Acts 16

1. Christ teaches the heart. Others may teach the ear, Christ the heart (Acts 16:14): Whose heart the Lord opened. All that the dispensers of the word can do, is but to work knowledge, Christ works grace.

While Peter spoke, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word of God. Ministers knock at the door of men's hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door (Acts 16:14). A certain woman named Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened.

He commands us to believe: And why? That we may be saved (Acts 16:31). There is love in every command.

God commands us to believe, and why so? Believe and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Salvation is the crown set upon the head of faith.

In circumcising there was pain in the flesh: so in this spiritual circumcision there is pain in the heart; there is much sorrow arising from the sense of guilt and wrath. The jailor's trembling (Acts 16:30) was a pang in the new birth. God's Spirit is a spirit of bondage before…

1. With reverence and holy attention. Acts 16:14. A certain woman named Lydia attended to the things that were spoken of Paul.

It changed a persecutor into a preacher. What a change did it make in the jailor (Acts 16:33)! He took the Apostles and washed their stripes, and set meat before them.

Receiving the end of your faith, salvation. He who believes is as sure to go to Heaven as if he were in Heaven already (Acts 16:31). Faith touches Christ, and can he miss of Heaven who touches Christ?

Philip Landtgrave of Hesse said that in his troubles, se divinas Martyrum consolationes sensisse, he felt the divine consolations of the martyrs. David had his pilgrimage songs (Psalm 119:54), and Saint Paul his prison songs (Acts 16:25). Thus God candies our wormwood with sugar…

Answ. Professing believers, if not baptized in their infancy, and their infant seed. Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38, 39; Acts 16:33; 1 Corinthians 1:16; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 2:12, 13; with Genesis 17:10, 11, 12. Quest. 39. Where, and to whom, is the ordinance of the Lord's S…

But many particular Churches there were, as it is testified chap. 1. ver. 2. So was it also in Macedonia, the first Church planted in that Province was at Philipi, as it is declared (Acts 16), and it was quickly brought into compleat Order, so as that when the Apostle wrote to i…

Q. You have spoken of the person, offices and actions of Christ; you are now to shew the benefits that come by Christ, and how we are made partakers of Christ and of his benefits? A. We are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith alone (John 1:12 and 3:16, 18, 36…

Daniel also was an extraordinary Prophet: yet (as we may read) Daniel 9:2, he studied with admirable diligence the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. And Timothy, though he were a Disciple (Acts 16:1) and well learned: yet Paul charges him to give attendance to reading, to exho…

(1) That with some, especially in extraordinary cases, this work and duty may be over in a day as to its initiating use and efficacy. So was it with many primitive converts, who at the same time were savingly humbled and comforted by the promises of the Gospel (Acts 2:37, 38, 39…

For this is a thing which God often threatens, and which falls out oftner than we are aware of, yes most nations of the earth are examples of this severity of God. So a word of the same importance is used to this purpose, as to the turning away of the Gospel from any persons or…

For the enjoyments of one place may be occasioned by the work that is to be done in another, wherewith it is in some kind of conjunction; or the Word may be preached in a place for the sake of some that are there only accidentally. As when Paul first preached at Philippi, Lydia…

The reason is, because the right of the child depends upon the state of the parent (that he be in a state of membership: for if so, then divine institution carries or transmits membership, and so Baptism-right to the child) but the parent's regular partaking of this or that ordi…

And again, To him give all the prophets witness that through his name all that believe in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43). Paul says, believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, and all your household (Acts 16:31). Thus then the confession in which we ackn…

When this begins once to be pleaded, the real merits of the cause in debate is usually over-seen, and the obedience required by law is only insisted on; as though that were grown a civil difference by the interposition of a law, which before was purely religious. This Paul himse…

Upon others the Spirit cometh like a mighty rushing wind, and they are carried to Christ as it were by the gates of Hell. As in the natural birth, some children are brought forth with more ease, others with greater pains and throes: so the new birth in some is without trouble an…

It is a most certain truth that there are many believers that shall never be saved, for all faith in the name of Christ is not sound and saving. It is true, it is granted, that faith or believing is the gospel condition of salvation (John 3:16, 36; Acts 16:31; Mark 16:16). He th…

Paget answers that though the Eldership sit apart to judge, yet before any sentence be given for the cutting off of any offender, or for any other thing which concerns all, matters are first propounded to the whole Church, and their prayers and consent required. And surely this…

2. If the Doctrine or exhortation of a Pastor well grounded upon the Scriptures bee the Word of God, then much more is the Decree of a Synod well grounded upon the Scriptures, the Decree of the holy Ghost. 3. That Assembly was not of the Apostles alone, but of the Apostles and E…

To the other place we answer: 1. That Epistle, whether it were written from Philippi, or from Ephesus, was undoubtedly written very lately after the plantation of the Gospel in Corinth, while as that Church was yet in her infancy. And if it should be granted, that at that time t…

To the last answer, it is maintained that the conclusion of that meeting at Jerusalem, was not a naked counsel and advice, but a decree imposed with authority upon the Churches (Acts 15:28 and 16:4 and 21:25). And whereas it is affirmed, that the decree was merely Apostolical, a…

First, there is a stirring up of men, to attend to the voice of Christ: many there are that hear, yet attend not. Acts 16:14: the Holy Ghost opened the heart of Lydia, to attend to Paul's preaching. We sow on fallow ground till the Spirit opens the heart to attend to the things…

21. But to this the answer is obvious, 1. that what in the Epistles is discoverable concerning his journey, and the several stages of it, is directly agreeable to the relations of his martyrdom, recorded by the most ancient and punctual historians, that have written on that subj…

But Corinth was such a City, and this Epistle was so addrest to it — that Corinth was such a Metropolis was apparent, and is not denyed, as to the politicall acceptation of it; and if it were so also in the Ecclesiastick, there is no farther difficulty; and if my supposing and n…

But that it can happen, with respect to the outcome, that which God from eternity willed not to happen — that has not yet been proved. That it is not actually preached to many, nor ever was preached in former times, Scripture ascribes to the will of God (Psalms 147:19, 20; Matth…

That one should introduce foreign religions, or that other gods than those he himself worshiped should be adored and preached — Maecenas persuaded Augustus in Dio's account of this, as we have shown elsewhere at length — and the law of the Twelve Tables also forbade the introduc…

He also affirms that there was yet a little while remaining before those Mosaic rudiments, shaken by the death of Christ, would be removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken in Christ's kingdom might be established. Nor does it stand in the way that the apostles and elder…

When we have rightly considered of our foundation: the Second thing is, to practise upon it, and that is, to give our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance; which stand in meditation of the word, and praier for mercy and pardon: and when this is done, then God giues th…

Secondly, this is chiefly, lest by our infirmity, we should displease our God, where the wicked only tremble, because of the punishment (2 Corinthians 7:1). Here is forbidden hardness of heart, and no fear, to fear any thing, as the loss of life, goods, friends, displeasure of m…

15. Therefore Hagar brought forth to Abraham a son, and Abraham called the name of the son which Hagar brought forth to him, Ishmael.] So the Greeks in Greek, as Timothy, the fear of God, [Acts 16. Then came he to Derbe, and to Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, n…

5. We say it is an immediate work of the Spirit on the heart, to difference it from a mediate persuasion, or moral suasion (as it's called) as if there were no more requisite in conversion but God's enlightening of the mind, and by that persuading the will to close with Jesus Ch…

3. When the offer is made, and the precious wares are exposed to sale in this cried fair of grace, a command comes out, choose life, come buy the wares, believe, receive the offer, as is clear in all the places we named before; it leaves not people indifferent to receive or not,…

1. From the manner how the gospel proposes faith, it is by way of command in the imperative mood — Believe, Come you that are weary, etc., Come to the Wedding, open, etc. — wherein somewhat of the nature of faith is held out, all these being the same with believing. 2. It is not…

(Revelation 3:20) Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man open the door to me, etc. (Acts 16) it's said, the Lord opened the heart of Lydia: when the Word comes, sinners' hearts are locked on God, Christ comes by His Word, and knocks hard to be in, bids open and take in…

Oratory cannot make the taste feel the sweetness of honey. There is a light that comes from heaven, above the sun and moon; indeed, above the gospel; and is not extracted, or drawn out of the power of either the soul, no, nor of the gospel, (I conceive,) that brings forth, in ac…

(Acts 13:39) And by him, all that believe, are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified, by the Law of Moses. (Acts 16:30) The jailer says to Paul and Silas, what must I do to be saved? (verse 31) And they said, believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Chris…

1. Some Christ draws by the heart, as Lydia, Matthew: love sweetly and softly blows up the door, and the King is within doors in the floor of the house before they be aware. Others Christ trails and drags by violence, rather by the hair of the head, than by the heart, as the jai…

13. These that Christ died for cannot be condemned (Romans 8:33-34), but are chosen, and cannot be impeached; but the reprobate can be condemned and impeached. 14. Those whom God wills to save, and whom he redeemed, to these he willed the means of salvation; but he wills not the…

What a marvelous speech is this in God's own servants, when God would withhold them from running for salvation elsewhere, and from such other sins as they thirsted after; no, there is no hope but the course they had taken they would take, and no means should save or draw them fr…

Sometimes he calls himself, the least of all Saints (Ephesians 3:8), and yet sometimes, not inferior to the very chief Apostles; and this he had learned, he had been instructed thus to deny himself; he desired, that he might know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. See the no…

As he has absolute authority to teach in his own name, and fullness of sufficiency to make known the mind of God to us; so he has power to make his doctrine effectual. As when he dealt with his disciples, after he had opened the Scriptures, he opened their understandings (Luke 2…

As if they had said: This is a seditious and a blasphemous fellow: for he preaches such things whereby he not only overthrows the Jewish commonwealth excellently well ordered and established by the laws of God: but also abolishes even the ten commandments, the religion and servi…

For the first; the words, And Titus was not compelled to be circumcised, carrie this sense: I, for my part was readie to circumcise Titus, if there had been a meete occasion: false brethren would have imposed a necessitie upon vs: then I and Titus refused: and the Apostles did n…

First, the commandment of God (Matthew 28:18), Baptize all nations, etc., in which words the baptism of infants is prescribed. For the Apostles by virtue of this commission baptized whole families (Acts 16:31 and 38). Again, circumcision of infants was commanded by God (Genesis…

The Apostle adds in the word, to shew that he means not so much the doctrine of Christian religion, contained in the scriptures, as the doctrine of the Gospel, which by an exoche, or peculiar excellencie, is called the word. Act 16:6. They were forbidden of the holy Ghost to pre…

The Gospel does not get ground in any place, nor is restrained from any Place or People, by accident,[[original in non-Latin script]] by the endeavours of Men, but it is sent and disposed of [[original in non-Latin script]], to the Sovereign Will and Pleasure of the Spirit of Go…