Acts 13

We are said to be justified [Greek text], through faith as an instrument (Ephesians 2:8), but not for faith as a cause; and if not justified for faith, then much less elected. God's decree of election is eternal and unchangeable, therefore it depends not upon faith foreseen (Act…

God the Father is said to justify (Romans 8:33). It is God that justifies. God the Son is said to justify (Acts 13:39). By him all that believe are justified. God the Holy Ghost is said to justify (1 Corinthians 6:11). But you are justified by the spirit of our God.

2. Our holiness consists in our subjection to the will of God: As God's nature is the pattern of holiness, so his will is the rule of holiness. This is our holiness, 1. When we do his will (Acts 13:22). 2. When we bear his will (Micah 7:9).

God's providences are uncertain, but his promises are the sure mercies of David. (Acts 13:34) God is not a man that he should repent, (1 Samuel 15:29). The word of a prince cannot always be taken, but God's promise is inviolable.

Some men have foolishly taken up a prejudice against religion; they are resolved rather never to go to Heaven, than go there through the strait gate. I may say of prejudice as Paul to Elimas (Acts 13:10): O prejudice, you child of the Devil, you enemy of all righteousness, how m…

The Scripture calls him the Branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5), and I may call him the Flower of the Virgin, having assumed our nature. By him all that believe are justified (Acts 13:39). 3. The third person in the Trinity is the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

This was God's charge to Israel (Numbers 15:40): Remember to do all my commandments. And it was spoken of David (Acts 13:22): I have found David a man after my own heart, who shall perform all my will, Greek, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], all my wills. Every command has the same…

And in like manner, places of Scripture misunderstood do often prove matter of great temptation to many, as that Hebrews 6 to one who having fallen from his first love, concluded he could never be saved, because it is there said that 'they which are once enlightened, if they fal…

But if we would be saved, then with our inward faith, we must join the observation of the outward ordinary means whereby God uses to save men's souls; as namely, the hearing of God's word, calling upon God by prayer, and the receiving of the sacraments; that thereby our sinful l…

Wisdom in the Proverbs (which with one consent of all Divines is said to be Christ) affirms that she was before the world was created, that is, from eternity (Proverbs 8:24): for before the world was made there was nothing but eternity. But it may be alleged to the contrary, tha…

And if not, then there is sure a necessity of believing in Jesus Christ, or of lying under the wrath of God for ever. 2. Consider that this gospel and word of salvation is preached to you in particular; when we speak of salvation, we do not say, that Christ was once preached to…

Hence (John 5:40), our Lord says, You will not come to me, that you may get life: and (Matthew 23), at the close, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not; this was it that did aggravate their sin, that He would, and they would not. So (Psal…

Use. It serves for good use to such as may fall to doubt and dispute what warrant they have to believe: we say, you have as good warrant as Abraham, David, Paul, or any of the godly that lived before you had; you have the same Gospel covenant and promises, it was always God's Wo…

Thus you see what is the meaning of these words, "my people" — that is, his elect people in or by the decree of election. I shall shortly give you some few grounds from Scripture to clear and confirm this truth; the first of which is taken from the names that the people of God g…

This is it that makes Christ get the name of a Savior, that the Shepherd being smitten, God might turn His hand on the little ones. And therefore, as a fourth use, see here a good ground, whereon to preach to you by the death of Christ, the offer of life, and the remission of si…

And what else is that, but to be in good terms with God, to have him passing by all quarrels, as having nothing to say against us, but accepting us through Christ as righteous? So, Acts 13:38-39: Be it known to you, that through this man is preached to you forgiveness of sins, a…

And therefore if we look forward to their preaching, we will find it to run in the same strain. (Acts 13:38-39): Be it known to you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and that by him, all that believe are justified, fro…

Secondly, carry always along with you the impression of your original sin, and natural corruption; and of the sinfulness of your practices; this will make you loathsome, and abominable in your own eyes, and Christ precious, and such a soul will not be in such danger of putting h…

Now suppose (as I hinted before, not long ago) that when these rebels have yielded themselves, and accepted of the terms; if any of them should be called to answer at the bar, or the king's bench, as being challenged for his rebellion; his answer, and defense would be, that such…

(Colossians 3:22) God has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Acts 13:38-39) Through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which t…

And Paul, that chosen vessel — how often was he persecuted? And he has the same complaint, in the same words that Isaiah has here, of his hearers, especially the Jews (Acts 13:46 and Acts 28:28), and was constrained to tell them, that he and his fellow preachers were obliged to…

Though by being man He became of no reputation, and a veil was drawn over the declarative glory of the Godhead in His person for a time, yet He remained still the Son of God, and glorious in Himself, and it cannot be but He that is God must be glorious in His exaltation, when th…

Our ability or fitness for duty, is not the rule of our duty, but God's command; and we are called to put our hand to duty in the sense of our own insufficiency, acknowledging God's sufficiency, which if we did, we should find it go better with us, and may not the same be expect…

2 Corinthians 4:4, In whom the god of this world has blinded the mind of them that believe not: and he makes a workhouse of the souls of the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2), they are the Devil's forge and shop, in whom he frames curious pieces for himself. 4. His crown…

And 3. the humbled soul, for ought he knows, (I speak of legal humiliation) has no more any Gospel-title or promise that saving grace shall be given to him, even of mere grace, upon condition of his humiliation, or external hearing, or desire of the physician, than the proud Pha…

4. It must be in him that wills, and runs, and deserves well, as on the separating cause that saves or damns, not in God that shows mercy; by this vain arguing of fast and loose free will, doing and undoing all at its pleasure, let Christ do his best. Argument 4. Whom God predes…

Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man, because the Scripture ascribes a universality to the wicked (Jeremiah 6:28; Jeremiah 9:2; Micah 1:7; 1 John 2:15-16; 1 John 5:19). And surely that election and redemption move both in the same sphere, and are of the free love of God,…

Now this is the tenure of all the promises — they all hold on Christ, in whom they are yes and amen, and you must take them up of him. Thus the Apostles preached forgiveness to men, Acts 13:38: 'Be it known that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.' And a…

In like manner here in Isaiah, against his death and condemnation he comforts himself with the hopes of God's justification of him at his Resurrection, He is near who justifies me, (and he shall help me) who shall condemn? And further, to confirm and strengthen this notion, beca…

Likewise when he hung upon the cross, his words to God are recorded, Psalm 22:1: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' In like manner when he rose again, God's words used then to him are recorded: 'You are my Son; this day have I begotten you' (Psalm 2), which place is exp…

And so you shall ever find this frame in a natural man's heart, those motions which the spirit of God casts into his heart, that might induce him, and lead him on by the hand to better courses, we are not well till we have cast them all off. Just as Paul complains of the Jews (A…

The same zeal we see in his servants, in Moses in case of idolatry (Exodus 32:19): He broke the tables. So in case of contradiction to the faith of Christ, Paul takes up Elimas (Acts 13:10): O full of subtlety and all mischief! you child of the devil! you enemy of all righteousn…

And this Luke testifies in the 19th chapter of the Acts in these words: And God wrought no small miracles by the hands of Paul, so that from his body were brought napkins and handkerchiefs, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Read more her…

And they had extraordinarie authoritie, to punish them that rebelliously withstood them. Act 5:5. & 10. & Act 13:20. 2. Cor 10:6.

Here we see the meekness of Paul, in that he quietly bears the crosses and wrongs laid upon him. The like was in Moses, who 40 years together endured the bad manners of the Israelites (Acts 13:18); but the perfect example of this virtue is in Christ, who saved those that crucifi…

Secondly, in the subject or doctrine itself, and that in two respects. First, the Law preaches nothing but absolute justice, to the transgressors thereof: the Gospel shows how justice is qualified with mercy: from all things from which you could not be absolved by the Law of Mos…

And thus Christ is appointed of God to be a light to the Gentiles, and his salvation manifested to the utmost parts of the world. This consolation then was very necessary, as well for the Prophets, as the Apostles (Acts 13:47). For they had but too woeful and daily experience mo…

For although he was come, yet he was not then known, neither were the ceremonies of the law abolished. But when the veil of the Temple was rent in two (Matthew 27:51), and remission of sins preached in his name (Luke 24:46-47; Acts 13:38), then these high praises touching the Te…

By the word Given, he means those whom God drew inwardly by the secret instinct of his holy Spirit; for otherwise the external voice should have sounded in the ears of the people in vain: and thus it is said that the elect are given to Christ of God his Father (John 6:37). From…

And after Christ's ascension, when the apostles had healed the impotent man, we are told, that all men glorified God for that which was done, Acts 4:21. When the Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia, heard from Paul and Barnabas, that God would reject the Jews, and take the Gentiles t…

And his acting in the One is no less Holy than in the other, although Holiness be not the Effect of it in the Objects. So when he came to declare his dreadful Work of the final hardning and Rejection of the Jews, one of the most tremendous Effects of Divine Providence, a Work wh…

And he can, when he pleases, exert that Power and Efficacy in working, as shall take away all Resistance. Sometimes he will only take order for the Preaching and Dispensation of the Word to Men; for this also is his Work, Acts 13. 2. Herein Men may resist his Work, and reject hi…

Let their Eyes be darkned that they may not see. So the Angel smote the Sodomites with blindness, Gen. 19. 11. and Paul the Sorcerer, Acts 13. 11. However the Sun shines, it is all one perpetual Night to them that are blind.

But is this that which firstly and principally we are ordained to, and that for its own sake, namely, Holiness, and Unblameableness in the Obedience of Love? No; we are firstly Ordained to eternal life, Acts 13. 48. we are chosen from the Beginning to Salvation, 2 Thess. 2. 13.…

All opposition of goodness is a spice of the devil. So the Apostle Paul (Acts 13:10) when he speaks to Elymas the sorcerer, says, O you child of the devil, you enemy of all goodness. To be an enemy of goodness is to be the child of the devil; it is the very character of the devi…

The difference ariss from Gods Soveraign communication of it, according to that tenor of the covenants administration, which we have laid down. Hence because under Moses's law there was an exception made of some sins, for which there was no sacrifice appointed, so that those who…

No but it is only that there is redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the apostle layes it down, Acts 13:38, 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justif…

This appeares in these Iewes, whome neither Christ himselfe did then forsake, when they reiected him (for he prayed for them when they crucified him) nor yet his Apostles, till they saw in them manifest signes of incurable obstinacie. Act. 13. 46. This point must be remēbred, a…

Sixtly, when we stand in need of some needfull blessing of God, especially such as concerne salvation thus Cornesius besought the Lord in prayer and fasting, when he desired true resolution concerning the Messias; and so ought we to doe, to get assurance of our recōciliation wi…

Now the difference of these two may be this; By dogs are meant obstinate enemies that malitiously reuile the ministry of the word, the doctrine of God, and the messengers thereof: such a dog was Alexanderthe Copper-smith, 2. Tim. 4. 14. & such were many of the Iews become soone…