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THE next Inquiry is, what (in general, more particularly afterwards) were the Divine Dispensations of Providence towards this Primo-primitive Church, and to these two principal Pillars of it Peter and John's Answer, the Church had here (as the Militant Church always hath) her Habitation at the Sign of the Chequer, both the Black of Misery, and the White of Mercy were marvelously mingled together, hanging upon
the Sign-post at her door; her Adversity and her Prosperity were placed orderly the one over against the other (as Solomon saith in his Sapientials, Eccles. 7.14.) and most beautifully intermingled: Chekered work is alway by all persons look'd upon as a piece of beautiful work, &c.
1st. Let us view her Adversity, the Black of Misery attending this Church. These two Apostles are laid hold of, while they hold forth to, and are thus teaching the People, and are also put into hold: We have an exact account hereof in all its circumstances, Acts 4. (1.) By whom this was done, v. 1. not only by the Jews Priests, &c. but also by the Gentile Captain over that Guard of Roman Souldiers appointed to prevent Tumults that might arise by such vast Confluences of the Multitude resorting to Worship in the Temple at the Feast.
(2.) For what cause, because they Preached the Resurrection by Jesus, verse 2. This grieved them (as Moab was at God's Israel's, Numb. 22.3, 4.) and made them sick of the Devil's fretting Disease: No wonder that the Sadduces were vexed at this Do∣ctrine, for they denied the Resurrection, &c. but also the Priests, &c. were angry, not only because these two illiterate persons took upon them to Preach to the People in the Temple without their License and Ordination (not understanding the Apostle's ex∣traordinary Call) and therefore look'd upon it as their duty to suppress them; but also because these Intruders into the Preaching Office (as they judged them) did both assert the Resurrection of Christ, (which they had given a great sum of Money to the Soul∣diers for stifling the report of, Matth. 28.12, 13.) and their own Resurrection also through Jesus, suppose they should be slain by the same hands which had slain their Lord and Master: This did joyntly so anger them to such a degree, that they plainly did eat up their own hearts (in their fretting Leprosy of Envy) because they could not come to tear out the hearts of these two holy Apostles, being restrained by an almighty invisible hand for this time.
(3.) How far God suffer'd those Persecutors to proceed, verse. 3. as to Degree and to Durance [They laid hands upon them] even those very wicked hands (so call'd, Acts 2. v. 23.) which was yet besmeared with the precious Blood of the Lamb of God: Their strongest Argument (as of all wicked Persecutors) must be Club-law and Violence. Argumentum Baculinum is better with them than Aristotelicum. Now the Apostles began to experience the truth of their Lord's words, Luke 21.12. They shall lay hands on you, &c. [They put them in hold] not cast them into the Jayl, or into the Dungeon, but delivered them into the Sergeant's hand for their forth-coming the next day, it being now Even∣ing, verse 3. The Lord Tempteth not his Servants above what they were able, 1 Cor. 10.13. They were yet but young Pupils in Christ's School; they must not have Trials beyond their strength at the first, but gradually learn to bear the Cross. Tender Plants are nourished by soft Rains, whereas a Violent and Dashing Shower would destroy them before they be grown into the stability of a strong Tree. God knows our frame, and remembers we are but Dust (instar fictilium) poor Potter's Vessels, easily broken as all such brittle matter is, Psal. 103.14. Therefore God suffer'd not Persecution to break in upon this New planted Church with over-much Violence at the first. These two Apostles were not immediately Jayled, but only Bailed, promising Appearance on the Morrow, &c. Beside, the Sun of Righteousness (their Lord Christ) was but newly departed from them, therefore was it not suddenly. As the Pitch Darkness of the Night of Persecution with them: God's design is gracious, when he chastizeth his Church and Children; 'tis not to crush them with the Cross, but to correct them for their profit, as a Father doth his Children. Heb. 12.14.
(4.) What was the Event of this offer'd Violence, verse 4. God over-ruled it for this his Church's Advantage and wonderful Increase by a New Addition of five thousand Souls more to it. Note; This Number seemeth the more probable to be a New Accession distinct from the Three Thousand aforementioned, Acts 2.41. because to call but Two Thousand now added, by the name and number of Five Thousand, is a manner of numbering very unusual to the Tenure of the Sacred Scriptures. However, suppose it to be only the Increase of that lesser number, yet was it a most goodly and wonderful Draught of Fish by those two Fishers of Men at the second casting out the Net of the Gospel. This was a New Confirmation of that Old Adage [Sanguis Mar∣tyrum est Semen Ecclesiae, The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of his Church. The more that the Church is molested, the more she is multiplied, as she was in Egyps, Exod. 1. v. 11. Though these two Apostles were now in hold, yet, behold the Evidence of Di∣vine Power; this Church flourished the more by these frownings of Men upon her, and was protected from all the Outrages that the Devil could stir up against her. What
Pliny saith of the Lilly, that it groweth up and is increased by its own Juice which floweth from it, and droppeth down upon its Root. Sure I am, this holdeth most true of the Church. This leads to the second Branch in the view of the first Church.
2ly. Let us take a prospect of the Prosperity of it, the White of the Mercy, which gave light and lustre to her Black of Misery. This contained the marvelous Deliverance of the Two Apostles from their present disturbance and confinement, which consisteth of Antecedents, Concomitants and Consequents thereof. (1.) The Antecedents have the Apostle's Tryal, wherein is their Accusation and their Apology with the Issue of both. (1.) They are Accused by the Priests, &c. who damned both their Doctrine and their Miracle, Acts 4.7. They do not only question their Power, saying, Who made them (Illiterate Fellows) Doctors or Teachers; being uncalled and unsent by their Sanhedrim, but also, whether they had not cured the Lame Beggar by a power derived from the Devil, and not from God; by vertue of the Black. Art, and not by the Gift of Christ's Spirit? Tho' the Miracle it self gave convincing light sufficient to demonstrate that it was Heaven∣born, yet were they willingly and wilfully ignorant hereof, and inquire thus that they might find matter out of the Apostle's own mouths for which they might punish them. (2.) The Answer of Peter to this Accusation, verse 8, 9. put them to a non-plus, say∣ing, [Ye Rulers, &c. we have done a good deed, &c.] The end of your Office is to be a Terrour to Evil-doers, and to praise them that do well, &c. Rom. 13.3, 4. as your selves cannot but acknowledge, and therefore ought to incourage and protect us: We are no Necromancers of the Devil, but the Apostles of Christ, who hath inabled us to work this Miracle, and in whose name all Salvation for Soul and Bo••y is wrought; though ye (who should be Builders) have rejected this Principal Stone more precious not only than Baal (the God of Ekron) in whom Idolaters, but also than Moses in whom ye trust. This boldness of Peter (in daring now to Preach Christ so confidently to the whole Council, who had been before frighted into a denial of him by a silly Wench) did so confound them, together with that ocular Demonstration of the Lame Man (who used to lie down) now standing upright beside the Apostles, that they had no∣thing to say, and were at as great a loss what to do, though they thought power enough was in their hands to have the Victory, verse 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Though they scrupled not to be unjust (in condemning the Apostles for working such a notable Mi∣racle as all the Countrey rang of) yet loth they were to seem to be so: Therefore con∣sult they how to palliate it before men with whom they valued their own Credit more than keeping a good Conscience towards God, or the Salvation of their own or others Souls. (2.) The Concomitants; when they had thus conferred in this Cabal about find∣ing out the best Expedient for stifling the Gospel, the Result of clubbing their Wits together was, to lay their thteatning Charge upon the Apostles, (1.) Not to Preach (publickly or privately) in the Name of the Lord Jesus: Nor (2.) To Pray in his Name: Nor (3.) To work any more Miracles by it. Thus those Unjust Judges pre∣tended to be so far good-natur'd, as to pass by the former fault, provided the Apostles would promise to do so no more, but be bound to their Good-behaviour for time to come, yet intended by this principal piece of Policy to keep the People in Ignorance, most mischievously lessening their Light (as Cheats use to do) that Spectators might more easily be gulled and beguiled by their Legerdemain-Tricks without discovery, verse 16, 17, 18. Both Peter and John agreed in one and the same Answer, as being acted by one and the same Spirit, saying [We are not concerned at your Threats and Edicts, nor solicitous what will best bring us off at present out of your hands, but we do appeal to your own Consciences, whether God will excuse us: If we against his Commands do obey yours: Will ye bear us harmless against the Woe God denounceth against us, if we Preach not the Gospel? 1 Cor. 9.16. Ye command us that which is morally impossible, unless our Tongues were cut out, &c. verse 19, 20.] They were now filled with the new Wine of the Spirit, and their Vessels therefore must either vent or burst. See Jer. 20.9. Psal. 116.16. and Acts 17.16. This Authority of God being thus opposed to Man's, these Rulers were over-ruled to dismiss the Apostles, not from any sense of their own Sin, or dread of Divine Wrath, but for fear of losing the People's Favour, verse 21. God used this means to Restrain these Ruler's Rage, &c.
3dly. The Consequents hereof; (1.) The Apostles, thus marvelously delivered and dis∣missed, Return to the Church, and relate to them their marvelous Deliverance, v. 23. incouraging them to hope for the like Salvation in the like service and suffering. (2.) This occasioned the Church's Prayer in Joint-Communion: Wherein God's Om∣nipotency in Creating and Governing the World doth afford their first comfort against their present sufferings, and future also, verse 24. This Master-controuler will manage
all for his own Glory and his Church's good, Rom. 8, 28. Then do they apply the Prophe∣tick Oracle of David, Psal. 2.12. to their own State at this juncture, Act. 4.25, 26, 27, 28. shewing what a meer madness it is in Men (whether Jews or Gentiles) to oppose Christ, for he will prevail mangre the Malice of angry Men, and inraged Devils: Hence the Psalmist begins that Psalm with an abrupt Le••••••d, (or why) in an angry Interrogation, as if he had said [What, are ye all mad, ye many, and ye mighty, to attempt a Design whereof ye can render no good Reason, nor ever expect any good success, &c?] Then they petition that God above would behold Men's threatnings below, &c. Act. 4.29. and that Christ might magnifie himself (not them) both by their Oracles and Miracles, verse▪ 30. The effect of it was a gracious Answer from Christ, testified both by an Earth∣quake, and a fresh Effusion of the Spirit, verse 31. Note; Thus the Gospel grew by opposition, and would do so now, were we but awakened by our Dangers to a more fervent praying as they were here: The Conclusion is the present State of the Church; (1.) In its Teachers, many Miracles (unrecorded) were wrought by them, beside their Magnanimity in Preaching. (2.) In the Hearers, both Unanimity, as if one Soul had moved all the Bodies of that Multitude, and Liberality in contributing, the Manner, how, the Matter, how much, and the End, for what use, verse 32, 33, 34, 35. more particularly in Barnabas, verse 36, 37, Many Believers lived far from Jerusalem, which was shortly to be destroyed, therefore this Act was peculiar to this time and place. (3.) Great Grace was upon all, verse 33. as if dropp'd down from Heaven, both gratis data, & gratum faciens, that Grace freely given, and that also which makes truly gra∣cious, shining forth in the carriages and countenances, in the speeches and actions of both Apostles and Auditors, so that all call'd them blessed, &c. Isa. 61.9, &c.