prophets writ, v. 25-29, i. e. the Meffiah: and that, as a demonftration of his being fo, God had raised him from the dead, v. 30. From whence he argues thus, v. 32, 33. We evangelize to you, or bring you this gofpel, "how that the promise which was made to our fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto us, in that he hath raised Jesus again; as it is also written in the fecond pfalm, "Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee." And having gone on to prove him to be the Meffiah, by his refurrection from the dead, he makes this conclufion, v. 38, 39. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of fins; and by him all who believe are juftified from all things, from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes." This is in this chapter called "the Word of God," over and over again: compare v. 42, with 44, 46, 48, 49, and chap. xii. v. 24.

Acts xvii. 2-4. At Theffalonica, "Paul, as his manner was, went into the fynagogue, and three fabbath days reafoned with the jews out of the fcriptures; opening and alleging, that the Meffiah must needs have fuffered, and risen again from the dead: and that this Jefus, whom I preach unto you, is the Meffiah. And fome of them believed, and conforted with Paul and Silas: but the jews which believed not, fet the city in an uproar." Can there be any thing plainer, than that the affenting to this propofition, that Jefus was the Messiah, was that which distinguished the believers from the unbelievers? For this was that alone, which, three fabbaths, Paul endeavoured to convince them of, as the text tells us in direct words.

From thence he went to Bercea, and preached the fame thing: and the beroans are commended, v. II, for fearching the fcriptures, whether those things, i. e. which he had faid, v. 2, 3, concerning Jefus's being the Meffiah, were true or no.

The fame doctrine we find him preaching at Corinth, Acts xviii. 4-6. " And he reafoned in the synagogue every fabbath, and perfuaded the jews and the greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Mace

donia, Paul was preffed in fpirit, and teftified to the jews, that Jefus was the Meffiah. And when they oppofed themselves, and blafphemed, he fhook his raiment, and faid unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the greeks."

Upon the like occafion he tells the jews at Antioch, Acts xiii. 46. "It was neceffary that the word of God fhould firft have been spoken to you: but feeing you put it off from you, we turn to the gentiles." "Tis plain here, St. Paul's charging their blood on their own heads, is for oppofing this fingle truth, that Jefus was the Meffiah; that falvation or perdition depends upon believing or rejecting this one propofition. I mean, this is all that is required to be believed by those who acknowledge but one eternal and invifible God, the maker of heaven and earth, as the jews did. For that there is fomething more required to falvation, befides believing, we shall fee hereafter. In the mean time, it is fit here on this occafion to take notice, that though the apoftles in their preaching to the jews, and the devout, (as we tranflate the word cópavo, who were profelytes of the gate, and the worshippers of one eternal and invifible God) faid nothing of the believing in this one true God, the maker of heaven and earth; because it was needless to prefs this to those who believed and profeffed it already (for to fuch, 'tis plain, were most of their difcourfes hitherto,) Yet when they had to do with idolatrous heathens, who were not yet come to the knowledge of the one only true God; they began with that, as neceffary to be believed; it being the foundation on which the other was built, and without which it could fignify nothing.

Thus Paul fpeaking to the idolatrous lyftrians, who who would have facrificed to him and Barnabas, fays, Acts xiv. 15, "We preach unto you, that ye fhould turn from thefe vanities unto the living God, who made heaven and earth, and the fea, and all things that are therein who in times past fuffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witnefs, in that he did good, and gave us rain

from

from heaven, and fruitful feasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Thus also he proceeded with the idolatrous athenians, Acts xvii, telling them, upon occafion of the altar dedicated to the unknown God, "whom you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God who made the world, and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.-Forafmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or filver, or ftone, graven by art, or man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteoufnefs, by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." So that we fee, where any thing more was neceffary to be proposed to be believed, as there was to the heathen idolators, there the apoftles were careful not to omit it.

Acts xviii. 4, "Paul at Corinth reasoned in the fynagogue every fabbath-day, and teftified to the jews, that Jefus was the Meffiah." Ver. 11, "And he continued there a year and fix months, teaching the word of God amongst them;" i. e. The good news, that Jefus was the Meffiah; as we have already fhown is meant by "the Word of God."

Apollos, another preacher of the gospel, when he was inftructed in the way of God more perfectly, what did he teach but this fame doctrine? As we may fee in this account of him, Acts xviii. 27. That " when he was come into Achaia, he helped the brethren much, who had believed through grace. For he mightily convinced the jews, and that publicly, fhowing by the fcriptures that Jefus was the Meffiah."

St. Paul, in the account he gives of himself before Feftus and Agrippa, profeffes this alone to be the doctrine he taught after his converfion: for, says he, Acts xxvi. 22, Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witneffing both to fmall and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Mofes

did

did fay should come: that the Meffiah should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rife from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the gentiles." Which was no more than to prove that Jefus was the Meffiah. This is that, which, as we have above obferved, is called the Word of God; Acts xi. 1. compared with the foregoing chapter, from v. 34. to the end. And xiii. 42. compared with 44, 46, 48, 49. and xvii. 13. compared with v. 11, 13. It is alfo called, "the Word of the Gofpel," Acts xv. 7. And this is that Word of God, and that Gofpel, which, wherever their discourses are fet down, we find the apoftles preached; and was that faith, which made both jews and gentiles believers and members of the church of Chrift; purifying their hearts, Acts xv. 9. and carrying with it remiffion of fins, Acts x. 43. So that all that was to be believed for juftification, was no more but this fingle propofition, that "Jefus of Nazareth was the Chrift, or the Meffiah." All, I fay, that was to be believed for juftification: for that it was not all that was required to be done for juftification, we shall fee hereafter.

Though we have feen above from what our Saviour has pronounced himself, John iii. 36, " that he that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him;" and are taught from John iv. 39, compared with v. 42, that believing on him, is believing that he is the Meffiah, the Saviour of the world; and the confeffion made by St. Peter, Matt. xvi. 16, that he is "the Meffiah, the Son of the living God," being the rock, on which our Saviour has promised to build his church; though this I fay, and what else we have already taken notice of, be enough to convince us what it is we are in the gospel required to believe to eternal life, without adding what we have obferved from the preaching of the apoftles; yet it may not be amifs, for the farther clearing this matter, to obferve what the evangelists deliver concerning the fame thing, though in different words; which, therefore, perhaps, are not fo generally taken notice of to this purpose.

We have above observed, from the words of Andrew and Philip compared, that "the Meffiah, and him of whom

whom Mofes in the law and the prophets did write,' fignify the fame thing. We fhall now confider that place, John i. a little farther. Ver. 41, "Andrew fays to Simon, we have found the Meffiah." Philip, on the fame occafion, v. 45, fays to Nathanael, "we have found him of whom Mofes in the law and the prophets did write, Jefus of Nazareth, the fon of Jofeph." Nathanael, who disbelieved this, when, upon Chrift's speaking to him, he was convinced of it, declares his affent to it in these words: "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Ifrael." From which it is evident, that to believe him to be " Him of whom Mofes and "the prophets did write," or to be the "Son of God," or to be "the king of Ifrael," was in effect the fame as to believe him to be the Meffiah: and an affent to that, was what our Saviour received for believing. For, upon Nathanael's making a confeffion in these words, "Thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Ifrael;

Jefus answered and faid to him, Because I said to "thee I faw thee under the fig-tree, doft thou BELIEVE? "Thou shall fee greater things than thefe," ver. 51. I defire any one to read the latter part of the firft of John, from ver. 25, with attention, and tell me, whether it be not plain, that this phrafe, The Son of God, is an expreflion used for the Meffiah. To which let him add Martha's declaration of her faith, John xi. 27, in these words: I believe that thou are the Meffiah, THE SON OF GOD, who thould come into the world;" and that paffage of St. John xx. 31, "That ye might believe

that Jefus is the Meffiah, THE SON OF GOD; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name:" and then tell me whether he can doubt that Meffiah, the Son of God, were fynonymous terms, at that time, amongst the jews.

The prophecy of Daniel, chap. ix, when he is called "Meffiah the Prince;" and the mention of his government and kingdom, and the deliverance by him, in Ifaiah, Daniel, and other prophecies, understood of the Meffiah; were fo well known to the jews, and had fo raised their hopes of him about this time, which, by their account, was to be the time of his coming, to re

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