ness and brevity I could. I trust they have brought conviction to your minds as well as my own. Το give them full effect upon our hearts and understandings, let us employ earnest and constant prayer to God for the assistance of his Holy Spirit," which is able to guide us into all truth, and to give us a right understanding in all things."

LECTURE II.

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CHAPTER II.

AMONG the several wonderful and gracious

events in the Christian dispensation, none more deserves our attention and regard, than what we find recorded in the second chapter of the Acts; I mean the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. This day was one of the great festivals among the Jews, celebrated as the feast of harvest, and also for the delivery of the Law on Mount Sinai, fifty days after they had been brought out of the land of Egypt; and was of course attended by vast multitudes of them from every quarter. It is related thus: "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing wind," (which was a fit emblem of the Divine Spirit) and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them;" by which words are signified the power and efficacy of their preaching in various languages, and also the permanency

and duration of the gift. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling (that is sojourning probably during the great festivals of Passover and Pentecost)" at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven: Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language: And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" It then goes on to name the several countries and people; among whom arc mentioned Jews and proselytes, which last were strangers, converted to Judaism. According to some writers, there were two kinds of proselytes among the Jews, Proselytes of Justice, and Proselytes of the Gate: the former became complete Jews by submitting to circumcision, and all the rites and ceremonies required by their law; while the latter were partially adopted, on the couditions of renouncing idolatry, and observing what were called the Seven Precepts of Noah. Other writers deny any such distinction, holding the former only. If there were any such, both descriptions are included here. Upon the miraculous event recorded in the passages now read and refer

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red to, it will be necessary to speak at some length, that you may see how admirably it was contrived to assist and forward the Christian cause.

The providence of God, in conducting and completing the redemption of mankind, is wonderful and excellent in all its parts. He laid its first foundations immediately after the fall of our first parents, and by successive degrees raised the edifice of our faith upon the patriarchs and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone. It was a dispensation of miracles throughout; and most eminently so in the hands of our blessed Lord, who performed wonders able to convert every reasonable and candid mind. But when about to leave the world and go to the Father, he well knew the invincible obstacles to the propagation of his religi on, in its struggle "against flesh and blood, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers. of the darkness of this world," should it have no other than mere human means of support, in the hands of a few weak followers. It was, therefore, both wise and gracious in him, to bestow on his disciples such miraculous powers as were best adapted to maintain the faith; among which none was more excellent, than this effusion of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. For whether we consider the event in itself, wrought by the extraordinary power of God, or attend to the design and consequences of it, there is, in either

view, abundant matter of praise and admiration. In the former, it affords a sensible proof of his continued favour toward his church; in the latter, it appears to be a method contrived by infinite wisdom, for spreading the knowledge of his will among the nations of the earth.

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As to the fact itself, nothing could be more astonishing than for unlettered men, who had spent their lives in humble and laborious callings, thus at once to display a knowledge which requires the application of years with men of great industry and talents. For even to understand a variety of languages is not a very common gift; but to become so far master of them as to discourse fluently and intelligibly with those whose native tongues they are, is altogether rare and uncommon. No argument, therefore, could more clearly indicate the power of God, than thus communicating by immediate inspiration to all the Apostles, what probably not one among them could attain by the study of his whole life; and the providential concourse of men out of so many different nations, put the matter out of all doubt, whether they really and truly understood those languages, or were mere pretenders and impostors for the smallest failure must have drawn down infamy on themselves, and ruin on their cause; so that instead of having added unto them the same day three thon