soul ? O that you could be prevailed upon to try what this blessedness is ! You would soon find that " the peace flowing from religion passeth all understanding," and that " its joys are unspeakable and glorified."]
Acts iv. 8 — 10. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whojn ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
PERSECUTION for righteousness' sake was fore- told by Christ as the portion of all his people : and accordingly we find, that no sooner did his Apostles begin to publish the glad tidings of salvation, than they were arrested as criminals, and brought into a court of justice to answer for their conduct. Peter and John had healed a man who had been " lame from his mother's womb." In consequence of this, multitudes were gathered together, to inquire into this miracle, and to learn by what means it had been wrought. Peter declared to them all, that it had been wrought by that very Jesus, who had so recently been crucified by them, but who was risen from the dead, and possessed of all power in heaven and in earth a. This testimony was the means of converting an immense number of persons to the faith of Christb. But it grieved and incensed the rulers, who imme- diately adopted measures to crush the rising sect ; apprehending and imprisoning the two Apostles, and on the very next day bringing them to trial as disturbers of the public peace. Peter renewed the testimony he had before given, and persisted in de- claring, that the miracle had been wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, in proof that he was risen from the
a Acts iii. 1 — 1G. b ver. 4.