d The eyes of their minds, that they might know God, and their duty towards him. Our Saviour aiſures Pan!, thar he ſhould do thar for the Souls of men, which he ſhould find effected in his own hody, being made to ſee. Now though this be only the Work ot God, yet to honour the Miniſtery, he is pleaſed ro attribute it unto his Miniſters, as being the inſtruments he ordinarily worketh it by ; and are hence called co-workers with Goa, 2 Cor, 6, 1. e This was ſignified by the glorious light which came from the body of our glorified Redeemer, which apppeared unto him. f So are all fins; for by them Satan Rules in the Children of ditobedience, Epheſ. 2.2. g Thereby intimating, that their former ſins (how grievous ſoever) ſhould not hinder their Salvation, who received the Golpel in the love and power of it. þ By Faith which purifieth the heart : But this may be referred either to our being ſanQified , or to our receiving of the TInheri- tance ; for both are by Faith ; and as without Faith we are no betrer, and do no better, ſo we ſhall receive no better than other men.
19 Wherzupon, O king Agrippa, I was not z diſ- obedient to the heavenly v1tion :
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# I was not incredulous, I believed God, and yielded ro his call, as 1fa. 50. 5. which cannot be atcounred a fault in me ; and yet this 15 a]1 that can be charged upon nic.
20 Put * ſhewed firſt unto them & of Damaſcus, and at Jeruſalem, and throughout all the coaſts of Judza, and en to the Gentiles, that they ſhould repent { and tuin to God, and do works 2 meet for repen- cance.
; & Nigh unto which place he was firſt converted, taking the {rſt opportunity to Preach Chriſt ; out of the abundance of his heart lis mouth f{peaking. 7 AsSin is a turning from God; ſo Repentance is a turning (or rather returning) unto God. »n Such as became a true penitent; for as we muſt ſhew our ] ajth by our Works, James 2, 18. {o we muſt ſhew our Repen- tance by our Works alto : For to ſay we are grieved for lin. and we hate ſin, and yet to live in it, it is but to deceive our ſelves : nu (whatin vs Jay) to mock God. ;
21 For theſe cauſes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to » kill -e.
nu By violent hands, and indire& means, as we ſee, Ch. 2r. 31, and asthey hed done unto our Saviour, Chap. 5. 30. where the lame word is uled.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, 0 1 continue unto this day, witneffing both to p ſmall and great, ſaying none other things than thoſe which the 9 prophets and Moſes did ſay ſhould come :
0 That Pan! continued till then alive, notwithſtanding all the fraud and force of his enemies, is acknowledged by him to be from God ; from whence he infers towards his juſtification _ what he had done was but in a becoming gratitude rowards « of ha who had maintained him in life unto thar very day. > Waitneſſing to 31] zorts, Princes, or People ; implying, that
The ACTS:
Chap. AN the truths of the Goſpel, and the things of God, conc« Agrippa as well as the meaneſt of his Auditors; ind indeed w:. God there is no reſpe& of perſons, and that we are 4 Sor ih Chriſt Jeſus, Gal. 3. 28. q Moſes was himſelf allo a Pe, but he is here made eſpecially mention of, becaule of Hap,
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cellency above the other Prophers (unto whom God lpake f:ce ro face) as alſo becauſe he was the Law-giver to the +..." and whom, upon all occaſions they pretended to yield ob
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23 That Chriſt Jhould » ſuffer, ad * thy þ. + ſhould be the s firſt that ſhould riſe trom the qeza t;. * and {hould ſhew er light unto the « people, and to the Cl; Gentiles. Ker, 1
y The ſuffering of Chriſt was taught by Moſes in all tt. 34 commands abour Sacrifices and more plainly by Iſaiah * all the ffty third Chapter, in fo much that this was ackngy. ledged by Tryphon, diſputing with Juſtin Martyr , although the generality of Jews both then and now, do ſtitfiy deny |
'The Carnal Tews do not like to hear of a Spiritual K{s.
dom. s Chriſt was the frft that did riſe to an immorta 1;. others that were reſtored ro life, died again: Beſides, Chris is deſervedly called the firſt, by reaſon ot his dignity and en;. nency, and in that he role as a head and fountain of life ty others even to all that live and believe in him. # A!l t Word of God is light bur <fpicially the Goſpel, which gi. covers a plain and open way unto Salvation, « to both 4x; ,nd Gentiles, as verſe 17.
24 And as he thus ſpake for himſelf, Feſtus ſaid with a lond voice, Paul, » thou art belide thy felt: + my learning doth make thee mad.
w This was the Opinion of Feflas concerning Parl, an{ {1c is the Opinion of czrna! and worldly men concerning tych ;; are truly Godly. As the Prophet which came to Jezy, counted a mad Fellow, 2 Kings 9. 11. and the friends of gy:
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as appears all along in his Defence he made for his LCec$rire, and his Life; but there was yet ſomewhat more than 4! cl, Feſtus might feel a more than ordinary effe& from Pau”s \Vori; and not knowing of the Spirit by which he ſpake, did rribur; it to his learning, or madnefs, to any thing bur to the tw; cauſe of it.
25 But he ſaid, I am not y mad, moſt nc! ſtus ; but ſpeak forth the words of truth and bernels.
3, St. Paxl with all meckneſs makes his reply to the Governor, and not taking notice of his ſharp cenfuring ot him, returns an Anſwer in moſt reſpe&ful terms unto him ; as his b!z!zd Maſter, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, 1 Pe!. :, 23. X Soberneſs in contradiftion to madneis, m Modeſty waving the Relle&ion, and denying the charge Feftus had lud upon him.
26 For the a king knoweth of theſe things, before whom alſo I ſpeak freely : For I am yer{waded that none of theſe things are hidden from him ; for this thing wa not done 1n a corner.
« Agripps being educated in Judea, could not but hear of th: Life and Do&rine, Death and Reſurrection of our Saviour; as alſo of the Miracles done by him, and by his Dilcip'cs For as our Saviour ſays, he ever taughr openly, Few 18 20,
27 King Agrippa, 6 believſt thou the Prophes? I know that thou believeſt.
b A Rhetorical infinuation, that could not but much aff:& the King and leave a ſenſible impreflion on his heart. St. Paw anſwers the queſtion which he had propounded, and riur 1 favour of Agrippa; or rather blames himſelf for making that queſtion ; but his Cryptical inference would then be, /' believe the prophers, why do you not believe Chriſt of whom 4 propreſied ?