not rafhly to fuppofe them to be men overcome with liquor, which the very time of the day rendered improbable, the third hour of the day, anfwering to our nine in the morning, when it feems no Jew was ever known to be in that fituation. And as his audence profeffed a regard for the facred oracles, he pointed out to them a remarkable prophecy in the fecond chapter of Joel, then fulfilling, namely, the promise of an effufion of the Spirit upon all flesh, attended with dreadful punishments on those who should defpife it:yet that whoever, in the deep fenfe of his finfulness and mifery, fhould call on the name of the Lord, fhould be faved. He then fhews them how God had fulfilled his own purposes in the death of Jefus, at the very time when they had been executing the dictates of their own malice. He proceeds to teftify also of his refurrection, according to the teftimony of David, in Pfal. xvi. and cx. in both which Pfalms it was evident, that

not David himself, but Chrift was the fubject of the prophecy. He openly declares, that he himfelf and his brethren were witneffes of the refurrection of their Mafter, that He was exalted to heaven, and had received of the Father the promife of the Holy Ghoft, which He had now thed forth on the Apoftles, and concerning which they now had the plain demonftration of their fenfes. The conclufion which he draws from this chain of argument, fupported by the mutual strength of facts and prophecies, was this,-that the despised perfon, whom they had thought unworthy to live, and had expofed to the most painful and ignominious death, was owned by the God of their fathers to be the Lord and Meffiah, who was the expectation of the Jews, and through whom alone falvation was exhibited to finful men.

The defign of the whole fermon was evidently to produce conviction of fin in the hearers; and it pleafed God to crown it with fuccefs. Multitudes were pricked in their hearts: they found themselves guilty of murdering the Chrift of God: and fo powerfully were they ftruck with a fenfe of their extreme unworthinefs, that they found themselves alfo deftitute of all resources in themfelves. They cry to Peter and to the reft," Men and brethren, what fhall we do?" Similar indeed is the beginning of all true repentance, when men find themselves really loft, helpless, and willing to be led in any way which God fhall please, because they have no ability in themfelves, and "there is no health in them*." Peter faid unto them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. For the promise is unto you, and to your children,

The Church of England Confeffion.

and

and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call."

Thus the doctrine of repentance and remiffion of fins, in the name of Jefus, began at Jerufalem. The people were called upon to "loath themfelves for their paft iniquities," and to give themselves up to God for an intire renovation of foul; and the Grace of God in Chrift was offered to every one of them. The Apoftle exhorted them all to receive this grace, by believing on Jefus for the remiffion of fins, with a fubmiffion to his ordinance of baptifm as an emblem of washing away their fins; and he affured them, that God would receive them into his favour in this way: that however guilty they were, all their fins thould be pardoned, as if they had never been committed; and the Holy Ghoft fhould be poured on them alfo: for the promise of it was very general;-to them, to their children, to the most distant lands, wherever God fhould call men to reconciliation by Jefus Christ. Thus did St. Peter convince his hearers of fin, and inftruct them in the way of falvation.

They, whose hearts God had fmitten with a fenfe of guilt, were confoled by the grace of forgiveness; and "with many other words did he teftify and exhort, faying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized; and the fame day there were added to them about three thoufand fouls."

In this manner did the convictions and confolations of the Holy Ghost attend the first preaching of St. Peter. And this great multitude appear to have been fully converted to Christianity: For they continued "ftedfaftly in the Apoftles' doctrine

and

and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Here we see the regular appearance of the first Chriftian church. Thefe men were not Chriftians in name only; they understood and believed the apoftolical doctrine concerning repentance and remiffion of fins in the name of Jefus Chrift: they continued united to the paftors whom God had made inftruments of their converfion: they received conftantly the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, in which they enjoyed real communion with their Saviour; and prayer was their daily employment and delight. Their holy boldness towards God, and their joyful fenfation of forgiveness, were tempered with a godly fear. Every foul was poffeffed with this confiftent mixture of holy joy and fear. They had felt the pangs of guilt: they had feen what a price was paid for their redemption: they "rejoiced with trembling," as men juft emerged from the pit of deftruction; and the fame Spirit which cried, Abba, Father *, in their hearts, taught them to reverence His juftice and His holinefs, to fear Him, and to dread fin above all other evils. And though it does not appear to have been any injunction of the Apostles, that they should live together in a community of goods, and though experience foon taught the firft Chriftians, that the general establishment and continuance of fuch an ufage was impracticable, yet, doubtless, this practice for the prefent was a rare and convincing inftance of mutual charity, and proved how foon the operations of Divine Grace had loofened their minds from the love of this world. They "fold their goods and poffeflions, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." In this happy frame of mind

• Galatians iv. 6.

they