Page:A Beacon to the Society of Friends.djvu/78

 receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet he was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

And v. 44-46:— "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them

which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."

3rd,—From the words of our Lord's commission to the Apostle Paul, Acts, xxvi. 16-18:—

"I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom

now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

And lastly,—From the affecting description, which he frequently gives of the state of the Gentile converts, before they received the word of the Gospel.—

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of

disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were, even as others." Eph. ii. 1-3.

"At that time ye were