natures of themselves to support us constantly in the discharge of our Christian duty. We are for this reason commanded to pray for his all-sufficient aid, that he may add strength to our weakness; much more, when he vouchsafes to abide with us, it should be our joy and comfort to receive the heavenly monitor, and attentively to listen to his gracious instructions. Only we must be careful not to mistake the fervours of an heated imagination for his godly motions; which is sometimes the case of weak, though religious persons, who are apt to conceive human passions to be divine impulses. I would not willingly discourage any thing that looked like religious zeal; for the vice of the present times is rather indifference than enthusiasm. At the same time we must guard against both extremes; especially because persons of sanguine tempers are too apt sometimes to fancy themselves chosen vessels, and to think meanly of others not subject to like agitations. But with this caution, the constant study of our lives should be to obtain the grace of God; to render ourselves temples fit for the Holy Ghost; to pray fervently, that he may take up his abode with us; not to grieve him by wilful and presumptuous sins, but freely and implicitly to follow his blessed guidance. If the spirit of God does not visibly descend upon us in the shape of fiery tongues, to penetrate and convert the hearts of an unbelieving world, it is becausé

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our religion (thanks to his holy name) does not at this day require such energies. He addresses us with a still small voice: his operations, though less sensible, are not less certain; and though more silent, are alike effectual. For all truly Christian graces are his gift; and "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."

Having examined at large the important event related in the first twelve verses of this chapter, I now proceed in order: "Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine."* You cannot but see

at a moment's view the gross absurdity and falsehood of this charge; as if intoxication, whose effect is rather to deprive men of the power of all speech, could enable the Apostles to discourse intelligibly in so many various languages, so that the people to whom these were thoroughly known, should exclaim with surprise, "How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" And indeed such are many of the objections brought against Christianity at this time; equally vulgar, coarse, and groundless; fitted to raise a popular cry, to humour the vicious and malignant passions

*It is not improbable that this charge was made by some of the natives of Judea; who, not understanding these various languages, treated them as mere jargon. But what gross negligence and want of candour does such a charge betray; when they had manifest proofs before their eyes, that the inspired speakers were per fectly well understood by the several strangers pre

sent.

of men, to bring forward the faults real or imputed of its professors, and confound them with the cause. A charge like the present deserved no reply; yet St. Peter adverts to it in his excellent address which immediately follows: Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day." The Jews began their day with our six o'clock; the third hour then was what we call the ninth, and was the time of their morning sacrifice, to which they generally went fasting, especially on the great festivals. Among a people so scrupulous in the performance of external rites, such a scandalous excess as drunkenness at this solemn meeting was probably unknown and as the fact of the Apostles using different tongues spoke sufficiently for itself, St. Peter's reply is not so properly an argument against the charge, as it clearly shews the malice of the imputation. After which slight notice, he lays before them a full and just explanation of the miracle which they had witnessed; declaring it to be the fulfilment of a prophecy, which was spoken by the prophet Joel :

:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy." He then goes on to recount the signs and wonders of

of the times, and the fearful events soon to take

place; which happened in less than forty years by the destruction of Jerusalem, and the abolition of the Jewish state.

The prophecy of Joel being recited, (as you will find from the 17th to the 22d verse) St. Peter proceeds to explain particularly the manner of its perfect completion at this time. For which purpose he takes occasion to call upon their attention anew; "Ye men of Israel hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Here are some things worthy of we find the Apostle making an appeal to the Jews themselves, for the truth of our Saviour's miracles; which is one of the strongest testimonies for them that can be conceived. Had they not been of the most public and incontestible nature, well known to and admitted by his worst enemics, the assertion made by St. Peter had essentially injured his cause, and defeated the whole purpose of his address. But, being confident of the truth, he challenges their own knowledge to

notice for first

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bear him out; following his Lord's example, who used the same argument in reproving their want of faith, "If ye believe not me believe the works." and again he says, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin." The Apostle, not content with this assertion, next charges them with being the murderers of Christ, who had been betrayed (as God foreknew) into their wicked hands. Here we perceive the first beginnings of that intrepid boldness, which I have already noticed, and which, being inspired by the Holy Ghost, continued through the whole ministry of the Apostles; a subject of almost equal wonder with their mighty powers derived from the same source. For what less than a particular divine providence could have protected them upon occasions like the present, where it became necessary for those poor and friendless men to stand up against the chiefs and rulers, and people of the whole state; objecting to them the blackest crimes, and denouncing vengeance from heaven upon their unrepented guilt? But God was on their side; wherefore they did not fear what man could do unto them.

Another point observable in the passage last read is, the manner of speaking of our Lord's resurrection, "It was not possible that he should be holden of death." In proof of which St. Peter applies, by way of prophecy, to Christ, the latter