Acts 26

When God called Samuel, he answered, Speak Lord, your servant hears (1 Samuel 3:10). When God calls you to any act of religion, you do run at God's call (Acts 26:19). I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

The ceremonies of the law which God himself ordained are now abrogated and out of date; Christ the substance being come, the shadows fly away; and therefore the Apostle calls the legal ceremonies carnal rites (Hebrews 9:10), and if not use those Jewish ceremonies which God did o…

Improve the gospel; the gospel proclaims a Jubilee to captives. Sin binds men, the gospel looses them: Paul's preaching was to turn men from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). The gospel-star leads you to Christ, and if you get Christ, then you are made free — though not fr…

O what a mercy is it, to be brought out of the house of bondage, to be taken from being made captives to the Prince of the Air, and to be made subjects of the Prince of Peace! And this is done by the preaching of the Word (Acts 26:18): To turn them from the power of Satan to God…

It would make us put fire to the incense. (Acts 26:7). The tribes instantly served God day and night, [illegible], omnibus venibus, with the utmost zeal and intenseness of spirit. To think God is in this place, he beholds us, would add wings to prayer, and oil to the flame of ou…

He was to be kept out of the holy assemblies of Israel as an infamous creature: A bastard by the Law cannot inherit; before the kingdom of grace come into the heart, a person is to God as one illegitimate, and so continuing he cannot enter into the congregation of Heaven. 5. Bef…

With what delight do men come to a feast? The word preached anoints the blind eye, mollifies the rocky heart; it beats off our fetters, and turns us from the power of Satan to God, (Acts 26:18). The word is the seed of regeneration, (James 1:18).

Other callings have only to do with men's bodies or estates, but the ministers' calling is employed about the souls of men. Their work is to [reconstructed: redeem] spiritual captives, and turn men from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). Their work is to enlighten them who…

When having seen how deformed and damnable a thing sin is, we change our mind. Paul, before conversion, verily thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus (Acts 26:9). But when he became a penitent, now he was of another mind (Philippians 3:8): "I count all…

When the harlot Lais came to one of her old acquaintance, after he was converted, and tempted him to sin, Ego non sum Ego, said he, I am not the same man. When one becomes a New Creature, there is such a visible change, that all may see it; therefore it is called a change from d…

(1) 1 Philippians 10, chapter 2:15; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 1 Thessalonians 2:11, 12; Titus 2:10. (2) John 6:15; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4, 6. (3) 1 Timothy 1:19, 20; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; Titus 1:13; Jude 3.

But have God's elect in Babylon any power of themselves to return out of the land of their spiritual captivity under Antichrist. No: until God enlighten them, that are dark; and quicken them that are dead, and cause them to return, by being obedient to a Gospel ministry: as form…

So is it in this case also. The Lord Christ, the great Testator, has determined the way whereby the elect shall come to be actually possest of their legacies, namely, by faith that is in him (Acts 26:18). So also he has reserved the time and season of their conversion in this wo…

3. By the way of possession. He had now obtained for the Church eternal redemption, and purchased for them and in their name an everlasting inheritance (Acts 26:18). This he went, for them and in their name to take possession of, and to reserve it in the heavens for them (1 Pete…

So was it with Stephen (Acts 7:56). And therefore in all the appearances and representations which he has made of himself since his ascension into Heaven, he has manifested his present glory (Acts 26:13; Revelation 1:14, 15, 16, 17, 18). And the due consideration hereof cannot b…

But the sufferings of our Apostle in this kind of bonds and imprisonment were peculiar above any other Apostles whatever. Hence he styles himself in particular (Philemon 1) the bondman for Christ, and gloried in his bonds as his peculiar honor (Acts 26:29), an Ambassador in bond…

Both here and in the former clause not only the event but the actual influence of apostacy on the one hand to destruction, and of faith on the other to the saving of the soul, is intended; so the preposition [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] does denote. Faith that is effectual to the…

There must be a sight of sin: until a man sees, he will never, he can never repent of it. And he must see it aright, ere he can repent of it aright: and to that end there must be an enlightening, and an opening of the eyes: a turning from darkness to light, which is a main work,…

2. Pity those who are not yet called. Sinners in Scarlet are not objects of envy, but pity, they are under the power of Satan, Acts 26.18. They tread every day on the Banks of the bottomless pit; and what if death should give them a jog?

His subjects are the children of darkness, and all the advantage that he has over the children of light, is, because of the darkness that is in them: whoever therefore lies under a state of darkness, is under the power of Satan. The great work of the ministry, is to recover them…

It cannot be proved that they ever confirmed any doctrine by tradition. Acts 26:22: I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses said should come. By this we are given to understand that we must alwa…

Beside these, they had their supreme consistory, the civil Sanedrim, which governed the whole nation, and had authority over the inferior courts. So was there also a subordination of ecclesiastical courts among them: they had a consistory in every synagogue, for their synagogues…

Furthermore: the things that are said on the one hand about all the unregenerate, and on the other about the communication of this theology, are such as to exclude them entirely from all communion with it; they cry out, indeed: "Every one of you is a stranger." They are "blind,"…

In the meanwhile, as these things are being transacted between God and the sinful soul through the word, God Himself, in His infinite mercy in Jesus Christ, when and how He wills, by a manner altogether ineffable yet powerful and effective, through His most holy Spirit, bestows…

It is in itself a shining, and it illuminates our minds. The Holy Spirit sent Paul to open the eyes of the Gentiles, to turn them from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). The evangelical truth itself is light; and it is also communicated with those who are to believe, in order, name…

2. Study to know what is the main end and design of, and what is the advantage that is to be had by the ordinances; many come to the preaching of the gospel, to hear and learn some lesson, for informing their judgment, some come to get directions, in reference to some particular…

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…

And all that Christ Jesus heard of his Father, he made known to his Apostles (John 15:15). And of these one Apostle Paul, who also received the Gospel not from flesh and blood, but by revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Acts 9:1-2, etc.) did declare to…

The man never has a fair venture of heaven, nor comes into close grips with eternal love revealed till he believe, because the poor man's believing is his act of choosing God for his portion, and so cannot be an assent to a common good, general to all men, Heathens, Pagans, Jews…

Oh take heed of this; nothing breeds slightness and hardness of heart so much as perfunctory praying. The rule is continue instant in prayer (Romans 12:12), and it is said of the saints that they served God instantly day and night 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (Acts 26:7), that they…

The law is represented by Moses, and the prophets by Elias. Both did frequently foretell and prefigure the death and resurrection of Christ, and all the Scripture which was then written, was usually called by this term, Law and Prophets, (Acts 24:14) believing all things that ar…

What profit is it to know that there is such a blessed and joyful estate if we have no interest in it. Heaven is worth our pains, and will bear all the cost we can lay out upon it, so the children of God thought (Acts 26:7), to which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving G…

One was, that he might not be thought to deliver any priuate doctrine deuised of his own head. And this care he had alwaies: and therefore taught nothing but that which was in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, Act 26:22. And this was the care of Christ: who says, My doctri…

And his manner was so to doe. Act 26:22. This shewes the shamelesse impudencie of the church of Rome, which takes to it selfe an absolute power of judgment in all matters, without, and beside the scripture, indeed a power to judge of the scripture it selfe and of the sense there…

Cor 11:23. and taught nothing but that which Moses and the Prophets had written. Act 26:22. Paul commāds Timothie to charge the Pastours of Ephesus, that they teach nodiuers doctrine, either for matter or manner, for substance or circumstance.

This was a remarkable Instance or a humble Behavior towards them that were out of Christ, and that Abraham knew to be [〈◊〉] and therefore would by no Means suffer his Servant to [〈◊〉] a [〈◊〉] to his Son, from among them; and [〈◊〉] Wives, because of these Children of Heth, were a…

And the Kindred of our Saviour, when he began to Preach the Gospel, said, He was besides himself, or extatical, Mark 3. 21. and they went out to lay hold of him. So Festus judged of Paul, Acts 26. 24, 25. And the Author of the Book of Wisdom gives us an account what acknowledgme…

And therefore the Faith intended is that which is in God through Christ as revealed and exhibited in the Promises, and this Coming to God is a Fruit and Effect thereof. (2) Our Lord Jesus Christ affirms that men are sanctified by the Faith that is in him, Acts 26. 18. That they…

But that a believer's justification implies not only remission of sins, or acquittance from the wrath due to it, but also an admittance to a title to that glory that is the reward of righteousness, is more directly taught in the Scripture, as particularly in Romans 5:1, 2, where…

3. It is called marvelous, because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in: as if a man that has lain long in a dark dungeon should be suddenly called into a glorious palace, the palace would seem more glorious, because it is so contrary to the dark prison. So…

Faith comes by hearing: faith is the first grace of a Christian's call, and that comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). So also (Acts 26:17-18): when Christ would call and convert the Gentiles, he does it not immediately, but he uses the ministry of Paul. Go, teach the Gentiles, and b…

Hence they will urge this against themselves (1 Peter 2:9): You are to show forth the praises of him, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And (Acts 26:18): He sent forth his Word to call them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. No…

Prophesie delivered by men, acted or moved therein by the Holy Ghost. And though there be a distribution made of the several Books of it from the Subject Matter, into the Law, Prophets and Psalms (Luke 24:44), and often into the Law and Prophets on the same account, as (Acts 26:…

2. A second thing to be previously observed is, that although those to whom the Apostle wrote, were of the several sorts before mentioned, yet they centered in this, that they were Hebrews by birth and religion, who all agreed in some common principles relating to the subject he…

And so the man that is truly godly, would make others godly too. As Paul said to King Agrippa, I would to God, that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am (Acts 26:29). Grace is attractive, it desires to draw others into fe…

The use: First, this title of light given to ministers, shews the right use of the ministry of the word. The whole world lis in darknesse, that is, in ignorance under sinne, and so subiect to damnation by nature; now God has ordained the ministry of the word to bee a light, wher…

See 1 Corinthians 1:19, 20, 21. After God had showed the vanity of human learning, when set up in the room of the gospel, God was pleased to make it subservient to the purposes of Christ's kingdom, as an handmaid to divine revelation; and so the prevailing of learning in the wor…

(Luke 13:24) in the pursuit of happiness, striving, even to an agony. (Acts 26:7) in prayer, serving God instantly; or in a stretched-out manner; indeed, pouring out their hearts before him (Psalm 62:8) as if the body were left like a dead corpse upon the knees, while the spirit…

Sin made a forfeiture of all to justice, upon which Satan entered and took possession, and as a strong man armed, still keeps it in them (Luke 11:21). But upon payment of this sum to justice, the elect (who only are intended in this purchase) pass over into God's right and prope…

Ibid. 8. Acts 26:22. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.