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SERMON XIV.

ACTS XIII. 32-34.

AND WE DECLARE UNTO YOU GLAD TIDINGS, HOW THAT THE PROMISE WHICH WAS MADE UNTO THE FATHERS, GOD HATH FULFILLED THE SAME UNTO US THEIR CHILDREN, IN THAT HE HATH RAISED UP JESUS AGAIN; AS IT IS ALSO WRITTEN IN THE SECOND PSALM, THOU ART MY SON, THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEE. AND AS CONCERNING THAT HE RAISED HIM UP FROM THE DEAD, NOW NO MORE TO RETURN TO CORRUPTION, HE SAID ON THIS WISE, I WILL GIVE YOU THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID.

THE resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the state of the dead, his being raised up, and delivered from the dominion of death and the grave, is one of the prime fundamental articles of our most holy faith, which is most surely to be believed by us; on which our present salvation, eternal redemption, and glorification in heaven throughout eternity depend. It being hereby absolutely and entirely declared and manifested, that the work of Jesus is a finished salvation, the Father having accepted it,

may

and declared his acceptance of it, "by raising up Jesus our Lord from the dead." I have therefore, considering the vast importance of the subject, chosen to treat on it at this time, intending to make use of the words of my text as the foundation and groundwork of what I aim at, and mean to deliver to you. It be observed that the scripture before us is selected from one of the longest sermons which we have upon record, as delivered by the apostle Paul, which holds forth to view his method and subject, and is a choice specimen of his knowledge of the efficacy of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus on his own soul; and it also contains an inestimable treasury of his scripture learning, in which he quotes several psalms, and directly applies them to Christ.

The chapter begins with informing us concerning the ordination of Barnabas and Paul to the work of the ministry, which was by the former, and of the Holy Ghost, he speaking and saying, “Separate ye Barnabas and Paul for the work

Which

whereunto I have called them." work was, to preach the gospel to the Gentiles distant from the Jews, of which we have an account in the latter part of this chapter, see verses 46, 47.

The means used to fit them for this holy employment, were fasting, prayer, and imposition of hands; and they being sent forth by the church of Antioch in Syria, passing through Selucia, a seaport in Syria, from hence they proceed to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean sea, and went to two cities of it, Salamis and Paphos; at the former they preached in the synagogues of the Jews; at the latter they are owned by the Lord as instruments of the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the deputy of the country, and are opposed by Elimas the sorcerer, whom Paul reproves sharply, and smites with blindness; from hence they proceed to Perga in Pamphilia, and came to Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul preached this most famous sermon, a part of which hath been read unto you. In which discourse he sets forth the mercies of God to the children of Israel, who having

loved, and freely chose their fathers, had exalted their posterity above all the nations of the earth, having delivered them by the mighty arm of his power from the bondage of Egypt; he exercised his long-suffering and forbearance, notwithstanding their provocations forty years in the wilderness; and he drove out the nations, and gave them the land of Canaan for a possession, blessing them with divers forms of government; first with aristocracy, which continued under the Judges, and ended in Samuel, which from its first commencement to its period was about the space of four hundred and fifty years; about which time God blessed them with monarchical government, which began with Saul, who when removed by death, was succeeded by David, to whom God gave testimony, and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." From the mention of which he proceeds to introduce the subject of the incarnation of Christ, who was preached and testified of by John the Baptist, who prepared the way for, and bore tes

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timony to him, and then he treats of the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, who was seen alive after his passion many days, more or less for forty days, by them who came up from Galilee to Jerusalem; by whom are to be understood the holy apostles and disciples of Christ, who were witnesses of it to the people. And thus having given you the outlines of the discourse preceding my text, I am thereby brought to it, which reads thus: "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David."

In which words are contained, as it respects the substance of them, all the articles of our most holy faith; truths of inestimable worth and importance, which

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