all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

What is here said of the churches does in a great measure coincide with what we find in chap. ii. 42, 43, and 46, 47.

Εν τη παρα

"And in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." κλήσει το ἁγιο πνεύματος. Which might be rendered the patronage or assistance of the Holy Ghost: agreeable to what our Lord had promised the disciples, as recorded, John xiv. 16.

These words therefore may be now paraphrased in this manner. Then had the churches, in the several countries 'here mentioned, peace and tranquillity, being freed from 'the persecution with which they had been disturbed, and were more and more confirmed in the faith. And continuing in the devout worship of God, and in the steady ' and amiable practice of virtue, and likewise exercising 'the miraculous gifts and powers, with which they had 'been favoured, they were greatly increased with the 'addition of numerous converts.'

Accordingly, there follows in the remaining part of the chapter an account of Peter's passing throughout divers places, and coming, particularly, to Lydda, where he healed Eneas, who had been long sick of the palsy. “And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, [recovered,] and turned unto the Lord." Afterwards Peter went to Joppa, where he raised to life Tabitha, otherwise named Dorcas. "And it was known throughout Joppa; and many believed in the Lord."

10. Acts xiii. 1-4, " Now there were in the church that is at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simeon that is called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said: Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted, and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia, and thence they sailed to Cyprus.'

That is, whilst those prophets and teachers were engaged with others in the public worship of God, it" was revealed unto some of them, that they should set apart Barnabas and Saul to a certain work, for which God had " -Dixit Spiritus Sanctus.] Per prophetas. Grot. in loc.

' designed them. Which they did with prayer, and fasting, and laying on of their hands. And being sent forth by 'that special appointment of heaven, they went to Seleucia, and thence they sailed to the island of Cyprus.'

This text, compared with others, may cast light upon them, and be illustrated by them.

Acts xx. 22, 23, " And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me." That is, God had declared as much by the mouth of christian prophets, in several cities, through which the apostles had already passed. Which is agreeable to what St. Luke says more particularly in the account of what happened at Cæsarea, ch. xxi. 10, 11, " And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he came unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said: Thus saith the Holy Ghost: So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."

St. Paul speaks of Timothy's having been ordained out of a regard to some prophecies concerning him. 1 Tim. i. 18, "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before concerning thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare." And ch. iv. 14, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.'

There were prophets, who, when under inspiration, had said some things to the advantage of Timothy by which the apostle had been encouraged to bestow upon him eminent gifts, and to instate him in an important and useful office.

This enables us also to understand what is said, Acts xx. 28, Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers." They had been made bishops by some, who were inspired, or who had been directed in their choice by persons speaking with inspiration.

So Barnabas and Saul were sent out from Antioch, according to prophecy, with an important commission. But their designation may have been more express and solemn, than that of the others, just taken notice of by us.

11. Acts xv. 28," For it seemed good unto the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden, than

these necessary things: that is, 'It has seemed good to us, who have the spirit of God, or are inspired.'

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12. Acts xix. 1-6, " And it came to pass, that whilst Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coast, came to Ephesus. And finding certain disciples, he said unto them: Have ye received the Holy Ghost, since ye believed? And they said unto him: We have not so much as heard, whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them: Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said: Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul: John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard that, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve."

In the preceding chapter, ver. 24, 25, we are informed of "a Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, who came to Ephesus, knowing only the baptism of John." This likewise was the case of the men here spoken of. They were in Judea when John preached, or when he began to preach, and left it before our Lord appeared publicly. Or else they had been instructed by Apollos, or some other such person, who was not fully acquainted with the doctrine of Christ. And they knew nothing of the preaching of the apostles, and other transactions at Jerusalem, and in Judea, after our Lord's ascension.

Dr. Wall's explication of ver. 2. Critical Notes upon the N. T. p. 164. is this: We have not so much as heard whether there be any such powers of prophesying, speaking 'with tongues, &c. granted to those that believe.'

Which interpretation seems to me to be very right. These men did not know, or had not heard, that there was then any general pouring out of the Holy Ghost, in which they could partake. They might know, that a general effusion of extraordinary gifts had been foretold by the prophets, as the privilege of the days of the Messiah. But they had not heard, or been informed by any, that such a thing was yet vouchsafed to men: so far were they from having received it themselves.

• "Visum est enim Spiritui Sancto, et nobis."] Id est, nobis per Spiritum Sanctum. Ev dia dvow. Grot. in loc.

Adeo ut verborum sensus esse videatur: nobis, qui Spiritu Sancto donati sumus, visum est. Limborch in Act. Apost. p. 152. fin.

And I should think, it must appear evident to all, that in this paragraph, the Holy Ghost, wherever mentioned, that is, in Paul's question, in the answer made by these men, and the apostle's following action, denotes a power, a blessing, a privilege, and not a person.

Miraculous gifts being then very common, and generally bestowed upon those who professed faith in Jesus Christ, St. Paul meeting with these men at Ephesus, asks them : "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him: We have not so much as heard that there is any Holy Ghost. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied :" that is, when he had laid his hands upon them, they received miraculous powers, and immediately spake with tongues, and prophesied.

I shall place below, in the margin, the observations of P Grotius, and Witsius upon this text, who speak to the same purpose, or not very differently.

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13. Rom. xiv. 17, " For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

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The last clause, which should now be explained by me, has been differently understood. Whitby, in his annotation, says, it signifies an inward joy, arising from the con'solations of the Holy Ghost.' And Le Clerc, The in'ward satisfaction, which we enjoy, when we live according to the spirit of the gospel.' Mr. Locke, Joy in the 'gifts and benefits of the Holy Ghost under the gospel.' But Grotius hereby understands a care and concern to

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"Si Spiritum Sanctum accepistis credentes?"] Spiritus Sanctus hic, et in sequentibus, ita ut Johannis vii. 39. sunt dona ista ecclesiæ christianæ reservata; quæ Paulus haud dubium quin pluribus vocibus descripserit.

"Sed neque si Spiritus Sanctus est, audivimus."] Non audivimus dari nunc talia dona. Grot. ad Act. xix. 2.

4 Quos interrogat, ecquid Spiritum Sanctum accepissent postquam credi'derunt.' Illi vero negant, audivisse se, sitne Spiritus Sanctus.' Respondent

ex catechesi majorum, quâ edocti erant, a morte Ezra, Haggai, Zachariæ, et Malachiæ, Spiritum Sanctum ab Israelitis esse ablatum. Porro, restitutum esse, negant sibi compertum. Palam est, non de personâ Spiritûs Sancti sed de singularibus et visibilibus illius donis utrimque sermonem esse. Wits. De Vitâ Pauli, Sect. viii. p. 107.

Cura exhilarandi alios per dona Spiritûs Sancti, non autem eos irritandi, quod modo dixit AVTEV. Grot. in loc.

Limborch, in his commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans, largely asserts the same sense. Beausobre likewise, in a few words, finely illustrates the text after this interpretation. I would also refer to Mr. Joseph Morris's Sermons, published in 1743, particularly his sermons upon 1 Thess. v. 16. "Rejoice evermore."

'exhilarate others, by the gifts of the spirit.' And considers it as opposed to the grieving, offending, provoking our brother, spoken of, and cautioned against, at ver. 15.

That this is the apostle's intention, appears, I think, from the whole argument in this chapter, and in the beginning of the next, and particularly from the nearest context, both before and after. Peace is not inward quiet of mind, but peaceableness, a love and study of peace, and doing all in our power to secure and promote it. Nor does the apostle speak of the joy which we possess ourselves, but of that which we ought to give to others. So likewise Gal. v. 22, "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering." Where joy is joined with other virtues and duties toward our neighbour and cannot mean the satisfaction which we feel ourselves, but the satisfaction which we procure to others.

St. Paul then here says, The kingdom of God does not 'consist in such things as meat and drink, but in the prac'tice of righteousness, in a love and study of peace, and care to please and edify our brother by a mild and condescending behaviour, and discourses suited to his capacity, according to the doctrine of the gospel, confirmed by 'mighty works, and many miraculous gifts and powers be'stowed upon believers in general.' Therefore he offers that earnest prayer, chap. xv. 5, " Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded according to Christ Jesus." That is, according to the will and command of Christ.

14. In the twelfth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians the apostle has a long argument about spiritual gifts, or spiritual persons, as some understand the expression in ver. 1. Περί δε των πνευματικων. Here undoubtedly, are some personalizing expressions. As ver. 11," But all these worketh that one and the self-same spirit, dividing to every one severally, as he will." But then there are other expressions, by which he shows that by the Spirit he means a blessing, a gift, a power.

Ver. 7, "But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal:"That is, but the plentiful ' effusion of spiritual gifts, with which the church of God is ' now favoured, is designed for general good. And every 6 one is to exercise his own particular gift in the way most 'conducive to the advantage of his brethren in Christ.'

And ver. 13, "For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. And have been all made to drink into one