which filled all the house, Acts ii. 2.) they are all faid to be "filled with the Holy Ghoft, "and to speak the word with boldness, and "to give witnefs to the refurrection of the "Lord Jefus with great power," ver. 33. And this I believe is what Clement means in his epiftle, § 42. by the fulness of the Holy Spirit that he fays the apoftles went abroad with, publishing that the kingdom of God was at hand. The feven deacons were all "full of the Holy Ghoft" before they were chosen. That was immediately after Christ's afcenfion; and therefore we have the greatest reason to conclude, that they were all of the hundred and twenty on whom the Holy Ghost descended: fince the difciples would probably chufe fome of the most eminent of the first chriftians to this office, on the apostles directing them to felect from among them, "feven men of honeft repute, full of the "Holy Ghost and wisdom, for this office." Barnabás is likewife faid to be "full of the "Holy Ghost ;" and that he was one of the hundred and twenty, I have endeavoured to prove in the fecond Effay. And fince we find, that the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius and his family, without the laying on of Peter's hands, and before baptifm; fince St. Luke alfo fays, that the Holy Ghoft was poured out on Cornelius and his family, the word used

z Acts vi. 3.

a

• Ibid. xi. 24.

Acts

Acts ii. 17; and farther, that the Holy Ghost fell on them: and fince Peter likewife declares," he fell on them as he did on us at "the beginning; putting no difference between "them and us, and purifying their hearts; alluding still to the fymbol of fire: we ought to conclude, that Cornelius and his family were filled with the Holy Ghoft, as well as the hundred and twenty; especially fince we fee it had the like effects on them as on the hundred and twenty. For as they fpake in different tongues the wonderful things of God; fo Cornelius and his family immediately Spake with tongues, and magnified God; or fpake of those great and wonderful things of God by which his name is magnified. And it feems but highly congruous, that wherever God faw fit, for great and important reafons, to communicate the gifts of the Spirit immediately, and without the intervention of men, that it should be in a more plentiful manner than where he was pleafed to impart them by others. And it feems to me ftill more probable, that when the author of the Acts fays, that any one is "full of, or "filled with the Holy Ghoft," he denotes, the Holy Ghost falling immediately on those who are faid to be full of, or filled with it; because these phrafes are ufed in the New

Acts xi. 15. xv. 8. • Ibid. x. 46.

1

< Ibid. ii. 11.

Teftament

Teftament on the reviving of prophecy, after it had ceafed about three hundred years; when it came on the prophets without the laying on of hands: for the Holy Ghost coming on Zachary, Elizabeth, and John Baptift, they are all faid to be full of, or filled with, the Holy Ghoft. And our Saviour was filled with the Spirit, receiving it not by meafure.

This defcent, or pouring out of the Holy Ghoft, was referved by God for fome great and neceflary occafions of more than ordinary importance and confequence to the whole church. The Spirit feems to me to have been poured out in this manner but five times. The firft was on the hundred and twenty, or the apostles and their company: and these received the first fruits of the Spirit or the choiceft gifts of the Spirit, and in the highest degree; though no doubt the apostles the choiceft and the highest of all. In which fense I apprehend St. Paul is to be understood, when he fays, " And not only they (that is, "the new creature, or the new creation, or "christians in general), but we (that is, we

66

66

apoftles) who received the first fruits of the "Spirit," even we, notwithstanding these fuperiour gifts we have received, whereby "we are the most fully affured that we are "heirs of God, and fhall be delivered from • Luke i. 15, 41, 67. Rom. viii. 23.

"the

66

66

"the bondage of corruption (or the grave), "into the glorious liberty of the fons of God; even we groan (under our present suffering), waiting (or while we wait) for the adop❝tion, namely, the redemption of our body." And that the firft fruits fignify the choiceft portion of that of which they were the first fruits, may be feen 1 Cor. xv. 20. 23. Rom. xvi. 5. 1 Cor. i. 15, 16. James i. 18. Now the apostles, and the reft of the hundred and twenty, received these high communications of the Spirit, that they themselves might be thereby fully affured of the exaltation of Chrift to the right-hand of God, or to all power. This is the ufe St. Peter makes of it, Acts ii. 23. for he fays, that "Chrift being by the right-hand of God exalted, and hav

66

66

ing received of the Father the promise of "the Holy Ghoft, hath fhed forth this, "which ye fee and hear." The Holy Ghost likewife defcended on the hundred and twenty, in order to qualify fome of them, namely, the apoftles, to teftify and prove this great truth, together with the other great facts of chriftianity; teach the whole fcheme; foretell the greater events of it; and qualify others for other fervices in the church. By this means giving fome apostles, fome prophets, fome evangelifts, fome paftors and teachers, and others minifters of the church. And that the Holy Ghost came VOL. I. P.

upon

upon all the apoftles and their company, feems evident from this, that it is faid, "they "were all with one accord in one place," when the Holy Ghost fell upon them. Who can they here mean but the hundred and twenty men and women in the former chapter, who continued with one accord in fuppli"cation and prayer," Acts i. 13, 14. to whom Peter fpoke, ver. 15-23. who appointed two for the apostleship, from which Judas fell, ver. 23. who prayed, ver. 24, 25. and gave forth their lots, ver. ult. Who but they on whom the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled, that foretold, that "the Spirit fhould "be poured out on daughters as well as fons, "and on handmaids as well as fervants," ver. 17, 18. and who therefore are reprefented under the defcription of "the eleven, and "them that were with them," Luke xxiv. 33. and are called, "the apoftles company," chap. iv. 23. being thofe who, chap. i. 21. are faid to have "accompanied with them all "the time that the Lord Jefus went in and "out among them; and who being again

66

affembled together, were all filled with the Holy Ghoft," chap. iv. 31. "and they who "were all scattered abroad," Acts viii. 1.

This feems to have been the second time that the Spirit was poured out on them. As kings under the Old Testament seem some

& Acts ii. 1.