"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." John saith, "I indeed baptize with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." In the eighteenth chapter of Acts, and 34th yerse, it is written, “ And a certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace*: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples, he saith unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believe? and they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him (that is, on Christ Jesus ;) when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." And all the men were about twelve. Thus, as * See Rom. xii. 3. Eph. iv. 7. + Acts xi. 17. on the day of Pentecost, was there a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel, as regarding those who received this marvellous gift, in allusion to the period hereafter of its universal donation, as it is written in Joel; “And it shall come to pass afterwards," (i.e.) after that he had said before, (respecting the restoration of the Daughter of Zion,)" that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh," &c. St. Peter quotes the passage in part, and shows a fulfilment or partial accomplishment of the prophecy on the day of Penetcost, when the Holy Ghost, came upon the eleven disciples, as they were sitting together with one accord in a house; (at what time there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven,)-he said, This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And* it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream That is, independently of this accomplishment, (which is as a partial accomplishment of the prophecy of Joel) it shall come to pass in the last days, &c. which last days I show to mean in this dreams; and on my servants and on mine handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit ; and they shall prophesy: and I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth beneath ; blood and fire and vapour of smoke: The sun shall bé turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Joel continues, "for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant, whom the Lord shall call." This prophecy received an accomplishment on the day of Pentecost, as it has done also upon other 'occasions, but it is plain that it has not as yet been universally fulfilled. Finally, to conclude, I shall observe that, the overthrow of Jerusulem as concerning the law without any deliverance,-in common with the overthrow of Babylon itself, all were fulfilments, all were for examples, and all were for figures and signs. CONCERNING THE FOUR GREAT KINGDOMS; UNDER WHICH HEADS, ALL MANKIND, FROM THE FLOOD, ARE SHOWN ર DAN. ii. 44." And in the days of these kings * shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter." THIS is much the same as to say,-(and it should be observed, that the prophecy was towards the close of the Assyrian and Babylonian monarchy)—that it shall come to pass hereafter, in the days of the four That kings here answer also to kingdoms, is pointed out in the same verse; beside, in the 39th verse it is written, " And after Thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all |