Acts 14

There's no way to Constantinople but through the straits, no way to heaven but through sufferings: no way to the crown but by the way of the cross. Jerusalem above is a pleasant city, streets of gold, gates of pearl, but we must travel through a dirty road to this city, through…

A prince who bestows continual favors on a subject, if that subject have any ingenuity, he cannot but love his prince. God is continually heaping benefits upon us: He fills our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). As the rock followed Israel, wherever they went streams of…

Is it a likely thing that God should make a law against sin, and then have a hand in breaking his own law, is that likely? And therefore to answer the objection, God in his providence does permit men's sins (Acts 14:16). He suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

Quest. 17. Which are the principal institutions of the Gospel to be observed in the worship of God? Answ. (1.) The calling, gathering and setling of Churches with their Officers, as the seat and subject of all other solemn instituted worship. (2.) Prayer with thanksgiving. (3.)…

And this company is expressly called the Church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). This Church thus called and collected out of the Church of the Jews was the rule and pattern of the disposing of all the disciples of Christ into Church societies in obedience to his command throughout the…

Quest. 23. Who are the ordinary officers or ministers of Christ in the Church to be always continued therein? Answ. Those whom the Scripture calls, pastors and teachers, bishops, elders, and guides (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 18; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1…

(4.) They differ also in the gifts which were suited to their several distinct works and employments. (1) Matthew 10:2; Luke 10:1; Galatians 1:1; Acts 1:26; Acts 6:3; Acts 14:23. (2) John 20:21, 22, 23; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 2:20; Revelation 21:14; Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5, 7.

(3) 1 Peter 5:2, 3. (4) Acts 14:23. (5) Acts 13:2; 1 Timothy 5:22; 1 Timothy 4:14.

Qu. 26. May a person be called to, or be employed in a part only of the office or work of the ministry, or may he hold the relation and exercise the duty of an Elder or Minister to more Churches than one at the same time? Answ. Neither of these have either warrant or president i…

As when an office, with the power of it, is constituted and limited by the law of the land, there is no more required to invest any man in that office, or to give him that power, than the due observance of the means and way prescribed in the law to that end. The way then, whereb…

(1.) Reject false hypocritical pretenders if in or by any means their hypocrisy be discovered to them (Acts 8:20, 23; Titus 1:10; Jeremiah 15:19). (2.) That they may direct, and encourage in the way, such as appear to be sincere, instructing them principally in the nature of the…

2 Corinthians 8:5. Acts 14:23. Acts 20:28.

Therefore we need no more Directions in this matter, then what are given us by the Apostles Authority in the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ; nor are concerned in the Practice of those who afterwards took another course, of adding Believers from other places to the Church fir…

Q. How else may it be proved that there is a God? A. The succession of day, and night, and other seasons with the sustentation, and ordering of the creatures and the motions of them, does plainly witness that there is a God (Psalm 19:2-3; Acts 14:17; Amos 4:13 & 5:8). Q. How may…

Q. How must officers be put into their places? A. All of them by solemn prayer to God, and with imposition of hands upon elders and deacons, and in the ordaining of elders with fasting also (Acts 6:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22; Hebrews 6:2; Acts 14:26).

Q. What are the things that are created? A. All things without exception, that have a being, except God only who did create them (Acts 4:24; Acts 17:24; Acts 14:15; Genesis 2:1; Revelation 4:11). Q. Do you mean that the third heaven was also created by God?

Hosea 2:23. I will have mercy upon her that was not pitied, and I will say to them which were not my people, you are my people. Acts 14:16. God in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own ways. Acts 17:30. And the time of this ignorance God regarded not, but now…

To suffer adversity with the people of God. Here we may observe what is the ordinary state and condition of God's Church and people in this world: namely, to be in affliction and under the cross. Hence Paul says, That we must come to heaven through manifold afflictions, Acts 14:…

Service was to be done to God in that Temple according to his appointment, but a meet habitation for him it was not. And our Apostle lays it down as a principle suited to natural light, that God, who made all things, could not dwell in Temples made with hands (Acts 14:24). Such…

Many things do evidence a condecency to Divine wisdom, in the determination of that season. As, (1.) He testified his displeasure against sin, in suffering the generality of mankind to lie so long under the fatal effects of their apostacy, without relief or remedy (Acts 14:16; c…

Repent and believe the Gospel (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15). And almost all the sermons that we find, not only of John the Baptist in a way of preparation for the declaration of the Gospel, as (Matthew 3:2), but of the Apostles also in pressing the actual reception of it on the Jews…

And the giving of it he pleads as a great pledge of his providence and goodness. He left not himself of old without witness, in that he did good and gave Rain from Heaven (Acts 14:17). Our Savior also makes it an argument of his goodness that he causes his Rain to fall (Matthew…

Other creatures live upon God, but they are not capable of knowing the first cause as we are. Idolatry and atheism had never crept into the world, if men had considered who it was that gave them fruitful seasons and showers of rain, and filled their hearts with food and gladness…

For they knew that God was a Spirit, as in that verse of Cato, Si Deus est animus, sit purâ mente colendus: and that Heaven is his dwelling place. Hence they said (Acts 14:11), The Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And when reproved for their idolatry, Austine say…

Idolatries and follies of the heathen were permitted by God. He checked them not in their course, but laid the reins upon their necks, and suffered them to run what race they pleased (Acts 14:16): Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Not the most exe…

There is a prophane party in the Land, who drink, and roar, and declare their sin as Sodom; These Sampsons are like to pull down the house upon our head; instead of bringing the water of tears to quench Gods anger, they adde oile to the flame. The men of Lystra seeing the miracl…

[Called to fellowship with Christ] so (1 Corinthians 1:9) else if they be not united to Christ by faith, they are not fit materials for such a building as a Church of God, which is the house of the living God (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Revelation 21:27).…

Contrariwise, men of no worth, nor wisdom, men despicable for lack of gifts and understanding, are called Children (Isaiah 3:4, 12; Ephesians 4:14). But it is the fourth signification which we have now to do withal, and so an Elder is a spiritual officer, appointed by God, and c…

THE office of Ruling Elders is not only maintained by [illegible] Cartwright, [illegible], Bucer[illegible], and others whom our opposites will call partial Writers, let him who pleases read the commentaries of Martyr, [illegible], Gualther, Hemmingius, Piscator, Paraus upon (Ro…

We answer, 1. Ambrose speaks of Elders which were not Pastors. 2. Beza & Gualther expound the place (Acts 14:23), where the Apostles are said to have ordained Elders through every Church, of ruling as well as preaching Elders. 3. As for that which he alleges from Acts 20, Beza,…

2. Though the Apostles and Evangelists traveled from one country to another, to preach Christ to such as never heard of him; yet where has he read that some of these who were mere▪ presbyters (for of such speaks the text in hand) did so likewise? It rather appears from Acts 14:2…

He was judged and sentenced by those, that is by the Pastors and Elders of Corinth, howbeit the execution and final act of that high censure was to be with the consent and in the presence of the Congregation. Thirdly, it is objected that Matthias was chosen by the whole number o…

Of Antioch we read, that a great number believed, and turned to the Lord (Acts 11:21). Of Iconium that a great multitude both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed (Acts 14:1). Of Lydda, that all who dwelt therein, turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35).

1. That the reason of sending Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, was to know whether these teachers who pressed the observation of the ceremonial Law had any such commission from the Apostles and Elders, as they pretended. 2. That there is here no Synod, nor assembly of the Commiss…

Paul and Apollos are yours; we are the ministers of God for your sakes, for your service: if God open the door of utterance, it is not for our sakes but yours, that you might seek the Word at our mouths and believe. A company of Jews and Gentiles believed by hearing the Word pre…

He daily loads us with his benefits. He gives us all things richly to enjoy (Acts 14:17). God leaves not himself without witness, that he does men good.

In Romans 12:7, 8 him that teaches, him that exhorts, him that rules, and him that shows mercy. In Philippians 1:1 we have Bishops and Deacons; and their institutions with the order of it, we have at large expressed in 1 Timothy 3:1, 2, Bishops and Deacons without the interposit…

And how much that [illegible] is to his advantage has been intimated: and this seems to be his [illegible] by his following words, [reconstructed: Provinciarum] inquam, in quibus [illegible] singularum Ecclesiarum [illegible], [illegible], [illegible] Ecclesiae in plurali istius…

Though the Apostles in the name and the authority of God, appointed the Deacons of the Church at Jerusalem, yet they would have the whole Church look out among themselves the men to be appointed. And that the ordaining of the Elders was with the people's election, Acts 14:23, it…

Si Pergama dextrâ defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent. And this is the cause of naming many Elders or Presbyters in one Church: For my part I suppose the Doctor might more probably have adhered to a former conjecture of his Dissert. 4. cap. 10. Sect. 9. concerning two su…

To dwell upon all of them would be too lengthy and foreign to our present purpose. Let us briefly run through two arguments of the same apostle to this end; one of them is found at Acts 14:15–17, the other at Acts 17:24–28. The first runs thus: "Men, why do you do these things?…

For: — 1. All those ages in which the greater part of mortals lived without heavenly revelation are called "times of ignorance" (Acts 17:30). God, as it were, winked at these, permitting the nations to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16), not proclaiming to them that they should…

The occasions of the origin of idolatry — The report of the dominion of the sun and moon — In what sense the sun and moon are the two great lights — The monstrous fiction of Jonathan the Targumist — Delegated dominion as a corrupt basis for worship — The vain reasonings of idola…

Hence the false gods are called elilim; that is, vanities, nothings. And the apostle calls all the gods of the Gentiles mataia; that is, elilim (Acts 14:15). Our translators render this word almost everywhere as "idols."

From the day on which He bound the world to Himself by the unspeakable benefit of Christ's mission, nothing whatever was added to the glory, adornment, or ceremonies — that is, to the fullness — of idolatry. This part of the fullness of time Paul sets forth in Acts 14:15–16; 17:…

That it is the will and pleasure of God, that we should through many afflictions, enter into the kingdome of God. Act. 14. 22. Nowe it is the propertie of a true child of God, to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure, even when he is afflicted, Prou. 3. 11.

The order of his Church set down in his word (Hebrews 3:2; 1 Chronicles 28:12, 19; 2 Chronicles 29:25; 1 Chronicles 15:13; 1 Corinthians 9:8). For ruling of his Church, by his word: rulers who have the care of souls committed to them (Hebrews 13:17; James 5:14; Acts 14:23). And…

(3) Believers are called men (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 3:21, 22). In regard of passions (Acts 14:15). Of carnal walking (1 Corinthians 3:3).

So (Revelation 22:9): "I fell down to worship before the face of the angel, that showed me these things, and he said to me, see you do it not, for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them that keep the sayings of this book; worship God." Paul, whe…

As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, stand up, I myself also am a man (Acts 14:14-15). Paul and Barnabas when they heard this, rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out and sayi…