Acts 5

Thus he is exalted in his titles of honor. 2. God has exalted Christ in his office: He has honored him to be Salvator Mundi, the Savior of the world (Acts 5:31). Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior.

If the world reproach us for Christ's sake, and cast dust on our name, let us bear it with patience. The Apostles (Acts 5:41) departed from the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to endure shame for Christ's name: [illegible], that they were graced to be disgraced…

Use 1. If God be a Spirit, then he is impassible; he is not capable of being hurt. Wicked men may set up their banners, and bend their forces against God, they are said [in non-Latin alphabet], to fight against God (Acts 5:39). But what will this fighting avail?

Whom the Devil could not destroy by intemperance, he has by vain-glory. 3. It reproves them who fight against God's glory (Acts 5:39): Lest you be found to fight against God. Quest. But who do fight against God's glory?

A sinner is to God worse than a toad; a toad has no poison, but what God has put into it; but a sinner has that which the devil has put into him. Acts 5:3: Why has Satan filled your heart to lie? A wicked man is possessed with an evil spirit.

Thus men naturally are in the house of bondage, they are enslaved to Satan: Satan is called the Prince of this World (John 14:30), and the God of this World (2 Corinthians 4:4), because he has such power to command and enslave them: Though Satan shall one day be a close prisoner…

He seduced our first parents by a lie (Genesis 3:4). How does this sin incense God? — he struck Ananias dead for telling a lie (Acts 5:5). The furnace of hell is heated to throw liars into (Revelation 22:15): "Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and whoever loves…

Use 2. Is all Scripture of divine inspiration, is it a book made by God himself? Then this reproves, 1. the Papists who take away part of Scripture, and so clip the King of Heaven's coin; they expunge the second Commandment out of their catechisms, because it makes against image…

Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26). The Apostles went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41), that they were graced so far as to be disgraced for the name of…

The Holy Ghost which dwells in us. As the unclean spirit dwells in the wicked, and carries them to pride, lust, revenge; the Devil has entered into these swine (Acts 5:3). So the Spirit of God dwells in the elect as their guide and comforter.

Where there is a lie in the tongue, it shows the devil is in the heart. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie? (Acts 5:3). Lying is such a sin as unfits men for civil society.

She brought two things to Christ, tears and ointment; her tears were more precious to Christ than her ointment. 3. Repentance ushers in pardon; therefore they are joined together (Acts 5:31): repentance and remission. Pardon of sin is the richest blessing; it is enough to make a…

When a man tells a lie does he not do the devil's will? (Acts 5:3) Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? (3.) Not to do God's will is dangerous; it brings a spiritual praemunire.

Then we must all learn to rejoice in the troubles and wrongs which we suffer for Christ's sake. So did the Apostles, Acts 5:41. They departed from the council, rejoicing in that they were counted worthy to suffer affliction for his name.

Tempted Job believes (Job 19:25). The scourged apostles rejoice (Acts 5:41). Drowned Jonah looks to the holy temple (Jonah 2:4).

Repentance is an Evangelical ingredient in a saint. 2. Christ was made a Prince, and exalted to give repentance (Acts 5:31), and the law as the law, has not one word of Christ, though it cannot contradict Christ, except we say, that there be two contradictory wills in Christ, wh…

Argument 5. God (as Augustine says) has a greater dominion over our wills, than we have over them ourselves; as he is more master of the beings, so of the operations, (that are created beings) than the creature is, and so he must use the creature's operations at his own pleasure…

2. It is not merit, or acquired by way of merit of Christ's death, that a Crown is given to Jesus Christ, for this end, to destroy such enemies as are not capable of sinning against his Mediatory Crown, especially, when as God, he had power to destroy them, as his enemies, thoug…

Salvation belongs to God, and though many means may be used, yet it is the Lord and his mercy, and blessing, that saves and delivers, and nothing else, and God's servants they know it. But there is a second duty in having Christ for a Savior; and that is, in looking up to Christ…

Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp bearing his reproach (Hebrews 11:26). Esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; prefer it before all earthly honor (Acts 5:41). And they departed from the council rejoicing that they were count…

(2 Kings 19:35) The Angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand. An Angel opened the prison doors to the Apostles (Acts 5:19 and Acts 12:7). But were not all these services extraordinary and miraculous, which we may n…

And we Christians may also tempt Christ, for the Apostle warns us against it: we tempt Christ now he is ascended into heaven, when we disobey his laws, question his authority, doubt of his promises, after sufficient means of conviction, that he is the Messiah, the Son of God; gr…

Christ delighted to give it, and God delighted to accept of it. He paid a perfect ransom for us, besides or above which he craved no more, but rested fully content in it; for the other, the renovation of man's nature, to put him into a capacity to serve and please God, for God w…

The Apostles notwithstanding all this did not cease to do their office, but most constantly preached and confessed Christ. For they knew that they should rather obey God than men: and that it was better that the whole world should be troubled and in an uproar, than that Christ s…

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

Hence it follows, that the Gospel must be preached, though all men be offended. God must not be displeased though all men be displeased (Acts 5:29). Indeed Christ pronounces woe against them by whom offences come: but that is meant of offences given, and not of offences taken: o…

Thirdly, the word of salvation, Act 13:26. because it shewes the way and meanes of attaining salvation. Lastly, the word of life, Act 5:20. because it does not only shew the narrow way, that leads to eternall life; but is in it selfe a liuely word, and mightie in operation, Heb…

We glory, says Paul (Romans 5:3), even in our tribulations: now this glorying or boasting cannot be without joy. The Apostles went away rejoicing from before the Council, that God vouchsafed them the honor to suffer rebuke for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). I grant the faithful…

Let us then with Moses, esteem the rebuke of Christ above all the riches of Egypt (Exodus 2:11; Hebrews 11:26). Let us with the Apostles rejoice, who went from the Council with glad hearts, in regard they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke and wrongs for the name of the Lord J…

Wherefore denying him so to be, they lay up all their hopes of success in denying him to be a Person; But yet because the Subject we are upon does require it, and it may be useful to the Faith of some; I will call over a few Testimonies given expresly to his Deity also. Sect. 31…

This is the proper End of all the Acts and Actings of this Life, Rom. 14. 7, 8. (2.) That we design in and by it, to come to the eternal enjoyment of him, as our Blessedness and Reward, Gen. 15. 1. (5.) It is the Life whereof the Gospel is the Law and Rule, John 6. 68. Acts 5. 2…

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…

It is said to the wicked rich man in the Gospel (Luke 12:20), You fool, this night shall your soul be required of you, demanded indeed, but O how unwillingly does the rich man pay this natural debt, who is so able to pay all civil debts. Yet it must be confessed that we find the…

And why so? because death being penally inflicted on him, when he had paid the debt, he was legally to be acquitted; Now for whom, and in whose name and stead he suffered, for them, and in their name and stead, he received his acquitment. Fourthly, Because upon his death, God th…

Rom. 5. 3. We reioyce in tribulation, knowing that tribulation brings forth patience: and Act. 5. 41. The Disciples reioyced, that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ.

It is true he is bound in conscience to observe you, yet it is only in those things wherein the law of God has left his conscience free; and therefore where the great and universal Lord has laid a prohibition upon him, his obedience is superseded, and your commands do only bind…

This is the firstborn of the Devil; the beginning of his strength; for by lies he prevailed over wretched man; and therefore is his darling and beloved sin, and the greatest instrument of promoting his kingdom. It is that which, in his own mouth, ruined all mankind in the gross;…

4. Liars, turn from your evil ways. We read Acts 5 at the beginning, of Ananias and Sapphira, who were smitten with sudden death for the sin of lying; it is said, they fell down at the Apostles' feet, and gave up the ghost. And has not the sin of lying been one ingredient in the…

This was another thing whereby Christ was put into a capacity for the accomplishing the effect of his purchase; as one that comes to be a deliverer of a people as their king, in order to it, and that he may be under the best capacity for it, is first installed in his throne. We…

And, Acts 2:46 speaking of the multitudes that were converted by that great outpouring of the Spirit that was on the day of Pentecost, it is said, "And they continued daily with one accord in the temple." And, Acts 5:42 speaking of the apostles, "And daily in the temple, and in…

How greatly have they erred, who only from the uncertain Reports of others, have ventured to speak slightingly of these Things? That Caution of an unbelieving Jew might teach them more Prudence, Acts 5:38, 39. Refrain from these Men, and let them alone; for if this Counsel, or t…

And shall we not learn at last, instead of fretting and being exceeding angry, to rejoice and to be exceeding glad (Matthew 5:11-12), when we suffer thus for righteousness' sake? May we not put such reproaches as pearls, in our crown, and be assured that they will pass well in t…

However, it may be mistaken and misrepresented, it is very far from being really a sect. There were sects of religion among the Jews; we read of the sect of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17), which was built upon peculiar notions, such as overturned the foundation of natural religion, b…

Secondly, let us acknowledge the power of divine grace, in keeping up the Christian religion in the world, notwithstanding the universal contradiction, and opposition it has met with. One would think that a way thus spoken against everywhere should have been long ere this lost a…

Says St. Paul in Rom. 5:3 We glory in tribulations: There is a patient bearing of tribulation, and a rejoicing in tribulation, and glorying in tribulation; now they did not only bear them patiently, and rejoice in them, but they did esteem them their glory. It is a notable speec…

Turn to, and ponder the following Scriptures, among many others, Proverbs 5:2, 3, 4. Acts 5. 29. Romans 1:24, 29.

It is known what is reported of Ignatius when he was led to martyrdom: let what will, said he, come upon me, only so I may obtain Jesus Christ. Hence they of old rejoiced when whipped, scourged, put to shame for his sake (Acts 5:41; Hebrews 11). All is welcome that comes from hi…

Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow — of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth — and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the…

Such as these the Scripture terms men-pleasers. Hence it comes to pass that husbands and wives are so far from drawing one another from sin, that the better rather yields to the worse, and both run into evil, as Adam was persuaded by his wife to transgress against God's express…

Contrary to the other branch of servants' faithfulness in increasing their master's estate, is all manner of theft and fraud, whether it be by retaining that which is due to their masters, or by pilfering from them that which they have. The Apostle expressly forbids servants to…