to testify of Chrift. This I think will appear from feveral places of fcripture, in which the end of their appointment is declared, or the manner in which they answered it. Juft as our Saviour was going to leave his difciples, he tells them, that "when the "Comforter was come, who is the Spirit of "Truth, he should teftify of him ;" and that then " they also should bear witness of him, "because they had been with him from the 66 beginning." And after his refurrection he tells them," And ye are witneffes of these 66 things." And adds, that after they should receive power, by the Holy Ghost coming upon them," they fhould be witneffes unto "him, both in Jerufalem and in all Judæa, "and in Samaria, and unto the uttermoft "parts of the earth ." Thus far the direction to the apostles to witness and testify was general, and extended to any of the facts of christianity which they had feen or heard. And we may well fuppofe that the reafon why the direction was continued in thefe general terms was, because our Saviour's death, refurrection, afcenfion, and the shedding down of the Holy Ghoft, the facts which they were chiefly to testify, had not yet happened: nor did they then understand the great confequence of thofe facts, or of their teftimony about them. d Luke xxiv. 48. 'Acts i. 8. 1 1 But after the refurrection of Jefus from the dead, they understood that his refurrection was to be the chief matter of their testimony. And, therefore, when they were met together at Jerufalem, waiting for the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, and were going to choose an apostle in the room of Judas, Peter fays, at the conclusion of his speech to the one hundred and twenty, "Where"fore of these men, which have companied "with us all the time that the Lord Jefus "went in and out among us, beginning from. "the baptism of John, unto the fame day "that he was taken up from us, muft one be ❝ordained to be a witnefs with us of his "refurrection f.” As foon as the Holy Ghost was fallen on them, Peter preaches to the Hebrew Jews, and fome religious pro felytes of all nations; and the conclu fion of his difcourfe is, "this Jefus hath "God raised up, whereof we all are wit"neffes. And with many other words did Peter teftify h." And that Peter fpeaks here in the name of the apostles only, feems plain not barely from his being the mouth of the apoftles, but from the people's addreffing themselves to Peter and the rest of the apoftles, on what Peter had faid to them, "to know what they should do;" f Acts i. 21, 22. b Ver. 40, C 3 g Ibid. ii. 32. i Ver. 47. and 66 and from Peter's replying, " that they should "receive," which amounts to faying and we will impart, "the Holy Ghoft:" which none could impart but the apoftles. When Peter and John account for the miracle they had wrought on the beggar, to the people', they tell them, that they had wrought it by the power of Chrift, "whom they (the people) had flain, whom God had raised from "the dead; whereof, fays he, we are witneffes." The fame thing they witness to the rulers, when they were brought before them, to anfwer by what power they had wrought that miracle; faying, "Be it known unto you, 66 that by the name of Jefus-whom ye cru"cified, whom God raised from the dead (or "whom we teftify that he raised from the 66 66 n dead) doth this man (the beggar) stand "whole before you m" On the council's threatening them, if they taught any more in the name of Jefus; they answer, That they cannot but fpeak the things, which "they have feen and heard ";" that is, They cannot but teftify the refurrection of Chrift, whom they had feen and heard, after he was rifen from the dead; "He having been feen "of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining unto the kingdom of *Acts ii. 38. m Aas iv. 10. 1 Acts iii. 14. » Ver. 20, ❝ God. "God"." After the Holy Ghost's falling on the apostles, and their company, a fecond time, the remark that St. Luke makes upon it is, that "with great power gave the 66 66 ❝ tree. 66 66 apostles witness of the refurrection of the "Lord Jefus P." When the apostles were again queftioned by the council for their continuing to teach in Christ's name, they anfwer, "The God of our fathers raised up Jefus, whom ye flew, and hanged on a Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour" and we are his witneffes of thefe things 9." When Peter and John went down to Samaria, to give the Holy Ghoft to the Samaritans, on their receiving the gospel; St. Luke obferves, "that when they (Peter "and John) had teftified (or witneffed) and preached the word of the Lord, they "returned to Jerufalem " When Peter goes to convert the first-fruits of the profelytes of the gate to the Chriftian faith, he fays, that after the "Jews had flain Christ, "and hanged him on a tree, him God raised 66 166 up the third day, and fhewed him openly; "not to all the people, but unto witneffes "chofen before of God, even to us, who did "eat and drink with him, after he rose from Acts i. 3. ℗ Ibid. iv. 33. "the C 4 "the dead"." 66 "And he commanded us to 66 preach to the people, and to teftify, that it "is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead'. And that he was to be this Judge, they proved by testifying that God had raised him from the dead; as St. Paul expreffly does to the Athenians, telling them "," that God had appointed a 66 day, in the which he will judge the world "in righteousness, by that man whom he "hath ordained; whereof he hath given "affurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." St. Luke introduces Paul fpeaking to the Jews, and acquainting them, that Ananias told him, that he fhould be Chrift's wit nefs unto all men;" and that, when our Saviour appeared to him in the temple, he told him, that the " Jews would not receive "his teftimony concerning him; but that "he must go and bear it to the Gentiles "." He likewife introduces St. Paul acquainting King Agrippa, that Christ said to him, "Rife, "for I have appeared unto thee for this pur pofe, to make thee a minister, and a wit"ness, both of those things which thou haft “seen, and of the things in the which I will 66 appear unto thee." In the first discourse See John xxi. 1-16. " Ibid. xvii. 31. w Ver. 18, 21. t Acts x. 40, 41, 42. ▾ Ibid. xxii. 15. Acts xxvi. 16. of |