7. That the first ministers might be a pattern of obedience, to preach where God would have them, to preach in the very face and teeth of opposition. Christ appoints their station. The Jews were like to be the most virulent enemies against the gospel, because the 1 iilers put Chri.st to death : Go, preach tlie gospel to all nations, but begin at Jerusalem, though there you meet with a gi-eat deal of spite and opposition. Now, because of these reasons, ' Unto you first, the Lord, having raised up his Son,' &c.
II. The second thing to be explained is the benefit offered: wherein is set forth the great love of God u)ito the people to whom the gospel comes.
1. In designing such a glorious per.son as Jesus Chri.st : having raised vp his Son Jesus.
2. In that he gave notice, and did especially direct and send him to them : liatli sent his Son.
3. Why he came nmong them in his word : it was to hless them.
Acts III. 2(3.] the third sermon. 203
[1.] Iq de.signing the per.son who slioiild do them good, ' God hath raised up his Son Jesus.' It may seem to be meant of his resur- rection from the dead ; but I think rather to raise up is to exalt, to call, to authorise, to appoint to some notable work; and it is used for installing, consecrating, as in this very chapter: ver. 22, 'He shall raise up a prophet from among you ; ' Acts xiii. 23, ' Of this man's seed hath God raised up to Israel a Saviour ; ' that is, hath put authority upon him, given him commission to save sinners, raised up, designed him to this work. Bat then : —
[2.] The special direction of his providence : ' God having raised up his Son Jesus, hath sent him to bless you.' Sometimes the word is said to be sent to us: Acts xiii. 26, ' To you is this word of salva- tion sent.' He doth not say. We have brought this .salvation to you, but ' To you it is sent.' God hath a great hand in directing the course of the gospel. And sometimes Christ is said to be sent, as here in the text ; for where the go.«!pel is preached to a people, Christ is sent to them as a token from heaven ; if he be neglected, you despise the i-iches and bounty of God, and the best and choicest gift that ever could be bestowed upon the sons of men. Therefore he saith, ' God having raised his Son, hath sent him.' Where the gospel goes, there Christ is sent ; there he comes that he may have work to do.
[3.] Here is the end and purport of his coming ; not to take vengeance of the affronts and contumelies they had put upon him, but he comes to bless. For the opening of this word, you must look to the preceding verse. He speaks of the covenant made with Abraham, ' In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' Now Jesus was sent unto them to assure this blessing. The blessing is any good that accrues and results to us from the covenant of grace, but chiefly those special blessings we have by Christ, reconciliation with God, and life eternal, those things which he minded to purchase for us, and hath dispensed to us by his gracious covenant. This is the blessing intended, — All nations are to be bles.sed in the seed of Abraham ; now God having raised Christ of this man's seed, hath ■sent him to bless you.
III. Here is the blessing interpreted and restrained, and that is conversion from sin : ' In turning every one of you from his sins.' They expected a pompous Messiah, that should make them an opulent and potent nation. But Christ came upon another errand, to convert souls unto God. Only mark, when liie apostle speaks this, he speaks it not of the intention of God, but the offer of his grace ; otherwise every particular J(3W must be converted, or God missed his end. God may send him to bless, and yet some may contemn the offer ; others God prevents by the special efficacy of his grace, or else all would con- temn it. They that do contemn it are justly passed by; and they that receive it, owe it to his grace, and not to themselves. It was the secret purpose of his grace to bring in many, and this brought in three thousand men. There were others refused this blessing offered from the ]Mediator, and they justly perish for their unbelief.
The point, though there be many, that I shall insist on, is : —
Doct. That a main blessing we have by Christ is to be turaed from our iniquities.
20 i THE THIRD SERMON. [ACTS III. 2(J.
I. Here 1 shall inquire, What it is to be turned from sin.
II. I shall show you, That certainly this is a very blessed thing.
III. That this is the great blessing of the Mediator that we have by Christ in the gospel.
IV. In what manner Christ turneth us from our iniquities.
I. What it is to be turned from sin. Take these considerations: —