Cretes, and Arabians, we hear them all proclaiming in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

"it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God) I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams:

ye men of Israel attend to what I say; Jesus of Nazareth was a man whom God distinguished among you, by miracles, by prodigies, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you your selves also know:

him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by means of the wicked, have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up,

that, as he was a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him, to place the fruit of his loins upon his throne: foreseeing this,

'tis this Jesus whom God hath raised up, of which we all are witnesses.

therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the father the promise of the holy spirit, he has diffused that spirit, the effects of which ye now see and hear.

therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

for the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

praising God, and showing benevolence to all the people. and the Lord encreased the church daily with new converts.

they were carrying a man who had been lame from his birth, one whom they daily laid at the gate of the temple called, Beauty-gate, to ask alms of those that pass'd into the temple.

so that he fell a leaping, and walking, and entred with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

all the people saw him walking and praising God.

and knowing it was he who us'd to sit begging at the Beauty-gate of the temple, they were filled with wonder and amazement at such an event.

the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and renounced in opposition to Pilate, who was determined to let him go.

but killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

but thus it is that God has accomplished what he had foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer.

but must reside in heaven, till the time of the restitution of all things, of which God has spoken from the beginning by the mouth of his holy prophets.

for Moses said to the fathers, "a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; observe whatever he shall say to you.

ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, when he said to Abraham, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed in your posterity."

it is to you that God first of all sent his son Jesus, having raised him up to bless you, provided you all renounce your iniquities.

and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you entirely recover'd.

but Peter and John made answer, do you yourselves judge, whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you rather than God.

so when they had further threatned them, they let them go, not finding it practicable to punish them, because of the people, who all glorified God for that which was done.

at the relation of which they unanimously lift up their voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God who hast made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein:

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled, trembled; they were all filled with the holy spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

was not the estate your own estate? and was not the price for which it was sold, all in your own hands? how came such a design as this in your heart? thou hast not lyed unto men, but unto God.

then Peter and the other apostles made answer, we ought to obey God rather than men.

the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, and hanged on a tree.

him hath God rais'd by his power to be the author of salvation, by giving repentance to Israel, and the remission of their sins.

and we are his witnesses in what we say, and so is the holy spirit, whom God hath given to those that obey him.

my opinion therefore is, not to meddle with these men, but to let them go on: for if the design be a human project, it will fall of it self. but if it be from God,

the twelve therefore assembled all the disciples, and said, it is not fit that we should leave the word of God, to mind what relates to your meals.

wherefore, brethren, chuse out of your number seven persons of good reputation, full of the holy spirit and wisdom, who may have the management of this affair:

thus the word of God was spread; and the number of disciples encreased very much at Jerusalem; and a numerous body of priests embrac'd the faith.

they suborned men, who said, we have heard him speak irreverently of Moses, and of God.

Stephen answer'd, my brethren, and you my fathers, lend your attention. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

and said to him, quit your country, and your kindred, to go to the land which I shall shew thee.

God declar'd likewise, "that his posterity should sojourn in a strange land, where they should be enslaved and abused four hundred years.

and the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place."

the patriarchs being jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt: but God was with him,

in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

now while the time was approaching to accomplish what God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew numerous in Egypt,

for he supposed his brethren would have perceiv'd by this, that God design'd to make him the instrument of their deliverance; but they did not perceive it.

"I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." and Moses trembled so, he durst not observe any longer.

this Moses whom they refused, saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge? the very same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

this is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear."

then God left them, and abandon'd them to the worship of the celestial army; as it is written in the book of the prophets, "O ye house of Israel, is it to me that ye have offered victims, and sacrifices, for the space of forty years in the wilderness?

on the contrary, ye carried the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: wherefore I will transport you beyond Babylon."

which our fathers and Joshua having receiv'd, they carry'd it into the territory of those nations whom God drove out upon their arrival: where it staid to the time of David, who was favoured by God,

and desired to have a settled tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

but he, full of the holy spirit, fix'd his eyes towards heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

and he said, there I see the heavens open, and the son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Thus they stoned Stephen, while he was calling upon God, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

that they all followed him, both old and young. this man, said they, is the plenipotentiary of God.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem, heard that the Samaritans had embraced the word of God, they sent Peter and John,

but Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, for thinking that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

thou hast no manner of share in this gift: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray to God, to forgive, if it be possible, this suggestion you have entertain'd.

[and Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may. and he answered, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.]

and he said, who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. Then trembling with the fright Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and the Lord said to him,]

Immediately he maintained in the synagogues, that Jesus was the son of God.

A good while after, the Jews conspir'd to kill him:

and was a proselyte, together with all his family: he gave much alms to the people, and was assiduous in his prayers to God.

one day about the ninth hour, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God, who addrest himself to him, and said, Cornelius!

and when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, Lord? and he said to him, thy prayers and thine alms have been observ'd and approv'd by God.

and the voice spake to him again the second time, don't call that common, which God calls clean.

While Peter was perplexed about the signification of this vision, the messengers from Cornelius having enquir'd out Simon's house, arriv'd at the gate,

rise therefore, get thee down, and go with them, without hesitating: for I have sent them.

they answered, Cornelius the centurion, a man of probity and piety, one that has an universal good character among the Jews, was divinely admonish'd by an holy angel to send for you to his house, to hear what you had to say to him.

said he, how unlawful it is for a Jew, to frequent a stranger, or even to go to his house: but God hath shewed me, that I should not look upon any man as common and unclean.

and said, "Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and God has approved thine alms.

immediately I sent to you; and you have done well to come. now here we are all in the presence of God, to hear whatever he has given you in charge.

then Peter thus began, now I plainly perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

how Jesus of Nazareth divinely inspired by the holy spirit, and with miraculous power, went about doing good, and healing all that were under the oppression of the devil: because God was with him.

but God raised him up the third day, and shewed him openly,

not to all the people, but to those witnesses, which God had before chosen: to us, I say, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

and he commanded us to publish, and to testify to the people, that he was the person whom God had constituted to be the judge of the living, and of the dead.

for they heard them express their praises to God in divers languages.

In the mean time, the apostles, and the brethren, who were in Judea, heard that the Gentiles had likewise receiv'd the word of God.

but the voice from heaven address'd it self to me again, and said, don't call that impure, which God has purified.

if therefore God has bestow'd the same favour upon them, as on us, after we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I make any opposition to the divine will?

Having heard this, they were appeas'd, and glorified God, saying, God has then granted salvation likewise to the gentiles, on the terms of their repentance.

for he was a good man, and full of the holy spirit and of faith: so that many converts were added to the church.

thus Peter was kept in prison, but the Church prayed to God, without ceasing, for him,

when they had pass'd the first and second guard, they came to the iron-gate that leads to the city, which open'd to them of itself: so they went out and pass'd together thro' one street: when all of a sudden the angel quitted Peter. Then coming to himself; now,

when he had knock'd at the door of the gate, a servant named Rhoda came to ask who was there.

upon hearing Peter tell his name, instead of opening the gate, she ran, out of joy, to tell them, that Peter was there.

at which the people gave a shout, saying, it is the voice of a God, and not of a man.

but at the instant an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not glorify God: so that he became a prey to worms and died. In the mean time, the

word of God made continual progress. and after Barnabas

when they were arrived at Salamis, they preach'd the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and had John for their assistant.

he was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of prudence: who sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to hear the word of God.

thereupon Paul stood up, and having made sign with his hand for their attention, he said, men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

the God of Israel made choice of our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourn'd in Egypt, from whence he conducted them by the terror of his arm.

when having demanded a king, God gave them Saul the son of Cis, of the tribe of Benjamin: the government of both having lasted forty years,

God removed Saul, and rais'd up David to be their king, to whom he gave this testimonial, " I have found David the son of Jesse: he is a man most acceptable to me, and he will execute all my orders."

it is of his posterity that God, pursuant to his promise, has rais'd up Jesus to be the saviour of Israel.

It is to you, my brethren, who are the children of Abraham, and to all who fear God among you, that this salutary news is sent.

but God raised him from the dead: