appears beyond contradiction to be He, and not another. It was such a shewing of him as amounted to a demonstration of the truth of his resurrection. He shewed him not publicly indeed, (it was not open in that sense,) but evidently; not to all the people, who had been the witnesses of his death; by resisting all the evidences he had given them of his divine mission in his miracles, they had forfeited the favour of being eye-witnesses of this great proof of it; they who immediately forged and promoted that lie of his being stolen away, were justly given up to strong delusions to believe it, and not suffered to be undeceived by his being shewn to all the people; and so much the greater shall be the blessedness of those who have not seen, and yet have believed. Nec ille se in vulgus edixit, ne impii errore, liberarentur; ut et fides non praemio mediocri destinato difficultate constaret—He shewed not himself to the people at large, lest the impious among them should have been forthwith loosed from their error, and that faith, the reward of which is so ample, might be exercised with a degree of difficulty. Tertulliani Apologia, cap. 11. But though all the people did not see him, a sufficient number saw him, to attest the truth of his resurrection; the testator's declaring his last will and testament needs not to be before all the people, it is enough that it be done before a competent number of credible witnesses; so the resurrection of Christ was proved before sufficient witnesses. (1.) They were not so by chance, but they were chosen before of God to be witnesses of it, and, in order to that, had their education under the Lord Jesus, and intimate converse with him; that, having known him so intimately before, they might the better be assured it was he. (2.) They had not a sudden and transient view of him, but a great deal of free conversation with him; they did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. This implies that they saw him eat and drink, witness their dining with him at the sea of Tiberias, and the two disciples supping with him at Emmaus; and this proved that he had a true and real body. But this was not all, they saw him without any terror or consternation, which might have rendered them incompetent witnesses, for they saw him so frequently, and he conversed with them so familiarly, that they did eat and drink with him. It is brought as a proof of the clear view which the nobles of Israel had of the glory of God, (Exod. 24. 11.) that they saw God, and did eat and drink.
IV. He concludes with an inference from all this, that therefore that which they all ought to do, was, to believe in this Jesus: he was sent to tell Cornelius what he must do, and this is it; his praying and his giving alms were very well, but one thing he lacked, he must believe in Christ. Observe,
1. Why he must believe in him; faith has reference to a testimony, and the christian faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, it is built upon the testimony given by them.
(1.) By the apostles. Peter as foreman speaks for the rest, that God commanded them, and, gave them in charge to preach to the people, and to testify concerning Christ; so that their testimony was not only credible, but authentic, and what we may venture upon. Their testimony is God's testimony; and they are his witnesses to the world; they do not only say it as matter of news, but testify it as matter of record, by which men must be judged.
(2.) By the prophets of the Old Testament; whose testimony beforehand, not only concerning his sufferings, but concerning the design and intention of them, very much corroborates the apostles' testimony concerning them; (v. 43.) To him give all the prophets witness. We have reason to think that Cornelius and his friends were no strangers to the writings of the prophets. Out of the mouth of these two clouds of witnesses, so exactly agreeing, this word is established.
2. What they must believe concerning him.
(1.) That we are all accountable to Christ as our Judge; this the apostles were commanded to testify to the world; that this Jesus is ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and dead, v. 42. He is empowered to prescribe the terms of salvation, that rule by which we must be judged; to give laws both to quick and dead, both to Jew and Gentile; and he is appointed to determine the everlasting condition of all the children of men at the great day; of those that shall be found alive, and of those that shall be raised from the dead. He hath assured us of this, in that he hath raised him from the dead, (ch. 17. 31.) so that it is the great concern of every one of us, in the belief of this, to seek his favour, and to make him our Friend.
(2.) That if we believe in him, we shall all be justified by him as our Righteousness, v. 43. The prophets, when they spake of the death of Christ, did witness this, that through his name, for his sake, and upon the account of his merit, whosoever believeth in him, Jew or Gentile, shall receive remission of sins. That is the great thing we need, without which we are undone, and which the convinced conscience is most inquisitive after, which the carnal Jews promised themselves from their ceremonial sacrifices and purifications, yea, and the heathen too from their atonements, but all in vain; it is to be had only through the name of Christ, and only by those that believe in his name; and they that do so, may be assured of it; their sins shall be pardoned, and there shall be no condemnation to them. And the remission of sins lays a foundation for all other favours and blessings, by taking that out of the way, that hinders them. If sin be pardoned, all is well, and shall end everlastingly well.
44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
We have here the issue and effect of Peter's sermon to Cornelius and his friends. He did not labour in vain among them, but they were all brought home to Christ. Here we have,
I. God's owning of Peter's word, by conferring the Holy Ghost upon the hearers of it, and immediately upon the hearing of it; (v. 44.) While Peter was yet speaking these words, and perhaps designed to say more, he was happily superseded by visible indications that the Holy Ghost, even in his miraculous gifts and powers, fell on all them which heard the word, even as he did on the apostles at first; so Peter saith, ch. 11. 15. Therefore sbme think it was with a rushing mighty wind, and in cloven tongues, as that was. Observe,
1. When the Holy Ghost fell upon them; while Peter was preaching. Thus God bare witness to what he said, and accompanied it with a divine power. Thus were the signs of an apostle wrought
