Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/27

Rh saved, shall escape that judgment, which shall be a type and earnest of everlasting salvation. In the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, there was a remnant sealed to be hid in the day of the Lord's anger; and in the destruction by the Romans not one christian perished. They that distinguish themselves by singular piety, shall be distinguished by special preservation. And observe, the saved remnant are described by this, that they are a praying people; they call on the name of the Lord; which intimates that they are not saved by any merit or righteousness of their own, but purely by the favour of God, which must be sued out by prayer. It is the name of the Lord which they call upon, that is their strong tower.

(2.) The application of this prophecy to the present event; (v. 16.) This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; it is the accomplishment of that, it is the full accomplishment of it. This is that effusion of the Spirit upon all flesh, which should come, and we are to look for no other, no more than we are to look for another Messiah; for as our Messiah ever lives in heaven, reigning and interceding for his church on earth; so this Spirit of grace, the Advocate, or Comforter, that was given now, according to the promise, will, according to the same promise, continue with the church on earth to the end, and will work all its works in it and for it, and every member of it, ordinary and extraordinary, by the means of the scriptures and the ministry.

2. That it was the gift of Christ, and the product and proof of his resurrection and ascension. From this gift of the Holy Ghost, he takes occasion to preach unto them Jesus; and this part of his sermon he introduces with another solemn preface; (v. 22.) "Ye men of Israel, hear these words. It is a mercy that ye are within hearing of them, and it is your duty to give heed to them." Words concerning Christ should be acceptable words to the men of Israel. Here is,

(1.) An abstract of the history of the life of Christ, v. 22. He calls him Jesus of Nazareth, because by that name he was generally known, but (which was sufficient to roll away that reproach) he was a Man approved of God among you, censured and condemned by men, but approved of God; God testified his approbation of his doctrine by the power he gave him to work miracles: a man marked out by God; so Dr. Hammond reads it; "signalized, and made remarkable among you that now hear me; he was sent to you, set up, a glorious Light in your land; you yourselves are witnesses, how he became famous by miracles, wonders, and signs, works above the power of nature, out of its ordinary course, and contrary to it, which God did by him; that is, which he did by that divine power, with which he was clothed, and in which God plainly went along with him; for no man could do such works, unless God were with him." See what a stress Peter lays upon Christ's miracles! [1.] The matter of fact was not to be denied; "They were done in the midst of you, in the midst of your country, your city, your solemn assemblies, as ye yourselves also know. Ye have been eye-witnesses of his miracles; I appeal to yourselves, whether ye have any thing to object against them, or can offer any thing to disprove them." [2.] The inference from them cannot be disputed; the reasoning is as strong as the evidence; if he did those miracles, certainly God approved him, declared him to be, what he declared himself to be, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world; for the God of truth would never set his seal to a lie.

(2.) An account of his death and sufferings, which they were witnesses of also but a few weeks ago; and this was the greatest miracle of all, that a Man approved of God should thus seem to be abandoned of him; and a Man thus approved among the people, and in the midst of them, should be thus abandoned by them too! But both these mysteries are here explained, (v. 23.) and his death considered,

[1.] As God's act; and in him it was an act of wonderful grace and wisdom. He delivered him to death; not only permitted him to be put to death, but gave him up, devoted him; this is explained Rom. 8. 32. He delivered him up for us all. And yet he was approved of God, and there was nothing in this that signified the disapproving of him; for it was done by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, in infinite wisdom, and for holy ends, which Christ himself concurred in, and in the means leading to them. Thus divine justice must be satisfied, sinners saved, God and man brought together again, and Christ himself glorified. It was not only according to the will of God, but according to the counsel of his will, that he suffered and died; according to an eternal counsel, which could not be altered. This reconciled him to the cross, Father, thy will be done; and Father, glorify thy name; let thy purpose take effect, and let the great end of it be attained.

[2.] As the people's act; and in them it was an act of prodigious sin and folly; it was fighting against God, to persecute one whom he approved as the Darling of heaven; and fighting against their own mercies, to persecute one that was the greatest Blessing of this earth. Neither God's designing it from eternity, nor his bringing good out of it to eternity, would in the least excuse their sin; for it was their voluntary act and deed, from a principle morally evil; and therefore they were wicked hands with which ye have crucified and slain him. It is probable that some of those were here present, who had cried, Crucify him, crucify him; or had been otherwise aiding and abetting in the murder; and Peter knew it. However, it was justly looked upon as a national act, because done both by the vote of the great council and by the voice of the great crowd. It is a rule, Refertur ad universos quod publice fit per majorem partem—We attribute to all, that which is done publicly by the greater part. He charges it particularly on them as parts of the nation on which it would be visited, the more effectually to bring them to faith and repentance, because that was the only way to distinguish themselves from the guilty, and discharge themselves from the guilt.

(3.) An attestation of his resurrection, which effectually wiped away the reproach of his death; (v. 24.) Whom God raised up; the same that delivered him to death, delivered him from death, and thereby gave a higher approbation of him than he had done by any other of the signs and wonders wrought by him, or by all put together. This therefore he insists most largely upon.

[1.] He describes his resurrection; God loosed the bands of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden of it; ὠδῖνας—the sorrows of death; the word is used for travailing pains; and some think it signifies the trouble and agony of his soul, in which it was exceeding sorrowful, even to the death; from these pains and sorrows of soul, this travail of soul, the Father loosed him, when at his death, he said, It is finished. Thus Dr. Goodwin understands it: "Those terrors which made Heman's soul lie like the slain, (Ps. 88. 15.) these had hold of Christ; but he was too strong for them, and broke through them; this was the resurrection of his soul, (and it is a great thing to bring a soul out of the depths of spiritual agonies,) this was not leaving his soul in hell; as that which follows, that he should not see corruption, speaks of the resurrection of his body; and both together make up the great resurrection." Dr. Lightfoot gives another sense of this: "Having