the character of Christ more and more ; in order that we may know his excellency, and " receive continually out of his ful- ness;" and that " God may make him unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption."]
Paul's testimony.
Acts xxvi. 22, 23. Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come : that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
EVEN to this moment, the Gospel, when faithfully preached, is called " A new doctrine a." But it is the very same that it was from the beginning. We know no other " Gospel " than that which " was preached to Abraham," or than that which was de- livered to man in Paradise. The only difference between the Apostles and the Prophets was, that the one foretold the Saviour who should come, and the other proclaimed the Saviour who had come. As for us, we have only to follow the steps of the Apostles, and to bear the same testimony as was uniformly borne by them.
In the words before us, we have the entire substance of the Apostle's ministrations. Let us notice, I. The testimony which he bore —
This related both to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and to the manifestation of him to the world —
[He was not ashamed to declare, that the Lord Jesus Christ had suffered on the accursed tree, and been put to death as a malefactor. But he bore witness, that God had raised him from the dead, and that in and by his resurrection his claims to the Messiahship were established beyond all rea- sonable doubtb Others, indeed, had been raised by the
prophets, and by the Lord Jesus Christ himself: but, though raised, they had died at last, like all others of the children of men: but " Christ was risen to die no morec:" so that "in
a Acts xvii. 19. b Rom i. 4. c Rom. vi. 9.
1812.] Paul's testimony. 575
that, as in all other things, he had the pre-eminence," and was indeed " the first-born from the deadd."
Being now ascended into the highest heavens, he had sent the Holy Spirit to testify of him, and to make known that sal- vation which was henceforth to be proclaimed in his name; and to be proclaimed, not to the Jews only, but unto Gentiles also, even to the ends of the earth
With these general statements he entered, of course, into all the ends and purposes of this great mystery ; and shewed, that by it the salvation of man was affected, since it was for our sins that Christ died, and for our justification that he rose again e" ]
In the whole of it he insisted on nothing but what Moses and the prophets had declared before himf —
[Exceeding full is the testimony which they have borne to the work and offices of the Lord Jesus. Of his death, Moses in fact spake, in all the sacrifices which were offered ;
as did the prophets also, in the most express terms8
The resurrection of our Lord, too, was plainly shadowed forth by Moses in the ordinance of the scape-goat, and in the en- trance of the high-priest within the vail with the blood of the sacrifices: and with equal plainness was it foretold by David h, and exemplified in Jonah1
The manifestation of him, also, both to Jews and Gentiles, alike occupied their attention ; the one exhibiting him as the " Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the people should bek;" and the other, as given for " a light to lighten the whole world1."]
But in our text we are particularly called to notice, II. The circumstances under which he bore it —