Acts 3

But we could not be at all condemned, if we were justified from eternity. 2. The Scripture confines Justification to those who believe and repent (Acts 3:19). Repent, that your sins may be blotted out. Therefore their sins were uncanceled and their persons unjustified, till they…

To obey God, is not so much our duty as our privilege: His commands carry meat in the mouth of them: He bids us repent; and why? That our sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19). He commands us to believe: And why?

This beauty consists in two things. 1. Perfection of parts: there shall be a full proportion of all the members: in this life there is oft a defect of members: the eye is lost, the arm is cut off; but in the Resurrection all parts of the body shall be restored again: therefore t…

How rich is he who has God for his God, who is heir to all the promises (Hebrews 6:17). A man may be rich in bills and bonds; a believer, though he may say as Peter, Silver and gold have I none (Acts 3:6), yet he is rich in bills and bonds, he is heir to all God's promises. And…

We say we receive Christ's body spiritually, they say they receive Christ's body carnally, which is contrary to Scripture. The Scripture affirms that the heavens must receive Christ's body until the times of the restitution of all things (Acts 3:21). Christ's body cannot be at t…

God bids us do his will, and this is for our good; (Deuteronomy 10:13) And now O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, and keep the commandments of the Lord, which I command you this day for your good. It is God's will that we should…

For (says he) you shall not leave my soul in the grave, neither will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. Though the days of this life be days of woe and misery, yet the day of the resurrection shall be to all the children of God a time of rejoicing and felicity, and as P…

But a righteous man's desires excel. 1. He desires Christ for himself; not only for his jewels, but his beauty, not only as he is a Savior, but as he is the Holy One (Acts 3:14). 2. He is unsatisfied without Christ, not the most rich viands, not golden chalices filled with sapph…

Is not this (say they) the Carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses? And how was he esteemed, or rather disesteemed and undervalued at his death; so that it is said (Acts 3:14), they denied the holy and just one, and desired that a murderer should be granted to…

Indeed, his glory was preached by the Sun, when it was, contrary to the course of nature, darkened: and by the rocks, when they were rent, and the temple cloven asunder, and the graves opened, when men weakly, or wickedly denied him, and would not only not preach his glory, but…

2. To bid them set on duties, as their righteousness before God, and as the way to find rest and peace for their souls, and that speaking nothing of Christ, we disclaim as Antichristian and Pharisaical. 3. It is no argument, but the Arminian objection against free grace, not to…

That Christ in this sense should be the Savior of all men, that he should have a negative voice in the salvation of all, that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands, is no other thing than Peter says, Acts 4:11. That there is no other name under heaven, by which men…

Though we be of that natural, sinful distemper, that we would have all things but Christ and let him go, yet while we are thus speaking to you, God many times conveys such a spirit of grace into us as gives us power to receive Christ. What power had the cripple to stand, much le…

This is humility and self-denial, when a man comes before God, and acknowledges his own unworthiness to ask any mercy of God, and confesses his own inability to ask any blessing according to God's will. Act 3. Thirdly, a man asks in humility, when he puts up his petitions with s…

A point which upon sundry occasions has been touched, but now to speak of it more fully. There is no man that has the Son, but as he has him for his Savior so he has him for his Prince (Acts 3:3). Him has God exalted with his right hand, whom they slew, a Prince and a Savior; so…

Mary Magdalen runs and comes to Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter went forth and the other disciple, and came to the Sepulcher, so (Acts 3:1). Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the hour of prayer (John 21:7).

2. For the future (Deuteronomy 18:19) Whoever will not hearken to the words which that Prophet shall speak in my name, I will require it of him, that is, he must look to answer it another day. Peter renders it (Acts 3:23) Whoever will not hearken to that Prophet shall be destroy…

Think of this rule. 3. For the season, the Apostle says: Pray continually, or without ceasing, yet there are some (as it were) canonical hours of prayer, wherein a Christian's discretion must interpose: only in this case, take the fittest seasons for secret prayer, as when you a…

He is an appointed head to his Church (Ephesians 1:22). He is the prince of life (Acts 3:15). He is a quickening spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Ans. Great: for the children of Abraham are children of the couenant, Act 3:25. and children of God. Rom 9:8.

Notwithstanding, it is a change of number — to wit, the singular for the plural — a thing common in the Scriptures. And however the place ought properly and principally to be understood of Christ (as Saint Peter expounds it in Acts 3), in regard that he is the Prince of the…

And therefore Saint Paul very fitly shows that it were to turn the order of things upside down, if the faithful should live till such time as Christ who is the fountain of life appears. Therefore it is we said before that Isaiah here comprehends the whole kingdom of Christ: for…

But it is utterly abominable and damnable, if we suffer ourselves so to be entangled in these outward helps, as thereby utterly to neglect seeking to God: and in distrusting his gracious promises, to desire to trust in unlawful means. The word to look, signifies often in the Scr…

The same thing often befalls many at this day, which Isaiah bewails touching his nation; to wit, that notwithstanding all admonitions, yet they cease not to forge idols, which they adorn with God's spoils as it were. The Apostles, Peter and John, in their lifetime (Acts 3:12), c…

But after we shall be perfectly renewed, heaven and earth shall be renewed also, and shall recover their first estate. Hence we may gather that which we have often mentioned; namely, that the Prophet has an eye to the whole kingdom of Christ, even to the end thereof: which for t…

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul: The Testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the Simple: The Statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the Heart: The Commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the Eyes: The Fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: T…

And on the Acceptance or Refusal of him herein, depended the Life and Death of the Church of Israel, v. 19. Acts 3. 23. Heb. 1. 1.

Third, this repentance that has been described, is indeed the special condition of remission of sin. This seems very evident by the Scripture, as particularly, Mark 1:4: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins. So, Luke…

Acts 3:19. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. What a pity it is that modern preachers attend no more to the method those took who were first inspired by the Holy Ghost, in…

That though he was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet he made himself of no reputation (Philippians 2:6-7). But how superabundant was his grace towards us, that though he was the Prince of life (Acts 3:15), yet became obedient to death, even…

But especially God speaks with his Word by his Spirit, when he sends his Spirit for conversion, and to effect a saving change: thus God speaks when he calls blind sinners out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), quickens dead sinners, putting into them a new princ…

God thus appears gloriously above all evil; and triumphing over all his enemies, was one great thing that God intended by the work of redemption; and the work by which this was to be done, God immediately went about as soon as man fell; and so goes on till he fully accomplishes…

But in Samuel there was begun a succession of prophets, that was maintained continually from that time, at least with very little interruption, till this spirit of prophecy ceased, about Malachi's time: and therefore Samuel is spoken in the New Testament as the beginning of the…

Others think that Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and part of the first book of Samuel, were written by Samuel. However that was, this we have good evidence of, that Samuel made an addition to the canon of scripture; for Samuel is manifestly mentioned in the New Testament, as one of the p…

The mercy he begged of God for them, was the greatest mercy, that which he was then dying to purchase and procure, the pardon of their sins; not only, Father spare them, or reprieve them, but, Father forgive them; the excuse he pleaded for them, was the best their crime was capa…

If they had known the dignity of his person, the excellency of his doctrine, and the gracious design and purpose of his coming into the world, certainly they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). They that did it, did it through ignorance (Acts 3:15, 17…

The necessary consequences of which are: 1. The subsistence of the human nature in the person of the Son of God, having no subsistence of its own (Luke 1:35; 1 Timothy 3:16). 2. [illegible], that communication of attributes in the person, whereby the properties of either nature…

Christ's departure, and the usefulness of it to his disciples. For his departure, it is known what is intended by it: the withdrawing his bodily presence from the earth after his resurrection, the heavens being to receive him, until the time of the restitution of all things (Act…

In which begging there is an exercise of faith eyeing Christ (Romans 3:25): God has set forth him to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. And there is an exercise also of repentance, as to mourning for sin (1 John 1:9) and (Proverbs 28:13): He that confesses and forsake…

"He shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). "God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26) — not troubles, or sorrows, but sins. 5. Affliction is a more particular temporal evil, but si…

As your child pleases you better, when it comes to you to be taught its book, rather than when it comes for an apple: so it is more pleasing to God, when you come for the Mediator's blessing, and spiritual things. (Acts 3:26) God has sent him to bless you, in turning away every…

2. He comes to proclaim our pardon, and to pronounce the sentence of our acquittance juridically in court, as judge upon the throne. Our pardon is passed, and sealed as to conscience, then he will blot out all our sins; therefore it is said (Acts 3:19), That your iniquities may…

2. When God at the Resurrection makes up the Jewels of the Saints bodies, they shall have Perfection of parts. Their bodies in this World may be maimed and dismembred; but in the day of the Resurrection they shall have all the parts of their bodies restored, Acts 3:21. Such as h…

For in those times the word of God — as it is written below — had been scarce and precious, that is, the number of prophets had been small. And indeed Peter in Acts 3, where he shows that our Lord Jesus Christ must be received without contradiction, even by the irrefutable testi…

There is some blessedness when we begin to look after the directions of the Word, and to wait upon the teachings of God (Proverbs 8:34). Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Then you are in a hopeful way to true blessedn…

And then secondly, by a serious application of these things to yourselves, if you would have these hopes, apply the offer of Heaven to work upon your hope, and the commination of Hell to work upon your fear. The offer of Heaven: If I would be blessed in Christ, surely I must men…

Gold and silver are but one sort of riches, and but the lowest and meanest sort. You do not count a man poor if he has lands, though he has not ready money; much less is a man poor if he has gold, though he has not silver: so a Christian is not poor if he has God, and Christ, an…

But now on the contrary suppose a man high in honor, wallowing in wealth, spending his time and wealth in ease and pleasure, but after all this God will bring him to judgment, the world is his friend, but God is his enemy, and he is all his life time subject to bondage, (Hebrews…

Whom God raised up: here is the efficient cause of Christ's resurrection, in the concurrent action of the whole Trinity; for all that God does out of himself, is ascribed to all the three persons. Sometimes it is ascribed to the Father, as the Apostle speaks, "The God of Abraham…

But that his goodness may yet prevail, I entreat you to consider this much more. 1. If you repent, you shall be forgiven (Acts 3:19): repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out; they shall be as if they had not been. Where God gives repentance for, he also gives…